in the synagogue The synagogue was established by Sephardic immigrants from
Greece who arrived in Safed during the sixteenth century. When Rabbi Isaac Luria arrived in 1570, he prayed in this synagogue on the eve of the
Shabbat. During the service, he was accustomed to leave the synagogue with his disciples and walk to a nearby field to welcome the Sabbath. Alternatively, this was at the time a forested area at the margin of Safed, and the ARI used to welcome the Sabbath in these forests. The Ari's tradition of welcoming the Sabbath during
Kabbalat Shabbat is still echoed in Jewish communities around the world during the singing of
Lecha Dodi, when worshippers turn toward the entrance of the synagogue to "greet" the sabbath. In the eighteenth century, with the arrival of the Hasidim from
Eastern Europe, the synagogue came to serve the Ashkenazi community. The synagogue was destroyed in the
Galilee earthquake of 1837, and was rebuilt 20 years later. During the 1948
Arab-Israeli War a bomb is said to have fallen in the courtyard.
Shrapnel flew into the synagogue while it was packed with people seeking shelter, yet miraculously no one was hurt. This event is one of many
miracles said to have taken place in Safed. ==Description==