| Ashkenazi Ari Synagogue | |
|---|---|
Hebrew:בית הכנסת האר"י האשכנזי | |
 The synagogue, in 2020 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Israel Najara Street,Safed,Northern District |
| Country | Israel |
  Location of the synagogue in the northeast of theNorthern District | |
| Geographic coordinates | 32°58′07″N35°29′12″E / 32.968635°N 35.486655°E /32.968635; 35.486655 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Materials | Stone |
TheAshkenazi Ari Synagogue (Hebrew:בית הכנסת האר"י האשכנזי,romanized: Beit haKnesset haAri haAshkenazi) is anOrthodoxJewish congregation andsynagogue, located on Israel Najara Street, inSafed, in theNorthern District ofIsrael.
Dedicated in memory of RabbiIsaac Luria, akabbalist who was known by the Hebrew acronym "the ARI",[1] the synagogue was completed in the late 16th-century, several years after his death in 1572. It may be theoldest synagogue in Israel that is still in use. The synagogue is known for its colorful and ornateHoly Ark.
Though the synagogue is associated by name with theAshkenazi community, today it serves as a place of worship for bothHasidic andSephardic Jews and remains popular among worshippers of different affiliations.
Another old Safed synagogue dedicated to Rabbi Isaac Luria is known as the Sephardic Ari Synagogue.
The synagogue was established by Sephardic immigrants fromGreece who arrived in Safed during the sixteenth century. When Rabbi Isaac Luria arrived in 1570, he prayed in this synagogue[dubious –discuss] on the eve of theShabbat. 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.[2] The Ari's tradition of welcoming the Sabbath duringKabbalat Shabbat is still echoed in Jewish communities around the world during the singing ofLecha Dodi, when worshippers turn toward the entrance of the synagogue to "greet" the sabbath.
In the eighteenth century, with the arrival of the Hasidim fromEastern Europe, the synagogue came to serve the Ashkenazi community.
The synagogue was destroyed in theGalilee earthquake of 1837, and was rebuilt 20 years later.
During the 1948Arab-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 manymiracles said to have taken place in Safed.
A Hebrew inscription above the entrance lintel reads:"How awe-inspiring is this place, the synagogue of the Ari of blessed memory."
The Holy Ark was carved from olive wood by a craftsman fromGalicia in the style of the synagogues of Eastern Europe. It includes an anthropomorphic image of alion, alluding to Rabbi Luria's acronym Ari, which means lion.
Media related toAri Ashkenazi Synagogue at Wikimedia Commons
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