The Museum, located just outside Tel Aviv, is known for its trademark form of interactive education. “Dialog in the Dark” utilized blind guides, “Invitation to Silence” used deaf guides, and now “Dialogue with Time” is using elderly guides. The series strives to instill visitors with an appreciation for the challenges of the handicapped using a combination of fun and educational simulations. Throw in some hands-on activities, games and discussions and visitors are treated to the whole experience, all of which is led by museum guides over the age of 70!

Museum visitors are invited to simulate the experiences of the elderly in a room that presents a number of physical challenges that accompany aging, such as coping with reduced muscle strength and memory and hearing loss. A highly interactive approach is encouraged and visitors are invited to reveal prejudices about the elderly. For instance, in one area of the exhibit, visitors are encouraged to give their opinions about their perceptions of an elderly person’s fitness for sensitive jobs like airline pilots or ritual circumcisers.

All of the exhibits are designed to be experienced in groups comprised of adults and children 12 years and older, and promises a dynamic mix that is very often humorous and always revealing! The “Dialogue with Time” exhibit was developed by Andreas Heinecke and Orna Cohen. They also developed the first two exhibits in this series and have contributed in the design of similar presentations at other leading institutions around the world.

Contact Israel Tour Connection for more information on the Holon Children’s Museum to your itinerary.

The Isaiah Scroll is one of the original seven scrolls found and is the largest and best preserved of all of the biblical scrolls. And, it is the only one that was discovered in its entirety – 54 columns containing all 66 chapters. The scroll dates from around 100 BCE and as such is 1,000 years older than the oldest Hebrew biblical manuscript, The Aleppo Codex.

The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum houses a facsimile of the Isaiah Scroll in a specially designed hall resembling the tops of the clay jars that the scrolls were discovered in. This impressive exhibit allows the visitors to see the 2.60-meter long scroll that contains the famous phrase “they shall beat their swords into plowshares…” (Isaiah 2.4). To add to the spectacular vision of the lengthy scroll, a small original fragment is also on display.

To help bring home Isaiah’s message, iron tools common to the 8^th century BCE, or the time of Isaiah’s life, are shown alongside the scroll. The discovery of the Scrolls changed the study of the history of the ancient Jewish people as nothing prior to or since has.  During the period of excavation, fragments of approximately 950 different scrolls were found. Excavations continue to this date, but no additional scrolls have been found in 1956.

Have Israel Tour Connection add a visit to the Israel Museum to your itinerary.

Vineyards and wine production have always played an important role in Israel’s agricultural and industrial development. But, over the last decade, Israel has experienced a surge of interest of them, resulting in wineries becoming a booming tourist, as well as export, industry. More than two hundred wineries of different sizes and rates of production are currently operating throughout Israel, from Dan to Eilat, from the Shefela region to Judah and Samaria.

Throughout history, the vineyards supplying the grapes for the wineries have been planted on the sites of vineyards from biblical and later periods when agriculture served as the central industry in the country’s economy. However, the grape varieties have traveled a long path of development and improvement since then, allowing Israeli wines to reach leading places in world wine contests.

The wine production process from the initial planting, care, harvesting, pressing and fermentation through to the aging process has historically been steeped in mystery. Probably because the large earthenware vessels were hidden away and stored deep within caves or cool cellars. You’ll find references to this in many quotations from the Bible and other ancient writings. In fact, Noah was said to have planted a vineyard immediately after leaving the ark (Genesis 9). Or take the story of the spies, “They arrived at the Valley of Eshkol, and cut from there a vine with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a double pole…” (Numbers 13).  The references to vineyards in the Bible are numerous and show the historical importance wine and vineyards have played in our country’s history.

Today, wine production is still a favorite with the public and wine tourism has become more and more popular. Often tourists plan their entire trips first around the wineries and vineyards they want to visit and then adding local attractions to their itinerary. Israel’s wine industry has developed rapidly and visitors have the opportunity to experience the production process and then taste the world-class wines that are produced. The Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Israel Grape and Wine Council, are actively promoting the field of wine tourism in Israel.

Contact ITC for more information

Ride donkeys across the rolling hills just as Abraham did. Smell the same scents that Jacob did while tending Leban’s flocks. Hear the words of the prophets as they thresh grain, press oil from fresh olives and wine from grapes while dressed in the clothing of the time.

Ancient Galilee comes to life at Kfar Kedam, which is located in lower Galilee between Tiberius and Haifa and adjacent to Kibbutz Hoshaya on one of the main roads of the Galilee that has served the area for thousands of years. The Orthodox Jewish community of Hoshaya has created a holistic experience that includes the actual production of staples such as milk, wool and bread. This recreated ancient Galilean village lets you touch the past by taking part in a multitude of experiences. Professional guides enhance and enrich the experience with historical and spiritual facts. The activities are open to all ages and can be topped off with a rustic meal at the village’s Sheppard’s Tent restaurant.

The Village has been developed following strict halachic rules and is completely kosher and closed on Shabbat. Located only 20 minutes from Nazareth, it’s an easy addition to any itinerary.

Learn more about life in biblical times by adding Kfar Kedam and other wonderful destinations to your itinerary. Let Israel Tour Connections help you plan your travels to Israel.

In 2011, Tunick made the news for his shots of over 1,000 nude models floating in the Dead Sea that was designed to raise awareness of the Dead Sea’s shrinking shores. The models, all volunteers, were photographed covered in Dead Sea mud in the sea and on the shore. The event was sponsored by Save Our Sea, a group of activists suffering from skin diseases who rely on the Dead Sea waters for treatment and relief.

This year Tunick is returning to once again film the shrinking shores, but this time with clothed models. Tunick has stated that he is happy to return as the Dead Sea is a natural wonder and deserves rehabilitation and protection both on the local and international levels. Additionally, Tunick hopes his project will help with the selection of the Dead Sea as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and bring international attention to the region. Tunick stayed at the Dan Tel-Aviv Hotel along with his extensive film crew. A frequent visitor to Israel, this is his second stay at the world-class Dan Tel-Aviv Hotel.

At the same time, four Hollywood executives were also staying at the Dan Tel Aviv, while running location scouting for a movie that is to be filmed in Israel.  This group is headed by Edward Zwick, the Academy Award winner director and producer (“The Last Samurai”, “Legends of the Fall”, “Blood Diamond” and more) and David Rubin, Deputy General Director for CBS productions.

Contact Israel Tour Connection for more information about the Dead Sea and the Dan Tel-Aviv Hotel.

Tel Aviv is proud of its Ben Gurion Airport and have spent time and money to ensure that travelers have a wonderful experience when arriving and departing. And we’re not alone in this feeling! Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was recently named as one of the leading airports in the Middle East by the Airports Council International (ACI) airport survey. Israel’s main international airport was ranked third, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports.

This honor doesn’t come lightly. The report is based on surveys that checked more than 30 parameters and surveyed millions of travelers. Part of the accolades were due to the new technologies being introduced at the airport that position it as a leader at the forefront of international security technology.

The report stated that “Ben Gurion Airport leads a strategy of continuous focus on the improvement of passenger service level next to advanced technology and professional capabilities, while complying with high international service standards for passengers departing from and arriving in Israel”. This is vitally important to the more than 12.2 million passengers that passed through Ben Guiron airport in 2011.

Ben Gurion is a beautiful airport with a multitude of amenities. Terminal 3, designed by Israel-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie, features a duty-free rotunda open 24 hours a day to accommodate travelers at any hour. The Terminal opened in October 2004 and is Israel’s main international gateway.

Contact Israel Tour Connection for more information about travelling to Israel.

Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

Archaeologists discovered a large public cistern from the time of the First Temple period in Jerusalem’s Old City.  The Israel Antiquities Authority are excited about this new find as it will offer new insight into the city’s water supply some 2,500 years ago.

The cistern, which held 250 cubic meters of water, was discovered adjacent to the western side of the Temple Mount during an ongoing excavation at the site. The discovery is important as it shows that the city’s water supply at the time did not rely solely on Jerusalem’s Gihon Spring (Jerusalem’s only natural water source) as once thought. Instead, a large man-made reservoir apparently was used to collect the water from the Gihon Spring.

The size of the cistern is unique in that it is the largest of its time to be discovered in the city. Also, according to archaeologist Tsvika Tsuk of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, its location suggests the possibility that it played a part in the ritual activities at the Temple. The cistern was waterproofed with a yellowish plaster typical of the period, with handprints still visible on the walls,

According to the biblical record, the First Temple was built around 950 BCE and destroyed by a Babylonian army in 586 CE. Construction of the Second Temple began some 50 years later. The Temple Mount as it currently exists, dates to an expansion and renovation of the compound by Herod the Great five centuries after that, or about 2,000 years ago. The Second Temple was destroyed by Rome in 70 CE.

Contact Israel Tour Connection for more information about this and other important archaeological discoveries.

As you would expect, the Dead Sea tops the popularity list and is famous for its high concentration of salts and minerals. The Dead Sea is one of the world’s best-known and most unique therapeutic resorts. The region is characterized by an unusual combination of natural resources and climatic conditions – the saltiest sea in the world that is also mineral-rich; thermo-mineral waters; medicinal black mud; filtered sunrays; dry air rich in minerals; a pleasant temperature most of the year; a relatively high concentration of oxygen; air that is almost completely free of allergens and other air pollutants.

Drive a short thirty minutes from the Dead Sea and you’ll enter the city of Arad, whose cold, dry, clean air makes it a haven for people suffering from asthma, allergies and respiratory problems. Other major therapeutic resorts are located in the vicinity of Lake Kineret and throughout the rest of Israel.

Visit any of the natural therapeutic resorts, as well as the spa resorts, and you can expect the find a wide range of holistic treatments. Interest in alternative medicine has been rapidly growing and it is now easy to find treatments such as hydrotherapy (water therapy), ayurvedic medicine (Indian medicine) and conventional massages. As an added plus, most of the therapeutic resorts are also hotels offering special packages that include treatments and pampering, as well as lodging.

Contact Israel Tour Connection for more information about Israel’s spas and therapeutic resorts.

Image from freeisraelphotos.com

Israel is proud of its reserves and parks and entrusts the maintenance and preservation of them to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Many of these have visitor centers, guided tours and audio-visual displays. Following is the first in a series of notable reserves and national parks in Northern Israel that you will want to experience firsthand.

Nimrod Fortress

At the center of the Nimrod Fortress National Park in the northern part of the Golan Heights stands one of the most beautiful fortresses in the Middle East. The remains you see today are what is left of the construction that took place on top of a medieval Crusader fortress. This fortress once commanded the northern road that led from the Mediterranean coastline to the city of Damascus, overlooking the magnificent views of the Hula Valley, the Upper Galilee, the Golan Heights, Mount Hermon and the mountains of Lebanon.

Walking along the different paths reveals stories of plots and intrigues from the days of the Crusaders. Remains of stairs spiraling to the top of the tower, hidden passageways, wide halls, watchtowers, verandas used by guards, water holes and even a prison can all still be seen and experienced. The Fortress has impressed all who have visited it, including author Mark Twain who, after visiting, wrote “This is probably the most exquisite ruins in the world.”

The Banias Reserve

Children in the Banias Reserve

On your way either to or from the Nimrod Fortress via Road 99, stop at the Banias Nature Reserve. Filled with flowing water, waterfalls and springs gurgling in the shade of huge plane trees, this reserve is an example of nature at her finest.

At the center of the reserve is the Hermon River, one of the sources of the Jordan River. Take the path that winds along the river, leading to the remains of a small mill and later to a pool of water called “the officers pool” and then to the impressive Banias waterfall.

Water from the springs erupts from the rocks at the heart of the reserve and is the source of the river. Melted snow seeps into the rocks down the slopes of Mount Hermon and when it reaches the Banias region, it flows out and is collected in large pools used by visitors for dipping and wading. Near the springs, one can see the remains of the city of Panias and the temple to the god Pan carved in stone.

Banias is also an archaeological site with remains from the Hellenistic Period, a temple built in Roman times by Herod, palaces, walls and structures from the time of Kings Phillip and Agrippa II and findings from the Christian and Crusader eras.

Part II coming soon …

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An important principle at Dolphin Reef is that its eight dolphins are free to decide how they want to interact. Since they have known their trainers since birth, part of the fun is to watch from the pier, or while you are swimming or diving and see which dolphin comes to make your acquaintance when it recognizes their trainer’s call.

Another unique fact about Dolphin Reef is that the dolphins are not trained to perform by the use of food reinforcement. Instead, they invite you into their world in an expansive enclosure where they live as family, hunting and reproducing as they would in the wild. Dol

phin Reef also runs a program for special needs children. It’s been found that exposure to dolphins actually calms special needs children. Because of this, they gain new confidence and interaction skills. This is a wonderful opportunity for these children to experience everything beautiful that dolphins have to offer.