Legends of Safed

Legends of Safed

Dov Silverman

Silverman, Dov

Legends of Safed

www.dovsilverman.wordpress.com

LEGENDS OF SAFED originally published by The Judah L. Magnes Museum Berkeley, California, U.S.A.

In connection with the exhibition In the Courtyard of The Ari by Shoshana Greenberg.

Typing: Cindy Jenefsky, July 1983

New edition

ISBN: 9781301261710

(License notes) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

ALSO BY DOV SILVERMAN

A Christmas Story

Ametropia

Amphitrite

Gold to India

Legends of Safed

Revenge of the Good Shepherds

The 5th Marines

The Kabbalist

The Poor Farm

Top Shelf

The John Mung Saga

The Fall of the Shogun

The Black Dragon

The Shishi

Tairo

To the Gates of Hell

LITERARY ACHIEVMENTS

1) Historical Society Literary Prize at Stony Brook University, 1970.

2) Winner of Japanese Suntory Award for Mystery Fiction: REVENGE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERDS. 2/88.

3) Award of a month's stay as Writer-in-Residence at ACTS, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA, 1991.

4) Winner of Immigrant Literary Award in Israel, 1998.

5) Cultural award by Ra'anana Municipality 2012

LEGENDS OF SAFED

By

Dov Silverman

Jeffrey Ian Silverman 1961-1979

This book is dedicated to the memory of our son Jeff, taken from life on earth in the flower of his manhood.

His bravery, in the face of his illness and death, has made him one of the legends of Safed.

Dov Silverman

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

William Shakespeare

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to:

My wife, Janet - A woman of valor who can find. Her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no lack of gain.

Jack Birns of Los Angeles and Jerusalem, friend and encourager who made the writing of this book possible.

Bernard Greenbaum of Safed, friend and artist.

Shoshana Greenberg of Berkeley and Safed, friend and artist.

Steffa Reis of Safed, friend and artist.

The staff of the Judah L. Magnes Museum.

The artists of Safed for permission to include their work in the revised edition.

My students and the people of Safed, past and present.

Dov Silverman

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PREFACE

LEGENDS OF SAFED

THE SAINTS AND MEN OF ACTION

FORMER LEGENDS

LIBERATION

LATTER LEGENDS

SAFED’S ARTIST QUARTER AND MUSEUM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steffa Reis:

Born in Berlin, educated in England, she came to Israel twenty-five years ago.

A serious and dedicated artist, Steffa works according to inner impulses, not trends. Her paintings attract and challenge the eye and the mind.

Catriel Efrony:

Born in Vienna, with the advent of Nazism he immigrated to Israel. His style of painting undergoes a constant change from the lyric-abstract to a more figurative-expressionistic style.

Arkady Draznin:

Born in Leningrad, USSR, his Zionistic yearnings brought him home to Israel in 1973. His paintings, ranging from modern art to Hasidic Safed, have been critically acclaimed in Russia and Israel.

Catriel Efrony:

Born in Vienna, with the advent of Nazism he immigrated to Israel. His style of painting undergoes a constant change from the lyric-abstract to a more figurative-expressionistic style.

Terry Feldman:

Born in New York and raised in Florida, she came to Safed in 1990, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Combining her expertise in dollhouse building and her talent in pen and ink drawings, she has developed a unique art form -- paper constructed dioramas.

Ya’akov Kaszemacher:

Born in France, this self taught artist’s searching led him to Israel where he became a ba’al tshuva. His geometric paintings give graphic expression to his exploration into mysticism.

Mike Leaf:

Born in London, he left home at the age of fifteen to travel the world in a colorful existence. In 1954 he arrived in Israel, inspired by the spirit of Zionism. Mike paints from life in the impressionist style, exactly capturing the mood of his subjects.

Ann Medalie:

Born in Latvia, she has lived in the United States, Mexico, South Africa and Rhodesia. In 1951 she came to Israel. In her painted flowers there is much more than an exact description of the smallest detail; there is fantastic realism.

Steffa Reis:

Born in Berlin, educated in England, she came to Israel twenty-five years ago. A serious and dedicated artist, Steffa works according to inner impulses, not trends. Her paintings attract and challenge the eye and the mind.

Yossi Yaffe:

Born in Jerusalem, he served in the Israel Defense Forces for 25 years, reaching the rank of colonel. His work tells stories of the Bible in pictures.

INTRODUCTION

The legends and stories of Safed originate in the worlds of mysticism and reality. These are integrated into Safed’s character and cannot be separated from her soul. Jewish mysticism, dating back to the second century when the Zohar was written, still exists in modern Safed. Even today religious mystics walk the streets and alleys of our old city.

I have known the author, Dov Silverman as the teacher of my four children, Supervisor of English teachers, and high school principal. From the moment he and his family settled in Safed they were welcomed and absorbed into the community. This experience has manifested itself in what you are about to read. The stories originated in the real world of people but they tell of the spiritual world, bringing together ancient and modern, religious and secular, sublime and surreal. The choice of believing them rests with you, the reader, but until you visit this Holy City of the Jews in person, you will never really know.

Beruchim habayim (Blessed is your coming)

Shalom,

Aharon Nahmias, Former Mayor of Safed, Member of Knesset

Steffa Reis

PREFACE

The name of