From the Smolenskys

[moderator] Yaffa and Moshe Smolensky are active in Tzfat, putting out a semi-weekly
e-newsletter which updates Tzfat residents on what's happening in Tzfat (during normal times it's semi-weekly; during these weeks, it's daily!) and managing the Lev Neshama tzdekka fund.

They have been sending out updates for the past few weeks, but I will send out excerpts, beginning with their latest (and post as they send out further updates).

July 31, 2006
"Time has lost some of its perspective in Tzfat because of the lack of a normal routine. Before this last Shabbat there were multiple daily siren warnings and "incoming," as we refer to the rockets that hit the city. Some days I have to remember what day of the week it actually is. Shabbat was not peaceful in Tzfat. Walking to shul was eerie because the only thing we heard was an occasional bird song and we saw only four people on the street. Most shuls in our neighborhood are closed for lack of minyan. Perhaps three are functioning. During morning service I could hear the faint background sounds of rockets hitting thus giving extra meaning to the prayers that are often glossed over in times of peace. In the huge shul that we attend, the men had to "scrape together" a minyan.
Shabbos afternoon there were multiple siren warnings and in the evening we endured a full-scale attack with rockets hitting in the neighborhood above ours. Tzfat is located on several mountains clustered together so everything is either up or down. After the attack neighbors congregated in the passageway between the buildings in which we live to compare notes. A son of a neighbor celebrated his 17th birthday. Of his two older brothers, one recently was let out of the army but on reserve and the other was still in the army. After celebrating with a meager birthday cake, the joy of the birthday was shattered when they learned that their son who is serving in the South, was being shipped north with his artillery unit....Also, on Sunday we took advantage of what we hoped was a lull in activity and did our grocery shopping. The money changer in the city opened his office just before we got to his door so I was able to exchange donations from US and Canadian checks into shekels. On Sunday morning, 16 families got food delivered to their doors; staples and dairy products, compliments of Lev U'Neshama and those who have donated to enable us to do so. A few stores in the city have opened and there were a fair number of people walking and some cars traversing the "main street" called the Midrachov. People greeted friends who they haven't seen in a long time. The bank was open. The main veggie store in town was almost devoid of produce and what was left on the shelf was barely edible. Today, Monday, there is a postponement of air strikes on the part of Israel to allow civilians to leave the southern part of Lebanon, if they choose to do so. This is also the day we ventured north to Kibbutz Gonen where I go for chiropractic treatments. It is just south of Kiryat Shemona from where we could see smoke rising from that area as well as hearing the sounds of explosions. Along the highway we could see areas of our beautiful country scarred by burned sections of the forests from where rockets had hit and exploded, causing fires.
After my treatment I greeted a lady in the waiting area. I told her we were from Tzfat. She said she was from Rosh Pina. There was a big handshake and obvious pride that we were still in our homes. We wished each other to be well and safe.
Perhaps this afternoon the air strikes will begin again according to announcements on our neighbor's TV. We are anticipating whatever may come our way; we have our bottles of water, our lantern and flashlight, candles, a supply of food (human and pet) and courage that we seem to muster from deep within ourselves when rockets slam into our city and we know from the sound of the explosions, in surrounding areas.
Moshe & Yaffa, still in Tzfat