Tzfat update

Originally emailed; July 28, 2006 01:25:56 IDT

6:30 am sirens go off. Boom. 7:30 am sirens go off again. Boom,
boom. Rockets, but not close, a few kilometers away. Then a
different boom, more muffled, a series. That's shelling from this
side into Lebanon. By now we can tell, how far. Incoming. Outgoing.
In-between a paradoxical quiet peacefulness. Smoke fills the wadi
between Tzfat and Har Meron and where Rebbe Shimon lies watching.
It's like a strange almost-silent retreat in Tzfat right now. A great
chance to get intouch with the inner voices, occasionally punctuated
by sirens, booms and a dash for cover. they have it down now. the
sirens go off (all over the north at once, more on that later) and
there is usually about 30 seconds to get to shelter in case the
rockets are headed for your location (you never know). Fine tunes
your senses let me tell you. Long lulls and then sirens, some days
more or less constant other days just occasional. The nights have
been quiet.

Dear friends, a quick update before I head out again, to Kadita,
Amirim and then points south. Hopefully will be able to fill in more
details later. Been back in Tzfat for 3 days now. Things are mostly
intact, bits of damage here and there. About 10-12000 people remain
here (our of 30-35000). Many many of the people left are old,
infirm, poor or challenged. The Botzers at Livnot have been
organizing volunteers for community help projects. I;ve been
spending time cleaning out miklatim (shelters) to make them usable
(many were filled with junk, no electricity or water. And in the
adfternoons driving around a team bringing meals to people shut in,
mostly older people whose caretakers have not been able to get to them
(or who have left the area). Really a lot of needy people. Many
heart-wrenching scenes. Older folks who can't make it up and down to
shelters in big buildings or who are spending all their time in the
shelter but cant get out for food etc. There are quite a few efforts
both pulic and private to get help to people but it is \very hit or
miss. We had lists of people from the social service dept to find,
mostly we could, but finding addresses in this town is sometime like
going dow th rabbit hole, I think buildings are numbered in the order
they were built or something or according to some arcane kabbalistic
scheme based on at-bash gematria. A few hours of this kind of
detective work is physically and emotionally exhausting. But people
are very grateful. Also you see the very vulnerable side of society.
Yesterday I guy came staggering out in the hall of a building in a
very run-down neighborhood, clearly incoherent outof it, carry a
hypodermic needle in one hand, moaning pointing to his mouth for food.
Didn't know if he was ill, a diabetic needing his shot or a drug
addict. Turned out the latter, strung out. One side effect of the
situation here: the junkies are in withdrawal. We tried to help (it
was alittle over our heads) and tried not to get stuck while helping
him back to his place and setlled down. We took his name to get him
help from the city. Another old guy who wanted to show us and explain
all his paintings on the wall, of the sephirot, abba & imma and the
shekhina. He needed someone to listen to him. Did he go to the
shelter when the sirens went off? No, he just lies on his bed. This
is another side of Israel you don't see in the cafes on Shenkin or
Emek Refaim.

Yesteerday more driving and food deliveries. In the process several
things break in the car, the electric window stops working stuck open.
We blow a tire hitting a rough curb by one of the project blocks (not
untypical Tzfat ragged infrastructure experience). Later I'll relate
the stiory of taking the car today to Karmiel to the one Skoda garage
open, with Hanita (secretary) and Mahmoud (the mechanic) and the rest
of the staff running to the miklat when the sirens go off there. All
one human family.

Many people have asked "what can we do to help?" There are definitely
material needs, clothing, food, games/toys for kids etc. And you can
find many organizations collecting money for assistance. I'm sure
they are helping. Many of them say they have branches in Tzfat
although many if not most we have not seen here before. We have
decided to organize a Tzfat Community Support Fund to funnel help
directly to people we know are in need-- we are right here on the
ground and can see with our own eyes who needs what (in conjunction
with the local authorities or sometimes on our own). My friend
photographer Andy Eliyahu Alpern (has a gallery in Tzfat) has opened
the PayPal account of his business, GolemProductions to accept cash
contributions. This is not tax-deductible or an official non-profit
status (yet) but we can promise that 100% of the funds will go
directly to individuals who need help (like people whose homes were
damaged or who have lost sources of income) or to individuals and
organizations that are directly assisting people in Tzfat and
surrounding areas, such as Livnot U'lhibanot. There is also need to
provide support to the helpers and to residents in the the form of
simple stress reduction services which the Center for Healthy Living
is hoping to provide. If you want to help out check out this link to
Andy's web page for the Tzfat Community Support Fund.

http://www.golemproductions.com/tzfat-donate.html

or go to paypal.com and send to alps@israelvr.net and make a note that
it is for bombing victims.

The hidden nikudah tovah (good point) in all of this is the very
tangible sense of solidarity and unity that people feel. With
everyone pulling together we will come though this with renewed
strength.

more later, blessings,

moshe tov