Israel Travel

A trip to Israel is so much more then a vacation, it’s an amazing opportunity to experience the history of the Holy Land, in a modern country filled with great restaurants, stunning beaches, fabulous spa resorts, trendy shops, golf, diving and even skiing.

We had 16 family members ranging from 10 years old to 82, an astonishing experience in itself, and Israel had something to offer each one of us. The planning of our trip took months and so much detail was involved. Working with a travel consultant who specialized in the area helped make the planning easier and made our overall experience a memorable one.

We travelled the entire trip with an amazing tour guide, Ashar, who was a wealth of information. Our trip began in the North where we visited the ancient Roman village of Caesarea. From there, we spent the next few days’ jeep touring through the Golan Heights, chocolate making on kibbutz, and visiting the wonderful small village of Safed. Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel hosting elite artists’ galleries within a maze of cobblestone streets that lead to medieval synagogues and old stone houses.

Jerusalem is divided into the Old City and the New City. The Old City is where the Bible and history actually come to life. Inside the wall you can hear the echo of thousands of years of history as you make your way past the markets and stalls of the area known as the Shuk. Shopping is abundant there and I suggest one wear comfortable shoes!

We had 2 Bar-Mitzvahs on Masada, a rock fortress built high above the Dead Sea. It was indescribable to share a moment like this in such a historical place.

A couple of other trip highlights were the shooting range and the air force base. At the shooting range, we had the opportunity to shoot Uzi's and AK 47’s and even though several of us were reticent, it was fun and memorable.

Since we were traveling during the Gaza War, our visit to the air force base could not have been more interesting! We spent the afternoon watching the fighter jets take off and land, meeting the pilots and learning about life in the Israeli Army.

One last thing I would highly recommend is experiencing an archeological dig. Our guide Ashar was an archeologist and he led us to historical caves which we crawled through by candlelight to reach our digging spot. It was amazing to find perfume bottles and pottery from 2,000 years ago. It is such a magical experience to really touch history, Israel makes it all come alive! GO!
- Tammy Zacks