Fodor's Expert Review Caro Synagogue
Tucked among art galleries, the charming Caro Synagogue appears quite run-down, but it is considered one of the Old City's most interesting destinations by those who feel a deep spiritual connection to the great scholar who lent it his name. Rabbi Yosef Caro arrived in Tzfat in 1535 and led its Jewish community for many years. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch, the code of law that remains a foundation of Jewish religious interpretation to the present day, and this synagogue is said to have been his private study hall. It was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1837 and rebuilt in the mid-19th century. If you ask, the attendant might open the ark containing the Torah scrolls, one of which is at least 400 years old. A glass-faced cabinet at the back of the synagogue is the geniza, where damaged scrolls or prayer books are stored (because they carry the name of God, they cannot be destroyed). The turquoise paint here—considered the "color of heaven"—is believed to help keep... READ MORE
Tucked among art galleries, the charming Caro Synagogue appears quite run-down, but it is considered one of the Old City's most interesting destinations by those who feel a deep spiritual connection to the great scholar who lent it his name. Rabbi Yosef Caro arrived in Tzfat in 1535 and led its Jewish community for many years. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch, the code of law that remains a foundation of Jewish religious interpretation to the present day, and this synagogue is said to have been his private study hall. It was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1837 and rebuilt in the mid-19th century. If you ask, the attendant might open the ark containing the Torah scrolls, one of which is at least 400 years old. A glass-faced cabinet at the back of the synagogue is the geniza, where damaged scrolls or prayer books are stored (because they carry the name of God, they cannot be destroyed). The turquoise paint here—considered the "color of heaven"—is believed to help keep away the evil eye.
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