Safed is located in eastern Galilee and looks out over Lake Kinneret from the West and towards Mount Meron from the East. Safed’s history goes back to the time of the Second Temple. With the establishment of the State, its population was 2,300. During the 50s, Safed became a service center for the settlements in the Hula Valley and the eastern part of the Upper Galilee. Due to its clear mountain climate and its scenery, Safed became a tourist city during the 1950s and 60s. It attracts visitors from all parts of the country, mainly during the hot summer season. In the late 70s, Safed began to lose its attraction as a tourist center, partly because the city was becoming increasingly ultra-Orthodox.

Safed is a world center for Kabala and attracts tourists from Israel and abroad. During the 16th century, many of the greatest Kabalists lived in Safed and it is considered one of the four holy cities (together with Jerusalem, Tiberius and Hebron). The population is becoming increasingly ultra-Orthodox which has led to the closing of many businesses and a net outflow of secular residents.
 
Population: 26,800

Children: 10,700 - Safed’s population is considered to be very young. 40% of the population is under the age of 18

Children at Risk: 3,095 (26%)

Children of Immigrants: 1,374 (11.5%)

Children in one-parent families: 1,077 (9%)

Rate of matriculation among Grade 12 students: Eligible-52.7%

The city is rated 4 out of 10 on the Socioeconomic Scale of the Central Bureau of Statistics (10 is the highest rating).

Immigrants: constitute about one-fifth (19.5%) of Safed’s population.

Employment: The proportion of jobseekers is 5.2% as compared to the national average of 8.6% in March 2005

Schools in the program: 13