The Zatloffs -- resident family and volunteers

[moderator] The Zatloffs have been living in Tzfat for 25 years. They have 6 children, and have decided to stay in Tzfat. They are assisting in the Livnot U'Lehibanot relief program. Here are 2 of their most recent posts.

July 30
Well folks, it's UPDATE TIME again. Please forward this and the other updates to other family members or friends whose e-mail addresses I don't have.

I ended my last update by saying I would write about some humorous situations I found myself in while driving around delivering meals. First, the group organizing the meals and care for senior citizens is a program callled Livnot u'lihibanot. (To build and to be built) They offer programs for English speakers based on volunteer work, Jewish studies and strengthening ties and a love for the land of Israel. Many social projects and public renovation projects in Zfat are sponsored by Livnot.

Looking for some of these addresses can be very frustrating and like I said quite humorous. I have to say that it's incredible how people can learn to survive and deal with difficult situations by using humor. Most of you are looking at this situation from the outside looking in and are probably wondering what's so funny about a war or missles flying overhead !!! Humor, however, can break and help relieve tension, and can allow someone to go on with more confidence and optimism.

For example, we were driving around for well over half an hour looking for Remez David St. 121.
Now you have to understand, this street is not one continuous street; it breaks in the middle and picks up again several streets and neighborhoods away. We finally found 121, but the street name was Etzel. We kept looking until sirens went off. We stopped the van and went into a shelter. One of the women in the shelter lives in the building we wanted. She told us that the pink building we saw was the correct one, and the city had just finished renovating it but forgot to change the street name. We went back to the building, started to look for apartment number 3, but soon enough got confused again. I phoned, and in a combination of Russian, Yiddish and Hebrew I found their apartment. You see, mailbox number 7 was really number 3; I guess the city forgot to change the numbers like they forgot to change the street name. Many buildings and homes are not along the street, but might be behind other buildings and can't be seen from the street. You can ride around looking for building 95, see 90, 91, 92, 93, and 94 and then 98. Hey, whatever happened to 95 ??? It's down some stairs, off the road, behind some buildings and down the hill.

The best one was looking for Ekaterina, an elderly woman who spoke Russian and Yiddish. We finally found her building, but had difficulty locating her apartment, which was number 4. I found number 4, but it wasn't hers. I phoned her, and she came outside. It turned out that apartment number 4 wasn't number 4 but instead number 8, and apartment number 8 was really apartment 4. Every apartment number in this building had the wrong number on the mailboxes and doors.
I drove down one street looking for building 31. On the right hand side was building 311, and guess where building 31 was ??? Right one block down on the left. Jokes and wisecracks were flying in my van, and we all felt so bad for the postal workers who might need to deliver mail.

However, there are streets with logical numbers, but some streets may be circular in shape, whereas others may be straight and then turn to the right and continue straight until it curves again. However, if you turn left, you are on a different street. One street changes it's name in the middle. I've discovered so many streets, alleys, shortcuts and hidden places I could probably become a taxi driver. Well, it surely keeps me wide awake while driving around town. Miracles happen everyday because everyone gets meals and I can logically explain the illogical system to other volunteer drivers. When we deliver meals we also survey the home situation to see if someone needs help from the social services. People are appreciative, and just a hello and a few words give them support, courage and comfort. They know they are not alone.

Today, all my kids, except for Akivah, came around and helped out. That's it for today, folks. I'll be back again, reporting the latest from the Zfat front. Believe me, missles are a serious business, but Zfat isn't Northern Ireland with its daily dangers, and I certainly walk the streets of Zfat with more confidence than I would certain sections of New York City. We are not a war torn country, thank G-d. Hizballah controlled Lebanon is, and G-d willing that evil force will be obliterated along with its supporters. We are a nation under siege, and need to continue to unify and show acts of Hesed, kindness and generosity to each other. We want Mashiach, redemption NOW !!!

Until the next update,
Yours,
Miriam, Shneor and family"

August 1st 2006
ZIP from Zfat
(Zatloff Information Providers)

Hello folks,
Zipping off another short, brief and not too long message. All was very quiet yesterday. I knew something was going on because yesterday morning there was no "Nasrallah Wake Up Call", and everyone in the synagogue was quite unsure what was happening. As soon I got home, I read the Hebrew and English news sites and understood the reason behind the erie quiet atmosphere.

My daughter and I went delivering meals yesterday. I usually drive a van and I know my route well, so I can just put the vehicle on automatic pilot and zoom off. The organization I wrote about in my last update,, Livnot U'Lihibanot, is working very hard to provide essential services to seniors here. People come from all over the country to volunteer, sometimes even just for a day or so, but they feel they have to be here. Some are cleaning and maintaining homes of seniors or fixing up shelters. Yesterday, for example, two young women spent the morning hours helping Azziza, a very special strong-willed woman who must be well into her 90's if not older. Her son, who lives in Zfat, is in his 70's, and suffered a second stroke months ago. He's in a rehabilitation center in the center of the country. Someone was coming twice a week to help her in the house but the woman left as soon as rockets hit Zfat. The two women yesterday cleaned and organized Azziza's house, while receiving blessings upon blessings from this remarkable gentle and sweet woman. She complained about her shoulders, so the girls massaged her shoulders and back. This is only one example of what Livnot is providing others here in Zfat, and Livnot is one of many groups which provides services and care for families, seniors and shelters. Chabad also has a strong presence here in Zfat, and groups from outside are also involved. For example, someone came to Zfat and gave certain food stores an extremely large sum of money and on a certain day people could go shop at these stores and according to their family size receive part of their purchases free of charge.

Today also began as another day of quiet, and may G-d grant us all many days of peace and quiet with immediate redemption. I'm aware of world reaction to the bombing of the building in Quana, but Israeli Airforce Videos show rockets being fired from there, and launchers are hidden in homes and buildings. It was a tragic loss of life, but the Hizballah doesn't care about life, neither Jewish nor non-Jewish, especially if death can serve their own evil ideological game plan. The Israeli press is reporting that the IDF is investigating a time lapse which seems to have occured between the bombing of the building and the eventual collapse. Was it IDF alone which fired on the building, or did Hizbalah destroy it themselves in order to create support for its attacks against Israel? Why did they allow woman and children to remain in a war zone from which they were launching rockets into Israel? Human shields is not a new tactic, it's used in Gaza as well by the PLO and Hamas.

Continue to pray for us in Israel and for those all over the world. Our people are under attack, in Israel, Seatle, etc... My son Akiva has been stationed in Nablus (Shechem) for over half a year and may be moving with his unit up North. Please keep him and other soldiers in your daily prayers. His Hebrew name is Akivah Aharon ben Miriam Yeta.

Wishing you all a good and peaceful day. With warm regards and blessings from us in Zfat.
Stay tuned for the next broadcast provided by ZIP

Signing off for now,
Shneor