Israel for Beginners

I have attended the annual Open House Tel Aviv (a weekend of open houses) for the past several years.  What was originally a wonderful and well-run event has become a very unpleasant experience as the organizers fail to grapple with expansion.  First, there are the venues which require registration one week prior.  The website provides the date that the registration opens but fails to provide the time (roughly 7:00 AM).  The event organizer let me in on this little secret when one year I stayed up until midnight the day before to register; according to the event organizer, the time is not disclosed on the website in order to prevent the website from crashing (not sure that her answer is the appropriate solution to the problem).  Even with the knowledge that registration begins at 7:00 AM, rarely anyone will succeed in registering for anything.  Events closed out so quickly that I actually am starting to wonder if the system is rigged.  Then, there are the "open events' where o

We agreed to three hours on a boat trying our hand at wake boarding and wake surfing (think water skiing but with boards instead of skis), despite that none of us had any experience in water sports.  To our pleasant surprise, it was an amazing experience where everyone of all ages not only had tons of fun but succeeded!  The boat was beautiful (just sitting and enjoying the ride on the lake was lovely) and the very professional instructors were patient and helpful.   Most importantly, there is a strong emphasis on safety.  For the younger kids, the boats are also equipped with tubing.  We definitely plan on coming back to this well-run professional establishment. Wake Up School - Kibbutz Ein Gev boat deck - www.wakeboard.co.il - reserve in advance!  

As you know by now, I am a foodie who has frequented many of the kosher restaurants in Israel.  I have had many excellent meals over the years, but my recent meal at the newly opened kosher Herbert Samuel in the Ritz Carlton Herzlyia is in a class of its own.  This is the first kosher restaurant for Jonathan Roshfeld, an Israeli celebrity chef.  Words cannot even do justice to the creativity of the dishes, the combination of interesting flavors and the impeccable service.  We asked the waiter to choose dishes that he felt would give us the best dining experience.  We sampled all sorts of beef, poultry and fish, accompanied by a variety of side dishes - nothing disappointed.  The evening was not inexpensive, but it truly was a dining experience that was well worth it. Herbert Samuel - Ritz Carlton Herzlyia - RESERVATIONS A MUST - 073-203-7707 (hotel desk - 09-373-555)