Or HaGanuz
Encyclopedia
Or HaGanuz is a Jewish village in the eastern Upper Galilee
, about six kilometers northwest of the town of Safed
. The Orthodox
settlement was founded in 1989 within the Merom HaGalil Regional Council
by a group of newly-baal teshuva
Jews. It was initiated with the help of Amana, the settlement arm of Gush Emunim
, even though the village is located within the Green Line
. The name, translated from Hebrew, means Hidden Light, and is derived from the kabbalah
which refers to the original light
described in the Bible
that was the first act of creation (see Genesis 1:2).
A convenient tourist location for pilgrims
visiting the tomb of Rabbi Shimeon bar Yochai
in nearby Meron
.
The motto of the community is "love thy neighbor as thyself" and all members must abide by the philosophy that the importance of the community is at the forefront, rather than the individual. Membership and residency includes the voluntary choice to abide by the rules set by community that is centred around the Torah
. Potential candidates and new members are gradually taught how to overcome inherent individualist feelings and to accept the communal lifestyle with a heavy emphasis on volunteering, selflessness, and the study of Torah. The strong communal or collective ideology of the community in the village is reflected in the formal registration of Or HaGanuz as moshav shitufi
, although it has no agricultural activities and functions similarly to a communal settlement.
Current population is about fifty families, including 300 people, and the current municipal development plan allows for 250 homes. The rabbi and spiritual leader of the community is Rabbi Mordechai Sheinberger
, a midrasha
for women, and the Elima college of alternative medicine combining Chinese acupuncture
with Jewish spirituality
and kabbalah
.
guest houses operated by individual families, tours to graves of tzaddikim, a publishing house for religious and kabbalistic
literature (Or Da'at), a printing press (Da'at), and a matza factory.
Upper Galilee
The Upper Galilee is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period, originally referring to a mountainous area overlapping the present northern Israel and southern Lebanon, its borders being the Litani river in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the Beit...
, about six kilometers northwest of the town of Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
. The Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
settlement was founded in 1989 within the Merom HaGalil Regional Council
Merom HaGalil Regional Council
The Merom HaGalil Regional Council is a regional council in the northern Galilee of northern Israel. The regional council was established in 1950...
by a group of newly-baal teshuva
Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
Jews. It was initiated with the help of Amana, the settlement arm of Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim was an Israeli messianic and political movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While not formally established as an organization until 1974 in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Gush Emunim sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, encouraging...
, even though the village is located within the Green Line
Green Line
- Geographic demarcations :* Green Line, a name for the Gothic Line or "Linea Gotica", a German defensive line in Italy during World War II, renamed the "Green Line" in June 1944...
. The name, translated from Hebrew, means Hidden Light, and is derived from the kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
which refers to the original light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
described in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
that was the first act of creation (see Genesis 1:2).
A convenient tourist location for pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
visiting the tomb of Rabbi Shimeon bar Yochai
Simeon bar Yohai
Simeon bar Yochai, , also known by his acronym Rashbi, was a famous 1st-century tannaic sage in ancient Israel, active after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE...
in nearby Meron
Meron (Israel)
Meron is a moshav on the slopes of Mount Meron, in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel near Safed, and within municipal jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council...
.
The motto of the community is "love thy neighbor as thyself" and all members must abide by the philosophy that the importance of the community is at the forefront, rather than the individual. Membership and residency includes the voluntary choice to abide by the rules set by community that is centred around the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
. Potential candidates and new members are gradually taught how to overcome inherent individualist feelings and to accept the communal lifestyle with a heavy emphasis on volunteering, selflessness, and the study of Torah. The strong communal or collective ideology of the community in the village is reflected in the formal registration of Or HaGanuz as moshav shitufi
Moshav shitufi
A Moshav shitufi is a type of cooperative village in Israel whose organizational principles place it between the kibbutz and the moshav on the scale of cooperation...
, although it has no agricultural activities and functions similarly to a communal settlement.
Current population is about fifty families, including 300 people, and the current municipal development plan allows for 250 homes. The rabbi and spiritual leader of the community is Rabbi Mordechai Sheinberger
Education
Several formal educational institutions operate in the village including a nursery, a kindergarten, the Ginzei-Shimon Talmud TorahTalmud Torah
Talmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew, the Scriptures , and the Talmud...
, a midrasha
Midrasha
A refers to an institute of Jewish studies for women. In Israel, it is often an Orthodox institution that caters solely to women, and roughly the equivalent of a yeshiva for men. The term is often translated as 'seminary'. In the United States, the term has also been used to refer to...
for women, and the Elima college of alternative medicine combining Chinese acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
with Jewish spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
.
Local industry
The original founders decided to concentrate on employment that does not necessitate being close to the main population areas. The village offers a range of holiday bed and breakfastBed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
guest houses operated by individual families, tours to graves of tzaddikim, a publishing house for religious and kabbalistic
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
literature (Or Da'at), a printing press (Da'at), and a matza factory.
External links
- Ginzei-Shimon Talmud Torah and short description of community in English
- Main website (Hebrew)
- Photo from main website
- Local holiday/vacation guest houses
- A satellite photo of Or HaGanuz in Google MapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
- A topographic map of Or HaGanuz on amudanan.co.il
