ISRAEL – Part 1

“What is the reason for your travel?”  That was the first question posed to us at passport control upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport. It didn’t take long to answer. “To help the Israeli tourist economy. And to show people how absolutely safe it is to travel in Israel.” That is not some made up answer but rather “emet” – the Hebrew word for truth.

Arrivals into Israel are either late at night or in the early hours of the morning.  After our relatively short flight from Dubai (see that post HERE), our driver Sagi was waiting for us for the 30-minute trip to Tel Aviv. It was quite late and our kids were arriving about 5 hours later.  I opted for The David Kempinski which is a fabulous hotel — I would love to go back for a longer stay. If only for the fruit seen below!

Below, a brief hello with beloved friend Julie Shuer – who splits her time between Tel Aviv and L.A.

The official part of our visit began later that same morning with the arrival of our fantastic guide, Aryeh Leifert, who operates Israel InsiderTours. We had the good fortune to meet Aryeh prior to our departure while he was briefly in Los Angeles.  That proved extremely beneficial to work out the remaining question marks I had for our stay.

Below, Hannah & Sam look great on little sleep! 

These soldiers — God Bless each one.

Not only is Aryeh a guide but he is also a Rabbi. Thus, his guidance is both historical and biblical, not to mention entertaining — he is the proverbial “triple threat.” The itinerary he planned was akin to the Jewish tradition of consecutively observing Yom HaZikaron (a day of solemn remembrance for soldiers and terror victims) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (celebrating Israel’s independence).  The solemn day ends at midnight and the uplifting celebration begins immediately. Read more about these days here.  

As to why I made that comparison, our first day was spent visiting the areas at the core of the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.  That meant touring the grounds of the Nova Festival, seeing the “Car Graveyard” where the charred remains of more than 1000 vehicles now reside, seeing the inside of the Hersh Goldberg-Polin bus shelter where 20 people huddled in a tiny space while the terrorists threw grenades inside and soldier Aner Shapira picked them up and threw them back out until he was blown up. Hersh survived (albeit partially losing his arm), only to be taken hostage and then executed just prior to his release. His mother became one of the leading faces in the campaign to release the hostages. More descriptions with links are with the photos I’m sharing below.

Above and below, at the Car Graveyard

Below, the Sderot Police Station Memorial — read about it here

Aryeh is showing a “before” photo 

On the grounds of the Nova Festival 

Below, inside the memorialized Hersh Goldberg bus shelter.  Watch the following YouTube video.

Our second day was an uplifting and inspiring day visiting the home of David Ben-Gurion, the first and third Prime Minister of the then-new state, and Tel Be-er Sheva, the ancient home of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And finally stargazing with an “astronomy junkie” in the Ramon Crater — the location where we were based for two days and nights at the stunning Beresheet Hotel.

Above, the stunning hotel at night

Below, the Ibex goats roam freely on the property — including balconies and foraging through trash!

Below, Ben Gurion’s office — he was a voracious reader and author of many books

Below, with guide Aryeh at the ancient home of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

As I said, the plan closely mimics Jewish traditions which make so much sense.  Allow ample time to grieve and then continue with your life.  It goes on regardless so why not celebrate?

We had two more activities prior to leaving the area: an off-road guided tour of Makhtesh Ramon (Israel’s Grand Canyon) and a visit to the Mitzpeh Ramon Visitor’s Center.  The center teaches the history of the Ramon Crater, as well as serves as a memorial site for Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut, who perished aboard the Shuttle Columbia in 2003.

Above, touring the vast Makhtesh Ramon and learning about the geography with our guide below

Stay tuned for Part 2, covering the rest of our time in Israel. A separate post will cover a remarkable day visiting Jordan.  There is so much to share!