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Historical Sites of Tzfat

Kikar HaMeginim, Central Sq. Safed

Kikar HaMeginim – The center of the Old Ashkanazi Quarter of Tzfat was built after the aliyah of the Hassidim in 1777.  The Kikar was used by the residents of the Old city as the marketplace for coal, and was called, in Yiddish, “Kolin Platz – Coal Square”.  On the Western side of the square is a two-story building with a memorial plaque of Pinhas Cohen. This was the headquarters of the “Haganah” (the pre-State Jewish Defense Force) during the War of Independence.  In April 1948, when the British left and the Palmach (striking branch of the Hagana) arrived, the headquarters were moved to the nearby home of Ya’akov Mizrachi, which was lower and more easily defended.  His son was the first casualty of the Battle for Tzfat during the War of Independence, and the name “Kikar HaMeginim” was named for the “Megini Tzfat”– defenders of Tzfat of the War of Independence. 

Beit Abu – The Abu home is the starting point for the traditional Lag B’Omer processional to Meron from Zfat.  The house is surrounded by blue walls.  R’ Shmuel Abu came to Zfat in 1817 from Algiers with his three sons, Avraham, Yitzhak and Ya’akov.  He was an agent of the French consulate and a land dealer who purchased the land where the settlements of Yesod HaMala and Mishmar HaYarden now stand.  He also underwrote the renovation of the gravesite of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron.  He was given a Torah scroll which had been held in the synagogue of Yossi Banai as appreciation for his deeds by residents of Zfat.  With this, the custom of marching from Zfat to Meron, which dates from the ARI’s 16th century innovation, was reborn, with the addition of the Abu family Torah scroll leading the way.

 The procession leaves the Abu house each year with song and dance, the Torah scroll leading, and in the 1950s this procession was noted by the Kenesset as the official opening of the Lag B’Omer festivities.  The Abu family played a central part in the defense of the Jewish Quarter during the Arab riots of 1929, in the subsequent organization of the Haganah (Jewish Defense Force) and in the Battle for Tzfat in 1948.

Rothschild Hospital/Zfat Regional College – The Rothschild hospital was opened in 1912 as an alternative to the missionary hospital which operated across the street.  Across the street is today’s Gan HaIr, which was then used as a recuperation area for the hospital’s patients.  In 1919, the Hadassah women’s organization began to run the hospital.    Many influenza sufferers were patients in the hospital, among them, Rachel the Poet (1925).  In the courtyard stands the memorial stone of the hospital’s head nurse from that period, Tova Bat Moshe Pestrovsky.  In 1948, the Rothschild hospital served as the Israeli Army’s Hospital #7 for the Northern Command.  In 1973, the hospital moved to its new location in the south of the city, and the building became a teacher’s seminar.   Today, the building serves as part of the Michlala Zfat College campus, under the auspices of the Bar Ilan University. 

Beit Bussel -- First opened in 1904 as a hospital, operated by a group of British missionaries for Jews of the Galilee and Zfat.  Continued to serve local Tzfat Jews until the Rothschild hospital opened in 1912.  During WWI, it ceased functioning as a hospital and was put into use by the Turkish army.  In 1921, the building was transferred to a Scottish missionary group, who used it as their college until the riots of 1936.  With the closing of the college, the building became a British military station, used by the governor for Jewish affairs for the Galilee.  In 1942, the building was sold to the Jewish National Fund, and was set up as a recuperation hospital, named for Yosef Busel, one of the founders of Kibbutz Degania Aleph.  During the War of Independence, it was used by the Haganah as one of their posts in the Jewish Quarter.

Saraya – Built in the mid 1700s by D’har Al-Omer, the Bedouin Sheik of the Galilee as his family’s living compound.  With the end of his rule in 1775, the building was taken over by the central Turkish administration.  A hundred years later, a British survey called the building the “Turkish Han”. In the late 1800s, the building was renovated and became “the Saraya”, the center of the local Turkish government.  The clock tower was built in 1900 in honor of the Sultan Ibid Al Hamid II.  With the arrival of the British following WWI, the Saraya became the seat of British government, and served as a shelter for Jews fleeing Arab riots in 1929.  Two Jews were killed by an Arab policeman at this time, who had been charged with guarding them from the Arab mob.

During the War of Independence, the Saraya became the center of the Arab High Command.  After the war, the Israeli army used it, and subsequently, it was a home for pensioners.  In 1975 it became a community center in the name of Isaac and Edith Wolfson.

 

Yosef Caro Synagogue, Caro Street, Safed

Yosef Caro Synagogue – The Yosef Caro Synagogue was named for R’ Yosef Caro, master of Kabbalah and Halacha, and writer of “Kit Yosef” and “Shulhan Aruch.  The synagogue was first built in the 16th century as a large Beit Midrash (house of study), and was rebuilt after the 1759 earthquake, though in smaller dimensions.  Hassidim who arrived in Tzfat after 1777 were accustomed to praying there, and assisted in rebuilding after the earthquake of 1837.  Three men, lead by Yosef Guerta, were responsible for again rebuilding the synagogue, which took 10 years.  Until the beginning of the 20th century, the synagogue was used as a Beit Midrash and served as the Sephardic Beit Din ( Rabbinical Court ).  In 1903, the synagogue was renovated and began to be used as a synagogue under the leadership of the Ben Shimon family, which is responsible for the building till today.  Under the synagogue, according to tradition, is the house where “The Maggid”, an angel, sat with R’ Yosef Caro and related to him the secrets of the Torah.  From these visions came R’ Caro’s book “Magid Mishrim”.  R’ Yosef Caro was one of the Jews who were expelled during the Spanish Inquisition, and he arrived in Tzfat in 1536.  He was the chief Rabbi of Tzfat and the Av Beit Din (head of the Rabbinical Court ) until his death at age 87 in 1575. 

Beit Ashtam – A concrete building which stands out among the stone buildings in the view of Tzfat.  It was built on the border of the Jewish quarter following the Arab riots of 1929 by “Keren Ezra” on the ruins of homes which were destroyed by the rioters.  It was the first building built in Tzfat by Solel Boneh building company as a cement barricade across from the Arab quarter.  Later, a factory for jerry cans and primus burners was established.  In 1948 Beit Ashtam became used as a weapon-cleaning area for the defenders of Tzfat, and it was one of the most important strongholds of the defenders’ defense of the Old Jewish Quarter.  The walls of the building show the pockmarks of the bullets fired in the Arab attempt to take the building.  On the side of the building is a memorial plaque to Yehoshua Faraj Ohana, a young man from Tzfat who was killed on his watch.

ARI Mikve, Ritual Bath, Safed

Mikve HaAri – A small spring fills this mikve, in which many great rabbis have immersed, among them R’ Yitzhak Luria, the “Ari”.  Throughout the generations, Tzfat Kabbalists and other rabbis have adopted the custom of the Ari of immersing twice on Erev Shabbat (Shabbat eve).  The Ari’s students would relate that the Ari would not towel himself after immersion “because these are waters of Shabbat, and it is fitting that the body absorbs these waters”.  One of the Ari’s students, R’ Chaim Vital, related that the Ari arose and immersed himself in the mikve after his own death.  From that day onward, it has been traditional in Tzfat to immerse the bodies of the deceased in the mikve before burial. 

Many immerse themselves daily, and immersions on Erev Shabbat and during holidays are especially desirable.  Some people even splash their clothing with water from the mikve, in the tradition of the Ari.

 The Scottish Church – This was the center of Scottish missionary activity from the end of the 19th century in Tzfat until the 1948.  The building, built in the British-colonial manner, was never completed.  In the 1920s, the building was sold to Ya’akov Meyer Richman, an American Jew who came to live in Tzfat after WWI, and the building then became known as “Beit Richman”.  In 1948 it was used as a frontline defense against the “Fatma” stronghold of the Arabs on the Metzuda (citadel).  After the War of Independence, it was used as a rehabilitation hospital, and in the 1970s became a school.  Today it serves as a Talmud Torah.

 

Remaining Wall of the Lemburg/Magrab Synagogue, Caro St., Safed

The Magrab Synagogue – Only the western wall remains at the site of the “Magrab” (Lvov, or Lemberg) synagogue  The synagogue was built by R’ Mordichai Zev from Lvov, evidently around 1840, and fell among the ruins of Tzfat after WWI.  On the remaining wall, one can see the imprint of lions etched in the stone, as well as hands outstretched in the manner of the traditional Cohen blessing.  On the left-hand side is written “Hekdesh Olam” and the name of Ephriam Fishel (Auerbach), one of the leaders of the Hassidim who came to Tzfat in the early 1800s who came from Uman in the Ukraine .



 Oleh HaGardom Stairs, Safed

Ma’a lot Oleh HaGardom – Stairway built by the British after the riots of 1936 to separate the Jewish and Arab quarters of Tzfat.  It was guarded by British snipers who guarded from the Post Office at the top of the stairs on Jerusalem St .  A guard tower on the top of the building lit up the stairs at night by projector lights.  During the fighting in 1948, this area was called “ Stalingrad ” by the Haganah because it was judged to be the most dangerous in the city. 

 The name “Oleh HaGardom” comes from the memory of members of the Jewish pre-State underground who were hanged by the British and buried in the Tzfat cemetery.

The Mameluke Mausoleum  -- 14th century burial plot pf the Mamelukes  Was built for the governor or Tzfat, Mutfur A-din Mussa Eben Haj Arokati, who died in Tzfat in 1372   It continued to serve as a mausoleum for burials until the early 20th century,  In the southern wall near the main entrance are 3 Mameluke inscriptions.  Today the building is used by Freemasons. 

 

Yossi Banai Synagogue, (Antebbe Synagogue) Safed

Yossi Banai Synagogue/ HaTzadik HaLavan – The oldest standing Sepharadi synagogue in Tzfat, it was built by refugees from Argonia , Spain , in the late 1400s.  It was built on the upper border of the Mustaravim neighborhood before the Sepharadi neighborhood was expanded in the early 1500.  (The Mustaravim were Jews whose families had been in the Land of Israel since Roman times, preceding the return of those who came after the Spanish expulsion of 1492).  Next to the synagogue is a small room where R’ Yossi Banai, one of the 3rd century Amorim, is buried.  R’ Banai was known for mapping out the burial places of the great sages who are buried throughout the North of Israel.  The Jews of Tzfat tell the legend of the “miracle of the chickens” that occurred because of the intervention of the Tzaddik HaLavan: after an edict was issued which would have expelled the Jews from Tzfat unless a certain number of white chickens was delivered to the Turkish ruler, Jews prayed to the Tzaddik HaLavan for intervention, and all the chickens of Tzfat turned white.  The building of the synagogue was only partially destroyed by the 1837 earthquake.  The restoration is mainly in the form of the low wood ceiling in the prayer area, but the women’s section and the burial room are the original construction.  There is an old Torah in the synagogue which was donated by the Sepharadi community in honor of R’ Abuhav in the 19th century and accompanies the yearly processional to Meron on Lag B’Omer.

 Shuk Mosque – General Exhibition --  This building houses the permanent exhibition hall for Tzfat artists.  Above the entrance to the building is an Arabic inscription which notes that this building was erected in 1901.  The mosque, whose foundations predate 1901, was the center for Arab incitement against the Jewish residents of Tzfat during Friday prayers, and it was from this mosque that the rioters set out to murder the Jews during the Arab uprisings of 1929 - 1948.  In the beginning of the 21st century extensive restorations were undertaken on the building and an addition was added to the outside.  The General Exhibition is the center of the Artist Quarter, which was founded in the early 1950s by artists who felt that the atmosphere of Tzfat gave expression to their art.    

Among the artists in the Artist Quarter were some of Israel’s greatest artists who shaped the Israeli art world.  Among them were Yitzhak Frankel (Frenel), Simcha Holtzman, Aryeh Merzer, Moshe Kastel and Menachem Shemi.  During the height of the Artist Quarter more than 50 artists and sculptors worked and displayed their art in Tzfat.  Until today the special atmosphere of the art world can be felt in Tzfat.



Bima of the Abuhav Synagogue, Safed

Abuhav Synagogue – The synagogue, built in the 15th century, was named after R’ Yitzhak Abuhav, a sage from the 15th century Spain who wrote “Menorot HaMaor”.  Legend tells us that R’ Abuhav wrote a Torah scroll, “Sefer Abuhav” which is housed in the permanent ark of the Southern wall of the synagogue until today.  It is customary in the synagogue to read from the scroll on Yom Kippur, Shavouth and Rosh Hashana – K-S-R = Kosher.  It is related that the original Abuhav synagogue was in a different building, next to the Ari Sepharadi synagogue.  During the earthquake of 1759, the original Abuhav synagogue was destroyed, and “Sefer Abuhav” was moved to “The Great Synagogue”, whose name then became the new “Abuhav synagogue”.  This synagogue was also destroyed in the 1837 earthquake and only the Southern wall where the ark of the Torah scrolls was remained.  The renovated synagogue was built to be as big and beautiful as possible.  In the middle of the floor is a blue canopy which stands on 4 pillars and is covered with paintings and etchings.  The stone benches which surround the bima (center stand) are in the style of the old synagogues of Eretz Yisrael.  The outer walls of the synagogue disintegrated and were reconstructed in the early 20th century on the basis of their original design.  In the courtyard, it was customary to hold wedding ceremonies, with the belief that this would lead to a long life and many children.     

City Police Station – The building which housed the British police station was one of the Tigrat fortresses which were built to help the British secure the county by Sir Charles Tigrat.  It was built in the latter 1930s as the main point of security of the no-mans-land which separated the Jewish and Arab quarters (today the Ma’alot HaGardom stairs).  During the period of the British Mandate it was the headquarters of the local police where Arab and a few Jewish policemen served.  Its yard was surrounded by a concrete wall (destroyed after the War of Independence) guarded by a “pillbox” guardhouse.  The bullet holes evident in the pillbox speak of the difficult battle that took place at this spot after the British handed over this high point to the Arab forces when they evacuated Tzfat in April 1948.  The succeeding fierce battles for this point took the life of the Haganah commander Yitzhak Hochman, and the memorial plaque memorializing him can be seen on the pillbox lookout.  Two additional plaques are also visible:  “Amishalom Milkovski and Raphael Edri, a son of Tzfat who fell in the Yuval campaign to conquer the Negev”.  In subsequent years the building was used by the income tax authorities, and today it is in use by the local academic college of Tzfat in conjunction with the Bar Ilan University. 



Alsheich Synagogue, Simtat (Lane) Abuhav, Safed

Alsheich Synagogue --   The 15th century Alsheich synagogue was named for R’ Moshe Alsheich, a great Sepharadi sage and public orator known as the “Holy Alsheich”.  The synagogue was built in the style of 16th century Sepharadi synagogues.  The positioning of the women’s gallery is reminiscent of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.  The etchings and designs which surround the prayer hall are unique and can also be seen in the wide panels which circle the dome in the center of the synagogue.  The outer wall shows Hebrew inscriptions which testify to the restoration of the synagogue which took place before the great earthquake of 1837 according to the Jewish traditions of Tzfat.  It is for this reason; it is written on the wall, that the synagogue was spared destruction during the earthquake.  Three men are noted in this inscription, the builder Ya’akov Falaji, the donor Yehezkel Reuven Menashe and the spiritual leader R’ Ya’akov Entebi, the chief Rabbi of Damascus during the days of the blood libel there (1840).  The Alsheich synagogue is known by several names:  “The Istanbul congregation” refers to the close ties that many members of the synagogue had to the Jewish community in Turkey.  “The Returnees Congregation” pays tribute to the writings on the silver crown of the Torah scroll and preserved in the geniza and “Yehezkel Congregation in tribute to the donor, Yehezkel Reuven Menashe who undertook to finance the renovation of the synagogue. 

  During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, a katyusha fell directly next to the Alsheich synagogue, but aside from some broken windows, the synagogue was not damaged. 

Red Mosque – One of the oldest Mameluke buildings in the Land of Israel still standing today.  Built in 1276 by the Beibars according to inscriptions written above the wooden door at the entrance to the mosque.  The Mameluke Beibar king ruled Egypt from 1260-1278, capturing Tzfat in 1266 and calling it the “capitol of the Beibar’s Northern Empire – the Tzephed Empire.  The Red Mosque was built in the architectural style of the Mamelukes which emanated from Cairo. In the grand entrance was built a half-arch covered with typical Mameluke engravings and a Rosta at its center.  The prayer hall is in the southern section of the mosque, with pillars depicting the direction of prayer.  The mosque was also used as a hostel for travelers by the Moslem Wafk (religious authority).  The mosque was partially destroyed by the earthquakes which decimated Tzfat throughout the years, and cracks can still be seen in the Muzzazin.  Today, the building is used as a center for art and culture under the auspices of “Keren Tzfat L’Pituach”.

 

Ari Sepharadi Synagogue, HaAri Street, Safed

Ari Sepharadi Synagogue The oldest of all of Tzfat synagogues, it was named for the ARI – R’ Yitzhak Luria. Mentioned first in 1522 as a holy place of worship which was then called “The Eliyahu Ha’Navi Synagogue” for Jews from North Africa.  According to tradition, the ARI who lived in Tzfat from 1570 – 1572 used to pray mostly there, and by the 1600s, it was already known as the ARI synagogue.  Decorating the entrance to the synagogue are geographical illustrations of the World of Nature.  The huge western wall is known for its artwork. The synagogue is arranged in the fashion of old Sepharadi synagogues of the time, with benches placed surrounding the ark and bima.  A small cave-room sits in the eastern wall, where tradition tells us the ARI used to learn Torah with Eliyahu HaNavi.  In the 17th century, a large stone was placed in the entranceway of the cave to protect its holy space. 

  We are told that the synagogue was partially destroyed in the 1759 earthquake. Further destruction came in the earthquake of 1837, and it was rebuilt with the donations of Yitzhak Gueta.  In 1929 riots, the synagogue was used as a shelter to protect the Jews against Arab rioters.  In 1936 a watchtower was placed there to guard against the rioters of ’36, and in 1948 the Hagana stationed soldiers there to guard the Old Quarter.  In 1990, the synagogue was renovated, and the Ark was restored in the style of the time of the ARI.  

 

Cave of Shem and Ever, HaPalmach Street, Safed

Cave of Shem and Ever The cave was established in the Byzantine (4th -5th centuries) as a burial site of a well-established Jewish family.  In the 16 small slots (out of 32) one can see the original plaster from the Byzantine period.  The original entrance, today hidden, was towards the west, and throughout the years, the 3 major religions have recognized it as a holy site – the Jews around 900 A .D. as the place where the compilers of the Talmud used to gather.  The Crusaders recognized it as the place where incidents from the New Testament took place, and was a nunnery for the “Daughters of Jacob”.  After Salach-al-Din captured Tzfat, it became a mosque.  Moslems believe that this is where Jacob grieved when he heard that his son Joseph had died, and that this is the burial site of Jacob.  In 1810, the Mameluke ruler broke open a new entranceway.  Jews came to know the cave as that of “Daughters of Jacob” and R’ Chaim Vital called it “Avail Ya’akov” (“the grief of Jacob”); Jewish tradition also sees this cave as the Beit Midrash of Jacob, as well as the spot where Noah’s son and grandson studied.  Next to the cave is a small building where morning prayers are held at 6:00am. and afternoon prayers at 14:00.

 

Citadel of Safed, "Metzuda"

Metzuda  The Metzuda is the central site of Tzfat history, first settled, evidently, by Yosef Ben Matitiyahu about 66 BCE, evidence of which was uncovered by recent archeological excavations.  During the First Crusader conquest of Israel, Tzfat came under Crusader control and in 1102 the Crusaders built their first fortress there.  Salach-al-Din tried to capture the fortress from 1179-1188, and his family controlled the area for 52 years until the Crusaders returned in 1240.  The fortress was rebuilt and reinforced, and it became the Crusaders’ largest fortress built in the Middle East.  The Beibars were able to trick the Crusader defenders into leaving it in 1266 and subsequently massacred them, and the fortress was destroyed.  A 60 meter monument was erected by the Beibars.

  During the Ottoman rule in Tzfat, from 1516 onward, the city expanded, but the Metzuda was unpopulated, and stones from the fortress were brought down into the city for building.  In the 18th century the Bedouins captured the Galilee and they partially renovated the Metzuda. Napoleon also ruled over the area for a short time in 1799.  In 1837, the area was completely destroyed by a massive earthquake, and the Metzuda was abandoned.

  The British planted many pine trees on the Metzuda and erected a monument to their soldiers who had died during WWI there. In 1948, as the British were evacuating Tzfat, they turned over this high point to the Arab forces, and only after a long and protracted battle were the Jewish forces able to capture the citadel and thus, the city.  In 1951 a park was built there with a monument memorializing the Jewish soldiers who died in Tzfat during the War of Independence.



 Safed Cemetery

Old Cemetery of Tzfat.  Burial caves and thousands of tombstones crowd the Old Cemetery of Tzfat and speak to Tzfat’s history and place in Jewish heritage throughout the generations.  Thousands of years of burial speak to continued settlement of the area.  The cemetery covers 120 dunum and over 4000 tombstones with inscriptions can be seen.  Burial caves from the Roman and Byzantine (1st – 5th century A.D.) periods are embedded in soft limestone, archeological evidence of Jewish life in the area during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.  Towards the western side of the mountain, a gravesite with a domed roof shows two gravesites – the first from the 8th century BCE of the prophet Yehoshua Ben Hannia, and the second, as noted by the ARI, the grave of one of the compilers of the Talmud, R’ Pinchas Ben Yair (2nd century A.D.).  The cemetery in Tzfat is known primarily as the resting place for the great rabbis of the 16th century, among them, R’ Isaac Luria (the ARI) and his son Moshe, Rabbi Moshe Kordovero (the RAMAK) R’ Shlomo Alkebetz (compiler of the Lecha Dodi)’ Rabbi Moshe Ben Yosef Mitrani (the MABIT), Rabbi Yosef Caro (writer of the Shulhan Aruch) and others.

  From the end of the 18th century, separate sections were established for Sepharadi and Ashkanazi burials.  After the massive 1837 earthquake, gravesites were dug for the over 2000 souls who were killed, but it was impossible to lay tombstones for each person, and they were buried in mass graves.  In 2007, on the 170th anniversary of the quake, the caretaker of the cemetery, Eli, told of hearing a “voice” that commanded him to “drop and roll”, which he did.  When he stopped rolling, he arose to discover that he had discovered a marker for one of the mass burial sites for the victims of the earthquake.

  The cemetery has areas where victims of WWI’s famine and epidemics are buried, as well as victims of the 1929 Arab pogrom in Tzfat, Jewish underground fighters who were hung by the British (Oleh HaGardom) and soldiers killed during the War of Independence.  Burial in the Old Cemetery ceased in 1962, and a new section was established.  Over 200,000 pilgrims make their way annually to the Old Cemetery of Tzfat yearly to pray, many of them on the 5th of Av, the yartzeit of the ARI.  Lit candles can be seen nightly on the gravesites of the great scholars who are buried in Tzfat – the tombstones painted in the famous Tzfat blue color.

 

Ari Ashkanazi Synagogue

Ari Ashkanazi Synagogue The ARI Ashkanazi synagogue was built in the 16th century and called after “The ARI-HaElochai R’ Isaac Luria Ashkanazi, father of the Lurianic Kabbalah.  It was built by Sepharadi immigrants from Greece (Grigos) on the northern border of the Sepharadi neighborhood, and was used mainly by scholars and students of R’ Moshe Cordovero.  In 1570, when the ARI came to Tzfat, he joined the services of these men and would take them to the field next to the synagogue to receive the Shabbat.

  Here the Kabbalat Shabbat service was initiated.  Until the 18th century, the synagogue continued to be known as the “Grigos” synagogue until it passed to the Hassidim who began to arrive in Tzfat in the late 1700s.  At this point, it became known as the “Ari Ashkanazi”.  The synagogue was destroyed in the earthquake of 1837 and was renovated 20 years later, as is noted in an inscription above the entrance.  Against the southern wall stands an ark of the Torah which was carved by a Galatzian artist in the style of Eastern European synagogues.  It shows Moses in the center of the image with the phrase “Thou shalt not make graven images”.  The synagogue is known for many legends.  A small fence sits around a section where the ARI was seen by R’ Shmuel Heller.  In 1948 a piece of shrapnel flew through a room full of people in services, yet hit no one – the place where the shell hit can still be seen.