Tag: Synagogue

February 25, 2014

Safed / Tzefat

Today’s tour was a very nostalgic one as I returned to the northern city of Tzefat (also known as Safed), where I lived for three months while on my gap year in Israel. I had a great time in Tzefat where I lived with a group of friends and volunteered in the local community. To a certain extent, my return felt like I was coming home.

View from Akhbara Lookout

However, as always on the guiding course, I was surprised by how many of the local sites I was completely unaware of while living here. We began our day at the Akhbara viewpoint, a lookout over the modern day Arab village which was a Jewish settlement in the 2nd temple period. We heard how Napoleon’s soldiers reached here during is 18th century campaign, in a fruitless search for the treasures of the Jewish temple in the nearby cliff face. We also gazed with awe upon the highest bridge in the middle east, over the Amud river bed, which has been engineered especially to withstand even major earthquakes (which do happen in our region).

View over Tzefat and Mt Meiron from Mt Canaan

We continued up to the city of Tzefat, passing through and arriving at Mt Canaan. Here, from a vantage point over Tzefat itself, we heard the story of the city during the 1948 Arab Israeli War. It is a very dramatic tale and I shall not attempt to do it justice here; I look forward to retelling it to tourists in the future!

From here we headed into the city of Tzefat itself, and after brief stops in the more modern town we entered the area of the Old City. For Jews, Tzefat is one of the four holy cities of Israel (together with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias). Beginning in the 16th century, here developed many of the ideas that make up the Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism; on the other hand (and even in contrast) it was here that the Shulchan Aruch, the definitive codification of Jewish Law, was written.

Inside the Ashkenazi Synagogue of the Ari

We began our visit at the Ashkenaz Synagogue of the Ari. Known as a leading kabbalist (mystic) despite his brief time in Tzefat, he is credited with creating the kabbalat shabbat service which to this day is recited in synagogues around the world on Friday evenings. Tradition says that at the site of the synagogue, he would go out into the fields around Tzefat on Friday nights to welcome the Sabbath Queen, together with his followers. We learned about the history of the synagogue and some of the miracles believed to have taken place within it.

Ruins of a 16th century communal building in Tzefat

Moving on, we descended into recent excavations of parts of the city covered under rubble in an 18th century earthquake. We found a 17th century mikve (ritual bath) and then descended further into a large, probably communal, structure from the 16th century. Perhaps this was frequented by some of the leading kabbalists of the time?

Our next stop was at the Synagogue of Rabbi Yitzchak Abuhav. He was a leading rabbi and mystic in Spain in the 15th century, although he was never in Tzefat in person. In one of the arks in the synagogue is a torah scroll written by Rabbi Abuhav, who dipped himself in a mikve 26 times each time he had to write the name of God. It is considered so special that it is only used three times a year.

Inside the Josef Caro Synagogue

As we continued through the alleyways of the Old City, our guide entertained us with a myriad of stories about various miracles that have happened in Tzefat over the centuries. Eventually we reached our final synagogue for the day, that of Rabbi Josef Caro, the great scholar who wrote the Shulchan Aruch.

After a brief look-out over the Tzefat cemetery (which contains the tombs of many of these famous rabbis), we concluded our day on the peak of the hill on which Tzefat is based, dealing with an entirely different topic. Here are the ruins of what was once the largest Crusader citadel in the Middle East, constructed in the 13th century. Later, after the fortress was taken by the Mamluks in their conquest of the area, their leader, Baibars, constructed a huge tower on the site – it was possible to see its ruins and even to wander into its cistern.

Mamluk and Crusader ruins in the Tzefat Citadel

The citadel is now part of a park, and I’m not sure the various couples who were spread out among the area to enjoy the sunset particularly appreciated our group passing through. As interesting as the history was, I’m not sure it added to the romantic mood. I’m pleased to say that after the explanations finished, there was just time for us to also enjoy the sunset over Mount Meiron, and the tomb of Shimon Bar Yochai (the original mystic, considered author of the Zohar), before beginning our journey back to Tel Aviv.

January 22, 2014

Eastern Lower Galilee

With the sun shining on a beautiful January morning we travelled north for today’s tour which was based around the area of the eastern lower Galilee, a small area which roughly speaking is encircled by the roads 71, 90, 85 and 65 (for those trying to locate it on a map).

It is considered distinct from the central Galilee due to its geological make up – steep basalt cliffs formed by ancient volcanic activity (vs the sedimentary rock of the rest of the Galilee region). Our tour today was to be quite varied – as we get towards the end of our time on the course, some of our trips consist of us fitting in some of the sites that we have not yet had a chance to visit despite passing close by (for example during our trips to Tiberias or Christianity around the Sea of Galilee).

View north from the Arbel cliff face

We began the day at Mount Arbel, an imposing basalt mountain with a sheer cliff face leading down to the Sea of Galilee. A short walk took us to a stunning viewpoint over the area and our guide helped us locate various sites of interest. We then heard the story of the town Arbel (located close by) during the Jewish revolt against Herod (recently made ruler of the Galilee) in the 1st century BCE. The Jews were soon overwhelmed and hid in caves hidden in the cliff face. To overcome this problem, Herod’s army constructed cages and lowered soldiers down to the caves where the rebels were sitting ducks. Many of them threw themselves to their deaths rather than be taken prisoner.

Ancient synagogue of Arbel

A short drive took us to the ruins of the Byzantine town of Arbel where it was possible to see the remains of their synagogue. There are many ancient synagogues around the Galilee and Golan (the oldest going back 2000 years) and we learned different theories as to the dating or provenance of different styles of construction.

Nabi Shu’ayb (Tomb of Jethro)

We then headed west, passing the Horns of Hattin (site of the famous battle in 1187 when Saladin vanquished the Crusaders) and arriving at Nabi Shu’aib. The holiest site for Israeli Druze, it is considered to be the tomb of Jethro, father-in-law of Moses. The tomb complex is now run by Druze although Jewish and Muslim pilgrims (for whom Jethro/Nabi Shu’aib is also a holy figure) are welcome to visit too. It was a nice stop; the Druze were very welcoming and there were lovely views through the Arbel cliff to the Sea of Galilee.

Ancient synagogue of Korazim

Travelling north, our next stop was at the ruins of ancient Korazim. The earliest source about this site is the New Testament, when Jesus curses it for refusing to heed his teachings. Excavations in the 80s have unearthed most of the Byzantine period settlement, including a large synagogue dated to the 5th century. Interestingly, the synagogue contains some pagan symbols (including an image of Medusa, the character from the Greek myths). This is not unusual in synagogues of the Golan (Korazim is not in the Golan but is very close) where it seems that in later centuries some of these symbols were absorbed as by this time they had become simply decorative, without religious meaning.

Musical presentation at Domus Galilaeae

A short distance away was the site of Domus Galilaeae. Opened by Pope John Paul II in 2000, it is a place for young men training to be Catholic priests to come for a period as part of their studies. The centre focuses on understanding the Hebrew and Jewish traditions of the early Christians who were based in the area; an idea that to live authentic Christianity one must understand its Jewish roots. Students study Hebrew and engage in interfaith dialogue. The building is beautiful and has a stunning view over the Sea of Galilee. We were also treated to a concert by some of the students who sang for us in Hebrew.

View over the Sea of Galilee from Tel Mutilla

Our final stop of the day was at Tel Mutilla, located in the modern village of Almagor. We learned about the 1949 ceasefire agreement with Syria following the War of Independence, and the ensuing complications in three ‘demilitarised’ zones where the interpretation of ‘demilitarised’ was disputed. Visiting the memorial to the soldiers who died in an unexpected battle with Syrians in 1951 (which fortunately did not escalate further), we enjoyed the sunset over the Sea of Galilee before heading home to Tel Aviv.

January 6, 2014

Masada

For today’s tour, we took a break in our current historical narrative (1948 and all that) to travel back 2000 years in history with a visit to the desert fortress and palace of Masada. One of Israel’s most famous destinations, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is certain to be a place we shall visit regularly in our future careers as tour guides.

As part of the course, we sometimes have to practice guiding ourselves, and the majority of the site was divided up between members of the class. At this relatively advanced stage in the course, everyone did a good job of relating their specified information or story, and it made for a varied and interesting day.

Vast cistern at Masada

I worked out that this was my seventh visit to Masada, but coming with the course really opened my eyes to parts of the site that I had never noticed before! We began on the western side of the mountain, and before ascending the Roman ramp, headed left to explore the network of cisterns. There are no natural water sources at Masada, but when Herod developed it into a major fortress, he constructed a huge network of channels and cisterns to capture the waters of the annual desert flash floods. This made the fortification even more secure – those above had up to two years’ water supply in storage; the nearest water supply for any besiegers (who anyway would have to deal with the strong desert sun and heat) was around 20km away.

After climbing the ramp, we heard the story of the last stand of the Jews who had begun the revolt against Roman rule some seven years previous. Numbering only around 500, they had to face the might of the Roman army’s troops (estimates around 10 000) with significantly superior training, armour and weaponry. A dramatic tale indeed!

Stunning Herodian mosaic in the Western Palace at Masada

We toured the mountain top, starting with the 5th century Byzantine church (which I must confess I never previously noticed!), containing a beautiful mosaic, moving south through the grand western palace (containing some of the oldest mosaics in Israel) and to the southern wall fortifications.

View from the southern wall of Masada

Along the way, we learned about life on Masada, both in the time of Herod and then later during the time of the revolt. Many remains were found on the site testifying particularly to the final days of the families who lived up there; their narrative is important for Israelis as they were the last independent Jews until Israel was established in 1948.

Masada Synagogue – one of the oldest in the world

After taking in the outstanding view from the Northern Palace, and hearing about its history (and the amazing archaeological finds there), we visited one of the world’s oldest synagogues and learned the final fate of the Jewish rebels. For those who have yet to visit the site, I shall not give the game away!

View north from Masada towards Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. Note the remains of the Roman camp on the left.

We concluded the visit with a stop in the Masada museum, which boasts fantastic displays of many of the artefacts found in the excavations, including everyday items of the Jewish rebels and the Roman soldiers. The dry desert air helped their preservation and it really is a remarkable collection.

If anything, this tour proved that even if you have been somewhere six times previously, there is always something new to see and learn. So, even if you have visited Masada many times before, perhaps the time has come for a repeat visit.

November 12, 2013

The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem

We have visited sites in the Jewish Quarter before, as part of our tours of Jerusalem in the First Temple Period, the Second Temple Period, even the Crusader Period. Today, however, was focused on the more recent history of the quarter, from when Jews returned to live in the area in around 1400 after being expelled from the area surrounding Mt Zion.

Letter from the Ramban outside the Ramban Synagogue

Historically, Jewish communities have been centred around synagogues, and these formed a large part of our morning tour. We began at the Ramban Synagogue where we learned about the great Torah scholar and thinker, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman after whom it is named. Arriving in Jerusalem in the 13th century, shortly after it had been devastated by Mongol marauders, he helped re-establish the Jewish community here and we heard from letters he wrote on the subject. It is probably the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Jerusalem.

Yochanan ben Zakai Synagogue (part of the ‘Four Sephardi Synagogues’ complex)

The other contender for that crown is the Synagogue of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, located in the complex known as the ‘Four Sephardi Synagogues’. Originally all separate structures, they were united into one in the mid 19th century, when an Egyptian invasion relaxed many of the restrictions imposed by the Ottomans on Jewish building. Also in the complex are the Central, Istanbul and Elijah the Prophet synagogues. From 1948-67, when the Jewish Quarter was under Jordanian control, these buildings were used as storehouses, warehouses, and fell into disrepair. They have now been restored and are impressive structures; they remain in regular use by the local and visiting Sephardi communities as their main hub in Jerusalem.

We continued to the ruins of the Tiferet Yisrael synagogue, which is currently being restored. As one of the tallest buildings in the Jewish Quarter, it is quickly blown up by the Jordanian army as they advanced in 1948, to prevent any potential height advantage for Israeli fighters. It should be open in a few years for visitors to marvel at its renewed glory.

13th century Karaite Torah scroll

Opposite Tiferet Yisrael was the small Karaite Centre of Jerusalem. We descended underground to visit their synagogue which they believe has been at that site since the 9th century. The Karaites are an interesting group of Jews who follow only the Bible and not the following commentaries or exegesis in the Oral Law. They are now few in number and the Jerusalem synagogue only functions as a place for prayer on special request; the majority of the community is currently based in Ramla (avid blog followers will recall that we paid them a visit a few months ago).

The ‘Hurva’ Synagogue

Our final synagogue visit was also to the most magnificent of those in the Jewish Quarter, the ‘Hurva’. Originally built by Ashkenazi Jews arriving from Europe in the 1700s, it was destroyed when they could not pay the large loans taken to fund the construction; in fact this led to the formal expulsion of all Ashkenazi Jews from Jerusalem (although several found ingenious ways of sticking around). Rebuilt around 100 years later, it was again destroyed in 1948, this time by the Jordanians who as with Tiferet Yisrael decided to destroy the large buildings in the area. It was eventually rebuilt and restored at great expense, reopening just a few years ago in 2007. Its interior is quite stunning as are the views possible from the dome’s exterior balcony.

View from the top of the ‘Hurva’ Synagogue

After some respite for refreshments we paid a quick visit to the site of Jerusalem’s first hospital (you can’t enter it anymore but we saw the building) and then popped into the very interesting Old Yishuv Courtyard museum. This small but carefully maintained museum tells the story of the life of the inhabitants of the Jewish Quarter under Ottoman and British rule with artefacts from their lives and rooms mocked up in traditional styles.

View over the Temple Mount & Western Wall

After a brief stop at a stunning viewpoint over the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, we concluded the day at the memorial for those who fell in the battle for the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 War of Independence. As the area was at the time under siege, it was impossible to bury the dead in the tradition location of the Mount of Olives cemetery; therefore special dispensation was given to bury them in a mass grave, which is now the memorial. After Israel took back the area in 1967, they moved the bones to the Mount of Olives. We heard here about the heroic struggle to survive and hold the Jewish Quarter in the war, which ultimately failed in the face of superior numbers and experience on the part of the Jordanian army. Although a huge dent in morale, the loss of this area made the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 that much more euphoric.

Independence War Memorial of the Jewish Quarter

September 27, 2013

Campus Upper Galilee Day Two: Central Upper Galilee

Day two of our campus begun with a predictable early start, made all the worthwhile by one of the best (if not the best) youth hostel breakfast I have ever had. A particularly impressive array of delicious cheeses on offer!

Today was dedicated to the Central Upper Galilee and we begun our tour with a walk around Pekiin, the Druze village in which we were staying. Beginning with a look out near the top of the ridge on which the village is built, we descended to the cave which tradition says hosted Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (the Rashbi) when he was hiding from the Romans, a story which is related in the Talmud. Here, it is said, he wrote the Zohar, one of the main books of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystic tradition.

Pekiin Synagogue

We continued down the slope to the main town square, and then to the small synagogue. The Jewish community of Pekiin has been there since at least the 16th century (and according to local legend, since the destruction of the Second Temple) but fled during the Independence War. Afterwards, one family returned, and their daughter is now the last Jew in the village. The small synagogue is cute, and there is also a small visitors’ centre depicting life in the village in the 19th century.

View east from Nebi Sabalan

We continued on the Druze theme, heading east to their second most holy site in Israel, Nebi Sabalan. He was one of the early emissaries of the Druze faith and this is considered to be the site in which he lived. Our guide also used our visit to the site as an opportunity to tell us about the history of the Druze faith while we enjoyed the spectacular view over the rolling hills.

View from the summit of Mt Meron

Further east we continued, reaching the highest peak in the Galilee, and the second highest peak in all of Israel: Mt Meron. We enjoyed a short hike around its summit (reaching the summit is not recommended – it houses a military intelligence base) where there are wonderful views; we also learned about the local botany which is slightly different at this height to some of the other regions of Israel.

Paar Cave

From Meron, we descended into the nearby Paar Cave Reserve. It was time for a geological interlude as we learned about the karst processes that built the valley and then formed this cave as an escape for the draining water. The valley was dry but our guide assured us that after rains it is an impressive sight to see the water powering into this small opening. There was of course an appropriate local legend to accompany the geology!

Inside the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (the Rashbi)

Following this brief interlude, we ascended to Meron again, from the other side, into the small moshav named for the mountain which houses the tomb of the Rashbi (whose cave we had seen earlier). The tomb is considered a very important holy site in Israel, and it is particularly fun to visit on the festival of Lag BaOmer when thousands of people make a pilgrimage here; there is general accompanying chaos and when I came here several years ago there was even a chassidic trance party off to the side.

Traditional Circassian dress in Rihaniya

From the tomb, we travelled further north to the small village of Rehaniya, home to a large amount of Israel’s Circassian minority. They have a small visitors’ centre were we received a highly entertaining presentation from our Circassian host explaining his culture and the history of the Circassians in Israel, since they came here under the Ottoman Empire. They have a good relationship with the state and in fact their sons all serve in the Israeli army.

Our final stop of the day was at the Baram Synagogue. Tinged with controversy, this was the site of an Arab village (Biram) until 1948. The Arabs were advised to leave for a few weeks to protect themselves from an upcoming Israeli army operation in the Independence War, but since then have not been allowed back. The original inhabitants now are dispersed around the north of Israel and since the 50s have been petitioning the courts for the return of their land. The courts have actually approved their return pending the final sign off from the Defence Minister; successive Defence Ministers have not done this, citing security concerns. A few years ago a compromise was reached where the former inhabitants received financial compensation, but some refused to take it, still demanding their land rights. While the dispute continues, they camp in the site each summer.

Ancient synagogue at Baram

Amidst this is the Baram Synagogue, dating from the Byzantine period (probably in the 5th century), which was actually used as living quarters by some of the village residents. It is now an archaeological site, but our enjoyment of its former splendour was somewhat dampened by the nearby controversy. Credit to our guide who did not shy away from these issues; the role of the guide is to relate and explain, while trying to remain as impartial as possible. It is for the visitor to decide what to make of all the complexities of this country!

With this, our time in the Central Upper Galilee was concluded; we returned to Pekiin for a well-earned dinner!