Old Jewish Cemetery

The ancient burial ground on the steep slope below the old city, where the great rabbinical figures of Tzfat's 16th-century golden age are interred. The graves of Isaac Luria, Joseph Karo (compiler of the Shulchan Aruch), and other luminaries of Jewish law and mysticism draw religious pilgrims throughout the year, and the cemetery has a contemplative quality independent of any specific religious affiliation.

The tombs are marked with painted domes — blue for those descended from priestly families, white for others. The cemetery is open daily; wear modest clothing. The paths between the graves are steep and uneven. From the upper levels there are good views over the valley toward the Sea of Galilee.

things to do sight
A story
Isaac Luria (the Ari) is buried in the old cemetery, along with most of the great 16th-century Kabbalists of Tzfat. His grave is the most visited. The practice of leaving notes in the stones of the grave — asking for intercession or simply marking a visit — is the same tradition observed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and the accumulation of paper slips pressed into every crack gives the stone a papery texture.