Night Hike, John Deere Land, and an afternoon in Safed

Saturday night we were lucky to have a few of Shluchot's

 finest Ex-soldiers to take us on a" night-hike" and to teach

 us a few army maneuvers.

We were running, crawling and rolling....
But having lots of fun!!



Mission accomplished.....Let's eat!!



  

Tuesday we were off again to spend the afternoon in Safed. First stop on the way was Mount Tabor (Har Tavor) which is a hill rising 1640 feet above the Jezreel Valley in the region of Galilee.  Due to its strategic location along the north-south road, it has been an important fortress since ancient times.



On top of Har Tavor




Next stop....... John Deere Land for
 a little fun. John Deere tractors are an
 essential part of the farming operation
 on Kibbutz Shluchot.



 

                      A beautiful picnic lunch in the woods.


           Safed  (Tzfat) is one of the four holy cities in Israel,
            together with Jerusalem, Tiberius, and Hebron. 
          The old part of town consists of narrow cobblestone
               alleys revealing artists' galleries, medieval
                synagogues, tiny cafes, private homes and
                                   small guest houses.




                   According to legend, Safed is where Shem
                       and Ever, son and grandson of Noah,
            established their Yeshiva where Yaakov Avinu
                                 studied for many years. 







In the 16th century, many famous Jewish religious

scholars and mystics moved to Safed following the

Spanish Expulsion, fleeing from the horrors of the inquisition.  Safed then became the spiritual center of

 the Jewish world, where Kabbalah reached the peak

 of its influence.

Watching a candle being made.

Max is amazed that this "teva"
 is made soley of wax.

Bayla exploring some of the art galleries.

Relaxing and laughing.

After a big group hug, we head back home.