Amazing Day Trip to Peki’in

There’s so much to do and see in Israel’s Galilee from ancient archeology, holy Christian sites and Crusader castles to world-class wineries, hiking and biking through forests with incredible mountain vistas.
 
But did you know that in the Upper Galilee, there’s a tiny village called Peki’in where the last Jewish resident can trace her lineage 2,000 years all the way back to the Second Temple? And it's a scenic 45-minute drive from Tzfat!

​Peki’in was once a thriving Jewish town founded by Cohanim who fled from the Romans in the year 70. Today, there’s one remaining Jew who lives here peacefully among Druze, Muslims and Christians. She’s 85 years old and her name is Margalit Zinati.  She has become a legend and her family’s story is one of Jewish pride, endurance and bravery.
 

We were fortunate to meet her on a fascinating trip organized by Sonia Graham, the national Anglo Coordinator for the Zionist Council in Israel.   This special organization strives to imbue Zionist values in Israel; and there is no better place to connect to our heritage than by meeting a woman whose family roots come from Israel.

A visit to Peki’in is an ideal day trip from Zefat, especially if you have a car. It’s a 45-minute drive away along some of the most scenic roads in the north.
 
Leaving Tzfat on Highway 89, wind downhill past the Birya Forest and some of rolling vineyards that produce the best wines in the country. You will drive past Meiron, the burial place of the famous Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a sage and kabbalist who lived in this area at the same time that Margalit’s family arrived in Peki’in.
 
Peki’in is a picturesque village perched on a ridge with sweeping views of the valley below. Park your car outside then walk through the narrow streets to the Beit Zinati Museum 
The museum has fascinating photos of a vibrant Jewish life that flourished before the Jews had to flee the area in 1946. It also has original clothing and implements from the Mustarabim (Jews who lived with Arabs and adopted their language and clothing) as well as a very powerful film.

Be sure to visit the synagogue that is tended by Margalit daily. Many come from afar to celebrate bar mitzvahs in this important synagogue. On the walls are two stone carvings that the Zinati family brought with them 2,000 years ago. Margalit tells us that they were taken from the Second Temple.
 
Before you leave, ask locals to point out the staircase leading up to the cave of Shimon Bar Yochai. We are told that he was forced to hide from the Romans and lived in this cave with his son. For 13 years they hid here and studied Torah all day long.  They were sustained by a carob tree and a spring of water.

Climb the stairs and you’ll soon see a large carob tree sheltering a cave with a narrow opening. Squeeze inside and try to feel the spiritual light that this sage brought to the world. An earthquake closed the passage to the deeper part of the cave but it is still an experience to stand inside the quiet darkness and stillness of this holy site.
 
Beit Zinati is open Sunday through Thursday from 9:00am until 4:30pm and on Fridays from 9am until 1pm