As you prepare your trip to Israel, consider spending some time in Safed, a mountaintop town located within easy driving distance from all major Israeli cities. Tzfat is one of Judaism's four Holy Cities.
According to Kabbalistic teachings, Jerusalem is the City of Wind, Hebron is the City of Fire, Tiberias is the City of Water and Safed, also pronounced "Tzfat," is the City of Air. Visitors will understand, clearly, the connection when they arrive in Tzfat. The welcoming atmosphere and the friendly people envelop each visitor who comes to stroll the lanes and alleyways of this ancient town.
Safed's settlement stretches back over 3000 years. Archaeologists believe that Tzfat was one of mountaintops where, during Temple times, residents would light a bonfire at the beginning of every month to announce the new "Rosh Chodesh." Josephus wrote that, in his war against the Romans, he stationed a battalion of soldiers on "Sepheph," believed to refer to Safed. Other writings indicate that Safed was a City of Refuge for priestly families who fled Jerusalem after the Romans destroyed the Temple and exiled the inhabitants of the city. During Crusader times the Crusaders built a fortress on Safed's Citadel. This Citadel, the "Metzuda" is open to tourists today as an archaeological site as well as a park where they can stroll, picnic and enjoy the magnificent views of the city, the western mountain range and the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) to the east.
Several Kabbalistic rabbis came to live in Safed after the Spanish Inquisition, drawn by the history of the area as a center for Kabbalistic study since the beginning of the first millenium. The ARI, Rabbi Isaac Luria, expanded on the existing knowledge of Kabbalah in the 16th century, sitting, legend says, with Elijah the Prophet as he developed the Luranic Kabbalah -- the Kabbalah that scholars study today. Tourists can come to sit in the synagogue where he studied with Elijah, the ARI Sepharadi, visit his gravesite, bath in his "Mikve" -- ritual bath -- and pray or observe. The ARI Ashkanazi synagogue, where the ARI initiated the Kabbalat Shabbat service which Jews observe in synagogues throughout the world today, is open year-round. Rabbi Joseph Caro wrote the epic "Shulhan Aruch" in Tzfat. The Shulhan Aruch details the proper observance of Jewish rituals and practices. This massive work has guided Jews in their traditions, laws and customs for hundreds of years. The Joseph Caro Synagogue, where Rabbi Caro headed the Rabbinical Court of his time and, where legend says, he wrote the Shulhan Aruch, is on Alkabetz Street in the heart of the Jewish Quarter.Safed offers a growing number of accommodations for travelers. Hostels, hotels and luxury boutiques exist throughout the city, providing varying levels of comfort and price. Travelers who wish to stay in comfortable and moderately-priced guest rooms also have options in the city center or within minutes of the center. A number of guest rooms exist, providing excellent accommodations for a budget price. Direct buses come to Safed from Tiberias, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Safed awaits all who chose to take the time to discover its secrets.
Laurie Rappeport is the coordinator of the Tourist Information Center of Safed. She has been promoting tourism to Safed for over 12 years through her work in the Information Center and on the web.
A full overview of Safed's history, historical sites and amenities for tourists can be accessed through the Information Center.
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