Israel Harp Retreat
Ancient Sounds. Sacred Landscapes. A Journey Home.
Oct. 4-9, 2026 (Sun. - Fri.) | Upper Galilee, Israel
The Invitation
The harp has a memory. Long before it graced the concert halls of Europe, it sang in the hills of the Galilee, in the hands of shepherds and kings.
This spring, twelve harpists will return to that source - not as tourists, but as pilgrims seeking the deeper currents that connect Celtic and Hebraic musical traditions.
This is an invitation to play your harp in the land where King David once played his. To learn ancient maqams in the villages where they were born.
To discover how the modes you've studied come alive when you're surrounded by olive groves reflecting the essence of your instrument's entire lineage.
Your Teachers: Joy Meets Wisdom
The retreat is co-hosted by Simcha (means joy) Tzuf (Strings of Hope) and Sophia Abraham (Sophia Wisdom Harps) - a partnership that translates literally as "Joy" and "Wisdom."
Together, we've designed six days that bridge worlds: intuitive, heart-centered improvisation meeting the structured beauty of Celtic and ancient traditions.
Master Guest Teachers
Yaron Cherniak
Of the acclaimed band Miqedem.
Yaron is a multi-instrumentalist who guides students through the modal landscapes of Middle Eastern music teaching maqams, scales, and ornamentation techniques that define the region's sound.
Daily Workshops Explore:
Modes & Maqams: From Dorian to Hijaz, understanding therapeutic applications
Improvisation: Breaking free from the page, playing from the heart
Ancient Melodies: Psalms, prayers, and the music of pilgrimage
Simplistic Beauty: Making beautiful music through simplicity
Collaborative Play: How to play the Harp with other Harps and Musical instruments
And yes, you might find yourself accompanied by Naga, Simcha's singing husky, whose improvisational howls have a way of stealing the show.
The Journey:
Where Earth and Music Meet
Home Base: Klil Nature
An off-grid ecological sanctuary hidden among olive groves in the Western Galilee. Solar power replaces generators. Birdsong replaces traffic. The rhythm of days follows the sun rather than screens.
Mornings begin with chai tea circles and harp meditation. Days are filled with workshops, private mentorships, and collaborative jam sessions. Evenings drift into spontaneous music-making under the stars.
The Harp Travels With You:
The Sea of Galilee
A sunset boat concert on the waters of the Galilee Sea featuring ‘The Midwives’ - Chava Sabban and Tziona Achishena, as the light turns golden over Capernaum.
Rosh Pina: Woodsong
Visit artisan instrument maker who craft harps, Kalimbas, and Didgeridoos using traditional methods—a chance to see (and hear) instruments being born.
The Tzuf Family Home in Tzivon
An intimate house concert with Simcha's family band, followed by hands-on workshops in their home studio—the same space where much of Strings of Hope's content is created.
Optional Extension:
Spiritual Shabbat in Safed
For those who wish to linger in the land, extend your journey over Shabbat with two additional nights (Friday and Saturday) in Safed (Tzfat) - one of Judaism's four holy cities.
High in the mountains above the Galilee, cobblestone alleys wind past ancient synagogues and artist studios.
Here, you'll:
Tour historic sites and learn the stories that shaped Jewish mysticism
Welcome the Sabbath together with song
Enjoy a Musical Havdallah on a rooftop overlooking the hills, using the harp to mark the passage from sacred time back to the everyday world
It's an immersion in the spiritual dimension of music—the understanding that the harp has always been an instrument of the threshold, marking transitions between worlds.
What's Included in the Retreat
Six-Day Retreat: From $1,700
Oct 4-9, 2026 (Sun. - Thurs.) | Upper Galilee, Israel
✓ 5 nights at Klil Nature (shared & private rooms)
✓ Breafast Lunch and Dinner meals (Open kitchen breakfasts with fresh vegetables, eggs, and local cheeses. Cooked Wholesome Healthy dinners). And an open kitchen stocked with healthy snacks and foods for whenever you’re hungry.
✓ Daily masterclasses & a trip to the Sea of The Galilee
✓ Salt water swimming pool on-site
✓ Inspiring workshop and practice space (The Rock House)
✓ Limited amount of Harp rentals available locally if you can’t bring your own
Safed Extension: From $500
✓ 2 nights in the Old City of Safed
✓ Historic synagogue tours
✓ Shabbat meals & Musical Havdallah
What You'll Receive
Permission — to play without perfection, trust your ear over the page
Context — the harp as an ancient Middle Eastern, Celtic and Therapeutic vessel that traveled west
Community — small group of harpists sharing meals, music, and vulnerability
Memory — the kind that lives in your hands and changes how you play
Who This Is For
All levels welcome — dedicated beginners to advanced players.
You don't need to be Jewish. You don't need to know Middle Eastern music or modes.
You just need to be curious, open-hearted, and willing to step off the page.
If your practice feels mechanical → this invites you back to the source
If improvisation lives only in theory → this brings it into your body
If you seek the harp as sacred instrument → come home to the Galilee
Join Us
Dates: October 4-9, 2026
Location: Upper Galilee, Israel
Group Size: 14 harpists maximum
Investment: From $1,700 (retreat) | $620 (partner) || $500 (Safed Shabbat Extension).
Option to begin with a $1,000 deposit.
Questions?
Simcha: simcha@stringsofhope.com
A Seat Awaits
In October 2026, immediately following the Sukkot festival in Israel, a small group of harpists will gather to learn the Harp with Sophia Wisdom Harps and Simcha Tzuf.
They will be joined by world known guest teachers, teaching the beauty of harp, middle-eastern music, and Psalms, such as Yaron Chernik teaching ancient middle-eastern maqams.
But more than that, they'll discover what it means to play in the land where the harp was never foreign, where every hillside remembers the sound of strings.
The journey will be about building a closer connection with your harp, intuitive harp techniques, connecting with community, and with the song of the harp in its native land.
There's a seat in the circle waiting.
Will you take it?