His name was Pieter, and he was visiting Israel for the first time from Amsterdam. He showed me his other paintings (water colors) which were very beautiful. Some write, some make photographs, and some paint. All trying to make beauty or understand their surroundings in their own way. I told him about the beautiful covered streets of Tzfat and he looked wistful and said "maybe for the next trip" and smiled.

We discussed what he had done in Israel thus far, and he showed me a truly chilling painting of Yad Vashem. He explained that he was born in 1944 and grew up knowing of the horror just a few years back. It had made such an impression on him that when he arrived in Israel, Yad Vashem was one of his first stops. Aside from Yad Vashem, he had "been to the Wall" and seen "eight or nine Bar Mitzvahs". Then, he said, he returned to the Wall on Friday night. "I danced!" and his eyes lit up.

We spoke some more about Tzfat (Jewish city of mystics) and he, making a sudden mental connection, asked if Tzfat was where a few particular Rebbes studied/taught. I was a bit embarrassed to admit I had not even heard of most of the names he mentioned. He asked me if I was Jewish. I said yes, and returned the question. No - he is Christian. He paused then and looked at me sadly and asked "ah, a liberal Jewish education?"