About Friends of Tsfat

The Shechina never returned to Jerusalem after the destruction of the first Temple. She receded in stages and according to the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria, She continued her retreat until going into refuge entirely...to the Holy City of Tsfat. Here, She remains until the final redemption. the Zohar writes that the Messiah will be revealed first in Tsfat before proceeding to Jerusalem to rebuild the Jewish temple. The two holy cities are intimately connected since rebuilding the Holy Temple in Jerusalem is dependent upon the physical and spiritual rebuilding of Tsfat.

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HaRav Elazar Mordechai Kenig, zt"l

Spiritual Leader of Tsfat
HaRav Kenig, zt"l was the founder and Spiritual Leader of Nachal Novea Breslev Tsfat. An alumnus of Jerusalem's Mir Yeshiva, Rav Kenig studied Kabbalah with his father, Rav Gedaliah Kenig, zt'l, as well as several leading Sephardic masters, including Rav Mordechai Sharabi, zt'l. 

"If you can rebuild Tsfat, it will be a great favor to the world." -Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz to Rabbi Gedaliah Aharon Kenig, in Tsfat

Nearly fifty years ago, HaRav Kenig's father, Rabbi Gedaliah Kenig, zt"l came to resuscitate and rebuild a shattered Tsfat. After his sudden passing at an early age, his son took on this mission as his own. Rav Kenig, zt"l took upon himself the task with a deep awareness of the city's dormant holiness and global significance of a rebuilt Tsfat. He toiled to resurrect the magnificence of her true character, beginning on the very site in the Old City where the Arizal and his students lived half a millennium earlier. 

Against all odds, Rav Gedaliah, and his son HaRav Elazar M. Kenig have systematically established centers of Judaism in Tsfat to restore spiritual excellence to the world. 

To our great heartache and sorrow HaRav Kenig was taken from this world on the 23rd of Tevet, 5779. To read more about HaRav Kenig click here.

History of Tsfat

Tsfat is one of Judaism’s four holy cities and associated with the element of air. Indeed, the pure pristine air of Tsfat is legendary – it is no wonder the area was chosen repeatedly for some of the most spectacular spiritual revelations of all time. It was here that the holy Zohar of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai and the Kabbalah of the Arizal descended from heaven to earth. The city’s history is ancient and hidden, spanning from the son and grandson of Noah, Shem and Ever, who founded a yeshiva in Tsfat where the patriarch Jacob came to learn. And Joshua ben Nun, who first wiped idolatry in Tsfat upon entering the Land of Israel.
 
Rabbi Yosef Karo authored the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law, in Tsfat and together with many other great Jewish sages, established eternal foundations of Judaism. Their holy aspirations, creativity and scholarship have irreversibly changed the world and will permeate the air of Tsfat forever. 

Today, thanks to the strong spiritual foundations laid by the Tzaddikim of once and the efforts of the Kenig family and their supporters, Tsfat is pulsating with Jewish life on every level, attracting continuous waves of new residents and groups to settle in the city.  
​It ranks as the third more popular tourist destination in Israel and according to municipal estimates, 1.2 million people visit Tsfat each year.

After generations of dormancy, the hidden radiance of Tsfat's spiritual treasures are being unleashed as a vision of a rebuilt Tsfat continues to unfold. Tsfat is our spiritual inheritance, but there is still much to do to ensure that her sublime light will continue to grow and endure for generations to come.

We are turning to you, to become a "Friend of Tsfat" and together we can support and encourage the growth of Tsfat, through innovation, education institutions and social programming.

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Board of Directors 

Executive Director
Rabbi Chaim Shalom Kenig

Chairman of the Board and Trustee
Rabbi Jack Klein

Trustee
Mr. Motty Zeitlin

Advisory Committee
Rabbi David Avitan
Rabbi Aharon Carmi
Rabbi Olivier Ezerzer
Mrs. Leah Shachar

Rabbi Kenig and the Members of the Board of Directors can be reached through the Friends of Tsfat Office at info@friendsoftsfat.com
Questions or Comments? Please contact Mina Haim, Office Administrator at mina@friendsoftsfat.com