Israel for Beginners

Continuing on the review of factory tours, the Tnuva factory tour is actually one of the best factory tours I have seen.  It is extremely well organized and leaves no room for "bad Israeli behavior".  The tour guide even instructs each person where to sit.   Like the Coca-cola tour, there are a lot of sounds and lights and even a cool 3-D moving ride.  But, unlike the Coca-cola tour, you actually do get to see a lot of the factory but in an interesting way.  It is fun and educational.  The tour takes about an hour and a half and moves from room to room.  The tour is for ages five and up. Tnuva Tours - Derech HaYam Street, Rechovot - 08-944-4233 Advance reservations required.  Please note that the tours are in Hebrew and are only given to private groups during holidays and/or vacations.  

I have a friend whose family loves all factory tours. If there is a factory open to the public, she and her family are there. Perhaps it is the bad childhood memories of long and boring factory tours where the only upside was getting free samples, but, in general, I do not get excited about seeing assembly lines and learning some useless facts about any product - food or otherwise. That said, the Coca Cola factory tour in Bnei Brak is actually a lot of fun for both adults and children.   This may be due to the fact that the tour is very commercialized and done up and actually spends little time viewing the actual factory and a lot more time selling the product; in any case, there are lots of fun things to see and do as you move from room to room filled with lights and sounds and interactive games.  And you even learn a fact or two about Coca Cola.  The tour is recommended for ages eight and up and is appealing for all ages. Coca Cola factory - 129 Kahaneman Street, Bnei Brak - 1-8...

I have been to the City of David twice since it has been newly renovated and expanded.  The City of David is the actual location of the biblical city of Jerusalem captured by King David over 3,000 years ago.  The archaeological ruins are amazing and constantly expanding.   This time around I took a guided tour and it was fantastic. Our tour guide really made everything from ancient times come alive.  I finally understood the history of the place and could visualize what had once stood there.  I also watched the 3-D movie which is also well done.  There are several different activities and tours that can be done in and around City of David through the City of David foundation.  I recommend going to the website which is extremely clear and informative. City of David - www.cityofdavid.org.il Avinoam (the informative tour guide who can be hired for tours throughout Jerusalem) - 050-876-2688

With my sweet tooth, I am always looking for the perfect cookie or piece of cake. And, here in Israel there are plenty to be found.   There is one Tel Aviv bakery that stands out from the rest.   Lechamim sells breads, cookies, cakes, quiches, borekas and all sorts of other baked goods.  There is a takeout counter and a small cafe with service where one can sit and enjoy a good breakfast or lunch.  Recently, the Haaretz magazine listed the outstanding marzipan cookies filled with fruit as one of the best.  I wholeheartedly but don't stop with just those! Lechamim - 99 Hachashmonaim , Tel Aviv - 03-561-0740

The Menachem Begin Heritage Center Museum in Jerusalem is dedicated to the life story of Menachem Begin.  It is set up so that visitors move from room to room as Menachem Begin's story is told through audio guide, lights and sounds (all visits must be scheduled in advance).  The Palmach museum in Tel Aviv utilizes the same technique, albeit, in my opinion, much more successfully.  That is because the Palmach museum tells a fictionalized story of several Palmach members; as a result, the lights and sounds experience and movement from room to room creates the atmosphere of a 3D movie and is quite effective in that case.  On the other hand, the Menachem Begin museum tour is structured to relay the facts about the life of an actual man.  Somehow, utilizing the multi-media technique to convey vast amounts of historical information does not work as well.  Also, because it is a guided and timed tour, the guide moves each group from room to room on a fixed schedule and often there ...

As I have mentioned previously, what I miss most about New York City is the culture -  the world renowned museums, the Broadway shows and other experiences that a large international city offers. However, there is one cultural experience in Israel that from beginning to end truly competes on a world class level and that is opera.  Last week I I attended my sixth opera in Israel (La Boheme ).  Even with my eyes open, I could just as easily have been at Lincoln Center.  To start with, the opera house itself is an architectural gem. In fact, I strongly recommend joining a tour of the opera house to learn more about the design of the building, as well as learning about the various facets of putting together each opera (e.g., costumes).  Seating is comfortable and there is a teleprompter providing simultaneous translation of the opera so that even opera beginners can enjoy.  The sets have been breathtaking to the point of stealing the show.  The crowd tends to be an older and more sophistic...