“Feel the Spirit”
By Adrian Wolff*
One picture is worth a 1000 words. But one emotion is worth a 1000 photographs, and a tour of Israel is a compilation of emotions that appear not in your photo album but embedded in your memory.
A visit to Israel is not like any other country. Somewhere, at some point you will ‘Feel the Spirit’ of the Land. Israel has so much to offer the visitor (or on a re-visit).
Firstly, you will feel ‘free’ and safe (you hardly ever see a policeman). School children still walk to school and we do not lock our car doors when we drive. Israel is a country that seems never to go to sleep, and foreigners always ask us in total bewilderment:
“How do you manage to get up for work the next morning.”
Actually, that is the one question I not know the answer to!
Tel Aviv most nights of the week has traffic jams until four in the morning! Try find parking on the Beach Road (Hayarkon Street) – you are more likely to pick up a chunk of gold in Joburg or a diamond in Kimberley!
As we travel around, we see the miracle of modern Israel which has turned a desert into a food exporter.
The historical sites give us the opportunity to witness Canaanite, Israelite, Biblical, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Early Arab, Ottoman, British, Bauhaus and modern Israeli architecture. Enjoy the coffee houses, restaurants and nightlife in all the cities. Meet the young people!
Having experienced a visit, you can have a personal opinion to offer another voice to the 8 million voices in Israel.
This is what an American on my tour wrote to me on returning home:
“I just want to thank you again for the time you spent with Russ and me. You provided an incredible amount of information and insight!!!!. You gave us so much to process and think about, which we asked for. Israel is an incredible country. It’s history – both politically and religiously – is complicated and your explanations were informative and clear. Thank you for being so patient and forthcoming with us and to all our endless questions. Our final diner with you was delightful. I’m happy we stopped on our way home.”
‘Russ’ incidentally is a Professor of Architecture at a top university in the USA. And where did we stop to eat?
A popular Arab restaurant in Abu Ghosh where the cuisine is tops and the atmosphere great. It was packed with both Arabs and Jews all enjoying the same Hummus, techina, falafel, shawarma, lamb chops – you name it; we had it!
As Rus said: “When I’m back in Israel; we’re coming back here!”
*Adrian Wolff was born in London, and after graduating BA Honors in Economics from University of Cape Town (UCT), immigrated to Israel.
He worked in the field of economics and marketing. Having an insatiable appetite for history since childhood, he returned to academic life and studied the official Israeli Tourist Guide course which became the impetus to further study and research, including the study of the Bible.
He is married with two daughters.
He is the author of: “Israel, a Chronology”
Licensed Tour Guide
adrianwolff72@gmail.com
