7 things to do in Safed if you are here for a day.
Safed – The city of mystics on Israel’s Northern Frontier
Some people come to Safed and make it their base for the North. Most tour groups come for only a few hours and just touch the tip of the iceberg. Here I will tell you the highlights of Safed if you only have a few hours.
1. Candle Factory.
It is a museum with permanent sculptures as well as candles for sale. I think it has one of the largest havdala candles on display. You can sometimes see the candle makers at work. It is great for kids. On permanent display is Noah’s Ark, with a modern day twist of characters from Madagascar. The red headed Dovid with a slingshot and Goliath the giant lying at his feet is another favorite. One of my favorites is the chess set, with the Black Hatters on one side and the Chassidim on the other, replicas of 770 from Crown Heights and the Mir Yeshiva as rooks. They also keep up with modern day cartoon characters like the minions.
2. Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue
From the Candle Factory you walk up the street to get to the Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue. The Ari Synagogue is a shul from the 15th century. It was originally built by Spanish exiles and in 1570 the Holy Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, one of the founders of Kabbala, started to daven there. If you are going there with kids ask them to find the lion with the human face in the Holy Ark. It is said that a non Jew originally built it and it had a human face, which goes against Jewish custom, so he transformed it into a lion, reminiscent of the holy Ari and his followers. Be sure to look for the shrapnel hole near the entrance and ask the shomer about the miracle story that occurred in 1948, when shrapnel fell in the courtyard while the worshippers were praying.
3. The Kahal
Take a walk down the stairs to the Livnot Visitor’s Center. Livnot U’Lehibanot , Build and Rebuild, is an awesome program whereby post college age men and women come to work half a day and learn about Judaism half the day. They are responsible for a lot of the revitalization of the city, rebuilding gardens, kids day care centers, working with the elderly and Ethiopians. As is typical in Safed they started digging near the founders home and discovered 16 rooms among the ruins. They started in 2005 and until now have uncovered a mikvah, rocks that were used to heat the mikvah, a bakery from the 16th century and more. It is fascinating to see the work in progress and Livnot already uses the oven every erev Shabbos to bake bread. In the Visitors Center you can see the underground tunnels, a former mikvah and weapons used from the War of Independence.
4. Kadosh Cheese
You can follow the signs for Tzfat Cheese and come on a taste testing tour of 7th generation cheese makers, formerly of Morocco. They have at least 5 kinds of cheese to taste, as well as homemade olives, grape leaves and did I mention 3-5 kinds of halvah? Chocolate halva, pistachio halvah and more. You can eat lunch here and one or both of the brothers will sit with you, feeding you fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, Turkish coffee or sweet milk. They do give tours but you have to call up 050-729-9798 to reserve.
5. Kabbala Art
While there are many artists you can go visit in the artist row, I recommend making a stop at David Friedman’s Kosmic Kabbala Art gallery at 38 Bar Yochai, off Kikar Maginim in the center of the Old City. There you can hear a fascinating lecture on Kabbala Art, learn about the mother letters and the 3 basic colors and shapes and their relation to Hashem. Contact david@kosmic-kabbalah.com
6. On Rehov Yerushalayim look for the cannon near the city hall. Hear the miracle story of the Davidka and how we won the war in the War of Independence in 1948. Venture across the street and walk up about 100 steps to the top of the Citadel. You can also drive there. At the top you can hear the story of the battle of Safed. As well you can see in all four directions and get a feel for the city.
7. The Artist Quarter and the Artist Row. People usually save this for last. You can literally spend at least an hour here, if not 2-3 hours. Wander around the artist quarter and find some beautiful galleries or if you are short on time then spend some time in the artist row. You can see some of the artisans at work. Be sure to check out the Fig Tree gallery across from Livnot Visitor’s Center and see the cisterns from a century ago. Climb to the top of the stairs to see a panoramic view of the wadi leading to Mount Meron where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is buried. If you are really adventurous you can hike the wadi to the Rashbi. It takes about 3-4 hours. Great hike on a summer’s day. In the bottom of the wadi there’s a pool and you can see the remnants of the village from centuries ago.
If you are looking for an affordable, family friendly place to stay in Safed be sure to book your stay at the Safed Sugar Suite.
Click here to reserve or ask for availability and pricing.
Safed – The city of mystics on Israel’s Northern Frontier
Some people come to Safed and make it their base for the North. Most tour groups come for only a few hours and just touch the tip of the iceberg. Here I will tell you the highlights of Safed if you only have a few hours.
1. Candle Factory.
It is a museum with permanent sculptures as well as candles for sale. I think it has one of the largest havdala candles on display. You can sometimes see the candle makers at work. It is great for kids. On permanent display is Noah’s Ark, with a modern day twist of characters from Madagascar. The red headed Dovid with a slingshot and Goliath the giant lying at his feet is another favorite. One of my favorites is the chess set, with the Black Hatters on one side and the Chassidim on the other, replicas of 770 from Crown Heights and the Mir Yeshiva as rooks. They also keep up with modern day cartoon characters like the minions.
2. Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue
From the Candle Factory you walk up the street to get to the Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue. The Ari Synagogue is a shul from the 15th century. It was originally built by Spanish exiles and in 1570 the Holy Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, one of the founders of Kabbala, started to daven there. If you are going there with kids ask them to find the lion with the human face in the Holy Ark. It is said that a non Jew originally built it and it had a human face, which goes against Jewish custom, so he transformed it into a lion, reminiscent of the holy Ari and his followers. Be sure to look for the shrapnel hole near the entrance and ask the shomer about the miracle story that occurred in 1948, when shrapnel fell in the courtyard while the worshippers were praying.
3. The Kahal
Take a walk down the stairs to the Livnot Visitor’s Center. Livnot U’Lehibanot , Build and Rebuild, is an awesome program whereby post college age men and women come to work half a day and learn about Judaism half the day. They are responsible for a lot of the revitalization of the city, rebuilding gardens, kids day care centers, working with the elderly and Ethiopians. As is typical in Safed they started digging near the founders home and discovered 16 rooms among the ruins. They started in 2005 and until now have uncovered a mikvah, rocks that were used to heat the mikvah, a bakery from the 16th century and more. It is fascinating to see the work in progress and Livnot already uses the oven every erev Shabbos to bake bread. In the Visitors Center you can see the underground tunnels, a former mikvah and weapons used from the War of Independence.
4. Kadosh Cheese
You can follow the signs for Tzfat Cheese and come on a taste testing tour of 7th generation cheese makers, formerly of Morocco. They have at least 5 kinds of cheese to taste, as well as homemade olives, grape leaves and did I mention 3-5 kinds of halvah? Chocolate halva, pistachio halvah and more. You can eat lunch here and one or both of the brothers will sit with you, feeding you fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, Turkish coffee or sweet milk. They do give tours but you have to call up 050-729-9798 to reserve.
5. Kabbala Art
While there are many artists you can go visit in the artist row, I recommend making a stop at David Friedman’s Kosmic Kabbala Art gallery at 38 Bar Yochai, off Kikar Maginim in the center of the Old City. There you can hear a fascinating lecture on Kabbala Art, learn about the mother letters and the 3 basic colors and shapes and their relation to Hashem. Contact david@kosmic-kabbalah.com
6. On Rehov Yerushalayim look for the cannon near the city hall. Hear the miracle story of the Davidka and how we won the war in the War of Independence in 1948. Venture across the street and walk up about 100 steps to the top of the Citadel. You can also drive there. At the top you can hear the story of the battle of Safed. As well you can see in all four directions and get a feel for the city.
7. The Artist Quarter and the Artist Row. People usually save this for last. You can literally spend at least an hour here, if not 2-3 hours. Wander around the artist quarter and find some beautiful galleries or if you are short on time then spend some time in the artist row. You can see some of the artisans at work. Be sure to check out the Fig Tree gallery across from Livnot Visitor’s Center and see the cisterns from a century ago. Climb to the top of the stairs to see a panoramic view of the wadi leading to Mount Meron where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is buried. If you are really adventurous you can hike the wadi to the Rashbi. It takes about 3-4 hours. Great hike on a summer’s day. In the bottom of the wadi there’s a pool and you can see the remnants of the village from centuries ago.
If you are looking for an affordable, family friendly place to stay in Safed be sure to book your stay at the Safed Sugar Suite.
Click here to reserve or ask for availability and pricing.
