Author Archives: Lee Saunders

Israel from A to Z

With a new year upon us, what better way to introduce the country to those who have always wondered, the curious travelers or returning visitors, than an A to Z of interesting facts and places you should definitely get to know, to make your visit truly memorable.

A-Z GrungeALSO

A – Akko: On a peninsula jutting into the Mediterranean, centuries of history are stacked within the Crusader walls of the northern city of Akko (or Acre). A Unesco World Heritage status, Akko has a fascinating history, including an impressive Crusader fortress from more than 700 years ago, all a short trip from Haifa. Read more about it on our blog

B – Baha’i: Founded in 1863 by Persian nobleman, Baha’u’llah, the mysterious Bahá’í faith attracts over 7 million followers. After being banished from Persia, Baha’u’llah eventually spent much of his life in Haifa, home to the iconic Bahá’í Gardens, one of the faith’s two holiest sites and a major place of pilgrimage for Bahá’ís. another of which is in Akko, pictured

the beautiful Bahai gardens in Akko Israel

C – Christianity: While only 2% of the population of 180,000, Israel is holy for Christians for its association with the birth, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Visit his birthplace in Bethlehem, his boyhood home in Nazareth – where Mary learned of her pregnancy on the site of Church of the Annunciation – and the site of his crucifixion in awe-inspiring Jerusalem. Read more about the Holy Sites of Christianity in Jerusalem.

D – Desert: Stretching from Beer Sheva to Eilat, the Negev desert makes up 60% of Israel. Experience the welcoming Bedouin towns and take a memorable trip to the jaw-dropping ancient fortress of Masada, the epic terrain that is Mitzpe Ramon or Ramon Crater, and the serene Timna National Park, home of the world’s oldest copper mines, about 25km north of Eilat. Click here for more to do in Eilat

Left: Ethnic Music Equipment – Right: Camel in the Dessert at Timna Park

E – Ethnic music: The eclectic diversity of the music scene in Israel enraptures many visitors. Immigrants from Europe, Asia and the Middle East brought their own musical traditions, including Mizrahi music, combining elements from Turkey, Greece, North Africa, and the Middle East, as well as Eastern European klezmer music, enjoyed at a three-day Klezmer Festival every August in Zefat. Read more here

F – Food: The food in Israel is second-to-none and comprises both local dishes and foods traditionally eaten in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, including Iraqi, Yemenite and Moroccan. Try the falafel and sabich in pita bread, with hummus, as well as shakshuka, a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers and garlic. Find out more about the Secrets of Tahini

G – Galilee: The Galilee has mountain peaks and flourishing valleys, gorgeous creeks, and cities with fascinating histories thousands of years old. From rebellions and wars to the birth of worldwide spiritual movements, the region is a hugely popular destination to relax, see where Christianity began, and where Jewish mystical traditions flourished close to Ruth Safed Hotel.

Left: Lobby at Ruth Safed Hotel Right: Pastoral Gardens at Ruth Safed Hotel

H – Herzliya: Perched on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean is the upscale town of Herzliya, home to the Dan Accadia, set to be the largest hotel in Israel, and many of the high-tech enterprises that have made Israel famous. Just north of Tel Aviv, Herzliya has an impressive marina offering inviting restaurants, bars and boutique shops, and also hosts national and international sailing or cocktail events.

I – Islam: Israel is home to almost two million Arab citizens, or around 20% of the population, of which three quarters are Muslim Arabs, the remainder being Druze and Christians. Take a stroll around the Arab markets, highlighting their ancient traditions or relish in the splendid view of the gold-topped Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, Islam’s third holiest site, built in the 7th century.

J – Judaism: Tracing its history back almost 4,000 years, Judaism has a long presence in today’s Israel. Home to 9 million people, 75% of the population is Jewish, with Jerusalem’s Western Wall, or Kotel, the holiest site in the religion and the only remaining section of the limestone wall of the Second Temple, built by King Herod the Great. Check out more ways to celebrate Jewish customs while you’re in Israel

K – Kibbutzim: Traditionally based on agriculture, the socialist kibbutz movement represents one of most iconic movements in Israel’s history. Although today these collective farms develop more industrial and hi-tech enterprises than only farming, a visit offers a charming glimpse into a nostalgic past.

Left: Workers on a Kibbutz – Right: Floats at Tel Aviv beach during Pride

L – LGBT: As one of the hottest, most liberal and welcoming destinations for the LGBT community, Israel has popular and colorful annual Gay Pride events in most major cities, while the flagship June parade in Tel Aviv regularly pulls in 200,000, who come to enjoy the city’s sun-kissed beaches, pride parties, bustling restaurants and fascinating cultural events.

M – Museums: With the highest number of museums per capita in the world, Israel has many attractions showcasing art, culture, history and more. Visit the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, one of the oldest museums, as well as Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, and the second-most-visited Israeli tourist site, after the Western Wall.

N – Nature: Despite its tiny size, Israel’s diverse terrain runs from mountains in the north to the Negev Desert in the south and contains over 40 national parks and more than 10,000 km of marked trails. Visit the country’s largest national park, Mount Carmel National Park near Haifa, as well as the breath-stealing Masada, an awe-inspiring ancient fortress in the Negev Desert, built by King Herod.

Waterfall Banias landscape. Water stream. Autumn at river Hermon. Nature Reserve and National park a popular place for tourist trips with locals and foreigners in the north of Israel.

O – Old City: Close to the city’s four Dan Hotels, Jerusalem’s Old City is shrouded in mystery and invites you to explore a medley of cultures and famous holy sites dating back thousands of years. The Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters house the awe-inspiring Western Wall, the splendid Dome of the Rock and landmark churches, such as the iconic Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

P – Parliament: The Knesset or Israeli Parliament is home to 120 representatives from across the political spectrum. In a complex political landscape, a coalition government usually rules, with the center-right bloc led by Likud and current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Q – Qumran: The Qumran or Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient Jewish religious manuscripts found in the Qumran Caves on the northern shore of the Dead Sea. Available to see at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the scrolls date back over 2,000 years, with the first discoveries only made in the 1940s by a Bedouin shepherd.

R – Royalty: Prince William, Madonna, Queen and the Rolling Stones are some of the crown and music royalty who have greeted the Israeli public over the last few years. Many celebrities stay at the Dan Hotels before entertaining sold-out audiences with live concerts at venues such as Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park and Nokia Arena.

Left: Jon Bon Jovi being greeted by Rima Oram, GM at Dan TA, Right: Prince William greeted by Haim Shkedi, GM at King David

S – Size: Israel is surprisingly small. Similar size to New Jersey or Wales, the country is 420 km long (9 hours by car) and about 115 km across at its widest (90 minutes by car). Mountains and plains, fertile land, and desert are often minutes’ apart.

T – Technology: Described as the Start-Up Nation, Israel has more start-ups per capital than anywhere else in the world and science and technology experts from the country’s most fantastic universities, such as the Technion, as well as some of the best museums, such as Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem and Madatech, located on the original home of the iconic Technion in Haifa.

U – Underwater: The underwater adventures are endless in Israel’s southernmost city, Eilat, an ideal stopping point to celebrate the natural world. From the Underwater Observatory to the Red Sea, marvel at the range of aquatic life and enjoy fantastic scuba diving trips and the magical experience of swimming closely with dolphins at the Dolphin Reef.

V – Vegan: Israel has been swept by a vegan revolution, with Tel Aviv named “Vegan Capital of the World” by a British newspaper. Foods, such as falafel, hummus, salads and couscous are an integral part of the Israeli diet, with The LINK Hotel & Hub getting ahead of the curve, with its MEATLESS menu.

One of the Non-Vegan colorful dishes at LINK hotel & hub

W – Water: Within a hot stone’s throw of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea – arguably the world’s most natural health clinic – retains an almost mythical status, as the lowest point on earth, attracting tourists of all ages, aches and pains, and from all corners of the globe. Take the mandatory selfie baked in mud or as you float in the healing waters of this world-famous salty lake.

X – Xmas: The Holy City of Jerusalem and Mass in Bethlehem are particularly special, while Christmas in Nazareth and the festivities in Haifa continue to attract tourists, travelers, locals and pilgrims in large numbers. Be part of Christmas prayer and carol services and Midnight Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Jesus’s tomb or visit where it all started, Nazareth.

Y – Yafo, Yaffa or Jaffa: This charming ancient port city in southern Tel Aviv, close to the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, is almost 4,000 years old and tells the tale of many fallen empires as, well as the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon and Saint Peter. Take a walking tour from the Clock Tower and have a rummage through Jaffa’s famous flea market in search of a special treasure to bring home.

Jaffa Old Town and modern Tel Aviv skyline on dramatic sunrise, Israel

Z – Zefat: Perched high above the Sea of Galilee, the city of Zefat – known today as the home of Kabbalah, the mystical strain of Judaism. Stay at the Ruth Zefat and wander through the artist’s colony and cobbled streets of a city echoing the sacredness of the mystics who lived there in the 16th and 17th centuries.

What will your favorites be?

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Crazy for Coffee

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Almost a quarter of Israelis drink four to eight cups of coffee each day, above the world average. These were the findings from a survey carried out by the Israeli start-up Sleeprate, which also found that Israelis drink a staggering 3 billion cups of coffee per year. After sipping on an Hafuch Gadol – my first of the day – I hit the streets of Israel to find out where to get the hafuch (a creamier espresso-based latte) and discover the vast range of coffees available. From chains to independents, cafés to micro-roasteries, Israel has it all.

Variety of coffee instruments, Coffee Beans & Instant coffee .

This year, Café Landwer celebrated its 100th anniversary and it the 70c-plus chain has been producing fresh, flavorful and rich coffee since 1919, after bringing the recipe to Israel from Germany and opening their first coffee roasting facility in Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, becoming the first coffee roaster company in Israel. Today, along with fellow chains, Aroma and Arcaffe, they have thrived and prospered in a country, where Starbucks famously failed, closing its six stores and withdrawing from Israel in 2003.

Espresso might not have become a common drink in Israel until the 1990s but the first ever espresso bar has been sitting in the middle of Rothschild Street in Tel Aviv, and is a stopping point on the Independence Trail, a free self-guided walking tour that takes you through iconic moments and past key buildings in the city’s history and country’s independence. There are a string of coffee stopping points in the middle of Rothschild Street, as you head up this tree-lined boulevard towards Habima, Israel’s national theater, close to a vibrant café called We Like You too!, where you can take a bench or blanket and meet with friends for your daily dose of caffeine and some of the best people watching in the city.

Link Cafe open 24/7 at the Link Hotel & Hub

“Israeli life is full of adrenalin and social life – coffee and cafés supply both”

In coffee obsessed Tel Aviv, Café Nahat has become one of the city’s flagship coffee houses since it opened its doors in January 2015. Standing out with its own in-house micro-roastery, this uber-chilled café is a hub for bean fanatics and attracts locals and tourists looking to catch up or work over the perfect cup of coffee. “Israeli life is full of adrenaline and social life – coffee and cafés supply both,” said Dan Urieli and Assaf Bilton, co-owners of Café Nahat. Coffee drinkers can sit among the cozy inside tables or outside in front of the famous Dizengoff fountain, sipping on cups of coffee from beans sourced, blended and roasted on the premises. Try coffees from India, Colombia and Ethiopia, with many coffees brewed via a range of brewing methods, from Turkish and Chemex to Hario and cold brew. Be sure to try out its sister coffee shop, Ada Hanina, tucked away in Jaffa’s Flea market and steps away from the Mediterranean Sea and close to the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv. At Ada, you will find a small batch, specialty micro-roaster bringing in green coffee beans from some of the world’s best coffee growers.

And don’t forget to stop by LINK cafe at Link Hotel & Hub, The Link café is open 24/7 and offers: coffee, pastries, sandwiches, soft drinks and more in a grab & go concept. Another option is to have a sit with us and enjoy the fresh air.
The café is conveniently located at the hotel entrance featuring Street-side seating.

“Israelis are developing a taste for the best quality coffee”

This growing trend towards roasted-on-the-premises is also seen over in Jerusalem. Opposite the iconic Mahane Yehuda market is Power Coffeeworks, one of the best kept secrets in the city. South African owner Brandon Treger explained: “Israelis are discovering a stronger appreciation for good quality coffee. I would call this the next wave of appreciation for coffee here. Israelis are travelling more and more, they want to experience other cultures and are developing a taste for the best quality coffee.”

Café Nahat has become one of the city’s flagship coffee houses since it opened its doors in January 2015.

Treger also roasts his own beans on the premises, with beans coming from Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Brazil, Ethiopia and Colombia, among other places. Serving up delicious espressos and cappuccinos, the friendly vibe makes this one fabulous coffee house with character. A short walk from the King David Jerusalem Hotel is Café Nadi, where you can take the weight off your feet, let your worries evaporate with insanely good cups of coffee, and an ideal breakfast spot to start the day. Close by is also the renowned Etz Café, which combines fresh ingredients, quality coffee, and the homely atmosphere of a family-run business. Freshly roasted at a boutique roaster in Jerusalem, Etz brings you a menu carefully crafted to incorporate the best of cafe culture from home and abroad.

From the classic cappuccino to dark Turkish coffee spiced with cardamom or almond-milk lattes and cold brew. With so much coffee available, and so many tourist attractions to see, is it any wonder this country never sleeps?

Wine, Cocktails & Beer – Israel in High Spirits…

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“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind,” said the late American actor Humphrey Bogart. In Israel, where the amazing range of food can often steal the limelight, there is a massive celebration of wine, cocktails and beer throughout the year, with many festivals that the visitor should definitely join.

“A good wine is a necessity of life”

While Israel may not be as known for wine as Argentina, Chile or South Africa, the industry has been emerging for some time, with a reputation that is fast-growing. And you may well be surprised by all the delicious wines Israel has to offer today. The Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean is considered to be home to the world’s wine production long before the vine was actually found in Europe. While Israel’s own wine production is particularly strong in the northern vineyards, it is fascinatingly rich and fruitful and varied across the country. In fact, just over the last decade or so, Israel has developed over 200 wineries from the Golan Heights up north to the Negev Desert of the south.

Israel – Wine country

It comes therefore as no surprise that the country offers multiple wine festivals throughout the year. Winter may yet seem some way off but every January – the Sommelier exhibition takes place over two days in the Mann Auditorium of Tel Aviv’s Habima theater. Although targeted at hotels, restaurants, bar owners and manufacturers, the event opens up every evening to the public, with a complete focus on wine. You will find more than 60 Israeli wineries alongside dozens of international wine brands, hundreds of bottles of wine most of them new, and professional workshops displayed on 2 large floors. If you want a chance to visit every booth and buy some bottles, I highly suggest you go for both nights. A four-day festival – and one of Israel’s largest wine festivals – takes place every summer in Jerusalem at the Israel Museum, a ten-minute drive from the infamous wine bar at the King David Jerusalem Hotel. For the past 16 years, this Wine Festival has taken place in the museum’s stunning sculpture garden, under Jerusalem’s tipsy twinkling stars. Here, you can sample hundreds of different wines from dozens of different wineries. More than twenty thousand visitors enjoyed the most recent event in July, appreciating the wines, the varied cheese stands and tremendous live music that certainly helps the “medicine” go down.

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Barmen doing their thing during TLV Cocktail week (credit: DrinkTLV)

The Most Intoxicating Cocktails
If the wine industry is continuing to emerge, the appetite for cocktails is positively head spinning. Almost every month, a new cocktail bar is opening up in Israel, trying to attract its clientele with the most outrageous, over the top creations. Tel Aviv – the city that started the cocktail scene in Israel – organizes Tel Aviv Cocktail Week – a seven-day summer festival in June dedicated to the art of the cocktail. Many bars around the city host events, workshops and showcase their innovative, high-quality specialty cocktails. You will be dazzled by the supreme talents of seasoned bartenders, showing off their works of art and passion for flavors and creativity. What’s so wonderful about this festival is that there is something for everyone, if you just want a decently priced but delicious cocktail at your neighborhood bar or if you want to actually learn how to create your own cocktails from the professionals – you can do it all!

Busy bar during Cocktail week (credit: DrinkTLV)

North of Tel Aviv, at Herzliya marina, merely a ten-minute walk from the luxurious Dan Accadia, the Israel Cocktail Festival will offer you the chance to get to know the best cocktails by touring the festival stands . With the semi-final of the alcoholic brand Mezcal IBA , hosted by the Link Hotel & Hub in Tel Aviv, over 12,000 cocktails are mixed and shaken (not stirred) during the festival by professional bartenders and renowned mixologists, using top-shelf alcohol to serve a crowd who appreciative the hard-work behind the art. At each stand, you are not just getting a drink but a show as well! The master behind the counter takes you on a journey, sharing with you the recipes and stories behind their signature cocktails, and a particular theme that is close to their heart.

From Micro to Macro – Beer is Growing
While Israel may be gaining international recognition for its wineries, it has also become host to a surprising celebration of whiskey – with Whisky Live, the international whiskey exhibition taking place again in 2020 in Israel, for the sixth year. The country is also home to a plethora of microbreweries. While Tempo Beer has been producing the famous Goldstar and Maccabee brands since the 1950s, since the Dancing Camel microbrewery opened its doors in 2005, there has been a surge in microbreweries and a number of festivals. Among them, Jerusalem Beer Fest takes place at the end of August. Running for 15 years, this two-day festival does not disappoint, pouring out over 120 local and international beers to taste from as you drink and dance an unforgettable night away at the city’s Independence Park.

Jerusalem Beer Festival (credit: Ido Nitay Flash)

At the Herzliya marina and Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market complex, the British pub style chain, Lager & Ale hosts a festival offering a European take on pub culture. Offering the opportunity to pull your own pint, the two-day festival in August also allows everyone to drink freely from over 20 unique beers at affordable prices, accompanied by delicious street food and DJ’s to get you in the mood.

If you are concerned, like Humphrey Bogart, that you are a few drinks behind, there are more than enough festivals to catch up. Enjoy.

Summer Activities for Kids in Israel

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We’ve all seen the movie Home Alone a thousand times. The fear of leaving the kid at home or more horrifically what to do with them at home over the summer vacation can be terrifying.

This summer’s theme for children across all of the Danyland kids’ clubs, is connected to the love of animals. Pictured: Danyland Club at Dan Accadia, Herzliya.

Visits to grandma – check. Playdates – check. Screen-time – check. But you can’t always expect your 3-13-year-olds to behave in a mall or share your love of trekking. We’ll help you find something to satisfy all ages and interests to push you through till we send them off to school again.

Israel was built and designed for the education, enjoyment and growth of the next generation. From the most energetic little ones to the moodiest of teenagers, there are activities to excite, stimulate and entertain, while preserving parents’ sanity too during these hot summer months.

Ramat Gan Safari, combines the safari and zoo experience in the heart of the big city. Credit: Tibor Yeger

Among some of our favorite activities is Sky Jump Park, one of the largest indoor venues in Israel for jumping and climbing experiences. Let the kids burn off their energy, have fun and improve their fitness in this highly professional and supervised complex at their two locations, Raanana and at the port of North Tel Aviv Sky Jump offers fun and safe climbing walls, lively ball baths, challenging basketball ramps, and dozens of trampolines available for three-year-olds and upwards.

Tel Aviv’s Eretz Israel Museum one of the largest summer exhibitions for children, with giant sculptures of animals.

In addition to sports, there are enough animal-related activities to fascinate young minds. This summer’s theme for children across all of the Danyland kids’ clubs at Dan Hotels is connected to the love of animals. In the courtyard of Tel Aviv’s Eretz Israel Museum, you’ll find one of the largest summer exhibitions for children in Tel Aviv. For six weeks only from July 20, the Midsummer Night Animals features about 30 giant sculptures of animals, including peacocks, elephants, snakes, lions, crocodiles, and more, all born out of the imagination of sculptor, Aharale Ben-Arieh, all allowing the visitor to move and interact with them, opening kids up to a whole new world. Not far away is the almost 70-year-old Ramat Gan Safari, just 30 minutes’ drive from the Dan Tel Aviv, which combines the safari and zoo experience in the heart of the big city.

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Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, come and discover the Web of Life. Credit: Shay Ben Efraim

Drive your car (or take a safari bus) through the open-air exhibits, then enter the zoo area for a closer look at the Middle East’s largest collection of furry and feathery friends across 250 acres – home to more than 100 species of birds, 80 species of mammals and 25 species of reptiles. Although newer, since it opened in 1993, the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem also attracts more than 750,000 visitors a year. Among 170 species of animals, the zoo hosts the world’s largest collection of animals mentioned in the Bible, as well as many other creatures in natural habitats. The complex allows kids to ride a train around the grounds and enjoy an animal-themed play area and petting zoo, while nearby there is the Israel Aquarium.

Lunada Museum – one of the most fun museums for kids in Israel. Credit: Kaktus Studios

There are even more fascinating creatures on display at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, which opened last September. Here, in a 9,620 square meter complex next to the Tel Aviv University, you can learn about the Great Bird Migration, marvel at Bugs and Beyond and discover the Web of Life and how we are all connected.

The amazing Lunada, one of the most fun museums for kids in Israel, combines the natural world and the fun outdoors.Located in the southern city of Beersheba, a nice day trip from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, this three-story facility sits on a 4,000 square meter site and is divided into zones. Comprising eight knowledge spaces, over 50 exhibits and installations, and unique outdoor play areas, such as The Children’s Park, kids and parents can easily while away a full day. The outside space on 15 acres, has a lake, an island with a Pirate Ship, an amphitheater, giant playground zone, not to mention the famous ‘Chutes and Ladders,’ allowing the kids to climb up and slide down an outdoor version of the famous board game.

Danyland Kids Club at Dan Eilat Hotel, which combines activities with animals.

Learning about nature is one way to entertain, but learning about the land has never been more interesting at Beit Guvrin National Park, a perfect escape from the scorching sun. The park offers the chance to ‘Dig for a Day,’ an activity geared towards families. What kid does not enjoy digging in dirt? This actual excavation allows you to explore underground and look for artifacts from the days of the Maccabees, over 2,000 years ago. With younger children given plastic tools and older kids using real excavation tools under the supervision of experts, this national park allows you to check out some of Israel’s most famous caves and learn about nature, geology and ancient history.

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At the Lunada Museum, kids and parents can easily while away a full day with over 50 exhibits and installations. Credit: Kaktus Studios

If you want your magic and history to be more recent, the Dizengoff Mall in Tel Aviv is hosting a Harry Potter extravaganza until the end of August. Look at special merchandise brought over from the London studios and take your photograph, dressed as a wizard at Hogwarts.

If you would rather see the dive than dig, splash than explore, then head north up the Mediterranean coast, past Herzliya, towards the Shefayim Water Park, the first and largest water park in Israel. Having opened in 1984, the park stretches over 100 acres and offers the young at heart 26 surfing trails, 8 water parks, tubing, kamikaze slides and ‘Caribbean beaches.’
Switch off Netflix. Bring Grandma. And go enjoy.

Learning about nature is one way to entertain, but learning about the land has never been more interesting at Beit Guvrin National Park. Credit: Sharon Tal

Zefat: The Heart and Soul of the Galilee

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Tourists and locals seeking a relaxing, timeless and alternative experience in Israel will be able to do so at the Ruth Zefat Hotel, after the Dan Hotels chain extended its reach into the Galilee, taking ownership of this long standing hotel.

Public areas at Ruth Zefat – The perfect point from which to explore this truly profound and mesmerizing city, Zefat.

Perched high above the Sea of Galilee, the city of Zefat is known today for its spiritual elevation as much as its physical one. Arguably the home of Kabbalah, the mystical strain of Judaism, Zefat, however, has traditionally had a diverse personality. As well as a spiritual center, it remains a retreat for secular Tel Avivians looking to escape the summer heat; an artists’ colony; and home for generations of Sephardi Jews evicted from Spain. What it has always retained, though, is its ability to transform visitors, stripping away the material and revealing something deeper, about the city and themselves.

Synagogues and the Old Jewish Quarter
Many Sephardic rabbis, sages, scholars and poets escaping the Spanish inquisition in the late 15th century settled in Zefat, which subsequently became a major center of Kabbalah spirituality, a tradition, which in spite of attracting celebrity followers such as Madonna, lives in the Orthodox Jew. The walls and stones of the city echo the sacredness of the holy mystics who lived there in the 16th and 17th centuries. Indeed, only Jerusalem is older, more spiritual, and holier than Zefat. As you walk down the cobblestone streets leading to ancient synagogues, you will get a peek into a past that is unrivalled anywhere on Earth.

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The Ashkenazi Ari Synagogue – established by Greek immigrants in the 16th century

The Old Jewish Quarter, which is also called the Synagogue Quarter due to its 32 synagogues, includes the Caro Synagogue, named after 16th century Spanish-born scholar Yosef Caro, is home to amazing hanging lamps and a Torah scroll that is at least 400 years old. According to one tradition, an angel revealed the secrets of Kabbalah to Caro in the house below the synagogue. Named after a 16th century Rabbi, the two Ari synagogues: The Ashkenazi Ari Synagogue – established by Greek immigrants in the 16th century, and one of the oldest synagogues in use across the country; and the Sephardic Ari Synagogue, a gorgeous and ornate sanctuary and the oldest synagogues in the city.

The alleyways of this Old City overlook one of the most astounding views in all of Israel, and so too does the Ruth Zefat Hotel – from whose luxurious rooms, you can take in the view of Israel’s second highest mountain – Mount Meron, and the highest nature reserve to visit in Israel. According to one tradition, the Zohar, the central book of teachings in Kabbalah, was written in a cave in nearby Peki’in. One of the most sacred caves in Zefat lies in the Old City – The Cave of Shem and Ever, which, legend has it, that this is the site where Noah’s son and grandson established a religious school, or yeshiva, after the Great Flood.

Mount Meron – the second highest mountain of Israel

Hub Of Creativity
As well as an interesting pilgrimage for the religious, Zefat became increasingly known as Israel’s art capital in the 1950s and 1960s. The Artist’s Quarter, south of the Old Jewish Quarter, drew artists from around the country and still has a unique, bohemian character that attracts a mixture of the devout and the creative, the books and the brushes. The narrow, biscuit-colored stone alleyways and quiet cobbled courtyards make this town ideal for pottering, for ambling, for idling – and for poking around its many galleries and stain-glass fronts of boutique stores, such as Safed Candles, which features the most intricately and elegantly carved candles in every color, size and shape, from Bible scenes made entirely out of candle wax, to funky candle shapes for kids.

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The Artist’s Quarter, south of the Old Jewish Quarter, drew artists from around the country.

In fact, the Artist’s Quarter played an extremely significant role in the overall development of Israeli art with some of its artists like Moshe Castel and Yitzhak Frenkel becoming internationally recognized, and you should drop by the General Exhibition here to see the array of work on display. You can grab a bite to eat, next door at the iconic Maximillian Café or the delightfully charming Ha’Ari 8 Restaurant close by.

As well as the fancy cafés, stores and art galleries worth checking out, Zefat is hailed as the Klezmer capital of the world. Klezmer music is to music what Yiddish was as a language to the Jewish community – it borrowed components from the places, largely in Eastern Europe, where the Jewish communities lived.

Ruth Zefat Hotel – Right: The entrance to one of Hotel’s luxurious room. Left: Authentic style Public Area.

Consisting of dance tunes and instrumental pieces for weddings and other celebrations, klezmer left Eastern Europe as the Jews left the shtetls (small Jewish villages), and, as it did, klezmer spread far and wide, but in Zefat, in late August, the sounds of traditional and contemporary klezmer echo across the Galilee at the free three-day Zefat Klezmer Festival, which has been attracting leading musicians from around the globe and drawing crowds from all over the country since it began in 1987.

At the heart of all of this energy is the Ruth Zefat Hotel, which may lie on the site of an inn that is 800 years old, but is the perfect modern boutique hotel from which to explore this truly profound and mesmerizing city.

Ruth Zefat Hotel, which lies on the site of an 800 year old inn

Plenty of Room at the Inn as Dan moves to Nazareth

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There may have been “no room at the inn” in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, but there is plenty of comfortable accommodation in his boyhood town of Nazareth, after Dan Hotels acquired the 226-room hotel in Nazareth , now the Mary’s Well Nazareth Hotel. This was a second addition to the Dan Hotels family – including the Ruth Zefat in the upper Galilee in February.

Public areas at The Mary’s Well Nazareth – The new hotel by Dan Hotels

Dan Hotels’ entry into the stunning Galilee will bring to the region the luxury accommodation for which the now 18-hotel chain is renowned. And, Nazareth is more than ready. The city has come a long way since its days as an agricultural village as early as the Middle Bronze Age, while tombs have been found dating from the Iron Age to Hasmonean times. Back in Roman Times, it was a quiet, rustic Jewish village of around 500, today a city of 60,000, Israel’s largest Arab city, both Muslims and Christians, tending to the many steeples and domes.

This is a city of religion and faith, of spirituality and holiness, but also a city with a rich history, fascinating archeology and Middle Eastern charm, and the Mary’s Well Nazareth Hotel is at the heart of it. Nearby, a bustling local market in the stone-paved Old City is one of the popular attractions and spot to pick up fashionable fabrics, sample taste the spices and local foods, and buy local artwork.

Left: Church of the Annunciation (Basilica). Right: Greek Orthodox Church.

The main attractions transport you back to Nazareth’s ancient past, and the hotel is right at the center of all the main attractions, that have drawn pilgrims and tourists for 2,000 years. According to Christian tradition, the family of Jesus hails from the city of Nazareth, where his mother, Mary received the news of her pregnancy from the angel Gabriel, and where Jesus himself spent most of his life. As such, this ancient city’s rich history and fascinating archeology makes it a popular destination for Christian pilgrims. As the number of visits increased, the city built the first church – the Church of the Annunciation (or Basilica of the Annunciation) – in 1969, on the site of Joseph and Mary’s home and where Mary learned of her pregnancy. This is among the most sacred places in the Christian world.

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Next to this church is the Church of Saint Joseph, built on the ruins of agricultural buildings where, according to tradition, Joseph, Mary’s husband, had his carpentry shop. There is also the Greek Orthodox Church of the Archangel Gabriel, which was built over the freshwater spring known as Mary’s Well, a structure from the Crusader period, and the Greek Catholic Synagogue Church (or Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation), believed to be the site of the synagogue where the young Jesus was taught. A walk through the narrow streets, between the picturesque houses, and imagine the significance then of this tiny village. The open-air museum, Nazareth Village does exactly that, carefully reconstructing and recreating village life in the Galilee in Jesus’ time. A great program for Easter shows you an original farm, which has been restored with olive trees, terraces, ancient wine press, irrigation system and stone quarry, with exact replicas of first century houses, a synagogue, mikveh and olive presses. Complete your experience with a delightful first century Biblical meal served by villagers in a beautiful setting.

Left: Basilica of the Annunciation – among the most sacred places in the Christian world. Right: Church of the Archangel Gabriel – a structure from the Crusader period.

After you have eaten, if you want to see exactly where Mary walked to gather water, take a free guided tour of the Holy Caves of Nazareth, and retrace her steps through a network of tunnels to be excavated.

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Exhausted? Get your best night’s sleep at the Mary’s Well Nazareth Hotel before taking the Jesus Trail, a 65 km hiking and pilgrimage route that starts in Nazareth and traces the route Jesus may have walked, connecting many sites from his life and ministry. The route takes in Cana, where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine, the fishing village, Capernaum, and Mount Precipice, which offers an excellent panoramic view of the patchwork Jezreel Valley and Mount Tabor, especially nice at sunrise.

Mount Precipice, which offers an excellent panoramic view of the patchwork Jezreel Valley and Mount Tabor

Dan Hotels is now here in Nazareth. And what a comfortable stay before you explore!

Learning about Science and Space in Israel

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One Small Step for Man; One Giant Step for Israel
Fifty years ago this July, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, modestly reminding the world that it was one small step for man, one giant step for mankind. In late April, Israel took an enormous leap forwards as it became only the 7th country to orbit the moon’s surface.

Left: International Space Station. Right: Launching spacecraft to the moon.

After a two-month journey through 6.5 million km of space, a dishwasher-sized spacecraft, a robotic lander named Beresheet achieved the feat, another milestone in the formidable reputation of Israel’s experts in science and technology. These experts come from the country’s most fantastic universities and are mirrored by some of the best museums. It was recently published that ‘Nano Dimension’, the Israeli Electronics Manufacturing company together with ‘Harris Corporation’, an American Technology company are developing a satellite component as part of a project in which in the two companies will cooperate with the International Space Station.

Tour the Universities and Institutes
If you are looking to be amazed and inspired, first stop has to be The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (‘The Technion’) – at the heart of this technological revolution. Founded in Haifa in 1912, the Technion is credited with conceiving, founding and shaping the high-tech nation of the modern State of Israel. Home to three Nobel laureates, the Technion is ranked sixth worldwide for entrepreneurship and innovation and has had a dramatic impact in many fields of science and technology, including aerospace engineering.

Left: Weizmann Institute of Science which is located in Rehovot. Right: The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, located in the city of Haifa.

If the Technion was the first to reach for the stars, the Weizmann Institute of Science was not far behind. Located in Rehovot, a city south of Tel Aviv, it was established in 1934 as a center of science and technological innovation, and renamed 70 years ago for Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first President of the State of Israel and founder of the Institute. Contact the Levinson Visitors Center to learn more about memorable educational tours of the Weizmann House, the Clore Garden of Science, an open-air science museum, where visitors are encouraged to experiment and play with over ninety exhibits spanning the grassy lawns of the Institute.

Cutting-edge Museums
Israel’s national science museum is Madatech- Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space (‘Madatech’), which sits on the original home of the iconic Technion in Haifa. Recognized 32 years ago by the Government as Israel’s national museums for science, Planning and technology, Madatech inspires visitors with a raft of cutting-edge scientific and technological secrets and discoveries. As the nearby Dan Carmel Haifa and Dan Panorama Haifa set high standards for elegance and luxury, Madatech has set a high bar among science museums worldwide, with more than 20 interactive science and technology exhibitions, including an interactive astronomy exhibition revealing the mysterious wonders of the solar system, its planets and moons and a delve into the mysterious world of magic and illusion.

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Madatech Building – The Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space, which sits on the original home of the iconic Technion in Haifa.

You can get a discounted ticket price for Madatech if you subscribe to the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, a cultural and educational institution, west of Sacher Park. A range of interactive exhibitions on the subjects of science and technology included the 3D movie, Journey to Space, which showcases how humans have punched through the stratosphere, walked on the moon, and discuss audacious missions such as landing astronauts on Mars and capturing asteroids.

In the city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, a visit to Planetanya is a must for all families, with terrific activities for children. It includes an outdoor science park, a Japanese garden, ecological pools, and a digital planetarium with state-of-the-art facilities. As well as lectures and presentations every evening, in cooperation with the Israel Astronomical Society, the Planetarium is an intriguing and alternative experience.

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Left: Science and Technology Exhibition at Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem. (Photography: Avi Hayun) Right: Astronomy activity at the center for science space and culture – Planetanya.

Look to the Skies
If you want to get even closer to the stars, without being on a spaceship, there are a number of tremendous experiences to savor. A guided tour of the starry night sky from the Ramon Crater, home of Israel’s largest research telescope at the Wise Observatory. Learn from Ira Machefsky, who brings more than 50 years of astronomy experience, offering nightly astronomy tours in Israel for beginners to advanced amateurs. Further south, close to the city of Eilat, the hidden treasure that is the What’s Up Observatory is a joy to behold. Visitors can take in the superb Stargazing program, run by Ethan Schwartz, who shares his passion for astronomy in a simple and professional way to introduce you to the wonders of the sky and its many constellations.

Left: The vision of stars as seen at night from Park Timna and Eilat area. (Photography: Hagit Gal) Right: Ramon Crater

Using a computerized telescope, together with binoculars, you will have the opportunity to look at our solar system, the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter and maybe even Mars and Venus and Uranus, depending on the time and season. Enjoy this breathtaking experience, just a straight drive down Route 90 from the equally out-of-this-world Dan Eilat and Dan Panorama Eilat.

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So, as now the country prepares for another future launch to the moon, there are many ways right now on terra firma to challenge your curiosity, test your knowledge, and surpass your expectation. For Israel, it may be quite the accomplishment. In reality, it’s not all that surprising.

Astronomy exhibition at The Madatech in Haifa City

Open Sesame: The Secrets of Tahini In Israel

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You will find it lovingly embracing shawarma, drizzled over roasted cauliflower, nestling on top of a tomato salad or puddled in the middle of hummus. When you’re in Israel, you will discover the real tahini. Far from the thick paste made from ground sesame seeds found on supermarket shelves abroad, tahini in Israel is a creamy, silky sauce that has become the king of pastes, a rich spread long treasured in Middle Eastern cooking.

While tahini dates back several thousand years, with sesame seeds cultivated in India since 5,000 BC, it traces its presence in the Levant region to between 3-4,000 years ago. It came to Israel via the country’s Mizrahi population — Jews from Middle Eastern countries, such as Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq. And of course, there was also the influence of the country’s non-Jewish Arab citizens and neighbors. Today, it is as important here in Israel as ketchup is to the Brits or mustard to the Americans, but it has also increasingly captured taste buds worldwide.

Sesame seeds cultivated in India since 5,000 before the Christian counting

According to a recent report from Persistence Market Research, the global tahini market is growing by more than 5% each year, and Israel has emerged as one of the world’s leading producers of tahini. In 2016, tahini exports to the U.S., Italy, Australia, among others, brought over USD 30 million to Israel, and it is not hard to see why.

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“Although high in calories, it is also nutrient-dense and a great source of calcium, iron and protein and is extremely healthy,” said Sarit Orenstein, who, together with her husband, run a small factory, Melachet HaTochen. From the millstone straight to the jar, these tahini connoisseurs have been producing raw tahini and making halva, sesame milk and sesame oil for many years, recently taking their operation from the heart of Tel Aviv’s famous Levinsky spice market to a kibbutz in Israel’s Jordan Valley.

Falafels, deep fried patties made from ground chickpeas, are the perfect match for Tahini

In Israel, tahini is often whisked with iced water, thinned with lemon juice and flavored with crushed garlic and a sprinkle of parsley. But it is the innovation that sees the sauce used in an intriguing mix of dishes. No longer just a major component of hummus, which you can read more about in a recent blog, it is also a key part of Israeli breakfasts, scrambled eggs, roasted eggplant, salad dressings, dips, a popular topping for shawarma, falafel, sabich, and even found in desserts, such as halva and ice cream.

In such a vibrant culinary scene, you have a wide choice of high quality venues around the country, serving up the most delicious tahini in multiple ways. Among them is the legendary tahini-based tapas south Tel Aviv bar Hatahinia, offering tremendous fish, vegetarian and vegan dishes that play with creative ways to incorporate tahini, such as sea bream baked with a tahina pistachio topping, tomatoes and onions that will simply transport you to foodie heaven. Do not leave without swinging by the casual Miznon in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, a must-try for tourists and a perfect setting to get acquainted with locals and street food, such as the mouthwatering steak and egg in pita covered in tahini or the roast cauliflower, transformed with a drizzle of their special tahini. The Hummus of Tahini restaurant, close to the Jerusalem’s Sacher Park and northwest of the Dan Panorama Jerusalem and King David Hotel, offers some of the most popular tahini dishes around and even celebrates a Hummus Day every March!

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Tahini pairs beautifully with Sabich – a Jewish-Iraqi and Israeli sandwich of fried eggplant and hard boiled eggs.

Tahini also pairs beautifully with sabich, a Jewish-Iraqi and Israeli sandwich of fried eggplant and hard boiled eggs. All of these are eaten in soft warm pita breads or larger laffa wraps, a larger Iraqi pita, and eaten with countless fresh vegetables and varieties of hummus. The ‘hole in the wall,’ Sabich Tsernikovski is widely admired as one of the best places for rich, spicy sabich in Tel Aviv, made all the more delicious with its tahini. Falafels, those deep fried patties made from ground chickpeas, are also the perfect match for tahini. There are many contenders for the falafel and tahini crown, including Falafel HaZkenim in Haifa, which has been around forever and is highly regarded among falafel connoisseurs, with lines out the door for its fluffy pita stuffed with falafels in the tastiest tahini. Tel Aviv’s 4 Taamim offers four kinds of falafel, including falafel filled and coated sesame toasted sesame seeds, of course decorated with tahini.

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In terms of desserts – our focus turns to the Halva. A picture of Halva in several flavours by the ‘Halva Kingdom’ store.

And when we look at this sesame seed craze, in terms of desserts, our focus turns to halva. How is it related to tahini? It’s a flaky, tahini-based confection made with sugar or honey…. and tahini. At Yom Tov, a family-run delicatessen on South Tel Aviv’s Levinsky Street, you will find loaves of dry sesame halva, studded with walnuts, pistachios, or almonds, while you can also find halva on Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market. In Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market, you will find Halva Kingdom, one of the pillars of the market with more than 100 types of halva, the sesame treat that can be sampled on the premises. Since its opening in 1947, its famous halva recipe comes from Morocco and use Ethiopian Humera sesame seeds. Here you can taste tahini, as it is manufactured on the premises in front of customers, using the brand name King of Tahini, and, as sauces go, tahini is certainly royalty.