MUGI – My Unique Gift Idea

In the hilltop town above the Sea of Galilee, Hassidic Jews swarm stone alleys where sandal-shod New Agers sell Evil Eye Bracelets and organic hummus to tourists.

I am describing the ancient Israeli city of Safed – also known as Tzfat – where the tourism boom which the Jewish Country is enjoying takes a Kabbalistic detour, thanks in part to the Queen of Pop, Madonna’s interest in Jewish mysticism, which has roots in the town.

The singer, whose devotion has been emulated by other non-Jewish celebrities made a discreet pilgrimage last year, paying respects at the grave of the 16th-century sage revered as the founder of modern Kabbalah, Rabbi Isaac Luria.

Spirituality and tradition are ubiquitous on Safed’s storefronts – “Bible and Mystical Art Center”; “Natural face cream products based on ancient recipes”; “Art & Soul.”

All of Israel is actually seeing a tourist boom. Visits are up fourfold, that is some 3 million a year.

Eyal Riess of kabbalahtour at the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah recommends that even a short burst of Safed air can work wonders.

“Kabbalah teaches the parallels of experience between the spiritual and physical,” Riess said, pointing from his rooftop terrace to the cemetery “where Madonna visited last year…We find the code of the soul of a person, based on the letters of his name and the date of his birth.”