Exploring the Northern Negev: battle sites, Bedouin, and ancient desert cities
By Ethan Bensinger | June 9, 2009
Our “off the beaten track” journey will take us for the next two days to the northern Negev, first with a visit to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai and then to other nearby sites commemorating heroic battles during Israel’s War of Independence. We’ll then learn about the Bedouins, nomads who had previously roamed the desert but who [...]
Read the rest of this entry hereThe orchids of Utopia Park, turtles of the Alexander River and a Bauhaus restaurant
By Ethan Bensinger | March 24, 2009
Today’s off the beaten track adventure will take us slightly inland, away from the coast, into Emek Hefer.This valley of kibbutzim and moshavim, just to the east and north of Netanya, will give us the opportunity to stroll through eucalyptus groves on the banks of the Alexander River while watching large turtles sun themselves on [...]
Read the rest of this entry hereThe Sorek Stalactite Cave and the Emperor’s Road
By Ethan Bensinger | February 3, 2009
Our destination today is one of the most unusual natural sites that Israel has to offer, the Sorek cave in the Judean Mountains near Bet Shemesh. We’ll have lunch nearby and then explore the remains of an ancient khan with it’s well-preserved mosaic floors, and hike down the Emperor’s Road…
From the charm of Zichron Yaakov to the galleries of Ein Hod
By Ethan Bensinger | July 15, 2008
A visit to the charming village of Zichron Yaakov, with its pedestrian-only cobblestone main street lit by old fashioned street lamps, and bounded on both sides with beautifully restored homes, courtyards, galleries, boutiques, and places of historical interest, will provide the visitor with
Ancient farming methods in the Jerusalem mountains
By Ethan Bensinger | June 24, 2008
At the present time in Israel you can find evidence of ancient techniques of cultivating fruits and vegetables using a system of hillside terraces bordered with stone. Viewing these terraces is easy around the mountains of Jerusalem, where a system of springs, channels and terraces
From the megaliths at Gezer, to Lod’s medieval bridge, with a stop in Ramla for falafel
By Ethan Bensinger | June 3, 2008
If you have an interest in the mysteries of biblical archaeology, a stop at Tel Gezer to visit the 3500-year-old Canaanite temple of standing stones is a fascinating and moving experience. The size and number of steles, makes viewing them as awesome as a trip to Stonehenge, but in fact, they are right
Herzliyah Pituach: A great beach, wonderful seaside cuisine and a bit of Crusader history
By Ethan Bensinger | May 13, 2008
If you want to escape to one of Israel’s best beaches and combine it with excellent cuisine and a bit of Crusader history, then the place to go to is Herzliyah Pituach.
This seaside community, which is also one of Israel’s largest high tech centers, is just a ten minute drive north of Tel-Aviv.
Life with Neanderthal Man and Napoleon too at the Mt. Carmel caves and the beach at Tel Dor
By Ethan Bensinger | April 22, 2008
Along the coast of Israel, a mere 15 minutes south of Haifa and 45 minutes north of Tel-Aviv, the caves of Nachal Me’arot, and the tel at Dor beach, provide the visitor with a time capsule of human existence from prehistoric, to ancient and modern times. From Tel-Aviv follow Route 2 and exit at Route
The Latrun Junction, where you’ll find tanks, great wine and a venerated shrine
By Ethan Bensinger | April 2, 2008
The Latrun junction at Route 1, just 30 minutes from Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem, offers the visitor a number of interesting sights to explore. So today, we’ll visit a military museum and war memorial, a monastery and an important archaeological site.
Zebras, hippos and gnus, and plants of the Bible too
By Ethan Bensinger | March 11, 2008
The Safari Park, which is part of the Zoological Center of Tel-Aviv Ramat Gan, is a unique African safari adventure in an open plains setting in which a variety of animals can roam freely. From Tel-Aviv follow Yitzhak Sadeh Rd. until it merges with Hashalom, which soon thereafter changes
