Friday night in Safed. Groups of young people gather in circles, taking in the gorgeous sunset and singing. They gather in public parks, on top of the ancient fortress in the center of town and at many of the spots looking toward the ridge of the Meron Mountains as it darkens in the colors of the setting sun. They sing soulful Jewish music and perform the ritual of welcoming the Sabbath established in Safed in the 16th century. Some sing the liturgical poem Lecha Dodi, which was written in Safed some 500 years ago.
Although it is mid-July, cool winds blow along the picturesque alleyways 3,000 feet above sea level. Jewish youngsters from Australia, Europe and the United States, ultra-Orthodox families, tourists and fans of mysticism and Kabbalah all come to Safed to feel the holiness throbbing in this magical old city spread across a steep mountainside.
