Israel for Beginners

Kibbutz Revadim, located not too far from Ashdod and right off Highway 6, is a small non-descript kibbutz. However, it does contain the Ekron Museum of the History of Philistine Culture, which basically consists of a recreated Philistine street showing ceramics, weaving and an olive oil press. This is only for those who are die-hard biblical archaeological buffs such as my mother who enjoyed the experience very much. Naama Lanciano, the Kibbutz member who cares for the site, has herself over they years developed an interest in biblical ancient history. Once she realized that my mother was a kindred spirit, she was quite informative and chatty - even bringing us scholarly articles. Unfortunately, like many other historical sites here in Israel, I think that with the proper creativity, a guide could make this into a fun place for children. As of now, not sure that for the general public it is worth the trip. Ekron Museum of the History of Philistine Culture - Kibbutz Revadim - cont...

Tucked away in the heart of the artist colony in Safed is the Artist Colony Inn, a bed and breakfast recently opened by Benay and Jeff Katz (North Americans in origin but both have been in Israel for a very long time). The Inn, which is an old Safed house that has been lovingly and exquisitely restored, contains four guest rooms. The public areas include a small lobby and several outdoor courtyards/patios. We stayed in the Avital room which is the most spacious and most expensive; the room's only downside is that it is right off the small lobby and so some lobby noise filters in. Next visit (and I do hope to visit again) I would probably opt for the Lianna room which is slightly less expensive but big enough to be comfortable. The other two rooms are nice but not as spacious. Benay makes a delicious and plentiful breakfast that is served in the lobby. Overall, the inn has a relaxing and quiet feel which is reminiscent of small New England bed and breakfasts. It is tiny so that...

We spent a night in Safed last week and were looking for a place to eat. We were told to go to the Gan Eden restaurant located about ten minutes away from the heart of Safed.  Tucked away in an unassuming but quaint old Safed house, at first glance I did not think that this small dairy restaurant would dazzle me but dazzle it did. We ordered based on the waiter's recommendation (which we always do when trying a new restaurant). We sampled just about everything - bread straight from the oven, soup, fish, pasta and dessert (including a homemade modified version of a Krembo).  The food was fresh, homemade and delicious.  I do not even see a reason to recommend any specific dish since they were all great.  And put it this way, one week later and still dreaming about the food.   Gan Eden restaurant - Har Canaan, Safed - 04-697-2434 (reservations preferred)

I have been hearing a lot about the 11th floor restaurant located in the Crowne Plaza City Center Hotel in the Azrieli  so I finally decided to check it out.  Yes, it is on the 11th floor and yes, it has city views of Tel Aviv (but not as breathtaking as the views from 2C, another restaurant that is located on the very top of the Azrieli Towers).  The restaurant is also a bit more upscale than your average hotel restaurant.  That said, it really did not blow me away. The ambience and decor were adequate.  The sushi was fairly good but that is probably the only memorable part of the meal.  I could see that this would be an excellent place for a business lunch or for any other reason; I have heard that there is a well-priced business lunch with food in abundance.  But I am not sure I would strongly recommend this restaurant for a nice night out. The 11th Floor restauarant - Crowne Plaza City Center Hotel - Azrieli Towers, Tel Aviv - 03-777-4067   

We recently went to Hachtzer, a meat restaurant in Jerusalem, for the second time.  Contrary to the usual experience, our second visit was as satisfying as the first visit.  The restaurant is simple in decor - warm and comfortable.  The food has mediterranean and middle eastern influences but cannot be pegged down to a particular style.  Somehow, the chef combines interesting spices and flavors to make each dish truly delicious and special.  Both times we opted for the tasting menu which I highly recommend.  The waiter will ask if there are any particular dislikes (such as intestines or other parts of an animal) and subject to that limit, the dishes served are meant to give the diner a true sense of the restaurant.  Both times I left completely stuffed and thoroughly satisfied.  It is not an inexpensive meal but one you will dream about for days! Hachatzer - 7 Derech Bet Lechem, Jerusalem - 02-671-9922

The person who answered the phone at the Waffle Bar refused to take a reservation when we called earlier in the day promising that there would be room when we arrived; of course, when we showed up, we were asked why our party of seven had not made a reservation. And, yes, this is not the place to go if you are looking for intimate dining or an extensive menu of "real food."  But the Waffle Bar with its booths and stools and big screen tvs reminds me of a modern day version of a 1950s teenage diner (think Happy Days).  The waffles with endless choices of toppings, the French crepes and the chocolates in a variety of interesting flavors will make anyone with a sweet tooth happy - both adults and children.  There is enough choices of pastas, toasts and focaccias to buffer the stomach before getting to all the desserts.  Not sure I would rush back but a fun place to take the kids if you are in the neighborhood. Waffle Bar - 41 Bet Lechem Road - 02-673-0760

During this past Chanukah, our family joined a Hebrew tour that explored the Chanukiot found in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was lovely to walk through the Jewish Quarter in the evening hours and see the various outdoor chanukiot on display and even join in some Chanukah singing. While we probably could have wandered through the Jewish Quarter ourselves, our tour guide clearly knew all the nooks and crannies. The tour was offered by Beit Shmuel which is affiliated with the World Union of Progressive Judaism. While I enjoyed what we saw on the tour, I felt that the tour was clearly geared towards secular Israelis, and as such, the tour content was a bit too basic for me. More upsetting, however, was that the tour guide made us feel a bit out of place among the other families, who were all Israeli, despite that we did not request any help with the language nor did we have trouble comprehending. I plan to do some of Beit Shmuel's other interesting Jerusalem ...