Safed Old Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery in Israel

Safed Old Jewish Cemetery

בית העלמין היהודי העתיק בצפת

Aerial photograph of the ancient cemetery in Safed

Details
Established| 14th century
Location|

Safed

Country| Israel
Coordinates| 32°58′06″N 35°29′20″E﻿ / ﻿32.9683°N 35.4890°E﻿ / 32.9683; 35.4890
Type| Jewish
Size| 150 dunams

The ancient Jewish cemetery in Safed is one of the oldest cemeteries in Israel. It has served for many centuries as a burial place for the local residents, including prominent and important figures in the heritage of Israel. The cemetery is located along the western slope of the city of Safed, at the end of Ari Street, down Mount Canaan, facing the Amud Stream and overlooking the Sea of Galilee.[1]

Every year, more than 700,000 people visit the graves of the righteous at the site, which according to tradition includes the graves of Tannaim, Amoraim, Kabbalists, and many Rebbes.[1]

Near the ancient cemetery is the "new cemetery of Safed". On its northern side is the military cemetery of Safed, located on the mountainside, and nearby is the monument in memory of the seven martyrs of the gallows. At the entrance to the cemetery is the Ari's mikveh.[1]

## History

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The earliest mention is by a student of Obadiah of Bertinoro in 1495, who mentions the cemetery and the grave of the prophet Hosea son of Beeri. Around 1635, Gershon ben Eliezer Segal describes the village of Ein Zeitun: "Ein Zeitun has a built and closed synagogue with a Torah scroll. And to the north of the village, Beit Chaim."[2]

## Description

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The old cemetery spans an area estimated at one hundred and fifty dunams. Due to earthquakes and soil erosion, it is sometimes possible to find graves above graves in the cemetery.[3]

### Ancient Sephardic Section

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From the 18th century, a separation in burial was created between the members of the Ashkenazi community and the members of the Sephardic community. Most of the Sephardim were buried in the northern part of the cemetery. Occasionally, Sephardic burials can be found in burial caves in the southern part. In the year 5776 (2015), Dr. Nissan Sharifi, a lawyer and law lecturer, discovered the exact burial place of the Radbaz, following an in-depth research in which Dr. Sharifi reviewed many sources that indicated that the Radbaz was buried to the right of the grave of Rabbi Moshe Mitrani (the Mabit), in the Ari's burial plot, who was his student in Egypt.[4] Thus, on the 21st of Cheshvan 5776, the first celebration was held at the grave of the Radbaz, after more than a hundred years of the grave's disappearance due to natural forces (earthquakes and soil erosion) combined with poor preservation of the ancient cemetery in Safed.[5][3][6]

### Ancient Ashkenazi Section

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Most of the members of the Ashkenazi community in the city were buried in the southern part of the cemetery.[6]

### Military Cemetery

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Most of the graves in this section are from the 20th century and are very crowded. Among others, the section includes the graves of those who fell during the siege of Acre in the War of Independence.[7]

### New Sephardic Section

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After the establishment of the state, two new sections were established for Ashkenazim and Sephardim.[7]

### Sites of interest

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* The Ari's Mikveh. The mikveh is built on a spring where, according to tradition, the Ari used to immerse.
* The grave of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair \- within a large square there is a large tree on which cloths and plastic bags are hung. It is customary to circle this grave seven times while praying.
* Victims of the earthquake that occurred in 1837.
* Victims of the plague and famine of World War I, including 104 tombstones of those who perished in the expulsion from Tel Aviv.
* The monument of the Olei Hagardom \- seven members of the underground fighters who were executed by hanging by the British in Acre prison in 1947 are buried in the cemetery.
* Victims of the Ma'alot massacre.
* Victims of the Avivim school bus attack.

### Popular graves

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Name  | Period  | Source of Tradition  | Notes

|
|
|

Hosea ben Beeri  | 8th century BCE  | Student of Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro (1495 CE)  | Biblical figure, prophet
Beeri  | Rabbi Moshe Basola (1522 CE)
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah  | 2nd century CE  | Rabbi Chaim Vital (1570 CE)  | Tanna
Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta
Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair  | Rabbi Naftali Hertz Bachrach (1648 CE)
The Child from Kfar Sakhin  | Rabbi Avraham Yishmael Chai Sanguinetti (1742 CE)  | Figure from the Zohar literature
Descendants of the Child from Kfar Sakhin
Rabbi Yossi bar Yaakov
Rabbi Chiya from the Zohar
Rabbi Abba from the Zohar
Rabbi Yehuda from the Zohar
Rabbi Hezekiah bar Rav
Rabbi Yossi from the Zohar
Rav Saadia Gaon | 9th century CE  | Gaon
Rabbi Bahya ibn Paquda | 11th century CE  | First, exact location unknown
Rabbi Elazar ben Arach  | 1st century CE  | Rabbi Yosef Sofer (circa 1760)  | Tanna, exact location unknown
Martyrs of the Court  | 1st century CE  | Rabbi Simcha ben Yehoshua of Zalazitz (1764 CE)  | Before the destruction
Mother of the Child from Kfar Sakhin  | 2nd century CE  | Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kaminetz (1838 CE)  | Figure from the Zohar literature
Hannah and her seven sons | 2nd century BCE / 1st century CE  | Rabbi Moshe Reisher (1850 CE)  | Exact location unknown

## References

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1. ^ a b c וטבע, מגזין ארץ (2003-08-11). "בית העלמין העתיק". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-06-19.
2. ^ Natan Shor, Toldot Safed page 100, published by Am Oved.
3. ^ a b "Safed Cemetery". Safed Israel. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
4. ^ Kraus, Yair (2023-09-13). "Ancient Torah study hall uncovered in Safed on site of luxury hotel". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
5. ^ Ginat, Gitit (2020-06-15). "The Bright Blue Graves of Safed Cemetery". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
6. ^ a b Inbal (2022-02-10). ""הציון הלז ומי בתוכו?" בית הקברות העתיק בצפת". מכון ישראלי לארכיאולוגיה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-06-19.
7. ^ a b "Tzfat's Ancient Cemetery: The Story of a City". www.israelnationalnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.

## Further reading

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* Ariel Ephraim Aharonov, "The Ancient Cemetery in Safed - Traditions, Documentation, and Reality on the Ground", in: Etz Chaim, Part 38, pp. 718–743, New York, 2022.
* Eli Eliach, The Cave of Tzedek in Safed - The Cave of the Pharisees, Disciples of the Vilna Gaon, Academia.edu, May 2023
* Yossi Stepansky, Tombstones Tell: The Reflection of the Jewish Community in Safed in the Jewish Cemetery, Et-Mol 284 (October 2023), pp. 26–29.

## External links

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* Database of graves in the ancient cemetery of Safed on Yichus.net.
* Safed Cemetery on the International Jewish Cemetery Project website .