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ERETZ Magazine

STAYPUT HOME

JERUSALEM

TEL AVIV

YOUTH HOSTELS

UPPER GALILEE

GOLAN

SEFAD, ROSH PINA

LOWER GALILEE

WESTERN GALILEE

TIBERIAS

ACRE

HAIFA

CEASAREA

SHARON

ASHKELON

JUDEAN HILLS

BEERSHEVA

EILAT

KIBBUTZ HOTELS

 

Stayput Safed, Rosh Pina & Hazor

Safed and its environs have always been a place of mysticism. Second-century Jewish sages like Rabbi Shimeon Bar Yochai, sixteenth-century mystics like Luria and Caro, and modern hassidim have turned this area into one of the most magical in the Land of Israel.

Mount Canaan is one of the highest mountains in the Galilee. Its summit affords a panoramic view of the Hula Valley, the Sea of Galilee, the mountains of the Upper Galilee, and the Mountains of Lebanon. Clustered on its slopes are the three entities that make up this region: Safed high up near the summit; Rosh Pina at the bottom; and Hazor tucked away underneath the Biriya Forest.
 Safed is the oldest. Probably already settled in Roman times, the citadel of Safed was one of the biggest Crusader castles in the Land of Israel. After the Moslems expelled the Crusaders, it even served at certain points as the capital of the Land of Israel. In the sixteenth century, it became famous as the city of the Kabbalists.
 Rosh Pina, the cornerstone, grew out of Safed. Founded in 1875 by Jews from Safed, it was abandoned and resettled in 1882 by Jews from Romania who created the first Jewish agricultural settlement in the Galilee. Today the old picturesque village is a sought-out travel and holiday destination. A few kilometers from Rosh Pina is the town of Hazor, which was founded in 1953. On its outskirts is the grave of Honi the Circle maker, one of the most famous Galilean miracle makers.

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Where to Dine

The best culinary option in the Safed area is Muscat, the meat restaurant at Mitzpe Hayamim. Chef Haim Tibi, a native of Safed, built the menu around the agricultural bounty of Mitzpe Hayamim. The vegetables, fruits, and herbs are picked daily from the hotel’s extensive grounds. Tibi’s menu offers a rich variety of flavors and creatively incorporates both recipes from the home kitchen and gourmet cuisine. (Mount Canaan, Tel. (04) 699-4555, not kosher).
Maximillan and Fresca Zehava are two kosher options in Safed. With an atmosphere and appearance reminiscent of an Italian piazza, Maximillan is a pleasant place to stop for lunch. Chef Michal Shimoni prepares dairy, vegetarian, and fish cuisine, including rich salads featuring seasonal fruits. (General Exhibition Plaza, Tel. 077-788-2887). Fresca Zehava is a Tunisian-style eatery that has been serving up excellent couscous and spicy pumpkin salad, among other delicacies, for more than 18 years (26 Jerusalem Street, Tel. (04) 697-4342).
Se’uda Began Eden is located in an old stone building on Mount Canaan and specializes in home-style cooking  (Mount Canaan, Tel. (04) 697-2434, kosher). 

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Lecha Dodi

The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 reverberated throughout the Jewish world. The uprooting of families, conversions, and the Inquisition’s reign of terror revived the debate about the meaning of Jewish existence in exile. In the years that followed, messianic hopes were rekindled along with interest in Kabbalah and mysticism. This coincided with the conquest of the Land of Israel by the Turks, who welcomed Jewish settlement. In the sixteenth century, Safed became a center of Jewish learning, to which rabbis, sages, and mystics were drawn. 

Moshe Cordovero
Born around 1522 in Cordova and ordained  as a rabbi at the age of 13. He instituted the custom of studying at holy graves in the Galilee.  He died in 1570 and is buried in Safed. 

Joseph Caro
Born in Spain in 1488, Caro settled in Safed in 1536. His works include Beit Yosef and Shulhan Arukh. Caro died in 1575, at the age of 87, and is buried in Safed.

Isaac Luria
Born in Jerusalem, he settled in Safed around 1569. He was soon joined by pupils seeking to study his unique system of Kabbalah. He died in 1572 and is buried in Safed.

Ya’acov Beirav
Born in 1475 in Spain, he accumulated a fortune, settled in Safed, and became head of a yeshiva. He tried to reinstate the ordination of rabbis. He died in 1546 and is buried in Safed.

Moshe Alsheikh
Born in 1508 in Edirne, Turkey. Full of messianic hope, he came to Safed to be ordained as a rabbi by Caro and opened a yeshiva. Alsheikh died around 1600. He is buried in Safed.

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Artists’ Quarter

The artists of the Land of Israel have been attracted to Safed since the 1920s.  After the War of Independence, several artists asked the mayor to allow them to settle in the abandoned Arab houses of the Old City. The municipality responded positively and the news spread rapidly among Israel’s artists. The blossoming of the Safed artists’ quarter reached its peak in the 1960s, when over 50 famous artists lived there. In the 1970s, the artists moved away. Today, reminders of the heyday of the Safed artists’ quarter still can be seen everywhere: sculpted signs, statues, paintings, figures drawn on the walls of the houses, painted windows, and carved doors. Some of the artists’ houses have been converted into museums. Since the 1990s, a new generation of artists, many of them new immigrants from Russia, have been drawn to Safed. They have reopened many of the studios and galleries and have given the old quarter a new spurt of color and life.

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Itinerary

Day 1: Ancient Sages

Begin in Safed with an orientation seminar on Jewish mysticism. Visit the medieval synagogues of Safed and tour the Hassidic yeshivas  in the old city. Tour the ancient cemetery of Safed, where holy men, rabbis, and mystics are buried. After lunch, take the road to Biriya and continue to the Biriya forest. Follow the signs to the grave of Raban Yonatan ben Uziel, a famous second-century mystic whose grave is a magnet for shiduch seekers. Take the road back to the Bat Ya’ar ranch for dinner or late drinks overlooking the Hula Valley.

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Day 2: To the Golan

Drive north on Route 90. Take Route 91 to the Daughters of Jacob Bridge over the Jordan River and drive up to the Golan. Turn off at Nashut Junction to the town of Katzrin. Visit the museum and archaeological park. Return to Route 91 and continue north. At Avital Junction, turn left and ascend the volcano of Mount Bental to the pre-1973 Israeli outpost. Descend,  drive past Merom Golan and continue to the Druze village of Ma’sade and Majdal Shams. Drive through the town and take Route 989 to Neve Ativ. Continue down the slope of Mount Hermon to the entrance to Nimrod’s Castle, the medieval bastion of the Assassin sect. After touring the castle, continue down the slope to the Hermon River Nature Reserve, one of the tributaries of the Jordan River.  Take Route 99 and Route 90 back to the hotel.

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Day 3: The Galilee Panhandle

Take Route 90 north to Kiryat Shemona. Take Route 99 to the Dan Nature Reserve. Walk along the water route and take a peak at the ancient tell.  Drive back   to Kiryat Shemona and take Route 90 to the south. A kilometer and a half after the Koah Junction, turn left on to the road leading to the Hula Agamon, an attempt to revive the Hula swamp. Continue south to Rosh Pina and end the day with a walk through the old village.

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Day 4: The Sea of Galilee

Take Route 90 to Tiberias. Drive through the town and stop at the Hamat synagogue just south of the town. Continue south on Route 90 to Kibbutz Deganiya and tour the Deganiya Courtyard. Drive to Kibbutz Sha’ar Hagolan to visit the small unique prehistory museum. Drive to Ein Gev for lunch. Continue north on Route 92 past the site of Kursi, where a huge Byzantine church was found commemorating the healing of the Gerasene demoniac. Take Route 87 west. Cross the Jordan River. On the other side are the important Christian sites of Capernaum, Tabgha, and the Mount of Beatitudes.  At the junction with Route 90, take Route 90 to the north. At the Corazim Junction, turn off to reach the Vered Hagalil ranch,  a great place to stop for dinner.

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Day 5: Jerusalem

Start at the Tower of David Museum on the history of Jerusalem by the Jaffa Gate. Walk down David Street. Turn left onto Christian Quarter Street and walk to the alley of Saint Helena that leads down to the Holy Sepulcher. Tour the churches  around the Tomb of Jesus. Exit by the small doorway to the Muristan Market. Walk to the market street of Khan e-Zeit. Turn right and walk down the ancient Crusader markets. (The central one has less butchered meat on display.) Turn left on David Street and make your way round the corner to Sisileh Street. Walk down the street to the street turning to the Kotel. Take the Rabbi Yehudah Halevi steps up to the Jewish Quarter. Make your way through the quarter to Zion Gate, walk out the gate, turn right, and walk back to the Jaffa Gate.

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Day 6: Tel Aviv

Start in the south by exploring Jaffa’s flea market. Then take a taste of historic Tel Aviv by strolling through Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard, and the surrounding streets. Take a lunch break on Sheinkin Street and then check out the shops along Dizengoff Street. End the day with dinner and drinks in the restaurants and bars along Ibn Gabirol Street and then drive back to the Upper Galilee.

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Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel and Spa

The Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel and Spa, located on the slopes of Mount Canaan with views of the Golan Heights, the Hula Valley, and the Sea of Galilee, has long been identified with the best that the Galilee has too offer, from the organic fruits and vegetables grown on its 37-acre property and served in its dining room to the health and beauty treatments using local products to the art gallery that showcases the works of Israeli artists, such as Adi Sagi and Ruth (Fisher) Feldi.
Mitzpe Hayamim is a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateaux organization, which is based on the principles of the French culture of living, expressed in beauty, harmony, tranquility, personal service, and high-quality cuisine. Dr. Yacov Yarus, a German immigrant to Israel, established Mitzpe Hayamim in the 1950s in order to create a place for relaxation and healing that respected its surroundings. He wanted to provide a location in which people could meditate in peace, receive holistic treatments, and dine on healthy food.
The hotel’s newly renovated suites are designed for guests celebrating a special birthday or anniversary and for those who just take relaxing seriously. Each of the suites, which are from 60 to 126 square meters, includes a private balcony or patio with a panoramic view and has a jacuzzi in it bathroom. Each suite has a unique design and is furnished with antique furniture, an adjustable bed, tapestries, and lavish extras.
Mitzpe Hayamim also has a new shop that allows guests to take their experience home with them by purchasing a wide variety of the special items available at Mitzpe Hayamim. Most of the items are produced in the area and many, such as the organic cheeses and dairy products, fresh breads, cookies and pastries, and the organic wines, are produced at Mitzpe Hayamim. Guests also can find a selection of teas, liquors, wines from boutique wineries in the Galilee and the Golan, homemade jams, olive oil, carob honey, halvah, tehina, olives, spices, and more. In addition, there are beautiful household items, such as tea sets.

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Copyright ERETZ Magazine 2008