Abuhav synagogue
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The Abuhav Synagogue is a 15th-century
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
in
Safed Safed (known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardi Hebrew, Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation, Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), i ...
, Israel, named after 15th-century Spanish rabbi and kabbalist, Isaac Abuhav. Its design is said to be based upon
kabbalistic Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...
teachings.


History

According to tradition Rabbi Abuhav designed the synagogue and his disciples erected the building in Safed when they arrived in the 1490s after the
expulsion from Spain Expulsion from Spain may refer to: *Expulsion of Jews from Spain (1492 in Aragon and Castile, 1497–98 in Navarre) *Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609–1614) See also *Forced conversions of Muslims in Spain The forced conversions of Muslims in ...
."The Abuhav Synagogue"
Jewish Virtual Library.
Another legend claims that the synagogue was transported miraculously from Spain to Safed. The synagogue was almost completely destroyed in the 1837 earthquake, only the southern wall containing the arks remained standing and exists today as a remnant of the original building. The bimah has six steps representing the six working days of the week; the top level is seventh, representing the
Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...
. The
Holy Ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron ha- ...
has three sections and contain Torah scrolls traditionally written by Abuhav himself and Solomon Ohana of
Fes Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
, Morocco.
Safed-Abuhav-Synagoge-02-aussen-2010-gje.jpg Safed-Abuhav-Synagoge-12-Kuppel-2010-gje.jpg Safed-Abuhav-Synagoge-16-Beschneidungsbank-2010-gje.jpg Safed-Abuhav-Synagoge-18-2010-gje.jpg Safed-Abuhav-Synagoge-14-Kippot-2010-gje.jpg


See also

* Religion in Israel


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abuhav Synagogue Synagogues in Safed Buildings and structures in Northern District (Israel) Medieval sites in Israel 15th-century synagogues Sephardi Jewish culture in Israel Sephardi synagogues