What's in a Name?

Moses is a biblical name (prophet). Noah is also a biblical name (pre-flood patriarch;  Noah's Arc). 
Noah Moses sounds like a powerful name combination.Well, it is.

Noah Moses was a powerful person - publisher and longtime editor of the large, influential hebrew newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" ("Last News"). He died at 73 after being hit by a car outside the office building of his newspaper in downtown Tel Aviv.

The street segment close to the building was then named 'Moses street', in memory of both Noah and his father Yehuda. Until quite lately I thought the entire, long street was named Moses, but no, the rest of the street has retained its original name -'Nachalat Yitzhach' .Yitzhak (hebrew for Isaac) - another biblical name; one of the three patriarchs of the jewish people. 

Oh, but what a spot this tiny Moses street  is!  It starts with a bridge over a river (or what has remained of it), Hayalon river. It is within  walking distance  from Azrieli center with one of the greatest malls in the country, from a central railway station, and from bus stations to any part of the country. 

on the bridge

The noise under the bridge coming from cars , trains and water (in winter) is deafening and the proximity to a major road makes it even worse. So, only Nachalat Yitzhack street is ,in fact,
residential ; it has low buildings, several towers, a community center, a tourist agency, a bank, eateries {the shawarma eatery was recommended on Trip Advisor!}, a mini market, and a cemetery at its end .

the Hayalon river now in summer;train rails nearby

eatery

'Eshet Tour' - tourism agency

mini market

bank

the cemetery . Yes. the sign points at a tzadik's grave

The newspaper's headquarters which was at nr 1 of Moses street, has been demolished. They (Noah Mozes' heirs) sold the land to Azrieli Center and moved to a new place in another town, Rishon Letzion, where they already owned a printing facility and a distribution center.

demolished site behind the green sign; construction going on.

What's interesting is that they demanded and obtained that the adjacent street at the new place in Rishon Letzion town, be named Moses too, and their offices building marked nr 1. Interesting, but not surprising. The newspaper has money, influence and probably pays high taxes to the municipality,so what the publisher wants, the publisher gets. And the publisher is Arnon (Noni) Moses, the son of the late Noah Moses.  Arnon in hebrew means 'rushing stream' (in honor of Hayalon stream , perhaps?!); 

Like the stream, and unlike his father,  Arnon Moses seems to be fickle and somehow manipulative like most of the  news people today who foolishly believe they're God-like, have the power to do anything they wish. Both his  newspaper and its online edition (Ynet) though  most popular, often present the reader with  onesided news to promote a certain  agenda.  Luckily, people have lost their naivete, they look more at life around , and less at the printed word.

Mystical Energy in the Upper Galilee

Two of the four holy cities in Israel: Tzfat (Safed) and Tveria (Tiberias) are located, pretty close to each other, both in the Upper Galilee area of the northern part of the country. Tveria is on the western shore of Lake Kinneret; Tzfat a bit further to the north, up on the hills overlooking the lake.

There's a mystical atmosphere in both these ancient places which is very strongly felt in their old cemeteries where many venerated sages and tzadikim  are interred. During the last decade I've been visiting Tzfat old cemetery once a year , before the High Holidays, to pay my respects to the memory of  a specific tzadik and his wife whom I've had the privilege to meet in person. (I 've mentioned them in two or three previous posts).

graves of tzadikim (holy righteous people)

behind me, the shed with the couple's graves 

woman with iphone in corner inside shed; it got on my nerves

It's a very long way; heat from hell; proximity to the Golan Heights-Syria border  (red line on the map) where there are battles going on between Assad's army and the rebels; with Daesh, Iran, Hezbolla in the background, and the two 'biggies' America and Russia as cheerleaders.

Tiberias, Kinneret , Safed , Golan Heights  *

Not far from the cemetery - a regional hospital which among its usual duties to provide the locals with medical care, also gives humanitarian medical aid (to both battling parties so that not to ruin relations with either America or Russia). The hospital is quite heavily secured as it is on the 'black list' of some terrorist factors.

Last month (July), there were some minor earthquakes in the area with the epicenter in Lake Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee). Based on history and probability - a big earthquake is expected. When and how big, no one can tell. It could happen any day .

lake Kinneret (as seen on the way back from Tzfat)

I'm no young chick, so I've said to myself : ' That's it; not for me any more. Hopefully, God, and the late tzadik &wife , will forgive me for not coming'. 

Well, as the time approaches  I feel there are forces stronger than me that attract me like magnet. I also remind myself that I get to charge my energies there. Indeed, I come home exhaused, fall on the bed and sleep till noon. But then, next day when I wake up, as well as in the following days, and during the whole year I  feel highly energized - till next year pilgrimage. I've had my share of museums, galleries, shopping centers and the like; now,  I'm at a stage where I need Energy, to be able to go on with my life.  And this is good energy.

orthodox boys' school, Makor Chaim; path by, leads down to cemetery

(there's also a main entrance down along the street)

 orthodox guy , bus shelter ,on the main street near the cemetery

I like the way back, down the hill of Tzfat  as it gives me the chance to see from above, lake Kinneret ( the lowest fresh water lake in the world), in its blue splendor; and then at the foot of the hill the picturesque little town of Rosh Pina awaiting me to visit its mall and treat myself to a bite before getting on the bus back home.

Lake Kinneret - blue strip seen from above (enlarge photo!)

Rosh Pina Mall

Rosh-Pina - water fountain 
(compression socks -leg and knee- helpful for walking /climbing)

Sadly, things seem to be deteriorating: the woman sitting on the bench inside the shed, a place of prayer and meditation, and shamelessly using her i-phone; the red chairs left there after some ceremony (why red and not blue, the color used at graves of the sages?) The city is in bad hands, methinks.

* Web picture (map of Golan Heights)