Building a Theatre in Tsfat

Entry 10: Tuesday, July 8th
TSFAT, SECOND ROUND

I return to Tsfat with Ronnie and Ruthie and Dad and I fantasize about building my own theatre here. How cool would that be? I mean actually build it with rock and mortar and have a say in the design, and be able to draw on spiritual influences (at the Kabala center right down the street) when choreographing work, and the tourists would flock to my evening shows. I’d choreograph on my roof which would look out onto the ancient cemetery where many of the great medieval Rabbi’s are buried. I’d invite them to visit me in my dreams. I ask Ronnie, who built his own house in Haifa when land cost bubkes, how much land in Tsfat would cost today. He imagines over $40,000. I ask Avraham, the artist (see pictures I took)-- who came here from Detroit, and whose joy was contagious when he spoke to my Birthright group 2 weeks ago—how much a studio apartment space would cost and he said about $300 per month. What a deal! So I’m looking into doing a seasonal swap—my place in Cambridge for someone’s space in Tsfat for like 2-3 months per year. Who can put a price tag on Heaven on Earth?

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SHEVA
I met another wonderful artist, Sheva, (which is seven in Hebrew). She does glass blowing and “vibrant watercolor.” Her work is truly vibrant, and full of light and movement. My kind of style. I purchased two of her paintings, one for my mom, and one for my apartment. This is the first painting I’ve purchased for “my place.” So it was a special moment. The painting is called “Engagement,” and it’s of women dancing in a circle on one o the happiest days of the Jewish year, which is the day that follows the absolute saddest day. I will write more on this when I visit Sheva again during the Klezmer Festival in Tsfat from August 18th -20th. I’ll ask her to re-record her statements about the painting because her words about the “Engagement” are truly beautiful. Due to the exchange rate from sheckles to dollars, it turns out that the cost of the two paintings were $77.00, which is my lucky number, twice.

Avraham’s website: www.kabbalahart.com
Sheva’s website: www.shevachaya.com

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ELI
While on the fringe of the Artist’s Quarters in Tsfat, I hollered to my Dad, in English of course. And that drew a secular Jewish man out of his stone store. He asked if I could help him with something. He was working on his computer, trying to explain in broken (though admirable) English a little bit about the work that he represented. So without skipping a beat, I pulled up a chair and got to work. How wonderful to be able to coach someone in writing half way around the world! I maintained his words, thoughts, and general phrases, helping only with grammar, precision of language, and flow. He was so grateful. He bought me a whole wheat pizza (for 3 sheckles, that’s 1 American dollar!) from a woman who came ‘round. (See picture)
His name is Eli and he’s a wonderfully generous man. When I whipped out my business card to exchange contact info, he was delighted to discover that I am a playwright. He thought our meeting was divinely orchestrated. (Here’s a picture of my business card which I put in a nook at the Kotel (Western Wall). I’d like to clarify: putting my business card at the Kotel is not about business or networking. It’s about placing within the Kotel the deepest part of myself, my essence, the things that I define myself as: choreographer/dancer playwright/director, the areas in which I feel I can contribute most to this world and the means in which I can connect with and positively affect people. This, my essence, I wished to place within the wall, so that I could tangibly be part of my 3.000 year old history. In a nutshell: the purpose is for me to unite with my heritage.)