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Category: Places To Vist

  • Steven’s Garden

    When you walk down Shimon Bar Yochai Street you will come across one of Safed’s hidden treasures: a beautiful little garden. Almost next door to David Friedman’s gallery, this garden is a lovely spot to stop and relax and even picnic. Planted in bare soil in 1996 as a memorial garden, it is now lush and green throughout the year.

    Who Was Steven?

    Steven Eric Levine was born on May 6th 1968 and died on June 15th 1994 from cancer. He was a tender, loving supportive son and brother who packed more into his 26 years than many people do in a lifetime. Before getting sick he was a successful stock-broker and had all the material accruements of a 90’s yuppie. He was blessed with good looks, friends, accomplishments, and a loving relationship. A risk taker, he loved traveling and living life to the fullest – in the fast lane.

    Spiritual Searching

    When Steven got sick, his devoted mother Shirel, a spiritual seeker, began looking towards her Jewish heritage to give her insight and comfort. Eight months after he passed away, she was encouraged to take a trip to Israel, a gift Steven had promised her. At the end of the short trip, apprehensive about returning home, she decided to remain in Israel to continue her learning and spiritual search in Safed.

    Why The Garden?

    Coming to Safed, the grief stricken Shirel was embraced and comforted by the community who tried to answer her spiritual needs. Shirel wanted to plant a tree for Steven, but a tree she could look after, not an anonymous tree in a forest. Unable to find somewhere to plant one, Shirel settled on a tiny ‘tree in a box’ she had received as a gift. Friendly with a newly married couple, Noach and Tamar Bittelman who were living in Safed, she showed Tamar the directions on the tree box. Tamar, who had gardening experience said, “Have you ever thought of planting a garden?”

    The Garden Begins

    Tamar knew of an unused piece of land next to the children’s English library where they could create a garden. Shirel and the Bittelman’s approached Avi Ben Zev about using the land in front of the Children’s Library. The land in front of and next door had in fact once been a house that burned down many years ago and the city razed it because of the danger involved. In the beginning the water was provided by the Children’s library until it closed and the Ben Zev’s had to move to Jerusalem. Although the soil was so poor not even weeds grew, on May 6th 1996, on what would have been Steven’s 28th birthday, they had a commemorative opening dig of Steven’s Garden.

    Noach dug three beds for plants and young Shira Friedman planted the first tree – a puny little almond tree. There was music, refreshments and a celebration of Steven’s life. Tamar organized and led weekly activities to teach children organic gardening and Steven’s garden slowly took shape.

    The Garden Grows

    Gradually the garden began to grow and Allison and Shmuel Ofanansky took over the day to day care of the garden after the Bittelmans moved back to America. Livnot U’Lehibanot students painted a mural from ideas given to them by Jamie, Steven’s sister. With the financial support of the Levine family and yearly contributions from their friends in America, the garden has continued to flourish. Gradually, over the years, the garden has become a more manicured, perennial environmental garden, and is an example for other community gardens in Safed. People feel a spiritual calm when they visit the garden, maybe because the garden is a labor of love.

    The Garden Today

    Despite living in Jerusalem, Shirel continues to visit Safed, her spiritual home, regularly, oversees improvements in the garden and feels her son’s presence in this special space. Steven’s Garden devotes an area to recycling and composting in an effort to help create environmental awareness in the community. The garden is now a lush green oasis, and the beauty of the garden is a wonderful living memorial to Steven, whose life was so tragically cut short.

  • The Khan Of The White Donkey

    Situated at the edge of the HaMa’ayan HaRadum Square, in the heart of the Artists Quarter, the Khan of the White Donkey (Khan Hahamor Halavan) is one of the three oldest buildings in Safed. The Khan has been lovingly restored over the last two years and offers a great avenue for musical performances and other cultural activities.

    The Building

    During the restoration of the building, its archeological history was revealed. It is at least 700 years old. It could even be older, as it is exactly aligned on a north-south, east-west axis which is typical of Crusader buildings of the period. One of the features uncovered during the building work was the Crusader style “groined barrel vault” ceiling. Whether it was first built by the Crusaders and added to by the Mamlukes or built by the Mamlukes to a Crusader design is unclear. One thing is certain – it was built strongly enough to survive the various earthquakes suffered in Safed.

    The Restoration

    Because of the historical nature of the building and the environmental philosophy of the Center for Healthy Living, an organization that helped with the renovations, the building was restored using natural materials and traditional methods. This even included removing existing cement from the stonework and replacing it with traditional lime mortar. The team also imported a special lime mix from Venice that should be able to cope with the wet conditions in Safed. One unique feature they made was the largest poured lime floor in Israel.

    Ecological Systems

    As part of its approach, the building team experimented with different building materials in different areas. One technique they used was a mud and straw mix, sealed with linseed oil, to test its staying power during Safed’s rainy winters. It also has a grey water recycling system in place and a low energy heating system using a combination of heat exchange technology and photo voltaic solar panels. Of course as part of their educational mission they separate waste into various categories, recycling and composting as much as possible.

    The Name

    The Khan, situated next door to the central mosque, now the General Exhibition, was used as a combination of a travelers’ inn and indoor shuk for hundreds of years. It is fairly probable that the great kabbalists and sages who lived in Safed in the 16C-17C would have done business here with the local Arab traders. Merchants came from far and wide with their merchandise on donkeys as evidenced by the massive amounts of composted donkey dung removed from the building! So the name – The Khan of the White Donkey reflects both the past -a khan and the future – the white donkey, which is a kabbalistic reference that the Messiah will arrive in Safed on a white donkey before travelling to Jerusalem.

    Cultural Events

    The Khan is a center for environmental education, community activities and a venue for cultural events. At the Khan local artists and musicians, as well as nationally and internationally-known artists, perform. It has become a center of cultural activities for the entire northern region.

    In addition to the concerns the Khan hosts a regular public health day when clients can receive acupuncture treatments and other alternative health care at reduced rates. These treatments are facilitated on a drop-in basis on Sundays.

    To enquire about classes, events or to rent out the space for an event, contact the Khan at

    The Khan, 5 Tet Vav Street – Tel: 077 234 5719

  • Torah Gems Bookstore of Safed

    Opened 11 years ago, by Eliezer Weiss, this Torah bookshop has become a mainstay of religious books for the English speaking community. Eliezer’s father, Joe, ran the store for many years where patrons could find over 50,000 new and 2nd hand books. Today the bookshop is under new ownership but the friendly atmosphere and high quality book selection is still as firm as ever. In addition to books in English there are also Hebrew, Russian, Spanish and French books. Torah Gems is located at 37 Jerusalem Street, just across from the English Library and conveniently near the Post Office, You can have your purchases sent anywhere in the world.

    Torah Books

    The bookshop offers one of the best, if not the best, choice of English Torah books in Israel. With gemaras available in bi-lingual editions from the new Artscroll series, 150nis per volume, it is very easy for someone interested in studying traditional Jewish texts to do so, even if their Hebrew is not so good. The bookshop also carries regular Hebrew gemaras in a choice of editions. Joe tries to offer the Chumash (Bible)(129-245nis) in a wide variety of editions, with or without translation, as well as mishnayot in pocket and full size versions. All the main religious publishing houses are well represented, including Feldheim and Targum and these companies offer special sales twice a year on their stock.

    Prayer Books

    Siddurim (from 78nis) and Machzorim (from 87nis) are offered in both soft-back and hardback. You can choose from Hebrew, or Hebrew-English with a variety of translations, as well as inter-linear and transliteration editions and for Ashkenaz, Sefard and Sephardi liturgies. If there is an edition you want, which Joe doesn’t carry, he will do his best to order it for you. Of course books of Psalms (Tehillim) are also available starting at small pocket sized editions for 20nis upwards.

    Chassidic Books

    With the large number of Chassidism in Tsfat, there are a lot of English books about the various Rabbis and their teachings. These include biographies of the Bal Shem Tov, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Rabbi Schneerson of Lubuvitch and Shlomo Carlebach, books of their stories, as well as more scholarly works and commentaries.

    Other Offerings

    There is a wide variety of self-help books, religious novels, cookbooks, language books and dictionaries as well as a good choice of children’s books. The children’s books cover the whole age range and include bi-lingual Hebrew-English ones, so that parents and children can read them together.  There is also a selection of guide books about Safed and Israel, as well as greetings cards, calendars, and “benchers” (‘grace after meals’ booklets) so it’s hard to stop into Eliezer’s bookstore without wanting to buy something. One booklover was heard saying “I want all these books!”

    Don’t forget to check out the second hand section as you can often pick up a real bargain.

    To contact the store: 058-321-1822

    Opening Hours

    10:00am – 2pm Sunday thru Thursday, 10:00am-1pm Fridays.

  • Safed Candles

    The Candle Factory

    Safed Candles is such a central site for visitors to Tzfat that it’s hard to realize that its history goes back only 18 years.

    But in fact, that’s the period that the Safed Candles has been situated in the Old City, drawing visitors who marvel at the beautiful candles and beeswax sculptures that are on display there.

    Safed Candles was begun almost two decades ago by a Tzfat resident, a member of the Breslav Hassidic sect, who was looking to start a small business that would provide employment for some local residents. He set up his shop in a small cubby-hole on the edge of the Old City, next to the Ari Ashkenazi synagogue. There, a small staff of men and women hand-dipped and wove candles from beeswax into candles to be used for Jewish ceremonial purposes – for welcoming the Sabbath, for the Sabbath-close ceremony, Hannukah candles and others.

    New Ideas, New Candles

    The little shop began to grow when tour guides found out about it, and through the years, it expanded, adding paraffin candles to its inventory which were brightly colored and decorated. With the arrival of Moshe Chaim Gress, an artist who saw the possibilities of sculpting beeswax, the little shop became flooded with tourists who enjoyed his creative sculptures depicting biblical scenes, Jewish caricatures, religious ceremonies and many more.

    When the manufacture of the candles became too much for the small shop, the candle-making operation moved to an old warehouse outside of the Old City, but the shop, where the sculptures are made and new designs are created, remained in place. Smiley Hassidic faces, carved Jewish stars, good luck Hamsas – outlines of a hand with a prayer inscribed, and many other images combine to show that Judaica can be created from anything…..even wax.

    During the summer of 2008, the Candle Factory was renovated, and new rooms were discovered underneath the existing store – rooms which had been covered over through successive earthquakes in Tzfat, and remained under the ground. This discovery came fortuitously, as in October 2008, a massive fire destroyed the candle shop, burning the structure and the entire inventory within a few hours. Within a few weeks, the staff had regrouped and reopened the shop in the small rooms which had previously been unknown, and the shop has restocked, and is open for business while the larger structure is rebuilt.

    The owners of Safed Candles emphasize utilizing environmentally-friendly materials in the manufacture of their candles, and are justifiably proud of their product. Safed Candles can be seen in their shop, next to the ARI Ashkanazi synagogue, in Tzfat’s Old City. They can be contacted at 04-682-2068.

  • The Davidka Monument

    At the top of the Midrahov (main street) just past the Great Stairs you will see the Davidka Monument. The area has been refurbished in the past few years and there is plenty of seating for groups while they learn the history of the War of Independence. In addition to the information posted on the memorial stone, there is an audio information post which tells the story of the battle for Safed in both Hebrew and English.

    The Cannon

    The Davidka cannon was crucial in the battle of Safed during Israel’s War of Independence. The Davidka was a primitive mortar or cannon that was very inaccurate. It was based on a Czech weapon and David Leibowitch, its designer, was able to construct it in secret during the pre-independence period. As a home made weapon its effectiveness was more in the amount of noise it made, rather than on the shell’s ability to deliver a decisive blow.

    The 3 inch shell was filled with whatever the fighters were able to get hold of, and its bark was definitely more than its bite. The Yiftach brigade of the Palmach and the Irgun fighters combined forces during the battle for Safed and used the Davidka in the battle for the Citadel, during the night of 9th -10th May 1948.

    The fighters set up the Davidka in front of the Ari Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the city (now the Old City) and attempted to shell the Arab positions, which included the city’s police station. Due to its ineffectiveness as a weapon, historians are unsure about how much actual damage the Davidka caused. However, when the Arab fighters and residents of the city heard the Davidka fire, the noise produced was so terrifying that they thought it was a new secret weapon of the Jews. This maybe part of the reason why the Arabs suddenly evacuated the town during the decisive battle for the city.

    The Pillbox

    Opposite the Davidka monument you can see a pillbox that juts out into the road. On the other side of the road is one of the buildings of Safed College.

    During the Mandate period these two buildings were part of the city jail and police station compound. Before the British left the town they handed this strategic location to the Arabs. During the battle for Safed it was essential that this extremely important site was captured and there was fierce hand to hand fighting over the location before the victory went to the Palmach (the armed wing of the Jewish fighting unit Haganah). If you look you can still see the bullet holes in the two buildings. Even though the old pillbox has no practical use today it has been left as is due to its historical status.

    The Remembrance Ceremony

    In recognition of the importance of the Davidka in the liberation of Safed, the Davidka monument was installed on this site on the 29th April 1956. The ceremony was attended by its inventor David Leibowitch, and honored the fighters who fell during the battle for Safed.

    Now every year there is a memorial ceremony in front of the Davidka, on Remembrance Day, when the city honors its dead, and a wreath is laid on the cannon itself.

  • The Gallery Street

    Gallery Street is a shopper’s heaven. If you are looking to furnish your house with pictures or carpets, buy modern Judaica as a present for a friend, or just want a souvenir, Gallery Street is the place to be. Whether you just want to spend pocket change or prefer to max out your credit card, you are bound to find something you like, or even fall in love with, to take home as a memento of your time in Safed.

    Location

    If you look at the city map at the Ari synagogue, you will see nearby a street called Alkabetz, named after the composer of Lecha Dodi, the Friday night hymn. The main parking lot at the end of the street is called Beit Josef or Joseph Caro Street, after the Rabbi who wrote the Shulchan Arach (Code of Jewish Laws).

    Getting There

    If you’re at the Ari Ashkanazi synagogue, walk out of the Ari’s courtyard and turn right to walk down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, turn left. That’s Alkabetz Street which leads down the street of galleries and shops and then back to the bus parking lot.

    If you come from the bus parking lot, walk into the Old City through Yosef Caro Lane, identifiable by its arched roof. Walk through the lane towards the stairs that lead to the Ari Ashkanazi synagogue.

    The Galleries, Shops and Synagogues

    As you walk down the shopping arcade, there are lots of small shops and stalls on both sides of the street, as well as much larger ones like the Fig Tree Courtyard. This is a whole set of shops in itself, set around a courtyard, which has a historic water cistern and a fig tree. These shops offer modern and classical Israeli art as well as Middle Eastern carpets, jewelry, leatherwork and wine.

    On the lane below the Yosef Caro/Alkabetz lane, you can visit the Abuhav Synagogue,  the “Blue synagogue,” often regarded as the most beautiful synagogue in the whole of Safed

    You can also see the remains of the Lemberg Synagogue which was built in the 1840’s. The Lemberg synagogue collapsed during the First World War, about half-way down the lane, across from the stairs leading to the Abuhav winery.

    There are many more shops to visit and if you are looking for modern Judaica why not go into Sarah’s Tent which has a good selection of menorahs and Seder plates. The Canaan Gallery, a weaving workshop making prayer shawls, also has beautiful modern Judaica. Their restaurant is a good place to stop if you need a bite to eat and has a wonderful view toward Mt. Meron.

    Next door to the large Camus Gallery which offers jewelry, art and more traditional Judaica, you will find the Josef Caro Synagogue with its very old Torah Scrolls. If you want to see artists at work why not stop in at Josh Burde, a silversmith, who has original designs; Moshe Yair, a micro-calligrapher; or the work of Yaacov Kaszemacher, a mixed media artist whose son now exhibits his father’s unique paintings.

    The Park

    Just up a few steps above the street, about half way down, is a children’s playground and small park, with a seating area for individuals and groups, where you can stop and have a rest.

    The Mikva

    Tucked away on the left, towards the end of the street as you continue down, is the simple Old City’s women’s mikva (ritual bath house). Opening hours are posted on the door, together with a contact phone number.

    Shipping

    The shops will ship your purchases home so you don’t have to restrict yourself to something small that you can slip into your pocketbook. With so many wonderful things to choose from you may find yourself slipping back up the street to buy something that you realize you just can’t live without.

  • The Citadel

    The Citadel or “Metzuda” is not just a nice park. Citadel park is situated in the center of Safed. It’s located on a hilltop and affords a great view of the Kinneret. The Citade is actually a very historic site and you can walk around the remains of what was in its day the largest Crusader castle fort in the Middle East.

    History

    The citadel, 834 meters above sea level, is part of the chain of high mountains. During the time of the Temple signal bonfires were lit on these mountaintops to announce the beginning of the Jewish months and other major events. As the residents of each site would see the bonfire that had been lit on the mountain before it, it would light its own to pass the signal to the next town.

    Throughout history, whoever controlled Safed’s citadel controlled the whole of the Galilee, including the northern pass up into what is now Syria and Lebanon. The metzuda has been fought over by every major power from the Romans onward, with the most recent battle being in 1948 during the War of Independence.

    Getting There By Foot

    Starting at the beginning of the Midrahov (main street) by the bridge, take the stairs up to Palmach Street. Turning left, follow the Palmach Street around and walk up a small lane located just in front of the bus stop. As you walk up the road you’ll pass the archeological park on your right. After another few meters you’ll see the stone bathrooms on your right and the nearby path that allows you to continue your walk up to the metzuda’s summit.

    Getting There By Car

    Due to Safed’s one way road system you’ll need to access Palmach Street from the junction with Jerusalem Street opposite the Palatine building, just up from the Egged bus station. Driving up Palmach before you get to the bridge over Jerusalem Street you will see Hativat Yiftah Street on your right. Take this one way road and continue until you see the parking lot alongside of the park.

    The Park

    As you enter the park, pause for a minute at the seating area next to the memorial listing the names of the 14 fighters who fell in the battle for the Metsuda in the War of Independence. Think of all the people who lost their lives over the centuries to take control of this hill. Now you can walk up to War of Independence Monument on the top of hill without fear and on a clear day look at the wonderful view of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

    There is a big wide space near the top where you can picnic and let the children run around.A small park is with climbing toys is also located at the top of the metzuda.

    The Crusader Ruins

    Today you can walk through the ruins in the recently opened archeological park. If you transport yourself back in time you can imagine watching anxiously for the first signs of dust coming up the valley, which was the signal that the enemy army was on its way to attack the citadel. Returning from your visit to the past, continue on into the hustle and bustle of Safed.

    Leaving The Park

    By Foot

    Cross the road and almost opposite you will see a path going down to Jerusalem Street which comes out in front of the Municipality Building (City Hall) and the Davidka Monument.

    By Car

    Continue driving down Hativat Yiftah, passing the Ron Hotel, until the road meets Jerusalem Street at the circle (roundabout). Here, you can go right towards the bus station, or alternatively almost straight across down into Ari Street towards the cemetery.

  • Tzfat’s Cemetery

    A Quiet Hillside

    Down below the Old City of Tzfat, towards the base of the mountain, lies the famous cemetery of Tzfat. People come to the cemetery from all over the world, to sit, pray, beseech, or simply be in the company of the great rabbis who are buried there.

    The Cemetery’s Illustrious “Residents”

    The most famous of these rabbis is Rabbi Isaac Luria, also known as the ARI. The ARI came to Tzfat in 1530 from Egypt. He was one of the most famous Kabbalists of all times, and while in Tzfat, legend has it, he learned new Kabbalistic insights while studying with Elijah the Prophet in a cave in the synagogue located above the cemetery – today named the ARI Sepharadic Synagogue. Hassidim revere the ARI, and the anniversary of his death every summer is a time when thousands of Hassidim come to pray at his tomb. The grave of the ARI is the most notable gravesite in the cemetery, with a platform built around it to make it easier for people reach the site. As with all the graves of the great Rabbis in the cemetery, the ARI’s grave is painted a deep blue.

    Next to the ARI is buried his son, Rabbi Moshe Luria. There is a tree that grows out of R’ Moshe Luria’s grave. A tradition has grown out of the hanging plastic sacks on the tree and each sack holds a petition of a visitor to the grave who is asking for R’ Moshe’s intercession with the Divine regarding some aspect of their life.

    In the same area near the ARI is Rabbi Moshe Alsheich, best known for leading the movement to reaccept Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity, and who wanted to reenter the Jewish World. At that time, many Jews were reluctant to allow this, reasoning that their conversion indicated that they weren’t fully-committed Jews, but R’ Alsheich wouldn’t accept this reasoning, and his stature convinced the Jewish authorities of his day to allow these Jews to return to Judaism. Also next to these great Rabbis is Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz. Rabbi Alkabetz is best known for composing the Lecha Dodi song which is sung every Friday night to welcome in the Sabbath. R’ Alkabetz was a Kabbalist, and he wrote the Lecha Dodi in accordance with the Kabbalistic belief that, during the week, each one of a Jew’s actions creates an angel. On Shabbat, these angels join the individual as he brings in the Sabbath Queen, and Lecha Dodi, “Come my Beloved” reflects this.

    Below the ARI’s grave is that of Rabbi Yosef Caro. Rabbi Caro is best known for writing the Shulhan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law, in Tzfat. A Kabbalist and a Torah scholar who was concerned with the day-to-day observances of the Torah’s commandments, R’ Caro wrote the Shulhan Aruch to make the laws of the Torah easier for Jews, who because of the Spanish Expulsion, were being dispersed throughout the world. Tradition states that R’ Caro wrote the Shulhan Aruch with the help of an angel, The Maggid, in the location where the Yosef Caro Synagogue is now located.

    While the cemetery is best known for the great scholars from the Middle Ages who are buried there, it is also known as the burial grounds for Jews who lived in the area thousands of years ago. Some of the oldest graves that are known there are those of Hosea the Prophet, R’ Pinchas Ben Yair (father-in-law of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai, composer of the Kabbalistic Book of the Zohar in the 1st century A.D.) and, some believe, Chana and her Seven Sons of Chanukah fame.

  • The Great Stairs

    You don’t need to worry about missing your step class when you come to Safed. Get your workout by walking up or down the Great Stairs!

    Location

    The stairs run up and down the mountain on which Safed is built and begin at the bottom of the Old City where they meet the Artists Quarter, and run right up to the Midrahov near the top of the city.

    Start at the parking lot on Keren Hayesod Street in front of the Ha Me’iri Observation Point.  Check your city map, which you can get from Safed’s tourist information center, if you don’t know where this is. It is located just above the Tayelet: – the stairs that go down to the Ma’or Haim neighborhood at the entrance to Safed.

    Turn round away from the view and you will see a stone staircase leading up into the city. Start your walk here and continue all the way up the stairs past the main bus park next to the Judith Gallery, until you reach the Midrahov. As you reach the top of the stairs, slightly breathless, look up and directly across the road where you can still see the searchlight and the gun placement slits of the old watchtower built by the British to guard the stairs.

    History

    The stairs were built by the British to separate the Jewish and Arab quarters (now the Old City and the Artists Quarter respectively) after the riots in 1936. They were heavily guarded and at night a searchlight swept the stairs to make sure no one jumped from quarter to quarter.

    During the period leading up to and during the War of Independence, to cross from one side of the stairs to the other was to take your life in your hands. It was so dangerous that it became known as Stalingrad Alley, after the Battle of Stalingrad.

    The stairs are called, in Hebrew, Ma’alot Olei Hagardom, in memory of the members of the Irgun (Stern gang) who were hung by the British in Acco and later buried in Safed after the War of Independence.

    Exploring

    As you go down these steep stairs why not be adventurous and explore one of the streets that cross the stairs.

    To The Right

    Off to the right as you walk down, you will find the heart of the Old City and most of the historic synagogues, including the Joseph Caro and the Abhuav Synagogues.

    Taking the first street, Hatman Sofer, leads you into the Kikar HaMagnim, (the square in the old city) where the Haganah had its secret headquarters in the pre-State period.

    Further down is Tarpat Street where the main rioting and killings took place during the 1936 riots. This street also leads into the Kikar.

    When you come down to the main bus park, if you enjoy shopping for all sorts of art and Judaica, go to your right into a covered arcade of galleries and shops. Here you will also find the Joseph Caro synagogue.

    Below the parking lot is Abuhav Street and its beautiful Sephardi synagogue, the Abuhav, which is well worth the detour.

    To The Left

    If on the other hand you turn left on Hatam Sofer, immediately as you go down the stairs, you will get back on to the Midrahov.

    If you continue down as far as the parking lot and then turn left, you will walk right into the Artists Quarter with its delightful lanes and alleys.

    If you keep going past the Judith Gallery and the General Exhibition, after of course stopping for a browse, you will find yourself on Tet Vav. If you follow this street without being diverted along the way, past the new amphitheater, you will end up by the Ziffer Sculpture Garden and the Ruth Rimonim Hotel.

    If you want even more of a workout, continue exploring Safed. There are plenty more stairs!

  • The Midrahov

    The Midrahov is the central part of Jerusalem Street, and is marked in pink on city maps. Whether you are looking for cashews, chatskas or curtains; jeans, jewellery or Judaica; paint, pizza or pumps, you can find it on the Midrahov.

    Jerusalem Street (Rechov Yerushalayim) encircles the central part of the city and is the main shopping street for the whole of Safed, which is situated on the top of a mountain. The street goes in a circle around the mountain, so whichever way you go, if you keep walking in the same direction, you will eventually get back to where you started from.

    Location of the Midrahov

    The Midrahov starts at the gesher, or bridge that takes Palmach Street over Jerusalem Street and officially goes up as far as the Great Stairs on your left and one of the sites of the local Community College, which used to be the British Police Headquarters on your right.

    Public Restrooms

    Just by the bridge on the right going up the street you will find the first set of public restrooms. These were rebuilt and refurbished after the 2nd Lebanese War in 2006. There is another set of toilets on the right at the top of the Midrahov. Unfortunately Safed doesn’t have enough restrooms around the city for all the tourists who come to visit, so take advantage while you can.

    Public bathrooms in Israel normally charge 1 shekel for both men and women so make sure you keep some small change for this purpose.

    Opening Hours

    Shops in Safed generally open between 9.00am and 10.00am and stay open until 1.00pm, 1.30pm or 2pm when they close for lunch.  They then reopening again at 4 or 4.30pm and stay open until 7pm or even later in the high season. Each shop has its own unique hours. Shops in Safed are generally closed on Tuesday afternoons.

    Parking

    Due to the one-way traffic system in Safed and limited parking available on the Midrahov it is almost always quicker to park your car elsewhere, e.g. the large parking area outside the Saraya and walk around the center of town. There are several paid parking areas throughout the main section of town with nearby meters to obtain parking passes.

    Money & ATM’s

    Most shops and restaurants in Safed accept the major credit cards; however some of the older ‘mom and pop’ stores or smaller businesses only take payment in shekels. As you walk up the Midrahov on your left you will see a small plaza in front of the Bank Hapoalim building. This bank has an ATM outside that accepts Israeli cash cards. The ATM at Bank Leumi, further up Jerusalem Street, past the municipality on the right (across from Bank Ben Leumi), accepts foreign cash and credit cards so visitors can draw money from their home checking or credit card account in shekels.

    Places To Eat

    There are no Israeli or American restaurant/ coffee chains here in Safed, so go local and try your luck at one of many kiosks, cafes and restaurants on the Midrahov serving everything from a quick bite to a leisurely lunch or evening meal.

    The View

    There are several places on the Midrahov where you can stop and admire the view of the wadi and Mount Meron across the valley. If you continue past the Great Stairs at the top of the Midrahov you will see the Davidka on your left which has a large amount of seating for groups. Continue a bit further past the Municipality Building (City Hall) and you will find a little paved park with shady trees and benches.

    For more information about local banking, postal services, places to eat, and tourist sites mentioned check tourist information.