Travel

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Israel is home to about 2,500 wildflowers species, compared with only 1,500 species on the British Isles, which are more than 10 times larger than Israel!

India, a predominantly Hindu country of more than a billion people, is home to approximately 5,000 Jews.

For Yossi Zablocki, Kutsher's was supposed to be there forever, as permanent as the mountains along Route 17. It was after all, for him and many others like him, much more than just a place to camp out for the summer and the holidays. It was an entire world - a brighter, greener, more tranquil world than the one he passed through each day as an attorney in lower Manhattan.

When Elisabeth de Waal, née Ephrussi, returned to the Ephrussi palace, her childhood home, in December 1945, she was in for a surprise. That her former world, the palace itself, the art and the treasures, were all gone, she already knew.

This past summer quite a few family members vacationed in Israel, some of them with young children. I remember how difficult flying from New York to Israel can be with small children, so with this in mind, I advised all of my family to book Isroyal VIP service along with their flight.

Below is a listing of many attractions that are open during January and February's winter break.

The country was once home to the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world, and Jews have lived here – largely free from oppression apart from some rocky periods – for more than 2,000 years.

Jerusalem’s historic King David Hotel is being called one of the top 12 “iconic hotels” and one of the world’s best 100 by Fodor’s.

Why had the Nazis left untouched this massive testimony to a people they were determined to eradicate?

One of the off the beaten track areas in Eretz Yisrael that I enjoy taking adventurous visitors to are the southern Hevron Hills. As we drive south from Yerushalayim, passing through the very cradle of Jewish history, with its rolling green hills along the Patriarchs and Matriarchs path or the “Road of Heroism" as it is some times called, we resist the magnetic pull to stop at Gush Etzion or Hevron and continue south, fully cognizant that more Jews walked on this path than on any other road in history.

There are plenty of fun activities for all ages and some relaxing scenic spots to enjoy.

Naale’s latest crop of students land in Israel to absorb everything the Jewish state has to offer

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Speechless wonder is the reaction to the beautiful vision seen though the Arch of the Keshet Cave at the Adamit Park in the Galilee. One of the most amazing natural wonders in Eretz Yisrael, the Me’arat Hakeshet — also known as the Rainbow Cave or Arch Cave — can be found up against the Israel-Lebanon border just a few kilometers from Rosh Hanikra and the sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea. It is situated amid the wild scenery on the cliffs of Nachal Betzet and Nachal Namer, on the Adamit Ridge.

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Eretz Yisrael, located at the junction of three continents, is the meeting place of diverse climates and vegetation zones – and home to over 2,500 plants! Obviously, it would be impossible to discuss them all in one article. However, in honor of Tu B’Shevat we will focus on some pre-spring and spring flowers.

Museum Village, a replica of a typical American village during the 1800’s, was the vision of Roscoe William Smith. Mr. Smith was an electrical engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector who contributed in many ways to his native Orange County. He made his fortune in 1905 as founder of the Orange and Rockland electric company.

We try to visit them once a year although obviously it is challenging to visit those living in the Outback.

When contemplating the Negev, one must set aside any preconcieved notion of what a desert is. In Eretz Yisrael there are no rolling yellow sand dunes in softly rising and falling landscapes as unbroken as the sea. Far from being a simple expanse of sand, the Negev is marked by a mélange of cliffs, crags, boulders and dry river vadies. Where the Judean Desert ends, the Negev begins, an impressive region of low sandstone hills, rocky peaks (for example the high plateau area of Ramat HaNegev - The Negev Heights - stands between 370 meters and 520 meters), and plains rutted with narrow canyons. The Negev Desert is mesmerizing, beautiful and rich in geological history.

Those of you who've been reading my postings over the years might remember my strong bonds to Gush Katif, and particularly to Kfar Darom. Every once in a while, for one reason or another, I find myself flipping through photos that I took, prior to its destruction. It is very difficult to view the pictures; my guts begin churning and sometimes it's even worse. The displacement of so many people, the abandonment of our land, and the catastrophic consequences, culminating in 8,000 rockets fired into Israel, the Gaza War, and of course, the present challenges of Goldstone were so totally unnecessary. All of these results were predicted, time and time again, before the expulsion, but were totally ignored by Sharon and Co. It is still beyond comprehension.

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When we come to the Kotel we may be so engrossed in our tefillos that we don’t notice the numerous birds flying close by and the plants growing out of her stones. But the Kotel—spiritual home to millions — is built of stones that serve as the physical home for various animals and plants.

Israel’s Negev Desert is majestic. Covering more than half of Israel’s total land area, it is bustling with rugged beauty. With its different formations and colors, its stark physical beauty is outstanding, making it a captivating and enchanting place.

The Amish Village's 12 scenic acres offer a genuine look at the community's lifestyle and how it functions.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert went on a political mission to China and was greeted with much pomp and ceremony.

Nearly 100 people from Israel and the U.S. gathered at Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb) on the outskirts of Bethlehem earlier this month for what is being described as the first ever Bat Mitzvah celebration held in the kever and the recently acquired adjacent building.

On a beautiful sunny day in the middle of August, my husband and I took an incredible boat ride around Manhattan Island.

The hotel’s location is incomparable. You can see the old city from your balcony, and it’s a five-minute walk to the Light Rail.