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Jerusalem's Western Wall receives a health check

Jerusalem’s Western Wall receives a health check

Ahead of the upcoming Passover holiday and increased holy land tour visits and prayers at the Western Wall, the Israel Antiquities Authority injected a preservative into the ancient stones. The conservation work included using syringes similar to those being used by medical staff to inject

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Israel Safety update- Is it Safe to Travel?

Safety is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to provide the most up to date information about Holy land travel to/from Israel.  We know how much people want to start planning that special experience and book their next Holy Land tour

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Protests and Tisha B’Av in the Time of COVID-19

Jews around the world will soon be observing the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av (meaning the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av) which begins at sundown July 29. The holiday commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. These

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Shalom Halloween

Shalom Halloween

Pumpkins, costumes and candy are not part of the Halloween culture in Israel, however the holiday is typically celebrated at many of the Holy Land shrines, such as  the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, Notre Dame Center or Dormition Abby. In ‘normal’ years, these important

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Abraham Accords to bring a new type of Holyland tour

Abraham Accords to bring a new type of Holyland tour

Sincr the signing of the new Abraham Accords initiative in September, Israel and the UAE are on a fast path to normalization. Regular flights have started between the two countries and tens of thousands of Israelis have already purchased tickets to visit Dubai. Israel is

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Meetup with Four Inspiring Jewish Women

Meetup with Four Inspiring Jewish Women

The AMIT Children organization supports over 37,500 children in 107 schools located in 33 cities throughout Israel. Unfortunately, like many nono profit organizations, AMIT could not hold their traditional Women-In-Israel campaign luncheon event. So they contacted Travelujah and asked us to prepare a special virtual

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New Hotel opens by Magdala

New Hotel opens by Magdala

The Magdala hotel, also known as Notre Dame du Lac, is the newest addition to the hotel scene in the Galilee. The hotel opened in late November 2019. The property was a labor of love for Fr. Juan Solana the project visionary, and it took

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Israel mourns at the 9/11 Living Memorial

Israel mourns at the 9/11 Living Memorial

This Friday will mark nineteen years since the horrific terrorist attacks that cut short the lives of almost 3,000 people in the United States. Every year Americans from all walks of life attend one of the many memorial ceremonies held in the United States on

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Elul

Elul, the Penitential Season

According to an ancient collection of legends (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer-The Teachings of Rabbi Eliezer), the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul marks the beginning of an especially solemn period of forty days that concludes with Yom Kippur. When you add the 30 days of

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International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Note to reader: The below article was written for Travelujah in 2010 by Kasey Barr. It remains as relevant today as it was 11 years ago. This morning I picked up the Jerusalem Post to read the headline, “PM Expected to Draw Connections Between Iran’s Nukes and

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Ein Keshatot synagogue in the Golan Heights

Ein Keshatot synagogue in the Golan Heights

After an extensive redevelopment, one of the most fascinating Byzantine era synagogues, Ein Keshatot, makes for a fascinating visit on a Holy Land tour. The ancient synagogue reopened about two years ago. It was discovered by Laurence Opipant, a Scottish Christian Zionist, at the end

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Top 10 Christmas in the Holy Land Tips

1. Go Shopping at a Christmas Market Christmas markets are already set up and operating in various cities around the Holy Land. You can’t beat the main destination – Bethlehem – for a taste of the holiday spirit. The festivities began in November with a Christmas bazaar

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Full moon hike in the Zin Valley

Full moon hike in the Zin Valley

A silver lining (and we all have to find silver linings these days) pertaining to Covid-19’s devastating impact on Israel’s incoming tourism industry, is now having the opportunity to check off my ‘to do’ hikes and other outdoor activities that have been on my bucket

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Visiting Kfar Aza on the Gaza border

Visiting Kfar Aza on the Gaza border

We drove one hour south of Tel Aviv to a beautiful kibbutz, Kfar Aza, with stunning nature, panoramic views and a super supportive community. The kibbutz is situated on Israel’s western border with Gaza, and when we arrived we were met by a local resident,

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Top 10 Reasons to take a Holy Land Tour

Our life changing Holy Land tours are curated to include an array of landscapes and peoples which, woven together, provide a transformative experience that is truly life changing. Sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, Israel, the Holy Land– together with its ancient remains and vibrant

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Jerusalem holy sites during COVID19

Jerusalem holy sites during COVID19

Like cities around the world, Jerusalem looks entirely different since the onset of the pandemic. And its not only because the city is void of international tourists visiting on a holy land tour. As the cradle of faith for the three monotheistic religions, the holy

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Ancient Church discovered near Mt. Tabor

Ancient Church discovered near Mt. Tabor

It seems that almost every time there is digging related to a new project in Israel, something ancient is discovered. Such was the case with the development of a new Jewish National fund sponsored playground in the Lower Galilee. A 1,300-year old church with ornate

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Summer fun at Rosh Hanikra

Summer fun at Rosh Hanikra

For a special summer day trip, visit Rosh Hanikra, located at Israel’s northwestern tip just south of the Lebanese border. It is situated at the only point in Israel where the Mediterranean Sea meets the mountainous cliffs. There you will find the enchanting site of

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Why take a Holy Land Tour?

Why take a Holy Land Tour?

In 2017 Pastor Mullery Jean Pierre, senior pastor of Beraca Baptist Church, visited Israel on a familiarization tour for leading Brooklyn Pastors hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the New York Jewish Community Relations Council. Since 2018 he has led four

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Israel plans for tourism to resume in April 2021

Israel plans for tourism to resume in April 2021

Israel’s local vaccination campaign is running smoothly and as a result, it is expected that much of the local Israeli population will be vaccinated by the end of March 2021. As such tourists to the Holy Land will likely begin to arrive to Israel with

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Parshat Miketz

Parshat Miketz

Earthly Bread and Heavenly Bread (Genesis 41 – Genesis 44:17) This week we will read about the rise of Joseph to greatness in Egypt. Pharaoh dreams his strange dreams and non of the sages of Egypt is able to solve them. After two years in

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Parshat Vayeshev

Parshat Vayeshev

Jesus and Joseph (Genesis 37-40) This week we will read the story of Joseph, Jacob’s beloved son from the beloved wife Rachel. Jacob had twelve sons, yet he does not hide his love for Joseph and he even makes him a beautiful ornate robe. The

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Israel Returns to Life as Flights Resume

Israel Returns to Life as Flights Resume

After a record breaking 2019 in which Israel welcomed over 4.5 million visitors to Israel,2020 was off to an even stronger start before the coronavirus abruptly halted all tourismnot only to Israel, but around the world. After over two months of shutdown, airlines are now

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See Israel from your couch

See Israel from your couch

Stuck at home and filled with wanderlust? Israel offers some amazing virtual tours that will allow you to learn about the country, experience the museums, the history, the Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and more. Below you’ll find our top 10 list of recommended virtual

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Parshat Vayishlach

Parshat Vayishlach

Twin Brothers (Genesis 32-36) This week describes the return of the lost son Jacob back to Canaan. He can not avoid meeting his brother Esau, who has been resentful for more than twenty years. He is afraid and preparing for this encounter in the Jordan

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Parshat Vayetzei

Parshat Vayetzei

Jacob’s Well Last week we read one of the most thrilling family dramas in the Bible: after Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, Jacob and Rebecca deceive Isaac in order to get the blessing from him; ultimately resulting in Jacob fleeing to Haran so Esau won’t kill

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Top 10 Sites for Midnight Mass in Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Top 10 Sites for Midnight Mass in Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem On Christmas Eve, at 2:30 pm, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, arrives at Manger Square and make his solemn entry into the Basilica of the Nativity.  There will be lots of excitement throughout the afternoon and

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Rare 9,000-year-old Stone Mask Discovered

A rare stone mask dating to New Stone age period was discovered several months ago in the southern Hebron hills region reinforcing the theory that there was a stone-mask production center in this region. Its characteristics, in addition to other findings reveal that the mask

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Parshat Vayigash

Parshat Vayigash

The Blessed Shepherds (Genesis 44:18 – 47:27) This week we will finally have a catharsis for the story of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, forgave them for selling him to slavery and reunited with them and with his younger brother

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Church of the Holy Sepulchre Closes its Doors

Church of the Holy Sepulchre Closes its Doors

Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered by Christian pilgrims around the world to be the site of Jesus’s crucifixion and his burial tomb, closed its doors indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic last week. This is the first time that this fourth century Church

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Israel Tourism Update - Who is Reopening and When?

Israel Tourism Update – Who is Reopening and When?

With the dramatic decline in covid-19 infection rates (now under 20 new infections/day as of this writing) Israels tourism industry sector is now opening up to domestic tourists. Restaurants, Museums, and major Israeli hotel companies including Dan Hotels, Fattal Hotels, Inbal, and Isrotel along with

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Parshat Toldot

Parshat Toldot

Isaac the meek (Genesis 25:19-28:9) The hero of this week portion is Isaac. Isaac is a very interesting figure. In contrast to the rather dramatic life of his father Abraham and his son Jacob his life is calm and pleasant. In the Jewish tradition he

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Parshat Vayechi

Parshat Vayechi

The Promised Land (Genesis 47:28-50:26) This week we will read the last section of Genesis. We will read about the end of Jacob’s life, and how he asked Joseph to swear not to bury him in Egypt but in the Promised Land, in the Cave

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Israel Tourism Update - Who is Reopening and When?

Israel Tourism Prepares to Reopen

Israel is beginning to open up its economy this week and tourism, one of the largest sectors of the Israeli economy (and the hardest hit by covid-19) will soon unlock its doors as well. Beginning May 5, 20 national parks, including Caesarea, Banias, Nachal Amud,

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St. George Monastery in the Judean Desert

St. George Monastery in the Judean Desert

The Desert Wilderness in the Bible and in Monotheistic Tradition I have been to Israel several times; however, on one of my last Holy Land tours, Elisa Moed, CEO of Travelujah, suggested that we include Saint George’s Monastery on our itinerary. The site was an

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Ancient Tablet Discovered by 6 Year Old

Ancient Tablet Discovered by 6 Year Old

You never know what you might find taking a walk in nature in Israel. A young 6 year old boy, Imri Elya, recently went with his parents to visit the archaeological site of Tel Jemmah, east of the Gaza Strip. An object in the ground

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Ancient Galilean Life recreated at Kfar Kedem, Galilee

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Galilee was full of hundreds of small villages where the simple people raised their crops, tended to their flocks and lived according to their ancient customs. These villages served as the backdrop for the historic events that spawned the

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Beit Shearim Joins UNESCO World Heritage Site List

Beit Shearim was one of 19 sites worldwide that was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list early this week. The site, located in the lower Galilee, about 20 miles southeast of Haifa (one hour north of Tel Aviv), was the ancient burial ground

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Travelujah Private Jewish Israel Tour Video

Travelujah Private Jewish Israel Tour Video

Watch this short video and experience one of our private custom-crafted family bar/bat mitzvah tours. We also tailor make family tours for interfaith families, Christian and Catholic families. Just let us know what you are seeking.

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Travelujah Footsteps of Jesus Tour Video

Travelujah Footsteps of Jesus Tour Video

Watch this short video and experience one of our custom-crafted Holy Land Footsteps of Jesus tours. We tailor make tours that are planned specifically around your interests. Just let us know what you are seeking. Video link

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Parshat Lech Lecha

Parshat Lech Lecha

The Call of Abram The third Parasha is a long and ongoing journey. If I wanted to take you to one place that fits the reading of the story, I would not find one such place! In this portion our father, Abraham, wanders all over

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Parshat Genesis

Parshat Genesis

Shalom! My name is Itamar Ben David and I am a tour guide with Travelujah here in Israel. In the coming year I will take you on a journey that will connect the weekly Torah portion (The Parasha) to exciting sites in the Land of Israel

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Buying Wine In Israel: Retail Options

Galilee Travel – Off the ‘Eaten Path’

Surrounding by fertile green pastures ripe with vines holding tiny clumps of blossoming grapes showing only the earliest signs of their meaty fruit and skin, it’s easy to visualize how the Galilean countryside was the setting for Jesus’s miracle of turning water into wine.  While a

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Parshat Chayei Sarah

Parshat Chayei Sarah

Roots in Hebron (Genesis 23-25:18) This week we read about the death of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven, and her burial in the city of Hebron. We also read about Abraham’s family after his death and subsequent

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Parshat Vayera

Parshat Vayera

Covenant of Salt – (Genesis Chapters 18-22) This week we read a few of the most important and fundamental stories in the bible and learn how things are interpreted in the light of the New Testament. We read about Abraham, who was known for his

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German – Israeli Reconciliation.. in Yad Vashem and Aushwitz

Recently I covered for Travelujah in collaboration with Catholics for Israel the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, organized by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.  Following the moving wreath-laying ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, I interviewed a unique pair of friends just outside the Hall

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Palm Sunday Bring the Faithful to Jerusalem

Holy Week was ushered in to Jerusalem on Sunday with thousands of Christians waving palms and walking the route believed to be the same one Jesus took when he entered Jerusalem in his final week. “The next day the great crowd that had come for

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Parshat Noah

Parshat Noah

Last week we began our journey through the Torah  according to the Jewish reading order. In Genesis chapter 1 we visited Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, the place of creation, the beginning of man, and also the place of the original sin. We saw how people

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Ascension of the Lord Jesus

“After the Lord Jesus had talked with them [apostles], he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God.” (Mark 16:19) After his resurrection, Christ appeared to his disciples many times. However, after 40 days since he was brought back to live,

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Theophany: Feast of Epiphany at the Jordan River

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and [John the Baptist] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on [Jesus]. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my

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Bio Tour at Sde Eliyahu is Buzzing with Fun

Israeli life was built because of the many pioneers who came to the country built the first kibbutzing, planted the crops, made the desert bloom and much more.   This pioneering spirit continues today as Israel has become one of the leading centers for high

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Old Jerusalem Rampart Walk

Old Jerusalem Rampart Walk

‘Let’s walk the Old City Ramparts.. Walk about Zion, go round about her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels;that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God for ever and ever.  He will be our guide

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Hollywood Stars find Faith on Israel Tour

A group of eight Hollywood TV and film stars completed a week-long tour of Israel Sunday as guests of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs. The star-studded group included Anna Lynne McCord (“90210” , “Nip & Tuck”), Omar Epps

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Oriental Palm Sunday in Bethlehem

Oriental Palm Sunday in Bethlehem

According to the Julian Calendar, which is the liturgical calendar of the Oriental and Orthodox Churches, the Holy Week has begun with the holiday of Palm Sunday. The feast was celebrated to commemorate the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. The celebration “Palm Sunday” took its name after the events that happened in

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The Israel Trail – A Hiker’s Paradise

Israel – arguably the world’s largest small country and certainly its most diverse – is a hiker’s paradise. Paths like the Bible Trail on Mount Gilboa,  the Gospel Trail or Jesus Trail in the Galilee, (published in the article “Hiking in the Spiritual Backcountry” June 23, 2012

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Jerusalem: The Center of Three Faiths

No matter how long I have lived in Israel, the holy city of Jerusalem never ceases to amaze me. If ever there will be in peace, it must emanate from this corner of the world. Three of the world’s major religions — the monotheist traditions of Judaism,

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Adopt a Tree in Memory of Righteous at Yad Vashem

Maintaining the trees planted in their honor In 1953 the Knesset (Israeli parliament) passed the Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance (Yad Vashem) Law, which gives particular emphasis «to commemorate the high-minded Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews». Special legislation recognizes these courageous heroes as

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Jacob’s Lentil Stew

When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there,iwc replica watches for I am famished”… But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau

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Rosh Hashanah Apple Tart

Rosh Hashanah Apple Crisp

Try this new twist on a Rosh Hashanah classic.  Remember to keep this new year sweet!  Don’t cheat yourself. Ingredients Apple Filling: 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin ½ cup white sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon

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Rosh Hashanah Apple Tart

Rosh Hashanah Apple Tart

A good friend of mine here in Israel, Abby Peleg, sent me this wonderful Rosh Hashanah recipe, care of the Smitten Kitchen,  which has got to be the most beautiful apple dessert that I’ve ever seen.She is vegetarian and therefore she will be making this for

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Dar Sitti Aziza – A New Hotel in Bethlehem

Dar Sitti Aziza (House of My Grandmother Aziza) is a newly opened boutique heritage hotel in Bethlehem. This recently renovated traditional Ottoman-era urban home is located just next to the Nativity Church, on the junction between Milk Grotto Street Street and Anatreh Street. Hotel manager, Nabil Rishmawi aims to

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Easter at the Garden Tomb

Easter at the Garden Tomb

Whereas the Jerusalem Easter service for Catholics and Orthodox Christians takes place at the Holy Sepulchre church, Easter services for Protestants are held at the place revered by them as the site where Jesus died and rose again, the Garden Tomb. The layout of the Garden

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Red Poetry Winery

Like in most world wine regions there’s a host of themes of how people get into winemaking. There’s the industrialists who make oceans of wine, there are the artists who make small but often amazingly well crafted batches of bliss and then are growers who

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Find Jesus in Nature – Nahal Amud

A secret pleasure on any Holy Land tour is discovering a place which is largely overlooked by the crowds but offers a unique atmosphere or experience not found anywhere else. Nazareth is certainly significant for any traveler seeking follow in the footsteps of Jesus and, of course,

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Ace is the Place.. Even in Israel!

I should probably say especially in Israel! After two years of jumping back and forth from the US to Israel, my husband and I have finally decided to settle down in Israel and set up house. I’ve spent the last two weeks shopping for appliances, furniture, paint, shower curtains…

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The Vitkin Winery: They’re Speaking My Language

If you try enough wine and venture to enough wineries in Israel or most New World wine regions you’ll get your full of Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Hmmn, maybe C.M.C. should be an acronym for “can’t make choices”. At the the Vitkin Winery in Kfar Vitkin, however,

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Jerusalem’s ‘Crown’ Gate, the Damascus Gate, Restored

The Old City of Jerusalem is famous for, among other things, its eight unique gates*, none of which are more impressive than the Damascus Gate. Built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538 as part of a total revamp of Jerusalem’s walls, the Damascus Gate

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Where to Enjoy Israel’s Olive Harvest

Olives have always played an integral role I the culture of the Holy Land.  Deuteronomy 8:8 includes olive oil as part of the seven species; seven agricultural products that have a special connection to the land of Israel.   During the time of Roman rule, the

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Shroud of Turin Exhibit Sheds Light on Jesus’ Suffering

Though the Shroud of Turin has long been the subject of debate and controversy among theologians, scientists and historians, an exhibit of the shroud in Jerusalem enables believers and non-believers alike to connect with Jesus in a deeper way. While the exhibit at Notre Dame doesn’t claim

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Does Easter Always Follow Passover

Christians visiting the Holy Land in the spring sometimes fail to appreciate the link between Passover and Easter: Jesus came to Jerusalem in April circa 34, making his triumphal entry on the Sunday of the last fateful week of his life, in order to offer

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Let it Snow, Let it Snow – Bethlehem

It was an amazing feeling to wake up in the morning and see our garden covered with white snow that fell overnight. Some of our lemon and orange trees, still bearing their fruits, bowed down under snow’s weight. There was such an unusual  contrast between the

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Christian Communities in Israel - Jerusalem

Christian Communities in Israel – Jerusalem

Christians are represented in the Israeli Government via the Ministry’s Department for Christian Communities. According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  the Christian Communities is responsible for addressing the needs and concerns of the Christian communities to the Israeli Government. The Israel Knesset Christian

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Will the Real Emmaus Please Stand Up

We’ll begin with the ending: We may never know with certainty which of the four sites associated with “Emmaus” is the true site. Which one is the actual location where Jesus appeared to His disciples following His resurrection? The story in Luke 24 recounts how

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Fall in Israel: Ending and Beginning

Does Israel have a fall? If we’re thinking of forests of red and gold, and nature winding down to a quiet dormancy-not really. Fall in Israel is much more complex. There is an ending, a closing, as we bring in the last of the year’s

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