Tzfat Synagogues

[[File:00000155-courtyard-abuhav-synagogue.jpg|File:00000156 earthquake ruins abuhov synagogue.jpg|thumb|180px|right|The Abuhav Shul]] Rabbi Yitzchock Abuhav was a Spanish Rabbi who's students immigrated to Tzfat at the end of the 15th century, immediately after the Jews were expelled from Spain. Tsfat legend mentions that Rabbi Abuhav built the '''[[Abuhav Synagogue]]''' in Spain and his students mystically transported it to Tzfat when they came to Israel. Others adhere to the tradition that Rabbi Abuhav planned the synagogue in Spain and it was built by his followers upon their arrived in Israel. Rabbi Abuhav hand-wrote a Torah scroll which is still used in the synagogue on special holidays. The synagogue was originally built near the ARI Sepharadi synagogue but after it was destroyed in the [[Safed 1759 Earthquake|1759 earthquake]], survivors rebuilt the synagogue higher up on the mountain, in its present location between Abuhav and  Alkabetz Streets. Others maintain that had always been its location. In [[Safed 1837 Earthquake|1837 an earthquake]] again destroyed the synagogue but the Ark, holding Rabbi Abuhav’s ancient Torah scroll as well as two other old scrolls, did not collapse. The synagogue was rebuilt surrounding this original southern wall. During the [[Safed Second Lebanon War|Second Lebanon War]] in 2006 a katyusha rocket landed directly next to the synagogue alongside the southern wall but again, the Ark and its Torah scrolls were untouched.

[[File:00000378 sign alsheich shul tzfat.jpg|thumb|180px|right|The Alsheich Shul]] One of the oldest Shuls in Tzfat, the [[Alsheich-Synagogue-Safed|'''Alsheich Synagogue''']] was the only one not destroyed in the [[Safed 1759 Earthquake|1759]] or [[Safed 1837 Earthquake|1837]] earthquakes. Its construction was led by [[Rabbi Moshe Alshich|Rabbi Moshe Alshich]] and his congregation of immigrants from Turkey. This Beit Knesset was built without a women's section or restrooms for higher levels of purity. Some point to this as the reason it survived the earthquakes. It was renamed after the Alshich when he passed away.

[[File:00000375 bima ari ashkenazi tzfas.jpg|thumb|180px|right|The ARI Ashkanazi Shul]] The '''[[Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue|ARI Ashkanazi synagogue]]''' is located along the Ma’alot Gur Aryeh stairway that descends from the main public square of Tzfat’s Old City, “[[Kikar HaMeginim Safed|Kikar HaMeginim]] -- Defender’s Square.”  The synagogue was originally called the “Grigoros Synagogue,” established by Sepharadi Jews who arrived in Tzfat from the Greek island of Grigoros after escaping the Spanish Inquisition. [[Rabbi Yitzchak Luria|Rabbi Isaac Luria]], the great Kabbalist known as The ARI, initiated the tradition of “Kabbalat Shabbat,” in Tzfat. He would welcome the Sabbath by singing and dancing with his students in the field next to the Grigoros shul, which at the time stood at the cities edge. After The ARI died the synagogue was renamed “ARI Ashkanazi” in honor of The ARIZ'L. Childless couples consider it a segula to sit in the shul's Chair of Eliyahu.

[[File:00000987 inside arizal sephardi shul tzfas.jpg|thumb|180px|right|The ARI Sepharadi Shul]] The '''[[Ari Sephardi Synagogue|ARI Sepharadi]]''' is the oldest standing synagogue in Safed, although it was rebuilt after both the [[Safed 1759 Earthquake|1759]] and [[Safed 1837 Earthquake|1837 earthquakes]]. It is perched on the road above the [[Ancient Tzfat Cemetery|ancient Safed cemetery]] and overlooks the cemetery and surrounding valley. This synagogue was called the “Eliyahu Hanavi” (Elijah the Prophet) shul when the [[Rabbi Yitzchak Luria|ARI]] came to live in Tzfat in the [[Ottoman Rule of Safed 1517 to 1759|16th century]]. The ARI prayed and studied in the synagogue, sitting with Elijah the Prophet in a small room within the synagogue as he expanded on the existing knowledge of Kabbalah through Divine Inspiration. After the ARI’s passing the residents of Tzfat renamed the synagogue “ARI Sepharadi” in honor of the ARIZAL.