Category: Historical Safed

Looking at the history of a number of synagogues in Safed sheds light on Safed history. These synagogues tell the story of the people of Safed, of their religious practice and of the hardships that they’ve endured.

The Sephardi Ari Synagogue   

The oldest synagogue in Safed is the Sephardi Ari Synagogue which was founded in 1522. This synagogue was, apparently, a favorite of Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (known as the great Ari) who prayed and studied in this location. It also looked out on the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and on Mount Meron. This synagogue was completely destroyed during both large earthquakes in Safed. It was, however, restored by a Jewish philanthropist from Italy. During the War of Independence in 1948, the synagogue actually played a strategic role. It was used as a strategic military fortress by the Jews to defend Safed against the Arabs in 1948.

The Alshekh Synagogue

This synagogue was one of the only ones that wasn’t destroyed during the earthquake in 1837. It is named for Rabbi Moses Alshekh, who was a leading Kabbalist in the 16^th century. It has a beautiful domed ceiling and it is painted blue, as are many doors and houses in the area. The blue symbolizes Heaven and the reign of God, and is also thought to ward off the evil spirit.

The Abuhav Synagogue

This synagogue honors the great 15^th century Spanish sage, Rabbi Isaac Abuhav. It is designed with Kabbalistic ideas, with four central pillars that represent earth, water, air and fire. The ten windows in the dome represent the Ten Commandments and the pictures there are meant to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. One of the Torah scrolls in the ark was actually written by Rabbi Abuhav and is used only on Yom Kippur, Shavuot and Rosh Hashana. Legend has it that only this wall, which contained the Torah, was not hurt in the earthquake of 1837, while the rest of the synagogue was destroyed.

The Caro Synagogue

This synagogue was rebuilt after the earthquake in 1837. Prior to its destruction by the earthquake, it was a place where the 16^th century chief rabbi of Safed, Yosef Caro, produced his great works and teachings on living a wonderful Jewish life. Tradition has it that an angel appeared to Rabbi Caro in the vault that is under the floor in the synagogue. One of the Torahs in the ark is over 500 years old.

On January 1, 1837, at 2 PM, an earthquake erupted in northern Israel that obliterated the cities of Safed and Tiberias, two of the four cities deemed by the Jews to have special holiness. It is estimated that more than 5000 fatalities occurred in Safed alone, with most of the dead having been buried alive in their homes.

The few survivors scrambled to reestablish themselves, with some success. A number of them migrated to the city of Hebron where they helped revitalize the Chabad Lubavitch community that had been founded some ten years earlier by the second Chabad leader, Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch.

Deeply Committed

In Safed, the nucleus of remaining survivors resolved to rebuild the city. Sir Moses Montefiore, the British Jewish philanthropist, visited the city a year after the quake and was surprised to find a few Jewish survivors. Only one Jewish house of worship, the 16th century Alsheich synagogue, had survived the quake, having survived an earlier quake in1759, as well. Montefiore was touched at the depth of commitment the survivors displayed and gave the townspeople the encouragement and financial support they needed to bring the city back to life. The philanthropist stayed to attend the dedication of the first synagogue to be rebuilt after the tragedy.

Slippery Slope

According to researchers from the Geological Survey of Israel (GSI), ancient cities built on the remains of earlier settlements are the ones most likely to suffer severe damage in the event of a major earthquake. A study undertaken by two geologists, Oded Katz and Onn Crouvi, found that in the event of a severe earthquake the worst damage would probably occur in the older section of Safed, which is built upon a slope. Due to the topographical configuration of this locale, the dirt and rocks on the hillside have the potential to move out of place and downward, causing a kind of avalanche.

An important factor in determining the extent of the damage that might occur in the event of a serious earthquake is the number of times the earth has been disturbed so as to create new infrastructure. The city of Safed has been settled and resettled for a period of more than 2000 years. Another consideration is the fact that two strong earthquakes responsible for extensive destruction in Safed have occurred within the last 300 years, in both 1759 and in 1837.

Speaking on the probability of widespread damage in Safed, should a major quake occur, Katz said, “The Jewish Quarter is located on a very steep slope, and the homes are not built on rock but on an archaeological tel, landfill, building fragments and construction scrap from previous eras. These conditions would enable a landslide and therefore we are concerned that during high-magnitude earthquake, there would be extensive destruction and many casualties.”

Situated on a mountain top and overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Safed is considered one of the four Israeli cities holy to Judaism along with Jerusalem, Tiberias, and Hebron. Safed is a mixture of the old and the new, with its Crusader citadel, old stone houses, and modern shops. The city is considered to be one of the quaintest and most picturesque of all Israeli cities, in league with Jerusalem and Jaffa.

Jewish Mysticism   

While Jerusalem is considered the epicenter of Jewish learning, Safed is considered the very center for the study of Jewish mysticism. It is in Safed that the study of Kabbala, the body of literature comprising the inner secrets of Jewish scripture, found its full expression.

As early as the 16th century, Jewish sages settled in the area as a response to the times, one of relative freedom for Jewish study and religious practice. This was the era of the Ottoman Empire. Safed became at this time an important destination for Jews from both near and far, who hoped to commune with local sages and rabbis and receive advice. Through the centuries, Safed has held to its reputation as the stronghold of Jewish mysticism and pilgrimage.

Religious Freedom

Because of its high topographical location, Safed had long served as the battleground for militant Crusaders and Moslems. The 16th century at last brought the Jews of Safed peace from warring nations as well as freedom of religion. During the long history of foreign domination, the Jews of Safed were forced to practice their religion in secret. When the Turks came into power, the Jews at last found the liberty to practice their religion in the full light of day, free from subterfuge or restraint. This era of Ottoman rule over Palestine is therefore considered the golden age of Safed.

It was during this era that the Jewish refugees from the Spanish Inquisition were welcomed and encouraged to settle within Safed’s city walls. The city’s cultural life blossomed and Safed’s population burgeoned with religious scholars and Hebrew poets, casting a bohemian light on its inhabitants. Perhaps the most famous hymn composed during this time is the Lekha Dodi (To You My Beloved) prayer, recited in the synagogue on the Sabbath Eve as a welcome to the mystical Sabbath Queen, who is believed to usher in the holy character of the day. The Lekha Dodi prayer was composed by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz.

The school of thought that represents Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, was a popular discipline during this time, as was the furthering of the framework of Jewish religious law. It was during this golden era that Rabbi Joseph Caro compiled his Code of Jewish law, which can still be found in a majority of Jewish homes.

Apt Moniker

The Israeli town of Safed, also known as Tzfat in the Hebrew language, or Tzefiya, as it is referred to in the Talmud, finds the origins of its name in the word “Tzofeh,” or “overlook.” The moniker is apt, since at an altitude of 2, 790 feet, or 850 meters, Safed is the highest of all Israeli towns, not to mention the coldest. Because of its height, Safed was useful in helping to mark the Jewish calendar which runs according to the lunar cycle. Fires were built at the highest point of the town and people in far away areas would see the smoke and know that the new month or a festival was being welcomed.

Because of its strategic location, the town was chosen by the Crusaders to serve as the building site for an impressive citadel, complete with a surrounding moat and built at Safed’s highest point. The Crusaders ruled the country from 1099-1291 and erected a citadel in Safed, which, like many other Crusader buildings, fell under the control of Muslim conqueror Saladin in the late 1100’s. Undaunted, the Crusaders came back fifty years later to build the largest Christian fortress in the East.

Military Stronghold

During the time the Crusaders maintained ruled over the area, Safed figured large as a fortified city and military stronghold because of the citadel which one source describes as “a fortress of very great strength between Acre and the Sea of Galilee.” A religious/military order known as the Knights Hospitaller built another important Safed structure, a castle, during this crusader reign.

In the year 1266, Crusader rule was overthrown by the Mamluk sultan Baybars, who wiped out the entire Christian Crusader population, cutting off the heads of all the captured men, and selling all the women and children into slavery. Under Mamluk rule, the town became Muslim, and the citadel was turned into an administrative center. In 1300 or so, Dimashqi recorded for posterity a description of the renovation of the citadel by Baybars. Dimashqi wrote that Baybars built there a, “round tower and called it Kullah. Its height is 120 ells, and its breadth is 70. And to the terrace-roof (of the tower) you go up by double passage. Five horses can ride up to the top (of the tower) abreast by winding passage-way without steps. The tower is built in three stories. It is provided with provisions, and halls, and magazines. Under the place is a cistern for rain-water, sufficient to supply the garrison of the fortress from year’s end to year’s end. In the fortress is a well called As Saturah. Its depth is 11 ells, by 6 ells across.”

There still remains today, a section of the citadel, which offers breathtaking views of the city of Safed. There is a grass-lined park surrounding the monument which serves as the perfect place to have an impromptu picnic. Jerusalem Street, where the city hall is situated, along with gift shops and banks, is believed to be built on the spot of the ancient moat. Modern Safed lies between the ancient citadel and the old city.

After the Normans were settled in France and had conquered England, France, England and the Holy Roman Empire found they were holding the reigns of power and were stronger than at any time since Charlemagne. The ruling kings and queens, just as Charlemagne before them, thought about taking back the entire Mediterranean basin and making a new entity, not unlike the Roman Empire. The city these rulers coveted most was Jerusalem, considered to be the city of Jesus Christ, but which was at that time under the control of the Islamic Fatimids.

Call To Arms

Pope Urban, speaking in 1095 AD in the city of Clermont, in the south of France, urged the people to take up weapons and release Jerusalem from the rule of the Fatimids. There was a wild clamor of support for this idea from the youngest to the oldest of those hearing the Pope’s call to arms. Several groups took off on the long journey to Jerusalem, before even the main, organized group of Crusaders set off on their way to the Holyland.

There was a belief that God would tear down the walls of Jerusalem once they arrived and so these beginning Crusaders believed that weapons and fighting would serve to be superfluous concepts. So secure were some in their belief that God would perform the necessary work on their behalf that they chose not to bring money along for the journey. The groups discovered that traveling and fighting were not as easy as they had supposed and the majority of them died during the journey.

One such group gave up on reaching Jerusalem and decided to stop in Germany and fight the Jews, instead. The group pillaged Jewish possessions and killed thousands of Jews for the crime of not being Christians.

Ultimate Destination

In autumn of the year 1096, the main Crusader group was deemed ready to travel to Jerusalem. The group split off, traveling varied routes, some by sea, and some by land, to Constantinople, where the Emperor Alexius became alarmed at the prospect of a coup. Alexius made haste to send the groups on to their ultimate destination: Jerusalem.

At first the Fatimids were not unduly concerned because they misread the Crusaders as consisting of a small army of Roman soldiers hailing from Constantinople, who were spoiling for a little battle in Syria. The Crusaders reached Jerusalem in May 1098, surprised at the evidence of a civilized society with advanced architecture, heated baths, and state-of-the-art medical know-how. While the Crusaders had their share of military fiascos, the Fatimids, already preoccupied with their battles with the Seljuks were found easy to overcome and Jerusalem and other cities fast came under control of the Christian militants.

Over the course of the next two centuries, Crusaders continued to flow into the Holy Land from Europe at the behest of Pope Urban II who urged Christians to wrest control of the land from the infidels. As the Crusaders opened up travel routes to the Middle East, large numbers of Jews sought a return to the land they called home.

Limited Freedom

Muslims under the military command of Saladin overthrew the Crusaders in 1187 and a period of limited freedom was then extended to the Jews who were then permitted by the Muslims to live in Jerusalem. The Crusaders managed to regain a toehold on the country, however, maintaining a network of fortified castles after Saladin’s death in 1193. The final defeat of the Crusaders occurred at the hands of the Mamluks in 1291.

Early mentions of the Israeli town of Safed are few and far between. The Jerusalem Talmud makes reference to the area as one of five locations where fires were lit to announce festivals or a new moon during the period of the Second Temple. Safed fit the bill for this purpose, situated as it is at the highest topographical point in Israel. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle and people in far-flung locations depended upon seeing the fire and smoke from these five mountainous areas as a means of delineating the special days and times of Jewish observance.

Study House 

Somewhat earlier, Jewish legend has it that the city was founded by one of Noah’s sons, after the great flood. Noah named this son “Shem” which means “name” and is a reference to Noah’s desire that his son would dedicate his life to spreading the name and word of God. Shem founded the first house of Jewish learning, or Yeshiva, in the town of Safed, along with his son Eber and this “Yeshivat Shem V’Ever” is considered to be the study house in which all the Jewish forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, studied Jewish law.

While Safed is home to many caves just waiting to be explored, the Cave of Shem V’Ever, situated near to the bridge just above Jerusalem Street, and not far from Palmach Street, is the most famous of all. This cave is believed to be the actual location of the famous study hall where the son and grandson of Noah, Shem and Eber, founded their academy of learning. Inside the dim and musty interior the caretaker, an elderly man, will offer to light a candle and recite a prayer on your behalf and it is customary to respond with a donation.

Roman Dominion

Sepph is mentioned in the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who documented Roman dominion over the area. In his book Wars 2:573 Josephus describes a fortified town by this name which is believed to have existed at the site of Crusader citadel in Safed. While some Roman period pottery shards have been found on Citadel Hill, most of the remains from the Roman era were obliterated by the erection of the huge Crusader fortress. It is believed that Safed only reached its current proportions, those of a true city, at the time of the Roman occupation.

Mystical City

These days, one of the most often-heard questions among tourists to Tzfat is “was Madonna here”?

Madonna, the pop-rock icon who is well-known for her study of Jewish mysticism, has made no secret of her fascination with Kabbalah, the “secrets” that are embedded in the Torah, or the Five Books of Moses. Madonna did indeed visit Tzfat, though she

did so in the dead of the night several years ago when her chances of being seen and recognized

would be low. After all, it is unlikely that the ultra-Orthodox residents of Tzfat who might be coming to or from prayers in the wee hours of the morning would know, or care, who Madonnais.The new interest in the study of Jewish mysticism, popularized by Madonna and her Hollywood friends, has put Tzfa

t on the map as the “City of Kabbalah“. Few, however, know why this is.

History of Kabbalah

Two thousand years ago, when the Roman army occupied the Land of Israel (then called by its Roman name, “Palestine”), one of the leading Rabbis who spoke out against the Roman rule was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Not surprisingly, the Romans issued a death decree against the Rabbi, and together with his son, Rabbi Elazar, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai fled to a cave near the northern town of Peki’in to hide.

During these years of hiding, Rabbi Shimon was taught, through divine inspiration, the secrets which are hidden in the Torah. These secrets, it is believed, if properly understood, allow man to better understand G-d’s essence, and allow man to strengthen his relationship with G-d and his fellow man. When the death decree against Rabbi Shimon was revoked by the Romans, Rabbi Shimon began to travel throughout the North of Israel, teaching these secrets, which he had collected into the Book of Zohar.

Kabbalah and Tzfat

Throughout the next millennium, the study of Kabbalah was limited to a few select scholars of each generation. In the Middle Ages, many of these scholars made their way to Israel after the Spanish Expulsion of 1492, and of those, many came to Tzfat, which was believed to have a special connection to Kabbalah because of its proximity to the area where Rabbi Shimon had taught, as well as to Rabbi Shimon’s gravesite, on Mt. Meron. Among these scholars, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the ARI, came to Tzfat and he expanded Kabbalah study to new heights. After the death of the ARI, his students developed his teachings, and until today, the Kabbalah that is studied throughout the world is Luranic Kabbalah, named for the Rabbi who directed the system which would become the dominate genre of Kabbalah study throughout the world.

In Kabbalistic tradition, the Four Holy Cities of Judaism are each believed to embody an element of Nature.

Jerusalem is earth

Tiberias is water.

Hebron is fire

Tzfat is air

Anyone who has ever spent any amount of time in Tzfat can certainly tell you why this is so!

Safed is an ancient city and can trace its history all the way back to the time when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. Since that time, more than 2,000 years ago, the city has been continuously settled and occupied, a fact that has led to the city’s rich history and survival. Learn more about the many time periods of Safed and about the many people who contributed to the fascinating history of this city.

Biblical Safed

To learn more about Safed’s earliest history, check out our article on Biblical and Roman Era Safed. Find out more about the significance of the city during this time and discover the origins of how Safed became known as a sacred city to the Jewish people.

Crusader And Ottoman Safed

During the years 1099-1291, the Crusaders came to the land of Israel and conquered the city of Safed due to its strategic location atop a mountain. A great citadel was built by the Crusader army on the highest peak of the city to serve as a lookout and as protection for the army. Today the ruins of this citadel can still be viewed and archeologists are working on the restoration of this historic site.

Many years after the conquest of the Crusaders, during the 1500s, the Ottoman empire conquered the area and Safed became a city under direct Ottoman rule. Check out our article on Ottoman Safed and learn more about the city of Safed during these periods of foreign rule.

Kabbalah, Religion And Safed

To best understand Safed’s connection with Kabbalah and where it got its title ‘the city of Kabbalah,’ it is best to chec

k out our articles on the City of Kabbalah and Safed in the 16^th century. Also learn more about the many Rabbis who contributed to the rich religious history of the Safed, creating its image as a mystical city, by reading our articles on Rabbi Karo, Rabbi Cordovero, Rabbi Vitel, Rabbi Beirav, and Rabbi Luria, as well as our article on the historical synagogues of Safed.

Earthquakes In Safed

Safed sits near the great African-Syrian Rift, a very large fault line that runs from Turkey in the north, to Africa in the so

uth. Due to its location along this line, Safed has experienced many devastating earthquakes over the years. Check out our articles on earthquakes in Safed and learn how these earthquakes have shaped the look, mentality and legends of the city.

Safed is an ancient city and can trace its history all the way back to the time when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. Since that time, more than 2,000 years ago, the city has been continuously settled and occupied, a fact that has led to the city’s rich history and survival. Learn more about the many time periods of Safed and about the many people who contributed to the fascinating history of this city.

Biblical Safed

To learn more about Safed’s earliest history, check out our article on Biblical and Roman Era Safed. Find out more about the significance of the city during this time and discover the origins of how Safed became known as a sacred city to the Jewish people.

Crusader And Ottoman Safed

During the years 1099-1291, the Crusaders came to the land of Israel and conquered the city of Safed due to its strategic location atop a mountain. A great citadel was built by the Crusader army on the highest peak of the city to serve as a lookout and as protection for the army. Today the ruins of this citadel can still be viewed and archeologists are working on the restoration of this historic site.

Many years after the conquest of the Crusaders, during the 1500s, the Ottoman empire conquered the area and Safed became a city under direct Ottoman rule. Check out our article on Ottoman Safed and learn more about the city of Safed during these periods of foreign rule.

Kabbalah, Religion And Safed

To best understand Safed’s connection with Kabbalah and where it got its title ‘the city of Kabbalah,’ it is best to check out our articles on the City of Kabbalah and Safed in the 16^th century. Also learn more about the many Rabbis who contributed to the rich religious history of the Safed, creating its image as a mystical city, by reading our articles on Rabbi Karo, Rabbi Cordovero, Rabbi Vitel, Rabbi Beirav, and Rabbi Luria, as well as our article on the historical synagogues of Safed.

Earthquakes In Safed

Safed sits near the great African-Syrian Rift, a very large fault line that runs from Turkey in the north, to Africa in the south. Due to its location along this line, Safed has experienced many devastating earthquakes over the years. Check out our articles on earthquakes in Safed and learn how these earthquakes have shaped the look, mentality and legends of the city.