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July 3, 2022 9:35 am
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Postcard From Tzfat, the Antidote to Zoom

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avatar by David Suissa / JNS.org

Opinion

A street in Tzfat. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – If you ever wanted to experience what healthy Jewish communal life might look like post-COVID, you might want to visit the ancient, mystical city of Tzfat, high up on a hill in the northern Galilee region of Israel.

I say this for one primary reason — Tzfat reminds me what it’s like to experience life in person. It’s odd to even have to mention this, but after two years of COVID lockdowns, prolonged isolation and endless Zoom meetings, the simple notion of doing things in person has become a big deal.

Tzfat is the ultimate in-person town, the very antidote to the virtual.

The town encourages the simple art of walking. Its central attraction is the “old city,” where ancient synagogues blend in with art galleries in narrow, meandering alleyways with stone steps that can pop out of nowhere. Old stones are everywhere and come in all sizes — on the walls, on arched ceilings, on the streets.

Everyone is walking, either with a purpose or just to stroll. Many of the locals are religious Jews walking to their synagogues or going food shopping, while tourists and secular Jews will stroll through the art colony and hang out at cafes or juice bars.

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