Peki’in is a small Druze village in the upper Galilee with a claim that almost no other place in Israel can make: continuous Jewish presence for over 2,000 years. While the rest of the Jewish population was exiled, scattered, and dispersed, a small Jewish community in Peki’in held on, generation after generation, from the Second Temple period until the 20th century.
The Cave of Rashbi
According to tradition, this is where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son hid from the Romans for 13 years. The cave, located on the outskirts of the village, is a modest opening in the rock, marked by a small shrine. Whether or not this is the actual cave (the village of Meron has a competing claim), the tradition is ancient and deeply held.
The 13 years in the cave are said to be when Rashbi composed or received the teachings that became the Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah. The Zohar was later compiled and published in 13th-century Spain, but its roots, according to Kabbalistic tradition, lie in this Galilean cave.
The Ancient Synagogue
Peki’in’s old synagogue contains stones that are believed to date from the Second Temple period, making it one of the oldest continuously used Jewish prayer sites in the world. The synagogue is small and simple, but the carved stones in its walls, including what appears to be a menorah relief, connect it to the centuries when the Temple in Jerusalem still stood.
The Zinati Family
The last Jewish family in Peki’in, the Zinati family, maintained the community’s presence until recent decades. Margalit Zinati, the last member of this ancient family, became a symbol of Jewish continuity in the Galilee. Her family’s story spans two millennia in a single village.
Visit Peki’in with Hoshen Tours
Peki’in is a powerful addition to a Safed and upper Galilee itinerary. Hoshen Tours connects the cave, the synagogue, and the village to the broader story of Jewish mysticism and survival in the Galilee.