In the Galilee

Up until this point, we’d spent all of our time on the coast. Now we were ready to move away from the coast, into the heart of the northern Galilee. What’s surprising is how quickly and dramatically the landscape changes once you travel inland. From Haifa, we were headed to the city of Safed (sometimes spelled Tsfat or Tzfat). Soon we were climbing higher and higher, past vineyard-covered hillsides and forests of pines, making hairpin turns on our approach to the city. Once we reached Safed, at an elevation of just over 2000 feet, it felt like we were in a different world.  

Like so many cities in the Holy Land, Safed has a long and varied history, especially since it’s been continuously occupied for more than 2000 years. At one time, it was the site of the largest Crusader fortress in the Middle East.  Only the ruins of the Templar structure remain.  Until 1948, Jewish and Arab communities lived together in relative peace in their respective quarters in the city.  Today, however, the city of 40,000 is exclusively Jewish, and many of the residents are quite religious. 

Safed is one of Judaism’s four holiest cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias. It has long been a center of Jewish mysticism. In fact, it is here that the Kabbalah was developed during the Middle Ages. When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, many of the religious scholars settled in Safed.

Our group visited the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah to learn about this often misunderstood Torah-based discipline. Students from around the world come to the center for lecture programs and intensive individual study. Our guide, a young man who came from Paraguay, showed us the center’s large collection of books in Spanish and explained that instruction is offered in several languages, both in person and online. He made it sound so interesting that I’m thinking of ordering the Kindle version of Kabbalah for Dummies.

Safed is also known for its Artists’ Colony, whose existence goes back to the establishment of the state of Israeli.  Galleries and artists’ studios dominate the quaint streets of the historic Old City. They showcase paintings, sculpture, prints, jewelry and Judaica.  One of the largest is the Soul and Art Gallery, which features the work of a large number of Israeli artists. While we were there, we watched a documentary about the Austrian-born Jewish artist Niki Imber, a survivor of the Dachau concentration camp. After World War II, Imber lived in several different countries and worked in a variety of media. When he eventually came to live in Israel, he dedicated himself to memorializing the Holocaust. Several of his Jewish-themed sculptures were on display in the gallery.

Near the center of Safed

A Safed street lined with galleries and shops 

My most exciting and moving moments in Safed came during a visit to the Abuhav Synagogue in the old quarter.  The synagogue, built in the 16^thcentury, is named for a 15^thcentury Spanish rabbi and Kabbalist. The interior of the building is especially noteworthy. The painted decoration inside the dome includes musical instruments used in the Temple in ancient Jerusalem, as well as the symbols of the tribes of Israel. The center bimah(platform where the Torah is read) is decorated with a number of ritual objects. 

Entrance to Abuhav Synagogue 

The bimah (raised platform)

It was our luck to be at the synagogue just prior to the arrival of a large group of people who were gathering to celebrate an upcoming bar mitzvah. While the actual bar mitzvah ceremony would take place few days later in a the family’s hometown, the entourage had come to Abuhav for a short weekday service and festive celebration. A group of musicians in the courtyard was playing lively tunes to set the mood. Our OAT group was allowed to sit in the balcony and observe while the service was going on. 

Musicians in the courtyard of the synagogue

Looking down from the balcony into the sanctuary

Something deep in my heart cried out when I heard the familiar Hebrew words, the same words that my grandparents, great-grandparents and ancestors from long ago had uttered. I didn’t always recognize the melodies but when the congregation started to sing the Sephardic version of Adon Olam, one of my favorite tunes, I had to blink back tears.  I was thousands of miles from home, yet I felt such a strong connection to these people and to this place.

A few hours in Safed barely sufficed to scratch the surface of all this city had to offer. I would love to return some day. If you want to learn more about Safed, you can try this website: www.Safed.co.il

After lunch, we headed south to Nazareth, cutting through mountains and valleys that run east-west. Our route took us through Cana (also spelled Kanna), the city that figures in the New Testament story of Jesus’s first miracle, i.e. turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Today, most of Nazareth’s population of 70,000 is Muslim. It’s actually the only city in Israel that is majority Arab. 

We had come to Nazareth to visit the Church of the Annunciation. To fully appreciate the Holy Land, it’s essential to have some background in each of the three Abrahamic religions. I’m hardly an expert on Christianity, but a couple of years ago, I took a class on Renaissance art and learned what exactly was being announced, by whom and to whom. 

Like all of the Christian sites we would see on our tour, the Church of the Annunciation was crowded with pilgrims from around the world. The two-story modern church, built in the 1960s, is the largest in the Middle East. The pale stone façade features relief sculptures of Gabriel, Mary and the four evangelists. A bronze statue of Jesus is above them.  

Entrance to the Church of the Annunciation  

Alon described the style of the interior as “Brutalist.” In this aesthetic, function is prioritized over form, raw materials are left visible, and utilitarian functions remain exposed. In the photos, you’ll notice the massive scale of the structural elements and the extensive use of concrete.  

View of the main altar 

On the lower level of the church, directly under the cupola, is a roped off area, which marks the entrance to the grotto that is believed to be Mary’s home. 

Mosaics contributed by different countries lined the walls inside the church and in the garden. 

A mosaic from Ireland at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

It was a short ride from Nazareth to our next stop in the Galilee, the Rish Lakish Olive Farm in the village of Tsipori (also spelled Zippori). The annual harvest was almost completed, but we managed to pull a few remaining olives off the trees as the sun was setting. There are 6000 trees on the property and some of them go back to Crusader times. That sounds like a lot, but the woman whose family owns and operates Rish Lakish stressed that it’s strictly a small-scale family business. It’s also organic and eco-friendly. They produce cured table olives, several varieties of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, and olive oil based cosmetics on the premises.  

Picking olives at Rosh Lakish with Alon

Ayala, one of the family members, is a trained olive oil sommelier who judges olive oil competitions – yes, there are annual olive oil competitions in Europe, Israel and even in New York and Los Angeles. She gave us advice about how to choose, store, and use olive oil.  Remember to keep it away from heat sources, so not next to the stove – but don’t refrigerate it either.  Keep it out of the light as well, so look for olive oil in tin or green glass containers. Plastic containers are no good. (So no more of my favorite Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco.) She cautioned us to avoid Italian olive oil because of poor quality control. And her final piece of advice was, once a container of olive oil is open, you should use it within a month.  Basically, use it on everything!  (I already do.) 

The room where we tasted the olive oil and ate dinner

Ayala, the olive oil sommelier 

Of course, while we were there, we did an olive oil tasting. I learned that it should feel smooth in the mouth, but there should also be some pungency and bitterness. Actually, you want to have that little sting at the back of your throat when you swallow.  Following the lecture and a tour of the facilities, we enjoyed a delicious vegetarian dinner made with organic produce grown on the farm. Rish Lakish welcomes visitors and you can get more information at their website. 

Darkness had descended long before we took our last sip of olive oil.  I felt so relaxed out there in the countryside, with the nighttime quiet and the stars shining brightly. It seemed so far from hustle and bustle of Haifa on the coast. I just wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep under the olive trees after our long day. But about 35 minutes later, we were back in the city for our last night at the Bay Club Hotel. Tomorrow we’d be heading to the Golan.