A tour
of Safed is more than synagogues and the Safed market. We came to Safed
for the Klezmer Festival and took a tour of safed – galleries, winery, dairy,
old houses and interesting people! when you plan to get to Safed – plan for
more than a day there’s so much to do there!
Here are
some of the places we visited in our tour of Safed.
Sheva
Chaya Glassblowing Studio
Sheva
Chaya’s glassblowing studio has a lively gallery with beautiful glass art. Much
of it is Jewish, such as Mezuzot and other Jewish artifacts, including useful
Jewish art articles and for-decoration. The studio is open for demonstration of
glass blowing (10 NIS per person). A visit to the studio is an experience.
There is something in glass art that is really beautiful, the colors, shapes
and refraction of light makes glass art stunning! The demonstration of the art
making is magical – the powerful flame of over 1000 c degrees melts the glass
rod and with the technique forms the artwork. In the demonstration the artist
(in 2 weeks residency at the studio) made a marble with the Star of David
inside.
Tzfat
(Safed) Winery
The
windery is a family boutique winery producing about 10,000 bottles of wine a
year – white, red, and Port.
Tzfat
Winery was established by Moshe and Keren Alon, who welcomed us at the winery
located in an ancient cellar. Moshe was a diamond merchant in Thailand who
converted orthodox 20 years ago. He did ‘aliya’ and came to Safed 20 and looked
for a good wine to drink. When he couldn’t find any good wine he started
learning how to make wine himself. In 2004 together with Keren, the family
planted a vineyard facing Meron mountain with four types of grapes – two white
and two red: Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier.
We
tasted three wines at the Winery (they only make red wines this year because of
the Shnat Shmita):
Cabernet
Sauvignon 2013 – young wine aged in stainless steel barrels with Oak chips two
months – a young and light wine. Merlot 2012 aged, and an excellent Port
style wine that the winery makes in different blends (sweet and excellent!).
The
winery is located in an ancient cellar, 600 years old. The winery is open for
visits. The visit costs 10 NIS for visitors 6 and up. The adults taste 3 wines
and the children experience bottling and climbing into an empty wine tank.
Hameiri
Dairy
Hameiri
Tsfat Dairy is a boutique dairy with a family an extraordinary family story
going back almost 200 years ago. The dairy was established 179 years ago when
Meir Hameiri came to Safed to help reconstruct the city that was ruined in the
big earthquake. Very quickly he realized that he cannot practice his profession
as jeweler in ruined Safed (nobody had any money) so he decided to make
cheeses. He also started raising sheep. The dairy is active and working until
today in the building that he bought and rebuilt from ruins when he came to
Israel. They make two types of cheeses: Brinza and Safed cheese, both handmade
and very salty (in the old days there were no refrigerators and the salt was
used as preservative). The cheeses are very tasty! You can buy them here and in
boutique stores around Israel. The visit includes a movie about the family, a
breathtaking story of the family and a visit to the dairy on the lower level
where a spring was found!
The
dairy is open for visits every Friday at noon. The visit takes around 45
minutes and includes cheese tasting. It costs 20 NIS for adult and 15 NIS for
children.
Safed
Spirit (Ruach Tsfat)
Tsfat
Spirit is a local organization that offers guided tours of Safed (like our tour
of Safed) with the purpose of brining people to Safed to learn about the Jewish
spirit. They offer tours at a fair price (only 600 NIS for up to 40 people),
which combine attractions, artists, musical players and street theatre. Their
aim is to expose Safed to the visitors and give work to the residents of Safed.
Among the places that they visit are the Jewish Closet and the Gallery of
Sefadic art.
The
Jewish Closet – inspired by the extraordinary dress code in Safed, that is
comprised of Jewish customary outfits that go back in time and are very
versatile, Or Lulu established the Jewish Closet – a place to learn about
Jewish dress code in different time and places, origins, and parishes. The
visitors have the opportunity to try on different clothes. This is quite fun!
Here are two members of our group in some unique dresses.
The
Gallery of Safadic Art – on the
upper floor behind the Jewish Closet, a gallery and studio is located. The
gallery is showing Shraga Shmidler’s artwork, who tells the visitors about the
inspiration for his paintings and the secret of the letters in Jewish Kabala.
The gallery is really nice; the paintings displayed in the ancient Safed brick
room are beautiful. It should be an interesting experience to meet Shraga, we
did not have the chance.
Safed
Spirit offer free tours of Safed like this tour of Safed, available via the
municipality travel site.
Abbo
House
Abbo
House is the old house of Rabbi Shmuel Abbo. Rabbi Abbo arrived to Safed 200
years ago. Since 1817 he was an active figure in Safed’s community. He
purchased land for the community with the help of his friend from Algeria when
Jews were not allowed to own land in Israel. He raised funds for the community
and when nominated as the French console he helped those who needed help with
the Ottoman authorities. By 1833 he was already considered as one of the
respectable figures of the community and cooperated with the Ashkenazi
community. The community awarded him a bible as present. In 1837, after the
earthquake he took into his house widows and orphans, helped to reconstructed
synagogues, and helped everyone in need in the Safed community.
Each
evening of Lag Baomer, the bible of Rabbi Abbo is taken to the holy graves
around Safed in a big parade from Abbo’s house to Meron Mountain. Rafael Abbo,
his descendent tells us the story of Rabbi Abbo and the family that continued
his community giving along generations after him. Rafael is working to turn the
house into a museum. Until then, you are welcome to the parade every year in
Lag Baomer.
Beit
Hakahal
Beit
Hakahal is a national heritage site. The house used to serve as a community
center for the Sephardic community in the 16th century. It housed a bakery, a heated
mikve, and much more.
The
house, as well as the Safed information center was purchased by Livnot
U’Lehibanot association in 1980. Then, a whole underground city was discovered
under the land with 16 rooms, 8 wells, a heated Mikve, and much more.
The
house offers activities, including 1-2 hours workshops – Mabala, candles
making, drawing, baking Chalah, etc. Some of the activities are for Bar/Bat
Mizva. There’s also a tour of the grounds in which the visitors walk from the
Visitors center down in tunnels to the lower level where the remains of the old
Safed were discovered.
After
the tour of Safed old city and all these interesting places, we went
to the newer part of Safed to the opening event of the Klezmer Festival.
The festival takes place each year in August. The center of town turns into
pedestrian area with live concerts and an open market!
For more
information:
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