| Safed |
' |
|
|
| Hebrew |
צְפַת |
| (Standard) |
צפת |
| Arabic |
صفد |
| Name Meaning |
watchtower (?);
midrashic spiritual vision
Shackles -
Because the residents connect to the city. |
| Government |
City |
| Also Spelled |
Tsfat, Tzefat, Zfat, Ẕefat (officially)
Zephath (unofficially)
|
| District |
North |
| Population |
26 600 (2003) |
| Jurisdiction |
40 000 dunams |
Coordinates:
32°57′57″N, 35°29′54″E
Safed (Hebrew: צְפַת; Tiberian: Ṣəp̄ạṯ; Hebrew Academy: Ẕefat; Common Israeli: Tsfat; Common Ashkenazi: Tzfas;
Arabic: صفد Ṣafad; Septuagint Greek: Σεφεθ Sepheth; KJV English: Zephath) is a city in the
North District in Israel. According to the
CBS, at the end of 2003 the city had a
total population of 26,600 residents. Safed is regarded one of the Four Holy Cities in
Judaism along with Jerusalem, Tiberias and Hebron, and is a center for the Kabbalah, an esoteric form of Jewish
mysticism. It is also famous as a health and holiday resort with pleasant summers and snowy
winters with a lot of greenery thanks to its high altitude of more than 900 meters and high precipitation.
History
Muslim quarter of Safed circa
1908
The Canaanite city of Zephath mentioned in the Bible (Judges 1:17) is a different city,
located in the south of modern Israel rather than the north.
According to legend, Safed was founded by a son of Noah after the great flood. Historical sources indicate that the town was founded in the 2nd century AD, during Roman times. It was not mentioned for centuries
after that, but in 1289 it is known that a chief rabbi of Safed, one Moses
ben Judah ha-Cohen, went to Tiberias to pay homage to Rambam.
In the early 16th century, the Ottoman Empire under Selim
I conquered Palestine. Under the Ottomans, Safed was part of the vilayet of Sidon.
In 1491, mention is made that the rabbi in the town had to supplement his income through a
grocery market. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, many prominent rabbis found
their way to Safed, which became the key center for Jewish mysticism, known as Kabbalah. Among
the prominent kabbalists who made their home in Safed were Isaac Luria (Arizal) and
Moshe Kordovero. Besides the kabbalists, Safed also attracted numerous other
Jewish scholars and spirtualists, including Joseph Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch and Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, composer of
the Sabbath hymn Lecha Dodi. The influx of Sephardi Jews made Safed a global center for Jewish learning and a regional center for trade throughout
15th and 16th centuries. A Hebrew printing press is established in Safed in 1577. It's the first press in Palestine and the first
in whole Asia.[citation needed] The 8,000 or 10,000 Jews in Safed in 1555 grew to 20,000 or 30,000 by the
end of the century.
A plague in 1742 and an earthquake in 1759 led to a decline of the
Jewish community in Safed, leaving only seven families at its nadir. An influx of Russian Jews in 1776 and 1781, and of the Perushim in 1809 and 1810
reinvigorated the community.
Seraya: the Ottoman fortress
In 1812, another plague killed an estimated 80% of the Jewish population, and in
1819 the remaining Jews were held for ransom by Abdallah Pasha, the
governor of Akko. In 1833 and 1834, an Arab mob attacked the Jewish community, killing and pillaging many; Seven
percent of the lost property was subsequently returned. On January 1, 1837, an earthquake killed 4,000 Jewish inhabitants, mostly by burying them in their homes. In 1847, plague struck Safed again. During the whole 19th century, the Jewish community suffered from Bedouin and Arab attacks.[1]
The Jewish population was increased in the last half of the 19th century by immigration from Persia, Morocco, and Algeria. Moses Montefiore visited Safed seven times and financed rebuilding of much of the town. Virtually all
the antiquities of Safed were however destroyed by earthquakes.
On 29 August 1929, Arabs murdered eighteen Jews and injured 80 more as part of
their campaign against the Jews in Israel.
Prior to 1948, about 10,000 of Safed's 12,000 residents were Arabs,[2] most of whom fled as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli
War. Among the residents who became refugees are Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas
and his family.[3][4]
Today, Tsfat has seen a rebirth and a resurgence of popularity, and has again become a center for Jewish learning. With quaint
cobblestone streets, it has also gained a reputation as an artist colony.
Demographics
According to CBS, in 2003 the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.2% Jewish and other non-Arabs, without significant Arab population. See Population groups in Israel.
According to CBS, in 2001 there were 12,700 males and 13,200 females. The population of the city was spread out with 43.2% 19
years of age or younger, 13.5% between 20 and 29, 17.1% between 30 and 44, 12.5% from 45 to 59, 3.1% from 60 to 64, and 10.5% 65
years of age or older.
The population growth rate in 2001 was 3.0%, and 0.9% in 2003.
Income
As of December 2001, the CBS' socio-economic
ranking places the city slightly below the average, at 4 out of 10, with an average income of 4,476 shekels per month to a national average of 6,835 shekels
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 6,450 salaried workers and 523 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage
in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 4,476, a real change of 8.1% over
the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 5,631 (a real change of 10.2%) versus ILS 3,330 for females (a
real change of 2.3%). The mean income for the self-employed is 4,843. There are 425 people who receive unemployment benefits and
3,085 people who receive an income guarantee.
Education
According to CBS, there are 25 schools and 6,292 students in the city. They are spread out as 18 elementary schools and 3,965
elementary school students, and 11 high schools and 2,327 high school students. 40.8% of 12th grade students were entitled to a
matriculation certificate in 2001.
Panoramic view of Safed with
Sea of Galilee in the background.
Attractions
- Tzaddik Educational Visitor's Center featuring the Third Temple Model Exhibit and Multi-Media Presentation
- Great Breslov Synagogue
- Meiri Museum for Safed History
- Printing Press Museum
- Artist colony in the Old City
- Biblical Museum in the Fortress Garden
- Statue Garden and the Gallery of sculptor Moshe Ziffer
- The sephardic Ari Synagogue
See also Safed travel guide from Wikitravel.
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
-
Main article: 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
On 13 July 2006, Katyusha rockets fired by Hezbollah from
Southern Lebanon hit Safed killing one man and injuring others. On 14 July, further rockets
killed a five-year-old boy and his grandmother. Many, though not all, residents fled the town.[3] Since July 13, many more Katyushas have been fired at Safed, causing damage to
the town and injuries to its inhabitants. On 22 July, 2006, four people were injured from a rocket strike.
References
Works cited
See also
External links
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