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The Kabbalah of Safed

Special Event: November 3–17, 2024

Safed in the 16th century

Special Event

The Golden Age of Kabbalah

The Miracle of Safed

How the world of Kabbalah was turned upside down in the 16th century…

In the 16th century, a major event in the history of Judaism and Jewish mysticism took place in the city of Safed, in Galilee. This period has been described as the “golden age of Kabbalah.”

In partnership with the National Library of France, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Alliance Israélite Universelle, and the National Center for Scientific Research, we are organizing a series of exceptional events from September through November 2024, featuring leading international experts, to explore this pivotal period that transformed Kabbalah and its consequences:

Come discover Kabbalah and the Kabbalists of Safed, and learn what happened in this small town during that period.

  • What was the socio-historical context that made such rapid growth possible?
  • How did this small town become not only a refuge but also a place of renewal and hope for the communities driven from the Iberian Peninsula?

Come discover, through a display of unique manuscripts never before shown to the general public, the key figures who sparked this revival in the study of Kabbalah:

5 Unique Encounters!

November 3–17, 2024

Safed in the 16th Century: History, Influences, and Convergences

Dr. Eyal Davidson (Israel)

Eyal Davidson is a specialist in the history of Israel. He holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and wrote his dissertation on“The Sages of Safed between 1540 and 1610,” under the supervision of Professor Joseph Hacker, who is the undisputed authority on Jewish communities under the Ottoman Empire. Eyal Davidson’s dissertation describes and analyzes in detail the entire history of Safed in the 16th century, as well as its leading figures.

The lecture in Hebrew (with simultaneous translation) will be followed by a discussion and questions from the audience

“The Book of Visions”: The Diary of Rabbi Haym Vital

Morris Faierstein (U.S.), Sabine Amsellem (Israel)

Rabbi Haym Vital, one of the greatest Kabbalists of Safed, wrote a journal titled *The Book of Visions*. This journal is a unique document not only because it describes the author’s visions and thoughts, but also because it details Rabbi Haym Vital’s relationships with his contemporaries and other great Kabbalists.

The original version of this journal was not discovered until the 20th century, and we owe the text’s editing and English translation to Morris Faierstein.

To mark the publication of this book in French translation, Morris Faierstein will discuss the book with Sabine Amsellem, the translator: its history, its themes, and its significance in the history of Kabbalah.

The Zoom session in Hebrew (with simultaneous translation) will be followed by a discussion and questions from the audience

The Spread of Kabbalah from Safed / Espace Rachi-Paris

Gene Matanky (Israel)

Gene Matanky is a brilliant young Kabbalah student at Tel Aviv University. He specializes in the study of the Kabbalah manuscripts from Safed.

He will present two rare documents from the prestigious collection of the Alliance Israélite Universelle library.

  • Manuscript 187, which belonged to the Kabbalist Jacob Zemah
  • The DFOL1172B manuscript with marginal notes by Azariah of Fano

The presentation of these documents will make it possible to assess the development of the teachings of Safed Kabbalah and their implications.

The presentation in Hebrew (with simultaneous translation), co-hosted by Jean-Claude Kuperminc and Michael Sebban, will be followed by a discussion and questions from the audience

Commentary on the Zohar / National Library of France (Paris)

Prof. Avishai Bar Asher (Israel)

Professor Avishai Bar Asher teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the Department of Jewish Thought and Kabbalah Studies. He is an internationally renowned expert on Kabbalistic texts and their history.

He will present Hebrew Manuscript 789. It is a commentary by the Kabbalist Moses Cordovero. This manuscript, held by the BnF, was acquired in Italy by Jacques Gaffarel on behalf of Cardinal Richelieu and later belonged to Gilbert Gaulmin.

This presentation of the manuscript will shed light on how the Kabbalah of Safed established the Zohar as the central work of Kabbalah and how the project to study and comment on the Zohar originated in Safed.

The presentation in Hebrew (with simultaneous translation), co-hosted by Laurent Hericher, will be followed by a discussion and questions from the audience

The Kabbalah of Safed: Figures and Influence/ National Institute of Art History (Paris)

Our international conference will examine the leading figures of Safed Kabbalah who shaped the history of ideas and Kabbalah, as well as their influence in the centuries that followed.

  • ‘ Recognizing the Divine Presence’Oury Safrai (University of Beer Sheva)
  • “The Revival of the Zohar in Safed” Avishai Bar Asher (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
  • “Rabbi Haym Vital and Isaac Luria” Michael Sebban (Beit Ha Zohar)
  • “The Kabbalah of Safed in Europe” Gene Matanky (Tel Aviv University)
  • “The Kabbalah of Safed Among Christians” Saverio Campanini (University of Bologna)
  • “The Legends of Safed” Jean Baumgarten (CNRS)

The conference will be held in French and Hebrew (with simultaneous translation)

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03/11/2024 – 17/11/2024

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