User talk:Rachohay/sandbox

Article Evaluation In the article on Wikipedia titled "Women in the Israel Defense Forces" there is a lot of information about women's roles in the IDF, how they attained gender equality in the army, what positions they serve, and various other aspects of women's roles in the Israeli army. The majority of the information in this article was extremely relevant to the topic; however, I did not feel like the ending of the article was topical. The last subject the article discusses is a singing controversy, which occurred in 2011 that I did not find meaningful for the rest of the article. The article discusses women's roles, careers, and paths in the army and this section just tells a short story that occurred that does not necessarily coincide with a title of "Women in the Israel Defense Forces."

The information in the article seems up to date and current. However, the most recent statistic that I found in the article was from 2014, so I wonder if there are more recent studies that have been done that can be added. I would also argue that the article could use more discussion of women who have children who are drafted into the army. Also, the article makes it seem like there are different exemptions from service for men and women, whereas most exemptions apply to both genders.

The article comes across very neutral: there are no motives behind the authors' discussions of women in the IDF or how they are treated in the IDF. Nevertheless, I did feel that the article overrepresented the religious conflicts with women in the army as being different than male religious conflicts in the IDF.

There are not any conversations on the talk page that discuss the development of this article. In the talk section, there is a comment that agrees with my point that the singing controversy is irrelevant. Another comment discusses a lack of feminism in the article while the third was someone who shared a relevant link. The article is relevant to 3 wikiprojects: Israel, Military history, Women's history.

The sources that I checked worked correctly.

Rachohay (talk) 22:14, 17 September 2018 (UTC) Rachel Ohayon

Henna parties - Judaic 318
I would like to do Jewish Henna Parties as my topic for my Wikipedia page. As a Moroccan Jew, I have been to many henna parties of friends and family and would really like to learn about the topic. As this tradition is common of Morrocan Jewry, I feel it relates to our class regarding Jews in the Arab World.

Henna:
Henna, indigenous to the land of North Africa and other countries that border the Mediterranean, has been used throughout history for various purposes. Henna use is as old as the Bronze Age; however, it was not used as body art during this period. During the beginning of the 20th century, anthropologists began studying folk practices in North Africa and noticed the use of henna as body art. They noticed that wealthier families often had intricate henna art for weddings because they could afford better henna artists. While the colonial period silenced henna traditions for various reasons, when North Africa was liberated from Colonialism, the tradition was revitalized.

Techniques:
Artists use hypodermic syringes with blunted tips and barrels of empty ballpoint pens as applicators.

Party:
The henna party is centered around the woman. Usually, only women attend the party and it is common to invite most of the women on the guest list of the wedding, or it can be smaller and only family members and close friends. It is considered an honor to be invited to another's henna party.

At the party, most guests will receive a droplet of henna onto the palm of their hands, but guests can also ask for more intricate designs if they wish. Food is commonly served at the henna party and it will usually reflect cultural foods of the future bride's family.

Dress:
Women are encouraged to arrive at the party in short sleeves and outfits which are exposed in order to allow room for the henna to be applied.

Women's Traditions in Safed - Judaic 417
One of the critical aspects of women's life in Safed is visiting the Safet Mikveh and Education Center, which holds the biggest and most up-to-date mikveh in the Northern part of Israel. This center is located on the spot that kabbalists believe Elijah the Prophet revealed secret information to the Holy Ari (link to holy ari page). The process of a women immersing herself in the mikveh is supposed to be a holy and spiritual process and the Education Center provides information and classes where women can learn about the experience and find it more uplifting rather than another chore on their errand-list. The women of Safed attend this mikveh to do their monthly practice and are welcomed into an inviting place.

Women of Safed
I would like to create the article "Women of Safed" on Wikipedia. I believe that this relates to our course as the page will discuss women's lifestyles in a city of the Modern State of Israel. The city is known to be mystical and filled with the traditions of Kabbalah, which have an interesting view of women and feminism.

Safed Mikvah
One of the critical aspects of women's life in Safed is visiting the Safet Mikveh and Education Center, which holds the biggest and most up-to-date mikveh in the Northern part of Israel. This center is located on the spot that kabbalists believe Elijah the Prophet revealed secret information to the Holy Ari. The process of a woman immersing herself in the mikveh is supposed to be a holy and spiritual process and the Education Center provides information and classes where women can learn about the experience and find it more uplifting rather than another chore on their errand-list. The women of Safed attend this mikveh to do their monthly practice and are welcomed into an inviting place.

The center is also a location to host events for women such as Rosh Chodesh celebrations, which are common for women as they are told to celebrate the new month because of their menstrual cycle. Additionally, the center has art classes and dance classes and also holds a room for women to gather for henna parties for brides to be before their weddings. The mikveh also holds a library for women to receive counseling about issues they may have. This mikveh is so special and was created with so much meaning because of kabbalistic teaching about the shekhinah.

Women in the eyes of the Zohar:
Safed is a city with a long history of Kabbalistic tradition and practices. One of the practices of Kabbalah that relate to women regards the Shekhinah. Kabbalah describes god with two faces, one is the Shekhinah, which is described as the female aspect of god, where HaShem is the male counterpart. The Kabbalah (link to kabbalah page) tells that the womanly aspect of god returned to Safed when the Second Temple was destroyed and is waiting to be redeemed in this location. The tradition of Safed shares that when women connect with one another they awaken the Shekhinah.

Shekhinah translates to the dweller within, in the Torah the Shekhinah is represented as resting above the tabernacle - a pillar of fire/cloud that dwelled above them in this tangible presence. The Shekhinah is an inner glory, it represents the true existence of God in this form.

The Zohar, the text of Kabbalah also refers to the Shechinah as Malchut, meaning the queen. There are ten steps of god according to the Zohar, and individuals progress through these steps. The Shekhinah is the tenth step, the one that is closest to the world in which we inhabit.

Safed Women in Army:
The chief rabbi of Safed ruled that women are prohibited from serving in the army based on religion. It is unholy and unnatural for women to fill this task. However, in 2014, this ruling changed and there are now women in Safed who are allowed to enter into service from their rabbis.

Sharei Bina
Post-high school gap year in Safed - helps women who want to experience Jewish spirituality in the mystical, holy city of Safed.

Henna parties - Judaic 318
Henna Parties are irreligious ceremonies held prior to Mizrahi Jewish weddings. The focus of the ritual is predominantly on the bride, but it has evolved to include both the bride and the groom.

Henna:
Henna, indigenous to the land of North Africa and other countries that border the Mediterranean, has been used throughout history for various purposes. Henna use is as old as the Bronze Age; however, it was not used as body art during this period. During the beginning of the 20th century, anthropologists began studying folk practices in North Africa and noticed the use of henna as body art. They noticed that wealthier families often had intricate henna art for weddings because they could afford better henna artists. Under French colonialism, henna traditions were silenced as colonialists denounced North African culture and attempted to convert the culture to that of the Europeams. When North Africa was liberated from Colonialism, the tradition was revitalized.

Moroccan Parties:
The Moroccan Henna Party is a ritual in which the family of the bride hosts a henna party before the bride's wedding. The Henna party replaces the badeken, which is commonly found in Ashkenazic Jewish wedding ceremonies. The badeken is when the groom removes the veil from his bride's face to make sure he is marrying the woman he had planned to. It emerges from the story of Jacob not realizing he was marrying Leah instead of Rachel. The henna party replaces this ritual prior to the wedding in order to signify who the married couple is in a different manner. As the bride and groom receive henna art on their palms at the party, they are identifiable as the newlyweds because henna lasts for many days.

As the tradition has evolved, today many guests of Moroccan and other Mizrahi Jewish henna parties receive henna art on their palms. Rather than intricate art, they receive a droplet of henna onto the palm of their hands. At the party, food from the family's cultural heritage is served. As it is a Mizrahi tradition, the food will be of these cultures; however, depending on the area in which the family is from and if they lived in under colonialism, these cultural foods can vary.

Yemenite Parties:
For Yemenites, the purpose of the henna party is to ward off evil from the couple before their wedding. In some areas, the party has evolved from its old tradition to become an opportunity for family's to show off their wealth in the way the bride is dressed. For other communities, it is practiced as a ritual that has been passed on for generations. The dressing of the bride is usually done by a post-menopausal woman in the bride's family. Often, the dresser of the bride sings to the bride as she is dressed in exquisite designs. These songs discuss marriage, what married life is like, and address the feelings a bride may have before her wedding. The costumes worn by Yemenite brides to their henna parties is considered some of the most exquisite attire. These dressings include robes, headwear, and often several pounds of silver jewelry. This jewelry sometimes holds fresh green herbs to ward off evil spirits in keeping with the traditional element of the party.

The zavfa is the procession of the bride from her mother's house to the Henna Party. During the zavfa, the guests of the party sing traditional songs to the bride and bang on tin plates and drums to ward off evil. Today, it is common for the groom to join in on this aspect of the ritual, although traditionally it was only the bride. During the party, there is eating, singing, and dancing. Initially, the singing and dancing at the Henna Party was to ward off evil with loud noises. Today, the party is associated with the mitzvah of entertaining the bride and groom on their wedding day.

In the middle of the party, the bride returns to her home to be painted in henna mixed by her mother. This mixture consists of rose water, eggs, cognac, salt, and shadab - a magical herb to repel evil. The bride changes into a less elaborate outfit and incense are burned while she is painted. Then, another zavfa occurs and the bride returns to her Henna Party. Back at the party, the bride sits on stage while family members and friends come to her to have their palms marked with henna. These blots of henna represent both the long lasting marriage as henna remains for many days. It also represents the blood from consecrating the marriage on the wedding night. Others say the red stains on the hands of guests are to mislead the evil spirits who are looking for the bride. This is due to the herb shadab, which many yemenites believe it repels bad luck caused by the evil eye of others. After the painting, the party ends after lasting about 4 or 5 hours.

Women of Safed
I would like to create the article "Women of Safed" on Wikipedia. I believe that this relates to our course as the page will discuss women's lifestyles in a city of the Modern State of Israel. The city is known to be mystical and filled with the traditions of Kabbalah, which have an interesting view of women and feminism.

Safed Mikvah
One of the critical aspects of women's life in Safed is visiting the Safed Mikveh and Education Center, which holds the biggest and most up-to-date mikveh in the Northern part of Israel. This center is located on the spot that kabbalists believe Elijah the Prophet revealed secret information to the Holy Ari. The process of a woman immersing herself in the mikveh is supposed to be a holy and spiritual process and the Education Center provides information and classes where women can learn about the experience and find it more uplifting rather than another chore on their errand-list. The women of Safed attend this mikveh to do their monthly practice and are welcomed into an inviting place.

The center is also a location to host events for women such as Rosh Chodesh celebrations, which are common for women as they are told to celebrate the new month because of their menstrual cycle. Additionally, the center has art classes and dance classes and also holds a room for women to gather for henna parties for brides to be before their weddings. The mikveh also holds a library for women to receive counseling about issues they may have. This mikveh is so special and was created with so much meaning because of kabbalistic teaching about the shekhinah.

Women in the eyes of the Zohar:
Safed is a city with a long history of Kabbalistic tradition and practices. One of the practices of Kabbalah that relate to women regards the Shekhinah. Kabbalah describes god with two faces, one is the Shekhinah, which is described as the female aspect of god, where HaShem is the male counterpart. The Kabbalah (link to kabbalah page) tells that the womanly aspect of god returned to Safed when the Second Temple was destroyed and is waiting to be redeemed in this location. The tradition of Safed shares that when women connect with one another they awaken the Shekhinah.

Shekhinah translates to the dweller within, in the Torah the Shekhinah is represented as resting above the tabernacle - a pillar of fire/cloud that dwelled above them in this tangible presence. The Shekhinah is an inner glory, it represents the true existence of God in this form.

The Zohar, the text of Kabbalah also refers to the Shekhinah as Malchut, meaning the queen. The Shekhinah takes many forms such as God's Queen or God's bride, who has hidden herself until the Messiah arrives to redeem the Jewish people. There are ten steps of god according to the Zohar, and individuals progress through these steps. The Shekhinah is the tenth step, the one that is closest to the world in which we inhabit.

Safed Women in Army:
The rise of women in Safed enlisting in the Israeli army has sparked controversy among the individuals who denounce haredi women from joining. The rabbi of the community marked these women as a failure and encourages individuals to enlist in national service instead. National service is a way to opt out of the military IDF and do something else that serves the Modern State of Israel. This form of enlisting is most common among girls. The chief rabbi of Safed ruled that women are prohibited from serving in the army based on religion. It is unholy and unnatural for women to fill this task. However, in 2014, this ruling changed and there are now women in Safed who enter service with permission from their Rabbis.

Sharei Bina
Sharei Bina is a program for women who have just finished high school and want to study in Safed for one year. It is a seminary that teaches young women who want to experience Jewish spirituality in the mystical, holy city of Safed. In comparison to other seminaries, Sharei Bina includes the study of the Shekhinah and other Kabbalistic rituals in the learning, as Safed is a mystical, Kabbalist city.

Safed Academic College
The Safed Academic College began a program for the 2011-2012 school year designed specially for haredi women living in the Northern Galilee area. This program was created in order to allow haredi women access to higher education, while still maintaining strict religious practices. The program accomplishes this goal through separate classes for male and female students and the classes are during certain hours as to allow women to fulfill other aspects of their spirituality.

References:
Omer-Man, Michael. 2011. Safed college opens track for haredi women. Jerusalem Post, Dec 09, 2011. http://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/913691816?accountid=14667 (accessed November 16, 2018).

Rothenberg, Jennie. 2005. Ghosts, artists & kabbalists; the struggle for the soul of tsfat. Moment. 04, http://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/228062899?accountid=14667 (accessed November 16, 2018).

Published edits to Henna page
Morocco In Morocco, henna is applied symbolically when individuals go through life cycle events. Moroccans refer to the paste as henna and the designs as naqsh, which means painting or inscription. In Morocco, there are two types of henna artists: non-specialists, who traditionally partake in wedding rituals, and specialists, who partake in tourism and decorative henna. Nqaasha, the low-end Henna specialists, are known for attracting tourists, which they refer to as gazelles or international tourists, in artisan slang. For Moroccan Jews, a wedding festival can last up to 5 days, with 2 days involving henna art. One of these days is referred to as azmomeg, and is the Thursday before the wedding where guests are invited to apply henna to the bride. The other henna ceremony occurs after the wedding ceremony, called the "Day of Henna." On this day, a masta, typically an older woman, applies henna to the bride after she dips in the mikveh to ward off evil spirits who may be jealous of the newlyweds. The groom is also painted with henna after the wedding. During his painting, he commonly wears black clothing, which emerged from the Pact of Umar as the Jews were not permitted to dress similar to colorful Muslim dress in Morocco.

Israel In Israel, some Middle Eastern communities and families: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim, host henna parties the night or week before a wedding, according to familial customs. The use of henna in this region can be traced as far back to the Song of Songs in which the author wrote, "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi." While not an Israeli custom, Mizrahi Jews who have immigrated to Israel continue their familial customs in the state, such as the Yemenite community.

Yemen For Yemenite Jews, the purpose of a henna party is to ward off evil from the couple before their wedding. In some areas, the party has evolved from tradition to an opportunity for the family to show off their wealth in the dressing of the bride. For other communities, it is practiced as a ritual that has been passed on for generations. The dressing of the bride is typically done by a post-menopausal woman in the bride's family. Often, the dresser of the bride sings to the bride as she is dressed in exquisite designs. These songs discuss marriage, what married life is like, and address the feelings a bride may have before her wedding. The costumes worn by Yemenite brides to their henna parties is considered some of the most exquisite attire in the Yemenite community. These outfits include robes, headwear, and often several pounds of silver jewelry. This jewelry often holds fresh green herbs to ward off the Jinn in keeping with the ritual element of the party.

The zavfa is the procession of the bride from her mother's house to the Henna Party. During the zavfa, the guests of the party sing traditional songs to the bride and bang on tin plates and drums to ward off evil. Today, it is common for the groom to join in on this aspect of the ritual, although traditionally it was only for the bride. During the party, guests eat, sing, and dance. Initially, the singing and dancing was to ward off the Jinn with loud noises, but today these elements are associated with the mitzvah of entertaining the bride and groom on their wedding day.

In the middle of the party, the bride returns to her home to be painted in henna mixed by her mother. The mixture consists of rose water, eggs, cognac, salt, and shadab, believed to be a magical herb that repels evil. The bride changes into a less elaborate outfit and incense are burned while she is painted with henna. Then, another zavfa (procession) occurs as the bride returns to her party.

Back at the henna party, the bride sits on stage while family members and friends come up to her to have their palms marked with blots of henna. These marks represent many the long-lasting marriage as henna remains for many days. It also represents the blood from breaking the hymen upon consummating the marriage on the wedding night. Others add that the red stain on the hands of the guests are to mislead the evil spirits of the Jinn who are looking for the bride. After the painting, the party ends after lasting about 4 or 5 hours. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rachohay (talk • contribs) 23:05, 1 December 2018 (UTC)

Final Edits for "Regions" on Henna page
Regions Bridal henna nights are a popular tradition in North Africa, the Horn of Africa, South East Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Near East and South Asia.[18]

Algeria In Algeria, bride's receive gifts of jewelry and have henna painted on their hands prior to their weddings.[19]

Afghanistan Afganistani tradition holds that henna brings good luck and happiness. [20]

Bulgaria In an attempt to ritually clean a bride before her wedding day, bulgarian gypsies decorate the bride with a blot of henna.[20] This blot symbolizes the drop of blood on the couples' sheets after consummating the marriage and breaking the female's hymen.[20] The tradition also holds that the longer the henna lasts, the longer the husband will love his new bride.[20]

Egypt In Egypt, the bride gathers with her friends the night before her wedding day to celebrate the "henna night." [20]

Iran In Iran, henna is believed to be a magical and protective plant that when applied to one's body, can bring happiness, integrity, and fortune to one's life, protect one from the evil eye and guarantee an afterlife in heaven.[21] The most common use of henna is among the long wedding rituals practiced in Iran is the henna ritual held for both, bride and groom during the wedding week which is called ḥanā-bandān.[21] The ceremony is held prior to the wedding and is a traditional farewell ritual for newlyweds before they officially start their life together in their own house.[21] The ceremonies take place in the presence of family members, friends, relatives, neighbors, and guests.[21]

Malaysia In Malaysia, henna is used to adorn the bride and groom's hands before the wedding at the berinai ceremony.[22]

Morocco

Image of Moroccan Bride In Morocco, henna is applied symbolically when individuals go through life cycle events.[23] Moroccans refer to the paste as henna and the designs as naqsh, which means painting or inscription.[23] In Morocco, there are two types of henna artists: non-specialists, who traditionally partake in wedding rituals, and specialists, who partake in tourism and decorative henna.[24] Nqaasha, the low-end Henna specialists, are known for attracting tourists, which they refer to as gazelles or international tourists, in artisan slang.[25] For Moroccan Jews, a wedding festival can last up to 5 days, with 2 days involving henna art.[26] One of these days is referred to as azmomeg (meaning unknown), and is the Thursday before the wedding where guests are invited to apply henna to the bride.[26] The other henna ceremony occurs after the wedding ceremony, called the "Day of Henna."[26] On this day, typically an older woman applies henna to the bride after she dips in the mikveh to ward off evil spirits who may be jealous of the newlyweds.[27] The groom is also painted with henna after the wedding.[27] During his painting, he commonly wears black clothing, which emerged from the Pact of Umar as the Jews were not permitted to dress similar to colorful Muslim dress in Morocco.[27]

Israel In Israel, some Middle Eastern communities and families: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim, host henna parties the night or week before a wedding, according to familial customs.[28] The use of henna in this region can be traced as far back to the Song of Songs in which the author wrote, "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi."[29] While not an Israeli custom, Mizrahi Jews who have immigrated to Israel continue their familial customs in the state, such as the Yemenite Jews.[30]

Somalia In Somalia, henna is used for practical purposes such as dying hair and coloring one's nails.[31] It is also applied to the hands and feet of young Somali women in preparation for their weddings.[31]

Tunisia In Tunisia, the Jewish wedding custom acts to clean the bride by bathing her, removing her body hair and painting her with henna.[32] The procession begins 8 days before the wedding ceremony when a basket is delivered to the bride, which contains henna.[33] The mother of the groom supervises the procession in order to ensure all is being done correctly.[32] Today, the groom accompanies the bride in the ritual at a henna party, but the majority of henna painting is done to the bride's body.[33]

Turkey During the Victorian era, Turkey was a major exporter of henna to be used in dying hair.[34] Henna parties were commonly practiced in Turkey similarly to other Arab countries, but they are not commonly practiced in the region today.[35]

Yemen For Yemenite Jews, the purpose of a henna party is to ward off evil from the couple before their wedding. [36] In some areas, the party has evolved from tradition to an opportunity for the family to show off their wealth in the dressing of the bride.[36] For other communities, it is practiced as a ritual that has been passed on for generations.[36] The dressing of the bride is typically done by a post-menopausal woman in the bride's family.[36] Often, the dresser of the bride sings to the bride as she is dressed in exquisite designs.[36] These songs discuss marriage, what married life is like, and address the feelings a bride may have before her wedding.[36] The costumes worn by Yemenite brides to their henna parties is considered some of the most exquisite attire in the Yemenite community.[36] These outfits include robes, headwear, and often several pounds of silver jewelry.[36] This jewelry often holds fresh green herbs to ward off the Jinn in keeping with the ritual element of the party.[36]

The zavfa is the procession of the bride from her mother's house to the Henna Party.[37] During the zavfa, the guests of the party sing traditional songs to the bride and bang on tin plates and drums to ward off evil.[37] Today, it is common for the groom to join in on this aspect of the ritual, although traditionally it was only for the bride.[37] During the party, guests eat, sing, and dance.[37] Initially, the singing and dancing was to ward off the Jinn with loud noises, but today these elements are associated with the mitzvah of entertaining the bride and groom on their wedding day.[37]

In the middle of the party, the bride returns to her home to be painted in henna mixed by her mother.[38] The mixture consists of rose water, eggs, cognac, salt, and shadab, believed to be a magical herb that repels evil.[38] The bride changes into a less elaborate outfit and incense are burned while she is painted with henna.[38] Then, another zavfa (procession) occurs as the bride returns to her party.[38]

Back at the henna party, the bride sits on stage while family members and friends come up to her to have their palms marked with blots of henna.[39] These marks represent many the long-lasting marriage as henna remains for many days.[39] It also represents the blood from breaking the hymen upon consummating the marriage on the wedding night.[39] Others add that the red stain on the hands of the guests are to mislead the evil spirits of the Jinn who are looking for the bride.[39] After the painting, the party ends after lasting about 4 or 5 hours.[39]

Education The Zefat (Safed) Academic College,[65] originally an extension of Bar-Ilan University, was granted independent accreditation by Israel’s Council of Higher Education in 2007. In October 2011, Israel's fifth medical school opened in Safed, housed in a renovated historic building in the centre of town that was once a branch of Hadassah Hospital.[66]

Galil Medical faculty was opened in תשע"ב (from end of 2011 till June 2012); the school works as an extension of Bar-Ilan University. The school is affiliated with and governs the northern university hospitals:

Medical Center Of The Galilee Rebecca Sieff Hospital Poria Medical Center Mizra Mental health hospital Holy family hospital (also known as Ospedale Sacra Famiglia) in Nazert Scottish Hospital[67] The Livnot U'Lehibanot program in Safed provides an open, non-denominational atmosphere for young Jewish adults that combines volunteering, hiking and study with exploring Jewish heritage. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rachohay (talk • contribs) 21:06, 6 December 2018 (UTC)

Final Edits for 417
Education The Safed Academic College, originally an extension of Bar-Ilan University, was granted independent accreditation by Israel’s Council of Higher Education in 2007.[65] For the 2011-2012 school year, the college began a program designed specifically for Haredi Judaism.[66] It was created in order to allow haredi women living in the Upper Galilee access to higher education, while still maintaining strict religious practice.[66] The program accomplishes this goal through separate classes for male and female students.[66] The classes are also taught during certain hours as to allow women to fulfill other aspects of their religiosity.[66]

In October 2011, Israel's fifth medical school opened in Safed, housed in a renovated historic building in the centre of town that was once a branch of Hadassah Hospital.[67]

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine opened in 2011 as an extension of Bar-Ilan University, created to train physicians in the Upper Galilee region.[68] The schools conducts clinical instructions in six hospitals in the region:

Baruch Padeh Medical Center Ziv Medical Center Western Galilee Hospital EMMS Nazareth Hospital The Holy Family Hospital Mazra Mental Health Center [68] The Livnot U'Lehibanot program in Safed provides an open, non-denominational atmosphere for young Jewish adults that combines volunteering, hiking and study with exploring Jewish heritage.[69]

Sharei Bina is a program for women who have just finished high school and want to study in a seminary in Safed for one year that teaches young women who want to experience Jewish spirituality in the mystical city of Safed.[70] In comparison to other seminaries, Sharei Bina includes the study of the shekhinah and other Kabbalist rituals in the learning.[71]

Religious life Safed is home to a large community of Jews who practice Kabbalah, a mystical form of Judaism.[72] A strong tradition in mystical Judaism, reinforced by the central text of Kabbalah, the Zohar, maintains that the Jewish messiah will first reveal himself in the upper Galilee, which is where Safed is located.[73]

One practice of Kabbalah describes god with two faces, one is the shekhinah, which is described as the female aspect of God, while hashem is the male counterpart.[74] Kabbalist thought tells that the womanly aspect of god returned to Safed when the Second Temple was destroyed and waits to be redeemed in this city.[75] The tradition holds that when women connect with one another in the city of Safed, they awaken the shekhinah, which translates to the dweller within.[74]

One of the critical aspect of women's religious life in Safed is visiting the Safed Mikveh and Education Center, which holds the biggest and most up-to-date mikveh in the Northern part of Israel.[76] This center is located on the spot that followers of Kabbalah believe Elijah the Prophet revealed secret information to the Holy Ari (Isaac Luria).[76] The process of a woman immersing herself in the mikveh is a holy and spiritual process.[76] The Education Center provides information and classes where women can learn about the experience and find it more uplifting rather than another chore on their errand list.[76] The married women of Safed visit this mikveh in order to follow the monthly practice of immersing oneself after menstruation.[76]

The center is also a location to host events for women such Rosh Chodesh celebrations, which are common for women as they are responsible for celebrating the new month because of their menstrual cycle.[76] The Safed Mikveh and Education Center has art and dance classes and also contains a room for women to gather in for henna parties for brides-to-be before their weddings.[76] The Center also has a library for women to receive counseling about any issues they may have.[76] The mikveh was created with much meaning because of the Kabbalist teaching about the shekhinah and achieving inner glory.[76] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rachohay (talk • contribs) 21:08, 6 December 2018 (UTC)