This is a fine art gallery in Tzfat featuring work by Yaakov Ankaoua. The gallery is located at Arlozorov 148 in the Artis
ts\’ Colony, minutes from the Old City.
Check out Yaakov\’s latest work on his facebook page.
For information, please call: 053 717 3050
The Olive Tree Gallery is a centrally located gallery displaying 85 of the best artists in Safed and all of Israel.
Amongst the artists, one is able to experience a wide range of creative expression from many unique and original styles with themes from the Torah, the Kabbalah, and an interesting blend of worldly influences merging with Jewish symbolism.
Our unique collection is composed of spirituality, humor, and modern Judaica, including special two and three dimensional artworks, paintings, sculptures, decoupage, souvenirs, pottery, jewelry and much more. All of the artists displayed are one-of-a-kind creations exuding lively, colorful and joyous energy that will illuminate every home with love.
The Olive Tree Gallery is located between the Jewish Quarter and the old (previously the) Arab Quarter in the center of the Old City of Safed, Kikar Sade. We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to Israel.
The MiKedem Gallery is one of Tzfat’s newest galleries in Tzfat. The gallery is owned and managed by Bezalel Shemesh and E
hud Yotam who exhibit the artwork of some of Israel’s best-known sculptors and painters including Leonid Balaklav, Ruth Bloch, Zvi Lachman and Nadav Bloch.
Ruth Bloch grew up on Kibbutz Alonim in the Lower Galilee. There, she enjoyed the opportunity to develop her artwork. She studed at Avni Art Institute in Tel Aviv where she established herself as a sculptor. Her pieces aim to demonstrate moral integrity and resolve. Ruth’s studies of psychology influence her work. Her sculptures represent the process of perpetuating good through feelings, actions and deeds. Ruth’s sculptures include both masculine and feminine forms. She works in bronze and glass. She is careful to avoid any type
Leonid Balaklav, is a native of Moldavia where he studied at the Kiev School of Arts and at the Odessa Art Institute. Balaklav settled in Jerusalem in 1990 and immediately began to turn his attention to painting his new land. Whereas his former paintings were heavy in blacks and browns, his Israeli works were expressed in light pastels and colorful hues. The colors and subjects of his Israeli paintings express Balaklav’s delight with the lightness that he feels in Israel. Balaklav paints portraits and landscapes of Jerusalem’s doorways, alleyways, and other local scenery. Balaklav often inserts himself into his paintings.
Zvi Lachman is a native of Tel Aviv. He studied sculpture with some of Israel’s greatest sculptors including Ashkena
zi, Sternschuss and Danziger as well as at the Parsons School of Design in New York and with Paul Resika and Leland Bell. Lachman prefers to sculpt busts and he incorporates the formation of the head’s tissues as he emphasizes the piece’s creation which include layers, small indentations, notches and combinations.
Nadav Bloch’s paintings focuse on Hebrew, Arabic and Latin letters as representatives of Judaism, Christianity and Isla
m. Bloch builds transparent layers of letters in earthy tones, expressing, he envisions, different periods in the development of man. The on
going process of construction and extinction evolves in the same way that old layers disappear and new layers are added to his work. Bloch sees these layers as representing extinction, confusion and the barriers that languages create. Bloch aims to create a dialogue that will bring understanding between the three monotheistic languages.
Mikedem represents additional artists including Ya’akov Agam, Ziona Tagger, Mark Tochilkin, Ilan Baruch, Motta Brim and Tolla Inbar.
Mikedem can be contacted at info@mikedem-gallery.com or (04)6829002.
Before the well-known artist Moshe Castel passed away, he sold his gallery to Yakov Hadad, a young man who lived in the
neighborhood and who had always been friendly with the elderly artist. Today Hadad manages Castel’s gallery in the spirit that the old man wished.
Moshe Castel (1909-1991) was one of Israel’s foremost abstract artists. He was the founder of the ‘New Horizons’ group of Israeli artists. Today, his murals decorate important public buildings, both in Israel and throughout the world. Castel pioneered a sculpturing method in which basalt rock is mixed with sand and glue. His work, which includes scenes of Sephardic life in Jerusalem in pre-State
Palestine as well as ancient civilizations, can be seen online, in galleries around the world and at the Moshe Castel Museum in Ma’aleh Adumim.
Castel studied in Paris but, with the Nazis threat, returned to Palestine in 1940. He was one of the first artists to settle in Tzfat and he lived in the city on and off over the next 50 years. He established a gallery on Rehov Tet Zayin in the Artist Quarter where he spent many summers, inspired by the beauty of the Galilee mountains and the simple people who lived in the area.
Castel’s family had originated in Castile, Spain. They immigrated to Israel in the 16th century and Castel himself was bor
n in Hebron. Although not religious himself, Castel maintained a close relationship with Tzfat and with the traditional Jews who lived there. He helped to establish the Artist Quarter in Tzfat and maintained close ties with the city over the years.
Castel met Yakov Hadad in the ’60s when the young boy came to assist him with chores and small jobs. The two became close. Toward the end of his life Castel sold his house and gallery to Yakov Hadad. Hadad promised to renovate the property and maintain the gallery as a venue that would be dedicated to Tzfat’s art and its founding artists.
Today Yakov has renovated parts of the gallery and is in the process of renovating other sections. At the gallery visitors can see original paintings of Tzfat’s founding artists which, in addition to Moshe Castel, include Yitzhak Amitai, Moshe Rosenthalis, Rolly Sheffer, Aliza Naor, Chava Merzer (daughter of Aryeh Merzer), Yitzhak Frenel-Frankel, Shimshon Holtzman and Chaya Schwartz. The gallery is comprised of several sections. In the main part of the gallery, Hadad displays the paintings of the old Tzfat artists.
Throughout the courtyard there are small rooms and visitors can see some of the wooden doors which Ya’akov has painted, inspired by the artist Rolly Sheffer. Hadad can be reached at 04-6974731.
The first book of the Five Books of Moses, Genesis, provides much material about Abraham, but little about his wife, Sara
h. Yet what is written, and what the commentaries write about Sarah, gives us an idea of what a righteous woman she was. Sarah’s tent, commentaries tell us, was always open to welcome guests, and her bread “was blessed”, enabling Sarah to feed all who came to her. God’s presence was said to hover near her tent, and Sarah’s attitude of welcome and acceptance was what her son Isaac wanted his bride to see when he brought Rebecca to Sarah’s tent.
Sarah’s Tent, one of Tzfat’s finest Judaica art galleries also offers such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Meir a
nd Sarah Knafo, immigrants from Montreal, opened Sarah’s Tent on Tzfat’s Alkabetz Street several years ago, and it has slowly developed as one of Tzfat’s most elegant and stylish galleries.
Sarah’s Tent is located in the Old Jewish Quarter of Tzfat, near the synagogues, in an excavated building which dates back several hundred years. The original structure of the building was preserved during its renovation, and visitors find themselves browsing under the old stone domed ceilings and walls where Tzfat’s Kabbalists of the Middle Ages once lived.
Sarah’s Tent represents some of Israel’s most stylish Judaica, and puts to rest the idea that mezuzzas (doorpost parchment boxes), Kiddush (ritual wine) cups, menorahs (candelabras for Chanukah) and candlesticks must be made of brass and look like they were made in the Russia of the 1800s. Sarah’s Tent’s Judaica is colorful, graceful, and creative, with vibrant colors and imaginative designs. For someone who has grown up with traditional silver and brass ritual objects, the innovative designs exhibited in Sarah’s Tent are original, and inspire one to explore their spiritual depths.
Sarah’s Tent has also carefully cultivated a collection of painters whose Jewish and Israel-themed art works are thoughtful and meaningful to collectors of Jewish art.
Avi Ben Simhoni’s canvas originals are light and airy, with brilliant colors and vivid lines which evoke a joy of living. His works are influenced by the Fauvist and Cubist schools, and he says that his works are a marriage of beauty and complication, something that one feels when gazing at his art.
Calman Shemi is another artist whose paintings are an explosion of color and texture, evoking exuberance and ener
gy. Shemi developed the concept of soft painting, in which he layers irregularly shaped pieces of variously textured and colored fabrics onto his drawings, which have previously been drawn to scale. The fabrics are then meshed to one another and to the background, and the resulting compositions are infused with color and excitement.
David Schluss, Isaac Maimon, Lenner Gogli, Sveta Esser, Alex Pauker, Natalie Rozenbaum, Bracha Guy and Gabriella Fenyves are just some of the other artists and artisans represented by Sarah’s Tent.
Sarah’s Tent is located on 56 Alkabetz Street in Tzfat’s Old Jewish Quarter. They can be contacted at 972-4-6923378
Anat Edri is a native of Tzfat, and studied art under the guidance of Rolly Sheffer, a well-known painter in the city. Th
e city influenced her, and although she spent many years in other parts of Israel as part of the young Israeli artist scene, when the decision came to settle down, Anat returned to Tzfat to open her studio.
Anat is one of the few artists who works in her gallery while her exhibition is open. Her gallery is one of Tzfat’s most eclectic, with its mix of scenes of the Old City’s streets and alleys, its portraits of religious figures (all men) of Tzfat, and here and there, a nude.
Anat’s street scenes are colorful and vibrant, with a strong sense of exactly what the town is all about. She explores Tzfat’s magic and spirituality in her paintings, while aiming for an authentic representation of the physical characteristics of her scene. Anat’s portraits capture the personalities and characteristics of her subjects and allow the viewer to see them as sympathetic individuals that anyone would feel comfortable with.
Anat Edri’s gallery is on Yosef Caro Street in Tzfat’s Old City. She can be contacted at 050-8663872.
Nina Gurevich arrived in Israel in 1990 after having studied and exhibited her paintings in Russia for many years. Nina studied in St. Petersburg, both at Repin and Muhina, and specialized in city landscapes. Since her graduation in 1979 she has been painting urban landscapes, and her style is reminiscent of Cezanne, with a traditional clear and bright style.
Nina’s paintings have been exhibited throughout the world, including Israel, Russia, Switzerland and the United States, and her works are held by collectors throughout the world.
Nina presently exhibits in her permanent exhibition on Tet Vav Street in the Artists Quarter , in collaboration w
ith Ilya Sorkin. She can be contacted at 972-528-846439.
Ilya Sorkin arrived in Israel in 1990 from Leningrad, where he was an artist of note. Sorkin studied at the illustrious Serov institute in Leningrad, and was one of several Russian artists chosen to join 33 group exhibitions in 1960, including museums and galleries in Russia, Japan, Cuba, Bulgaria, Finland, England, Switzerland, Israel and USA.
Sorkin’s subject matter ranges widely, from urban landscapes to nature to paintings of objects. Whatever the subject matter that Sorkin paints, it is colorful and almost-animated, and invites the viewer to draw into the picture. Sorkin paints in oils, and his colors and hues are vibrant and full of life.
Ilya Sorkin exhibits in his permanent exhibition in conjunction with Nina Gurevich on Tet Vav Street in Tzfat’s Artist Quarter. He can be contacted at rayasorkin@yahoo.com
Throughout the history of the Jewish community in Tzfat, the safety of the residents of the town was precarious. The rulers could
either be benevolent or cruel, and the neighboring Arabs, Druze and Bedouin often launched raids and massacres against t
he Jews. The wealthy were able to build their homes with some measure of security, and these were the buildings that their neighbors fled to when trouble arose.
One such building sits today on Alkabetz Street in Tzfat. Built with massive stone walls surrounding its courtyard and a double gate, it belonged to the wealthy Hamami family for generations. By the mid-20th century, no Hamamis remained and for decades, the massive building sat empty and dilapidated, with an occasional squatter to enjoy its history.
As the 21st century dawned, an American investor bought the building and began to think of ways to develop it, not for his own financial gain, but to promote and develop Tzfat. The idea of the Fig Tree Gallery grew as the investor, together with local artists and artisans, gradually conceptualized a large gallery which would showcase local Israeli hand-crafted art.
The renovations were extensive, as, aside from the physical structure of the building, everything had to be torn o
ut and replaced….walls, ceilings, flooring, plumbing, and electricity. Care was taken to attempt to retain the old Tzfat character of the building during renovations while allowing in as much light and air as possible. The courtyard, in which an old fig tree stands, became the center of the gallery, with the shops which showcase the various exhibitions surrounding the yard.
Renovations continue on the upper story of the building, where artists’ workshops are planned. In the meantime, the lower gallery showcases every imaginable art type and medium, including ceramics, paper-cuts, metal sculpture, paintings glass, wood and bamboo-work, silk-painting, oil and acrylic paintings, and more. Much of the artwork which is on exhibition is Judaica, but not all, and there is a good bit of Kabbalah-inspired art work as well.
Leon Bronstein’s wood sculptures are exhibited, along with the HaAri Jewelry which has drawn its inspiration fr
om the Kabbalah study of the artists who produce it. Magal of the Artists Village of Ein Hod exhibits their whimsical ceramics, with stunning representations of the Seven Species of the Land of Israel, flowered mezuzza (holy parchment), candlestick and menorah (candelabra) holders alongside their non-Judaica vases, plates and relief’s.
One of the Fig Tree Gallery’s most breathtaking exhibitions is that of Enya Keshet, who produces moving paper cuts of biblical verses and prayers with accompanying designs. Each intricate piece is a moving testament to faith and especially, for Enya, the power of the prayer.
The Fig Tree Courtyard continues to grow and look to the future, with plans to bring some of Israel’s top artists and artisans to Tzfat to work and live. It is a future that many in Tzfat anticipate with great excitement.
The Fig Tree Courtyard is located on Alkabetz Street in the Old Jewish Quarter of Tzfat. They may be contacted at (04)692-2310 or figtreect@netvision.net.il
Yosef Caro, the great Rabbi of the 16th century who wrote the Code of Jewish Law, is said to have sat in a small room
under the present Yosef Caro synagogue with an angel while compiling his masterpiece. This legend has passed down through the generation
About a hundred years ago, an entrance to The Room was “discovered” by a local historian. Whether or not this area is, in fact, a holy site, is of little concern to a small collective of young artists who have opened a little gallery nearby. What is certain is that the art in this gallery does justice to whomever might have inhabited the corner.
Harel Dadon, son of microcalligraphy artist Moshe Dadon, has gathered various forms of art of 4 young artists in a small nook next to the small room below the Yosef Caro synagogue. Located below the main gallery street, the gallery serves as a workshop for 2 of the artists; two live elsewhere and exhibit their art at Dadon’s gallery.
Sigal Avni is one of these artists, who has chosen to make Tzfat her home and raise her family in the town while working and exhibiting her paintings. “Warm, vibrant, soothing” are words that may come to mind while viewing her paintings, which almost jump out of the canvas. Sigal came from Rehovot, and started her artistic career as a sculptor. When she began to become more observant, she decided to stop sculpting because the images seemed to be too immodest, so she first started studying calligraphy, and then moved to p
ainting. When she moved to Tzfat, she began to feel that her art was able to flourish because she was able to express her deepest emotions. “The heart is the artist of the soul” Sigal exclaims. “I want my art to be directed by my emotions, to be directed by my spirituality”.
Sigal’s art showcases the majestic nature and views of the north of Israel, the lanes and alleys of Tzfat, and some of the unique personalities who live in Tzfat. Yet with all her talk about spirituality and emotions, her perspective is very grounded, as her husband, Ya’akov, directs two of the largest charity organizations in Tzfat, Koach L’Tet ( which recycles used furniture and appliances for the needy) and Meor Panim (a soup kitchen which gives free meals to the impoverished of the town). Ya’akov Avni spends his day trying to help people in the most dire of circumstances, but his life is filled with art as well, in his case, music. Sigal acknowledges that the DNA of two artistic parents has passed down to the next generation – two of her five children show tremendous talent in painting, and two more are budding
musicians.
The “cave” where Yosef Caro and the angel supposedly sat when writing the Shulhan Aruch is quiet and empty now – it is opened periodically for visitors, but not on a regular basis. However, the art being produced at the gallery next door is reason enough to call that corner of the Old City “magical”.
To contact the Dadon gallery: info@dadon-gallery.com
Sigal’s work can now also be viewed at her permanent exhibition on Alorzoroff Street, across from the Judith Gallery. She exhibits together with her husband, Ya’akov. They can be contacted at (052)607-6019.
In the heart of the Artists Quarter, the General Exhibition shows work by Members of the Artists Colony of Safed. Situated in the old Market Mosque off Arlozorov Street, the General Exhibition faces several small artists’ studios across a large courtyard. N
earby is the Maximilian Café. The whole ambience is very pleasant and you could easily spend a few hours here browsing around.
The building that houses this gallery is known as the Market Mosque because it is adjacent to the old site of the Safed weekly shuk (market) and was previously used as a mosque by the city’s former Arab population. The building itself was built upon Mamluke foun
dations in 1902, and has the arches and domed ceilings typical of the local Arab architecture of the time. The mosque was used as a place of worship until the War of Independence in 1948.
During the pre-Independence period from 1929 until 1948 Friday prayers in the mosque were often used to incite the city’s Arabs into attacking the local Jewish population. Until this time the two communities had lived relatively peacefully side by side, but this finished after the 1929 uprisings.
The founding members of the Artists Colony settled in Safed shortly after the creation of the State of Israel and took ov
er the abandoned mosque to use as an exhibition center for their artists’ cooperative. The Artists Colony was very important in the development of Israeli art with some of its artists like Moshe Castel and Yitzhak Frenkel becoming internationally recognized.
Today you can walk around the permanent exhibition or see a special show which the members put on from time to time. Most of the artists working in Safed today are current members of the Artist Colony and members can use this space to exhibit and sell their work. This is true even if they also have their own shop or gallery elsewhere in town. The studios opposite are rented out at below market rates for limited periods of time to help up and coming artists find their footing.
The exhibition displays original paintings and sculptures as well as prints and lithographs. Because the work on show comes from its wide membership, past and present, there is a variety of styles and quality. All the work at the General Exhibition is for sal
10.00am – 5.00pm extended to 6.00pm in summer or later in the height of the season
Friday 10.00am – 2.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 2.00pm
Entrance is free.
As Safed is home to many creative souls and artists, it is safe to assume that it is also the location of numerous art galleries that house many of the creative talents of the people of the city. Take a look at some of our top picks of galleries not to be missed in Safed and who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself taking home a masterpiece from Safed.
The General Exhibition is the main gallery in Safed and houses a permanent collection as well as displays many periodic special exhibitions. For any true art lover, this gallery is a necessary stop on any trip to Safed and you will never get bored with the content thanks to the gallery’s creative non-permanent exhibitions.
The Judith Gallery of Safed houses many prints and paintings of well known artists from throughout the country and it also functions as a café. Enjoy a stroll through the ever changing exhibits and then enjoy a cup-of-Joe while you reflect on the visual sensations you have just experienced.
Also learn more about the many hidden galleries of Safed like the Dadon Gallery, the Judaica Gallery, the Caan
an Gallery, the Chouriqui Gallery, the Living Art Gallery, the Camus Gallery and the Fig Tree Courtyard.
For a listing of individual artists, click here.