Abuhav Synagogue

One of the oldest synagogues in Tzfat, built in the late 15th century by disciples of the Spanish Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Abuhav who arrived in the city after the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain. The synagogue's design reflects Kabbalistic principles in its architecture and dimensions — the layout, the positioning of windows, and the number of seats all carry symbolic meaning. The interior is decorated in blue, the traditional Tzfat colour associated with divine presence.

The Abuhav Synagogue is slightly south of the Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue in the old Jewish quarter. It is an active congregation and visitors are welcome outside prayer times. The caretaker can explain the synagogue's history and the significance of its Torah scroll.

things to do sight
A story
The synagogue's most precious object is a Torah scroll said to have been written by Rabbi Isaac Abuhav himself, the 15th-century Spanish kabbalist whose disciples built this synagogue after the expulsion from Spain in 1492. The scroll is taken out only three times a year — on Yom Kippur, Shavuot, and Rosh Hashanah. On one occasion, the story goes, a fire destroyed the synagogue but stopped before reaching the ark where the scroll was kept; the scroll survived unharmed.