Tour Israel Blog

Some lessons learned by a tourist in Israel:

Pack a collapsible vinyl cooler to keep bottled water and snacks cold in the car during the trip… we did find a decent one (but pricey… $40 US) in Rosh Pina.  We also learned to look in camping supply stores in Israel, not super markets or pharmacies.  We ended up using it to bring back our dirty clothes in, so it served many purposes too.

Rent Sim cards for your cell phones to use while in Israel.  This allowed us to continue to use our personal cell phones (very helpful when you need a number in your address book) and not incur those big roaming charges.  The only caution is that your cell phone needs to be enabled for international service.

The Israeli medical system is different from ours.  Our older son (who has Israeli medical insurance) needed treatment for an ear infection.  We discovered emergency rooms do not typically treat transient patients without a doctor’s order… most people go to a clinic.  Finding a clinic that was open was the challenge, but we received help from a number of people in Haifa and were able to locate one where he received treatment quickly.

Post Offices do not stay open all day long, but they are a good place to exchange money.  We were told to look for non commission money exchanges too for the best rates.

Review Israeli traffic signs ahead of time.  Although we were able to figure out most of them, there were a few that mystified us, but we figured them out eventually.  I especially liked how the Israeli traffic lights start to blink before they begin to turn red and they flash yellow before turning green.  Also, how is it Israeli intersections all have round-abouts that work perfectly, but most people can’t seem to navigate them in this country?  The US could learn a lot from Israeli traffic practices.

In a pinch, if you get lost, just follow the tour buses… they will either take you to where you want to go in town or show you the way out of town… figured that out in Safed.

Page from Israel Travel Diary, 1955

Dec. 4th, 1955. I went to visit the new building of the Bnai Brith. It is situated in Bayit VeGan in the suburbs of Jerusalem. It is really beautiful with all the improvements that could be found in America. It s a building for children delinquent or hard to handle. It is taken care from the women of the U.S. exclusively; they spent $250,000 for it.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi

Dec. 13th, 1955. 5th Hanukkah light. I went to the White House [the home of Israel's President]. There was a reception of all the Bnei Brith of the land that is delegates of all the chapters. I will never forget this ceremony. A Hazan [cantor] chanted the lighting of the 5th candle. Then there was a speech of one important member of the Bnei Brith. After that the Nasi [President] made a speech and at the end of the ceremony the President and the First Lady [President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, second president of Israel 1952-1963, Ben-Zvi succeeded Haim Weizmann, Israel's first president] shook hands with everyone. The First Lady spoke to me for a while and she told me Israel is doing very nicely, but they would like to have the youth from the States to come. They need young blood to defend the country. Refreshments were served, delicious cookies, not wine and liqueur. Also Burekhas with cheese and cheese sticks. Everything was DELICIOUS. The whole thing took about 1.5 hours. It was so informal. The President and First Lady were going around and talking to everyone just like in a private home. During the speeches the grandchildren of the President came in and out; they wore overalls with checked blouses and their shoes were not freshly polished. Now the room where the reception took place is all wood [diagram] with one oriental rug and one plain rug with stripes. In the room, there was a few nice pieces like menorahs, old and new, also Israeli arts dishes and vases. There was a showcase on the wall of a few kinds of stones from the Negev; also showcases with little nicknack’s. Before going into the reception room there was a checking place for the coats.

Tomb of King David, Chamber of Holocaust

Jan. 13, 1956. Today I went to Mount Zion. I had a guide, Jessie’s cousin. We climbed up about 200 steps beside the hills and the rocks. It is a very hard job to go up to the Mt Zion but it was worthwhile. First I saw King David’s tomb. A man made a memorial prayer for my mother and husband. then we went up to see the Old City [of Jerusalem] from far. After that we went to visit the Chamber of the Holocaust that is a place where all the Sefer Torahs (Torah Scrolls) from the Nazi country were saved. We saw the soap that was made with human fats, also the torn Torahs that are buried in a vase made of Hearth clay: meaning that they are dead and buried according to traditions. All the tallesim (prayer shawls), old and torn, also blood stained are hanging. A jacket made of a Sefer Torah [Torah Scroll] (of the best parchment) is also shown. To see all this is very interesting, how the building is made. We saw all the yellow letters from France, Germany, Greece, Poland. Also the money that was issued in the camp for Jews to use. There are passports in which Jews marked prayers in print because all the prayer books were burned. I lit a glass of oil for Mother and Israel [husband]. Also a candle for all the death.

January 18, 1956. I went on a day tiyul [trip] by jeep from Rehovot with Mr & Mrs Leiberman.

Trip to Rehovot, Kaplan Hospital, Gedera

Jan. 26, 1956. I arrived in Tiberias. I visited the buildings and Yeshivah of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes. Like all the places of a holy character, there is a lighting of candles and a man that makes a prayer for the Dead relatives. I also went to the Grave of the Rambam. The place is under construction. It seems that the group called Neturei Karta are against any construction done near the grave. They destroyed the work already done. Now there is a wait till it will be arranged what to do. The government likes to build a gate and garden to make the place attractive to tourists.

During my stay in Tiberias I went on three tiyulim [trips].

I. to Capernaum Ruins – Kfar Nahum. Church Mount of Beatitudes. It seems that the ruins were found by Christians who have built monastery on the grounds. We paid 5 piastas to a Priest to enter on the grounds and visit the ruins. It seems that the stones that have all kinds of Jewish emblems like Menorahs, Stars of David & stars of Solomon, also other kinds of signs, are very old stones. I took a picture near the the altar of Solomon.

The church is only 7 years old, is built on a high hill and is made of marble and granite imported from Italy. The place is kept by 7 Italian nuns. Across the street there is a pension for rest. The nuns take care of it. Just now they had no guests. The church is a very nice construction. I took a picture in front of it.

II. to Degania where there is a tank captured from the Syrians during the War of Independence. I took a picture near the tank. [ ] I visited 2 wood factories. One makes plywood from trees imported from Africa. The other uses local wood to make boards of insulation, also board for partitions. We saw how the part is spread and backed and a board comes out. We saw a very large tree being shred into plywood. It was very interesting. We also visited the new electric installation being that the old one is in Arab hands.

III. The Huleh Valley project. They showed us the grounds that were dried and places that are still full of water. We also took a boat ride in the water that has not been dried out. It is about 60,000 dunams of surface that has to be dried out. The waters will be transferred to the Negev. It will of course take years until this project is a reality. Right now the work is stopped. I took a picture near the sign.