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Author: byishimo

  • The Ashkenazi HaAri Synagogue

    Who Was HaAri?

    The Ashkenazi Ari Synagogue was built in the sixteenth century on the northern fringes of the Sephardic neighborhood in the Old City of Safed. It was originally founded by Spanish exiles who had settled in Greece and then immigrated to Safed, earning it the name “Gerigos”. Its congregation were Kabbalists, mostly followers of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero and they were joined in 1570 by Rabbi Isaac Luria (known by his acronym “Ari”). His custom was to pray in the synagogue on the Eve of Sabbath, proceeding from there with his disciples to a nearby field (Hakal Tapuchin) to welcome the Sabbath. It is said that it was during these sessions that popular Shabbat melody, Lecha Dodi, was created.

    The History

    In the eighteenth century, with the arrival of a large group of Hasidim from Europe, the congregation changed and the HaAri Synagogue began to be called “the Ashkenazi Ari Synagogue.” It was destroyed in the earthquake of 1837, and its reconstruction was completed in 1857, which in Hebrew numerology is equivalent to “and My Temple shalt thou revere” – the inscription in Hebrew that appears above the entrance.

    The Holy Ark was carved from olive wood by a craftsman from Galicia and was created in the style of the synagogues of Eastern Europe. The craftsman of the Holy Ark was a non-Jew who was unaware of Judaism’s laws against picture or statues of human figures in the synagogue. At the top of the ark he placed a human face which the Jewish congregation then transformed into an anthropomorphic image of a lion, alluding to the acronym Ari, which means “The Lion.” Notice how lion appears to have a human face.

    During the 1948 War of Independence. The synagogue was packed with worshippers seeking shelter from the battles raging around the city and just as the congregants bent forward in prayer, shrapnel tore through the synagogue, flying over the heads of the bent worshippers and embedding itself in the base of the bema. You can still see the hole in the bema where the shrapnel hit. Miraculously, no one was hurt. This event was considered one of many miracles said to have occurred in Safed.

    Though the synagogue is associated by name with the Ashkenazi community due to its use by Hasidim 200 years ago, today it serves as a place of worship for both Ashkenazi Hasidic Jews and Sephardic Jews. It also serves as a popular place of worship for people from many other different affiliations.

    The Ari’s tradition of welcoming the Sabbath outside is still echoed in every Kabbalat Shabbat service today when, during the singing of Lecha Dodi, the worshippers turn toward the entrance of the synagogue.

    Also worth visiting is the Sephardic HaAri Synagogue.

  • Synagogues In Safed

    Safed is considered by the Jewish people as a city of mysticism and as the city of Kabbalah. During the 2,000 years of exile when Jews lived abroad, outside of the land of Israel, there remained within the borders of the land a few special cities where a minority community of Jews continued to live, work and study. Safed was one of these continuously populated cities and this line of continuity has led to a rich and vibrant Jewish history within the city of Safed.

    Much of life in the Jewish areas of Safed revolved around the synagogue and for this reason there are many synagogues, both ancient and modern, within the city. Although Safed has been ravaged by earthquakes throughout the centuries, most of these synagogues have survived and many of them have mysterious legends surrounding their ability to withstand the devastating earthquakes.

    HaAri Synagogues

    One of the most well-known and highly visited synagogues in Safed is the Ashkenazi HaAri Synagogue. This synagogue is the perfect setting to learn about the origins of tikkun olam (the Kabbalistic idea of repairing the world) and about the Kabbalah itself. Also, hear about the Ari and his contribution to Kabbalah and be amazed by the worshippers’ story of survival during the War of Independence. If you want to see one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Safed, and the place where the Ari loved to spend his time, then check out the Sephardic HaAri Synagogue.

    The Historical Trail

    For a bit of historical excitement, make a stop at the Abuhav Synagogue where you can view a Torah scroll from the Middle Ages and see a synagogue that has not one, but three holy arks. Next, visit the Avrutch Synagogue and hear about the miraculous survival of the faithful during the 1837 earthquake that leveled Safed to the ground. See the surviving Holy Ark and be amazed by this tale.

    Stops Worth Making

    Also worth a visit is the Yosef Caro Synagogue where you can see the famous Shulhan Aruch (The Set Table), which dates back to the middle ages and is still used as the primary source for understanding Jewish religious laws. Also check out the Bana’a Synagogue which is the oldest synagogue in Safed and was first constructed in the 15th century or the Alsheich Synagogue which is untouched from when it was erected in the 16th century as it completely survived intact through all of Safed’s earthquakes. For some musical inspiration don’t forget to visit the Beirav Synagogue and learn all about Carlebach prayer.

    Just Looking For A Place To Pray?

    If you are just looking for a nice place to pray then check out the Noam Synagogue or the Sanz Synagogue.

  • Escape Room, Safed-Style!

    Unlock the Hidden Secrets of Safed at the Safed Puzzle Room!

    Located in a 700 year old stone building, this escape room offers a contemporary challenge for groups of all sizes (from 2-40+ people).

    The clock counts down for 60 minutes while you work to solve the clues needed to complete your mission! Great for team building, multi-generational gatherings, date nights, and just general fun for locals and visitors!

    Hours

    Sun – Thurs, 10am – 10pm,

    Fri 10am – 2pm,

    Sat. nights from 1.5 hrs after Shabbat until the last group!

    Closed Shabbat and Jewish Holidays

    Available in Hebrew or English . Prices are listed on our website Reservations required.

    Further information

    7 Aliyah Bet St., Safed

    Tel: +972-55-918-2207

    Email: info@safedpuzzleroom.com

    www.safedpuzzleroom.com

    www.facebook.com/SafedPuzzleRoom

    https://instagram.com/safed_puzzle_room

  • Painting Parties in Safed

    Come out for two hours of family fun and create your own art masterpiece in easy steps. We teach you how to be an artist in an entertaining way that will boost your confidence.

    You bring the wine and we bring the supplies.

    Price for a painting party: 80 NIS per person (discounts for families and couples)

    Email: sugarpix@mac.com or call Jodi Sugar at 050 477 2771 for details.

  • Artist Quarter of Tzfat

    Safed’s Old City is split into two sections, the Old Jewish Quarter and the Artist Quarter. Many visitors don’t see the Artist Quarter but that’s a mistake — it’s windy alleys and beautiful old stone buildings offer a lovely area in which to mosey around or even stay over for a few days.

    History

    It’s estimated that, as far back as Crusader times, there were two communities in Safed — both Jewish and Arab communities. The two Quarters existed side-by-side and shared a central marketplace. The Arab Quarter was comprised of both Christian and Muslim Arabs.

    Relations between the two sides were never easy, but most of the time the two populations got along, sharing resources and purchasing in a central marketplace. In 1834 the Arabs of Safed, spurred by the incitement of a Musim clergyman, attacked the Jewish quarter and slaughtered up to 500 Jews, leaving many more mained and wounded. The surviving Jews fled to nearby villages and it was only the intervention of the ruling Egyptian governor that restored quiet to the area.

    In 1929 an Arab mob again attacked the Jewish Quarter. This time the British were responsible for maintaining order but by the time that they cleared the Jewish Quarter, 18 Jews had been hacked to death and numerous others were wounded.

    The 1929 pogrom convinced the Jews of Safed that they would have to take their defense into their own hands. The Haganah, the Jewish underground, hoarded weapons and hid them in the cellars of Jewish homes throughout the Jewish Quarter. When Arab riots again rocked Palestine in 1936, the Jews of Safed were able to ward off Arab attackers.

    After the War of Independence the Arab population of Safed fled. New immigrants — refugees from Eastern Europe and North Africa — moved into the abandoned homes.

    Establishment of the Artist Quarter

    In addition to the new immigrants, Israeli artists also came to Safed to open galleries and studios. Early artists, including Yitzhak Frenel and Moshe Castels, had lived and worked in the town since the early 1940s and by the 1950s many of Israel’s best-known artists had opened galleries in Tzfat. These artists included Ziona Tagger, Aryeh Merzer, Mordechai Levanon, Yitzhak Amitai, Shimshon Hotzman, David Gilboa and Raviv. Many of these artists were penniless but they shared their resources as they joined together to create the Artists Quarter Association.

    Today there are new artists in Safed. Some of them have established their galleries in the Old Jewish Quarter, where tourists generally go to see the historical synagogues and other sites. Other new artists have come to the Artist Quarter to establish their galleries in the historical Artist Colony of Safed.

    General Exhibition of Safed

    Works of the old artists, as well as new Artist Colony members, can be seen at the General Exhibition of Safed.

  • Kadosh Cheeses

    The Kadosh cheeses are one of the town’s best-kept secrets. The Kadosh family has been making cheeses in their small dairy on the edge of the Old Jewish Quarter for over 100 years, using the same methods of cheese-making as their ancestors did several generations ago.

    History

    The Kadosh family established its presence in Safed when the present owner’s great-great-grandfather walked to Palestine from Morocco at the end of the 19th century. He was 12 years old and wanted to make cheeses so to learn the art of cheese-making, he wandered through local Arab villages, watching the women make cheese. He settled in Tzfat and established his dairy next to his house, just off of HaAri Street, above the section of the cemetery which, after 1948, became the military cemetery.

    Making Kadosh Cheeses

    Today Kadosh cheese makes both goats’ milk cheeses and sheeps’ milk cheeses. The process that the family uses to make the cheeses is the same as that used in the 19th century when the dairy first opened. The cheeses are left to ripen in straw baskets in the cheese cellar below the dairy. The straw adds flavor and serves as a purifying agent. These baskets were once woven from reeds which were harvested in Wadi Amud, the valley below Tzfat, but today they are commercially made.

    Choices

    Kadosh cheeses has both hard and soft cheeses. The hard cheeses age anywhere form 6 months to 3 years, depending on the type of cheese. There are numerous varieties of cheeses and other dairy products at the Kadosh dairy including hard and soft Tzfat (salty) cheese, cheese marinated in Merlot wine, kashkaval cheese, goat’s cheese, bulgarian cheese, ricotta cheese, goat’s milk ice-cream, labana (a creamy sour cheese), yogurt and camambert cheese.

    Other Products

    The dairy also produces additional delicacies such as stuffed vine leaves, local wine, olive oil and the famous Kadosh halvah (a desert made from tahini). There are a few tables and chairs right in the dairy for visitors who wish to taste the cheeses or buy a meal. A popular item at the Kadosh dairy is a large “laffa” — flat pancake – which is spread with labana and drips with olive oil with vegetables served alongside. The Kadosh dairy is located on Yud Aleph Street.

    Contact Information

    Turn onto HaAri Street from Jerusalem street and drive in the direction of the cemetery. The road curves download…..after the big curve in the road, there’s a small lane that goes up to the left and a sign “Kadosh Cheeses.” Drive up the road and you’ll see the dairy on your left. 050-729-9798

  • Season Kickoff: Events at the Khan of the White Donkey

    The Khan of the White Donkey is opening the 2010 summer season in May with a series of musical, cultural and spiritual happenings. Thursday evenings we will host outstanding world music artists, including the best virtuoso performers in the country.

    Tuesday evenings they will be offering a variety of cultural events: quality films, lectures, and meetings with unique personalities.

    Wednesday evenings will be dedicated to women’s gatherings, including musical performances, Rosh Chodesh parties, evenings of song and dance, and more.

    Thursdays during the day the Khan is open for a weekly Community Holistic Health Clinic, with low cost acupuncture (with Marc Ben Shabbat) and other holistic treatments. Organic refreshment bar.

    The first Friday of each month they will be running a community market at the Ma’ayan HaRadum (details in separate flyer). The following Saturday night we are hosting a singing circle with Efrat Cohen.

    Other Events

    In addition to these performances, the Khan of the White Donkey offers classes, workshops, and a variety of courses in ecology, holistic health, music, and Judaism. They welcome residents of Tzfat and the Galilee who love and appreciate high quality music and cultural events, and are looking for a place to meet in the evenings, enjoy themselves, and enrich their spirits in an ecologically conscious manner. The Khan of the White Donkey also hosts private events, celebrations, conferences, and workshops for up to 100 people.

    Check their web site, www.thekhan.org for updates.

    They also publish a monthly newsletter with information on all their programs.

    Upcoming Events

    May 27 Ro’i Levy (of Shotei HaNevuah) in a unique Jewish spiritual hip-hop performance.

    June 3 Amir Perlman, Idan Toledano and Yochai Cohen, three virtuosos in a breath-taking fusion flamenco performance.

    June 4 Shuk HaShishi (“Friday Market”) — you bring the Ma’ayan HaRadum to life.

    June 5 Sacred Song Circle and Malave Malka with Efrat Cohen and Lior — participatory sing-along for the heart and soul. June 10 Itamar Erez (guitarist with the maestro Omar Farouk) and Shlomo Deshet, among the best world music performers on the international scene.

    June 24 Kobi Avni and friends — Jewish world music from great local Tzfat musician and instrument maker, recorded with Shlomo Bar.

    July 22 Amir Perelman & Avshalom Farjun (founder of Bustan Avraham) in a special duet performance of Mediterranean world music.

    July 28 10-day Permaculture course with Talia Schneider (call for details)

    Contact Information

    The Khan of the White Donkey Tet-Zayin 5, Artists Quarter, Tzfat 077-2345719 | 052-677-5751 info@thekhan.org www.thekhan.org

  • Old Tzfat Winery

    Wine and Redemption

    The process of wine-making and its connection to the “Geula”, the Redemption of the Jewish Nation, is not something that one thinks about when swilling fine wine.

    Yet, that’s exactly the sort of association that Moshe Alon, owner of the Old Tzfat Winery, makes when explaining the process of wine-making to visitors to his small boutique winery in Tzfat’s Old City.

    Moshe started on his journey as a vintner while he was studying at the Or Yakar yeshiva (seminary) in Tzfat. A friend invited Moshe to accompany him to wine-making course which was being taught by Dr. Arkady Papkayan, a well-known winemaker who had established the Dalton Winery. At the course’s end, Moshe began to make wine in his own home in Tzfat’s Old Jewish Quarter. By 1996, Moshe was starting to think about selling his wine commercially, but without equipment, the process was awkward. “I had 40 young men from the yeshiva come and help me unload the grapes from a truck, and then 12 of these young men would help me stomp the grapes – by foot!” Moshe relates.

    As word of his wines began to spread and the wine’s popularity grew, Moshe invested, and today, his winery includes state-of-the-art equipment and apparatus which allows him to produce in excess of 20,000 bottles of various wines every year. “We make Carbernet Sauvignon, an amazing Gewurziraminer, Carbernet Frank and both a dry and sweet Merlot” Moshe says. “Most sweet wines are made from leftover grapes, but ours is a top-level wine made from choice grapes which is first-class”.

    From Vine to Bottle

    Presently, Moshe gets his grapes from farms, but he is cultivating a new vineyard north of Tzfat. “According to Jewish law” Moshe explains, “you may not harvest fruit from a tree for the first 3 years. It’s called the law of ‘Orlah’. Now, even non-Jewish vintners have discovered that grapes from young vines are not good for wine, but Jews who follow the laws of the Torah have known this for thousands of years!” Moshe’s vineyard is presently in its third year, and by 2010, the first grapes will be ready for harvesting. The grapes are harvested during the weeks preceding Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, and are aged in an old well under Moshe’s house which is located next to his winery, anywhere from 8 – 16 months, depending on which wine is being made. Wine-making starts in fall, with students from various Tzfat schools coming in to help and learn.

    There are times when Moshe’s attention is needed in his vineyard, but in general, he can be found in his winery in the mornings, while traveling to the vineyard to work into the evenings. He is available for tours and wine-tastings, and infuses visits to his winery with an explanation about the spirituality of wine. “Making wine” Moshe says “has many parallels to the evolution of the Jewish people as they pass through the Diaspora on their way to the Final Redemption, the Messianic Age.” Moshe hopes that, in addition to simply enjoying his wines, people will, through their visits to his winery, understand the holy and mystical aspects of wine-making which is, after all, an essential element in Jewish tradition and rituals.

    Plus, it’s delicious!

    To contact Moshe, call (050)4480-884. It is advisable to coordinate a visit beforehand. The winery is located on Yosef Caro Street near the Stairs, below the Eshtam Building which is the first building off the main parking lot.

  • The Ari Mikve

    One of the more unusual tourist spots for men in Safed is the Ari Mikve which is located adjacent to the Old Cemetery and is accessible along a walkway direct from the Arizel’s grave or just past the Sephardi Ari synagogue there is a stepped path leading down to the Mikve.

    Why Do Men Use A Mikve?

    According to the Written Torah, mikvot were used by men for spiritual purification in certain circumstances: before going up to the Temple to pray or offer sacrifices, before marriage, after having marital relations and as the final stage before conversion to Judaism.

    Nowadays the only time men are obligated by the Torah to use a mikve is to become Jewish. However, Hassidim often use a mikve on a daily basis, especially in Israel, where mikvot are freely available. Many men use a mikve regularly before Shabbat and the Festivals or after marital relations. Others consider it a prerequisite to at least use a mikve once a year as part of their spiritual preparations for Yom Kippur.

    What Is Special About The Ari Mikve?

    The Ari Mikve is formed by a natural spring or maayan, which is considered to be the most spiritually uplifting type of mikve. The Arizel, Isaac Luria, used to use it on a regular basis and many other tzaddikim (holy men) have used the mikve since then.

    It is said that anyone using this mikve is certain to do teshuva (repenting) before they die. Also, according to sources, the Ari’s body was brought to the mikve for ritual purification by his students after he passed away. It is said that his body actually “toivilled” (dunked) itself in the water and then got out of the water and laid down and his students continued with the funeral rites.

    The Mikve Itself

    There have been various renovations over the years to the site. There is now a building built over the mikve providing minimal changing and toilet facilities. There are no showers or lockers and nowhere to put valuables, but there are hooks to hang clothes or towels. There is an unofficial attendant who rents towels, sells drinks, plays music and generally helps to keep the place tidy. However, as he is not there all the time it is advisable to bring your own towel.

    The pool itself is not big, about a 1.5 meter by 1.5 meter and about 1.20 meter deep, and it is in a cave.  Therefore, it only holds 4 men at a time. The water is spring water and not heated so while it is “refreshing” in the summer and it can be “rather chilly” in the winter.

    Long meditative “dunks” are discouraged at busy times, i.e. before Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Festivals, the yortzite of the Ari, Lag B’Omer and vacation time as there is usually a queue to get in the water. As this is a spiritual activity it is not “proper” to stare at the other men waiting in the queue. It is also not considered modest for fathers and sons (over the age of 8) to go in together unless one or the other needs practical help.

    Due to the small size of the mikve, and the number of men using it day and night throughout the year, women are not usually able to use this mikve.

    Admission is free but there are plenty of tzedaka (charity) boxes where you can donate money if you want.

    The mikve is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

  • Kikar HaMeginim

    Coal-Seller’s Square

    By the 18th century, the Jewish community of Tzfat had begun to expand significantly.  A large infusion of Ashkanazim, Eastern European Jews, was expanding the population, and new housing was needed.   Until that time, the community had been located about halfway down the mountain, above the cemetery, but with the arrival of Jews from Eastern European countries, new neighborhoods needed to be added, and the expansion was directed upwards, towards the mountaintop.

    In the middle of this new neighborhood, Kikar HaPachim, Coal-Seller’s Square, was built. As its name indicates, it was the central area for the sale of heating and cooking coals for Tzfat, and as such, became a commercial center of the Tzfat Jewish community. Other shops opened in the Kikar in addition to those selling coal, and if any area could be said to be the core of the Old Jewish Quarter, it was Kikar HaPachim.

    Defender’s Square

    This reputation was solidified during Tzfat’s War of Independence, when the Palmach, the fighting arm of the Jewish Defense Forces (later the Israel Defense Forces) established their headquarters in the square. It was here that Moshe Peled and Yigal Alon, commanders of the Haganah, commanded the small Jewish force which defended the Old Jewish Quarter, then going on to capture all of Tzfat. (A second fighting force, the Irgun, was centered elsewhere). After the War, Kikar HaPachim was renamed Kikar HaMeginim, “Defender’s Square” in honor of the fighters who liberated Tzfat.

    Four main lanes of the Old City jut out from Kikar HaMeginim – Bar Yochai Street, HaMeginim Street, Tarpat Street and Hatam Sofer Street. This spider’s web is the heart of the Old Jewish Quarter, and most of Tzfat’s Old City commercial activity, synagogues, and artists’ galleries are accessible directly from the Kikar. Aside from private homes and offices, a well-known dairy restaurant, Tree of Life, is located in the Kikar, as is Tzfat’s most delectable ice-cream parlor.

    Kikar HaMeginim is also known for its activities on Jewish holidays, when various synagogues spill out of their doors to come to the Kikar to celebrate. Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day), Simhat Torah (Celebration of Receiving the Torah) and other holidays see the prayer shawl-clad men from various synagogues congregating in the Kikar to dance and sing – of late, many synagogues gather in Kikar HaMeginim on Shabbat evenings as well as they sing and dance the Kabbalat Shabbat, Welcoming the Sabbath, service.