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Author: byishimo

  • Morality With A Capital M

    It was May 1948 and the Israeli War of Independence raged on. As the battles were being fought in the town of Safed, the Arab residents of the city decided to run, abandoning their homes and possessions. Times were hard and feelings ran high against the Arabs.

    As the Arabs made their escape, many of the Jewish residents of Safed raided and plundered the abandoned homes of the wealthy Arab residents of the town, taking whatever they could find as booty. The raids continue even as the Jewish Sabbath arrived. The Palmach was forced to take action, going so far as to shoot into the air to disperse the looters. Morality With A Capital M

    Rabbi Avraham Zeida Heller, an important figure in the town, responded with strong condemnation and shock at the sight of what his congregants were doing. He issued a public statement on the 16th May 1948 co-signed by his colleague Rav Weingott. The statement spoke out against profaning the Sabbath but its main message was to prohibit the raids and call for the preservation of, “the sanctity of the Jewish morality,” even against the enemy in wartime. Today, the handwritten statement is on display at the Beit HaMeiri Museum in Safed and this is its text:

    Embarrassing Impressions

    “Dearly Beloved Brothers!

    With the release of our holy city and with our hearts filled with gratitude and praise to the Lord, Blessed be He, for the redemption of our souls, we are filled with grief and pain in not rising up at this great hour for the sake of avoiding serious errors and embarrassing impressions made and revealed during our time. This hour is an hour of serious crisis.

    Our Torah is a Torah of life which permits us to work on the Sabbath for the war effort, for those jobs which involve the saving of a life and therefore we announced earlier that one is permitted to continue in this type of work on the Sabbath. Unfortunately, there are people who think that the leash extends (Heaven Forfend) and they break the Sabbath in public for their own enjoyment and comfort, without any linkage to the war effort. One sin begets another.

    During Joshua’s capture of the Land, there was found only one man who failed to overcome his greedy inclinations but in this case there were dozens of people who could not control their inclinations and had no consideration of the sanctity of the Sabbath—they went out to plunder and maraud right in the middle of the Sabbath. How this pains and grieves.

    Jewish Morality

    The fact is that our dear sons, who know how to fight with bravery and give of themselves for the people and for the land, do not know how to control their inclinations and keep the sanctity of the Sabbath and the Jewish morality. We are not the people of whom it is said, ‘By your sword you shall live. (Genesis 27:4),’ and we do not live for marauding and taking booty.

    Dear Brothers! We knew how to stand bravely and with honor during our trial, as we were surrounded by enemy forces. We shall also know how to stand during the trial of liberty! We shall remember the commandments of our holy Torah, ‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy. (Leviticus 11:44)’

    We shall make holy and rise above and purify ourselves to be deserving of this great hour, that greater and better than us did not merit. We shall know not only how to die in sanctity but also how to live in sanctity. We shall keep the sanctity of the Sabbath and of Jewish morality and then we shall certainly merit the witnessing of God’s salvation and with the help of the Rock of Israel and our Redeemer we shall exterminate our enemies and settle our land.

    Rabbi A.Z. Heller, Rabbi E. Weingott.”

  • A Rabbi For His Time

    It was the eve of Passover, 1948, in the little town of Safed. This year, Passover fell on the Sabbath, giving the air a special flavor of being both a Sabbath and a holiday. But times were tense, since besides being a Sabbath and a holiday, it was also wartime, Israel’s War of Independence, to be exact.

    Local Palmach troops were busying themselves barricading the city in expectation of the town becoming a warfront. Rabbi Avraham Zeida Heller, a spiritual leader for the town of Safed, along with his colleague Rabbi Ephraim Weingott, realized that the existence of the town and the survival of the townspeople depended upon the barricade’s completion, and so waived the Halachic (Jewish legal) responsibility to avoid working on the Sabbath and the holiday. Heller and Weingott issued a legal decision to this effect.

    Mental Turmoil A Rabbi For His Time

    In his book, The Battle Over Safed: Legend and Reality, Rabbi Heller described his mental turmoil after Palmach staff members asked his permission to work on the Sabbath. “The nature of this request caught me off-guard; my mind was torn over the points of the debate. I never had to stand on a decision made so quickly on a matter of such serious import. The severe halachic responsibility of a Jewish rabbi to instruct Jews to make their Shabbat and holiday profane and go to work…”

    Rav Heller found the decision difficult: did this type of work, intended to save lives, constitute an action worthy of superseding the laws of the Sabbath? After he weighed the potential serious security consequences of the situation should the barricades not be completed, he concluded that, “this work is not only allowed on the Sabbath but is a commandment and a duty. Even I myself must help and participate at this time.”

    On Friday, April 23, 1948, a day before Pesach, the rabbi made known his decision in a public announcement. Rabbi Heller convinced his colleague, Rabbi Weingott to affix his signature to the decision. Here follows the text of the legal decision:

    Legal Decision

    “Bless God. From the holy city of Safed, may it be rebuilt and reestablished, on the eve of Passover, in the year of 5708.

    Notice: It has come to our attention that some of the barricade work within our city is needed to defend the lives of the public. Therefore we inform the public: It is permitted and it is even a commandment and a duty to continue the barricade work, as described above, tomorrow on the Holy Sabbath and Passover that are about to arrive, by God, may He be blessed, by the mercy of his cherubs may we be saved from all our enemies and may He lead us from darkness to light and from slavery to redemption speedily in our days, Amen.”

    Alongside Them

    Heller went above and beyond even this deed and led the religious residents of Safed to the barricades where he worked alongside them. His actions gave them strength and faith, cheering the fighters and weary residents.

    The Heller/Weingott decision and Heller’s activism as a leader had great impact on the town’s success against the Syrian, Lebanese, and Iraqi forces. By dint of his legal decision, a special relationship grew between him and the Palmach who gave him the Semel HaKomemiyut, the Medal of Freedom From Tyranny.

  • Safed in the War of Independence

    The capture of Safed was very important in the War of Independence. This was because Safed, with its high elevation and its northern location, was, and is, a very strategic site. It is also, of course, a religiously significant location and one that the Jewish people wanted to secure for themselves. The operation to capture Safed was known as Operation Yiftach and was a very important undertaking during the 1948 Israel War of Independence.

    Operation Yiftach Operation Yiftach 1948

    On April 15, when the British officially withdrew from Safed and many other locations, the Palmach infiltrated the city to prepare for this battle. They helped to bolster the defense of the city and to help the Jews who were besieged in the Jewish quarter. When the British withdrew, the Arabs were able to secure the upper hand and to take control of the strategic points around the city. These sites included the police fortress on Mount Cana’an, an ancient fortress in the town, and the Shalva House.

    Strategy by the Palmach

    On April 28, 1948, the Haganah made a number of strategic moves in and around Safed. They took over the Rosh Pinah police fortress and a nearby army camp that the British had occupied. They also took over the villages of Birya and Ein Zeitun to the North of Safed. This allowed them to create a corridor leading to the Jewish quarter in Safed and to move supplies in to the starving people in the quarter. Then, on May 3, a second Palmach unit entered Safed.

    Failure and then Success

    On May 6, the first Jewish attack on the city ended in failure when the Arabs brought in reinforcements. On May 10th, however, the battle ended with the Jews capturing key positions in Safed. Although the Jews assured the Arabs in the city that they would not be hurt, most of the 10,000 Arab residents of Safed fled to neighboring towns and villages. This then paved the way for Jewish forces to take control of all of Safed and the surrounding areas.

    The Yiftach Operation

    Seen in retrospect, the Yiftach Operation was a tremendous success. It achieved all of its stated objectives and it liberated the Upper and Eastern Galilee areas for the Jews. To this day, when you visit Safed, you’ll see remnants from the battle in 1948. Some of the older buildings still have the bullet marks that they suffered during this battle, and some of the military equipment has been left as a reminder of the fighting that took place in this historic and religiously significant city.

  • War of Independence

    Overwhelming Odds

    One of the most inspiring stories of Israel’s War of Independence is the tale of the Liberation of Tzfat.

    Tzfat was seen as a military goal by both the Jews and the Arabs because of its location – on a high mountaintop with a stunning view of the entire north, and it was a location that neither side could afford to loose. In addition, for the Jewish forces, the conquest of Tzfat was considered an important psychological boost for Israel. It was an ancient Jewish city, one of the four holy cities of Judaism, and the center of Torah study in the North. War of Independence in Tzfat

    There were a number of factors that made the capture of Tzfat seem to be an unrealistic goal for the Jews. For one thing, the Jewish forces were outnumbered by more than 10 – 1. The Arab forces, buoyed by troops from Syria and Iraq, were heavily armed, while the Jewish troops were reduced to counting every bullet that they shot. Most importantly, the occupying British army was handing over the strategic high points of the city to the Arabs as they left.

    There were approximately 4000 Jewish civilians living in Tzfat in 1948. Most of them were elderly or young children, and many were Orthodox Torah scholars, unfamiliar to the basic elements of self-defense. The Jewish soldiers had to contend with the question of how to defend these people while fighting the Arab forces. When the pre-State Haganah, the Jewish Defense Force, sent 35 soldiers in to bolster the few hundred Jewish soldiers who were defending Tzfat, their first job was to organize the Jewish community’s civilian affairs, rationing food, setting up communications, and trying to secure as many civilians in safe quarters as possible.

    The Davidka

    The battles raged for months, until the spring of 1948, several days before Israel was declared a State. In late April, an artillery piece, nicknamed “The Davidka” was delivered to the Jews. They shot it off several times, but the mortars did little damage…..the main effect was the tremendous noise. However, the weather changed, and, unusually for that time of year, it began to rain. The rumor quickly spread through the Arab community that the Jews had acquired the atom bomb, and the entire Arab community left that night. With their exit, morale deteriorated among the Arab troops, and the Haganah was able to secure the city.

    Several years later, a local tour guide, curious as to how the rumor of the atom bomb had spread, asked some of Tzfat’s old-timers to recount the story. Several of them told him the same story.

    Seems that before the Arab riots of 1929, when the Jews and Arabs used to shop together in the common marketplace, the women became friendly, and although they hadn’t had contact since the riots, they remembered each other. When the hostilities broke out in the winter of 1948, they got into the habit of coming to the “no-man’s land” in the evenings, when there would be a lull in the shooting, and yelling at each other. The Jewish women would yell at the Arab women in Arabic, and the Arab women would yell at the Jewish women in Yiddish.

    The evening after the Davidka was shot, one of the Arab women asked “vos is dus?” to which one of the Jewish women, sarcastically, replied “we have the atom bomb”. With that, the rumor spread, and what had once seemed to be impossible became a reality – the battle for Tzfat was won.

  • Safed – The Key to the North in 1948

    Safed played a key role in the War for Independence in 1948. The Operation to secure Safed was called Operation Yiftach and it was launched on April 30, 1948.

    April 15, 1948 Safed, 1948

    When the British officially withdrew from Safed, and from other areas throughout Palestine, the Palmach was ready. They had already infiltrated into Safed and were ready to help increase the defensive line for the Jews who were besieged in the Jewish quarter. The Arabs had already put themselves in control of the strategic points in the city including the police fortress on Mount Cana’an. This was an ancient fortress in the town. They also had a very strategically located claim to the Shalva House. In addition, the Arab population in Safed was thought to be about 12,000 while the Jewish population was only 1,700. Most of these Jews were elderly and religious.

    April 28, 1948

    On this day, the Hagana forces went and took over the Rosh Pinah police fortress and a neighboring army camp. Going around Mount Cana’an, the Palmach was able to occupy the villages of Birya and Ein Zeitun in the North of Safed. This created an open corridor for them that lead into the besieged Jewish quarter of Safed. Supplies were, therefore, able to be brought from this holding ground into the starving Jewish quarter of Safed.

    May, 1948

    The first Jewish attack in Safed occurred on May 6, 1948. Unfortunately, it was not successful since the Arabs brought in reinforcements and started to use artillery. Then, on the evening of May 9th, Haganah launched a mortar barrage on key sites in Safed. Plamach infantry, fighting bitterly, were able to take the citadel, Beit Shalva and the police fort. These were Safed’s three most strategic and dominant buildings. On May 10th, mortars continued to hit Arab neighborhoods. As many as 10,000 Arabs fled town at this time. Among those who left was the family of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. This enabled the Jews to take control of a continuous area in the eastern and upper sections of the Galilee. The city was officially conquered by the Jewish fighting forces on May 11, 1948 and they secured the empty Arab quarters at this time.

    Safed, a Jewish City

    As a result of Operation Yiftach, Safed became a completely Jewish town. Today, the population of Safed numbers approximately 20,000 Jews. It has immigrants from all over the world and has an incredible artist’s colony. Many of the original buildings bear the marks of the battle from 1948, and can still be visited today as a standing and living memorial to the fighting that took place there.

     

  • Safed in the 1930s – with the Abbo Family

    This weekend, I was fortunate enough to go to a party at my dear friend, Rafi Abbo’s house. The party was in memory of an incident that had occurred to this family decades ago in Safed. Little did I know that my friend, who I have known for over a decade, is part of the rich heritage and history of Safed.

    This story, which he told, exemplifies how one family helped others from their home in Safed, even at risk to their own lives. The Abbo family has lived in Safed since the 19th century, and has influenced the people of Safed throughout the generations.

    Illegal Immigrants in the 1930s Safed in the 1930s

    People who were oppressed or escaping persecution always knew that the Abbo home in Safed was a safe haven for them. In the early 1930s, the home became a way station for Jewish immigrants who were considered illegal by the ruling British. The entire Abbo family was active in aiding these Jews. Raphael Abbo would take immigrants on foot across the northern border to their home. His father, Meir, would give them both shelter and clothing. They would make appropriate false papers for these Jews and help them to resettle in Palestine. Meir had a close connection to an Arab who was a longtime government worker. Through the Arab, he was able to get original stamps to prepare documents showing that these new immigrants had actually been born in Palestine.

    A Tip Comes

    After working quietly for two years, the Abbo family was raided by the British. On January 24, 1935, the British made a surprise visit to the Abbo home and searched it. The stamps had been hidden in the body of an oil lamp. The chief inspector was just about to look in the lamp when a sheet of paper fell out of it. It was King George’s reply to a letter that Meir Abbo had sent to him congratulating him on becoming king!

    Running Out

    With shock, the British inspectors refolded the note, replaced it in the lamp, asked for an apology from the Abbo family and left the house! The Abbos were actually speechless for quite awhile – in disbelief at the miracle that had occurred. Meir Abbo was so excited and amazed that he wrote a note to future generations in his prayer book. He wrote that the 12th of Shvat, 5695, when the government searched the house and they were spared, was to be a day of celebration and praise.

    And so I sat, at Rafi Abbo’s table on the 12th of Shvat, celebrating this miracle with his family and admiring this part of Safed history that lives on to this day.

     

  • Arab Riots of 1929 in Safed

    Safed Jews, along with those in a number of other Jewish areas, endured a horrific Arab riot in 1929. Between 1922 and 1928, the relationship between Arabs and Jews had been tolerable and relatively peaceful in Safed and in other areas in Palestine. This was soon to change, however.

    1929 Safed Riots in 1929

    In late 1928, a new phase of violence began that would have terrible consequences for the Jews in Safed and in other areas of Palestine. There were minor disruptions that set off the riots that involved disputes about the right to pray at the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem. In August, 1929, these disputes led to an outbreak of Arab violence. Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, declared that Jews were endangering the mosques and other Islamic holy sites. He called on all Arabs to slaughter the Jews with his words, “Itback al-Yahud.”

    The British Lack of Help

    On August 22, 1929 Jewish leaders in Palestine met with the British Deputy High Commissioner to make him aware of the fears of Arab riots. The British Commissioner assured the Jews that he was in control of the situation and that his government would protect the Jews. The next day, the Riots of 1929 started through Palestine and lasted for seven days. The British did virtually nothing during this time to keep the Jews safe.

    August 23, 1929

    On this day, Arab mobs attacked Jews in many areas of Palestine, including Jerusalem, Motza, Hebron, Safed, Jaffa and more. The Haganah (a Jewish defense force which would later become the Israeli Army)  defended the Jews of Jerusalem and were able to stop the riots there in a day or two. The violence in Jerusalem, however, started by rumors about Jews defiling Muslin holy places and other such fabrications, created even more problems in the rest of the country. Attacks on Tel Aviv and Haifa were thwarted by Jewish resistance, but areas like Hebron and Safed were hit hard. In Hebron, 67 Jews were killed and in Safed, 18 were massacred. In total, all around Palestine, over 133 Jews were killed and more than 300 were wounded.

    Safed Museum

    There is a poignant museum in Safed called the Meiri Museum of Safed History that shows what happened there in 1929. Many of the pictures are incredibly graphic and show what the Jewish people underwent during this horrific time in Safed history.

    Results of the Riots

    As a result of the riots, many of the Jews left Safed and all Jews were sent out of Hebron. The British Colonial Secretary, Lord Passfield, announced the formation of a Commission of Inquiry into the riots. Although the British had done nothing to protect the Jews during the riots, they investigated the riots after they were over. In 1930 they issued a new policy whitepaper. This paper was clearly pro-Arab and recommended limiting Jewish immigration and land ownership in Palestine.  In essence, the 1930 Paper punished the Jews for the riots and supported the Churchill Paper of 1922. The Zionist movement was incredibly insulted by these conclusions.

  • Safed Massacre Of 1929

    Relative Peace

    Between the years of 1922-1928, the Jews and Arabs of Palestine seemed to coexist in relative peace. Late in the year 1928, however, the relationship became not just rocky, but downright violent, beginning with minor scuffles between the two groups. The subject of these disputes was focused on the right of the Jews to pray at that famous remnant of the Jewish temple, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem. Mayhem ensued in 1929 when Hadj Amin al-Husseini incited Arab hatred by stating that the Jews had placed Arab mosques and other holy Moslem sites in danger.Safed Massacre Of 1929

    The Jews held a march in the Jewish city of Tel Aviv on August 14, 1929. Six thousand Jews chanted the words, “The Wall is ours.” On the 15th, hundreds of Jews descended upon the Western Wall to demonstrate in support of their right to worship there. The next day, Friday, August 16, an inflammatory sermon was preached resulting in a rally cobbled together by the Supreme Moslem Council. The demonstrators marched to the Wall, where they burned prayer books and the notes of Jewish supplicants, placed by tradition into the cracks of the Wall.

    Cruel Slaughter

    On Friday August 23, the violence moved outside the confines of Jerusalem, to many other parts of the country as bands of Arabs attacked the Jews. In many locations, the mobs were joined by Arab policemen. Attacks on Jews in the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa were well-defended by armed Jews, while Hebron suffered the worst with the cruel slaughter of 67 Jewish men and women. In Safed, 18 Jews were killed. Altogether, across the country, there were 133 Jewish deaths and more than 300 injured.

    A resident of Safed at the time of the massacre, David Hacohen had been away at the time of slaughter, reaching the city two days later. He believes he was the first to arrive in the city from the outside in the aftermath of the pogrom. Hacohen remembers that the official statement released by the British said that the “disturbances” had broken out on August 29, at 6:15, that the army had arrived by 8:35, and that the restoration of order was immediate. The statement went on to report some fatal casualties and many burnt houses, but claimed that Jewish inhabitants had been moved to safety and that calm prevailed in the city of Safed.

    Ongoing Pogrom

    Meanwhile, rumors continued to fly that the pogrom in Safed was ongoing, but the British Government House gave no further information. Two days later, Hacohen managed to find his way to the town where the Jewish elders of the cities fell upon him weeping bitter tears. Said Hacohen, “Inside the houses I saw the mutilated and burned bodies of the victims of the massacre, and the burned body of a woman tied to the grille of a window.”

    Referring to the marauding Arabs, Hacohen continued, “They slaughtered the schoolteacher, Aphriat, together with his wife and mother, and cut the lawyer, Toledano, to pieces with their knives. Bursting into the orphanages, they smashed the children’s heads and cut off their hands. I myself saw the victims.”

    The total loss to Jewish life and property was 18 killed, about 40 wounded and 200 houses burned and looted.

  • Modern History Of Safed

    The history of Safed dates back to the time of the great Temple in Jerusalem and the events of the city have ceased to halt during the past 2,000 years. Just as during the past millennium, the last 200 years in Safed have been active ones and the city has seen its fair share of natural destruction, wars, rebirth and celebration. Here in our section on the modern history of Safad, we explore the city’s history in the modern era. Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the city of Safed.

    19th Century SafedModern History

    Learn about the history of the Abbo family, one of the oldest families in Safed. Enjoy this fascinating family story and discover more about the intrigues of Safed through this one family that remembers it all.

    Riots And Wars Of The Modern Era

    Unfortunately, Safed, like the rest of Israel, has seen its fair share of riots, war and destruction. Read on to find out more about the riots of 1929 and 1936, the battle for Safed in 1948 and the about how Israel’s War of Independence affected the city. Enjoy the exciting recounting of what Safed residents describe as the liberation of their city. Also read about more tragic events like the massacre of 1974 and the 2006 2nd Lebanon War.

    A Time For Celebration

    As Safed is a city built upon the layers of ruins caused over the centuries due to the numerous earthquakes in the area, it is an exciting city for archeological exploration. Check out our article on excavating Safed and learn all about the modern archeological digs unearthing the many layers of Safed. Also enjoy our articles on how Safed celebrates the many Jewish holidays throughout the year and discover the rituals undertaken by Safed residents during Chanukah, Succot, Passover, After Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Purim, and Independence Day. Also hear about Ethiopian immigrants in Safed and about how city has worked at absorbing these new residents and about the many complications that can arise when trying to buy property in Safed.

  • Restoring The Citadel Site

    Thanks to the Conservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Citadel Hill in the city of Safed has undergone significant development and restoration. Citadel Hill is an important urban landmark. It is situated at the hub of the old city of Safed and holds center stage as it commands the highest point of the highest city in the land. All this serves to give the site the characteristics of an acropolis.

    Iconoclastic Nature Restoring The Citadel

    In its present incarnation, the locale serves as a visible monument to the city’s history as well as underpinning the iconoclastic nature of Safed, juxtaposed as it is with a modern city center and a heavy concentration of Orthodox Jewish residents. The unique landscape of the Citadel provides visitors and residents alike with a breathtaking view and a large green area for picnicking.

    The archaeological analysis of the various components of the Safed citadel is a massive project still in its infancy. In the northern part of the complex alone, archaeologists have exposed a round tower, attributed to the Beibar ruler Salah-a-din’s conquest of the citadel in 1188, as well as a bell-shaped cistern. Below this is situated a Crusader water cistern, along with an inner wall and arrow loops. Further on is a gate tower and ramp from the Mamluk period along with a hidden underground passageway.

    Observation Points

    When Israel declared statehood in 1948, the Crusader and Mamluk citadel remnants were used as the backdrop for a city park, which was designed by Shlomo Oren, a landscape architect. Besides its green areas and flora, the park provides observation points for viewing vistas both far and near, as well as a memorial to the War of Independence soldiers who fell in the line of duty.

    Fortifications in Safed dating back to the time of the Second Temple period are in evidence but the remains which are now visible are from the Crusader, Mamluk, and Ottoman times. Aiding those involved in the restoration process are documents covering two periods of history. The bishop of Marseilles, Benova D’Avigone gave a detailed description of fortifications systems as they were in the mid 13th century CE. Shams A-Din al Otmani provides similar information relating to the additions created by the Mamluks in the latter half of the century.

    Massive Earthquake

    Based on this detailed evidence, scholars believe the fortress comprised an area of some 40 dunams, and included two defensive rings. The fortress itself was encircled by seven defensive towers, with two more towers having been added after the Mamluk victory over the Crusaders. After a massive earthquake struck the city in 1837, the citadel no longer served any useful function and was plundered by locals for building materials needed to restore earthquake-damaged homes.

    Today

    Thanks to the restoration project, completed in 2014, visitors can enjoy walking along the trails that wind around the citadel park. There are public bathrooms and a playground at the summit of the citadel, as well as unique foliage and beautiful views of the Kinneret to the east and Mt. Meron to the west.