Tzfat, any info? | Imamother

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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Israel related Inquiries & Aliyah Questions

Tzfat, any info?

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amother

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 10:34 pm

DH wants to make aliyah and live in Tzfat, is it too crazy? any information?
anyone living there?

Mirchrude

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 11:25 am

I'd also like to know about tzfat. Does anyone know details about tzfat?

amother

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 11:41 am

I lived there for over a decade. Beautiful place, lovely views, crisp air, though can be chilly in the evenings. People are very friendly.

It's becoming increasingly charedi. Don't know if that's a plus or minus for you.

It's also a very poor town, socioeconomically. Jobs are very hard to come by. Housing is very cheap, relative to the rest of Israel (unless you insist on living in the Americanized old city). Lots of large charedi and BT families flock to Tzfat because it is a holy city and affordable. Indeed, social services often sends these families off to live in Tzfat. A good portion of the city residents are not paying municipal taxes (they're exempt because of low income + huge family), and the result is that the city is VERY strapped for cash. So you don't get a lot of city services like in other places.

Most people in Tzfat are sephardi/mizrachi in origin, but ashkenazi haredi families are constantly moving in (especially chabad).
On the whole, I enjoyed living there, especially because I had a pristine view of the entire kinneret from my living room window. But we ultimately got frustrated by the lack of opportunities, the lack of funds in the schools, etc.
If you're looking for a holy place, lots of haredi schools, some religious anglos, lots of shuls, it might be the place for you.

Mirchrude

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 11:44 am

are there many litvishe chareidim? are there litvishe schools and cheder?

bobeli

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 2:46 pm

how is the transportation there?
which neighborhood you recommend for litvish?
any more info?

mirchrude do you live in EI?

amother

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 3:59 pm

I am a new amother and I live in tzfat.

Mirchrude wrote:

are there many litvishe chareidim? are there litvishe schools and cheder?

There is a growing litvishe community with a cheder that should be up to kitta gimmel by next year. There is a beit yaakov in the old city that serves the whole city.

Litvishe people live in all neighborhoods.
Are you asking about transportation in the city or to other cities? I don't take buses in the city I usually walk. To BB and Yerush there are buses about once an hour. You can also get to other major northern cities regularly.

The above amother is correct, it is a poor city. I guess you could say it is becoming more charedi. Alot of the kids from the charedi kehillos- Litvishe, Sanz, Breslov, are getting married and living here because its cheap, much cheaper than Netanya, BB, or Yerush.
I would disagree with amother on one point there are not really lots of charedi schools. The litvishe school is new, opened 2 years ago, I believe, and it is the only charedi cheder.

bobeli

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 6:24 pm

I need some info on where to live, etc
amother that lives there (or anyone else) do you mind posting or pm me.
it looks like we will move there soon and don't know anything about the city
thanks

amother

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 6:55 pm

I'm the previous amother (who lived there more than a decade). I am not charedi, so I'm not really not an expert in their schools. I just know that there are chabad schools, a Breslov cheder (I think), a Beit Chana, a Beit Ya'akov or similar, plus a chardal/charedi talmud torah, among some others.

What kind of housing are you looking for? Apartment or private housing? Will you have a car? If you let me know, maybe I can help suggest neighbourhoods.
You can also join the Tzfat yahoo group, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/.....s?o=1 . Ask everything you want, usually people on these groups are helpful.

amother

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 7:36 pm

bobeli wrote:

I need some info on where to live, etc
amother that lives there (or anyone else) do you mind posting or pm me.
it looks like we will move there soon and don't know anything about the city
thanks

I'm not sure what you mean by where to live? What type of housing do you want?
What do you mean by soon?you are making aliyah? Why tzfat? do you know anyone here?

I made a mistake above, I meant the new cheder is the only litvishe one. There are other charedi ones- chassidishe, breslov, sfardi.

Please ask any questions you have.

Rodent

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 8:47 pm

Sorry to threadjack, but does anyone know how we may be able to find out if there are any relatives still living in Tzfat? My husband's grandparents were from Tzfat (moved to Panama and then the US) and we have no information about their families much at all. I can only assume they had relatives that they left behind. Surname is Adi. They are sepharadi, and they had been there for numerous generations, presuming 19th century from what little we've read of the community but no real evidence for that. My husband does speak Hebrew if anyone has any contacts for us.

Again, I apologise for the change of topic, just thought it was worth a shot.

amother

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 2:22 pm

Rodent wrote:

haha rodent start your own thread and you might have more luck!

Rodent

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 5:21 pm

*raises an eyebrow* No need to laugh.

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2010, 5:30 pm

Just so you know the new and only, litvishe cheder is only interested in taking those families which fit the israeli charedi litaa'I mold- not too American, not hippie, not open, not into kiruv.
The other charedi schools that I know of are:
chabad
breslov magen avot
tachover- chassidi klali in the old city
Rav Donna - mostly sefardi
bas ayin- only accepts those from yiddish speaking homes, in meor chaim
the new breakoff breslov, not sure of its name, more open, the ones who started the school are called Lieberman.

amother

Tue, Apr 27 2010, 4:29 pm

OP .- thanks for the information so far.
someone told me is a very difficult place for parnossah, is this the case?
is there a BY?
most of the people wear white on shabes?