Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was a rabbi who lived in the early centuries of the common era. Legend has it that he was being hunted by the Romans for insolence so he lived in a cave for over a decade with his son, studying Torah all day. When he returned he was such a master of the Torah that he could zap people with his eyes and turn them into bones. He also was supposed to have written the Zohar. He is buried in the hills across from Safed, and many Orthodox people go to his grave to pray to G-d in his merit.


Aviva and Liz on the bus on the way


Our madricha (counselor) Deena, who organized the tour, and her husband on the right


Rabbi Weisberg, the head of my program, with his daughters


The entrance to the building


The men's entrance


A Toledot Yisrael Hasid in his Shabbos clothes (on Friday afternoon)


Hasidic kids at the men's entrance


The women's entrance


The inner entrance


The tomb of the rabbi


The marking for his tomb


A child in the women's section with his mother


The mezuzah on the women's side


Prayer on the women's side


Praying in the merit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai


Using the phone outside


Taking a smoking break in the back entrance



In the back, some Hasidim were dancing over some celebration


Dancing


You tell me this isn't interesting.


A father and son


A Toledot Yisrael Hasid


Non-hasidim watching the festivities


The wives of the men dancing look on


In white for Shabbat


Shopping before Shabbat