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MARTA, LINDA, GEORGE, MICHAL & NICOLE FLEISCHER

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The Rockinds kayaking on the Jordan River.

an ice coffee and people-watch,
and to shop in supermarkets
carrying only kosher items,
including Passover items we
don't get here, is, for us, much
of the thrill of being in Israel.
After three days of getting re-
acquainted with life in Jeru-
salem, we headed for Tel Aviv
and its unique life. Tel Aviv
provided us a great place to jog
along the beach, which was
crowded from early morning to
late night. The activities and
scene were ever changing.
And being part of that scene,
whether it was early in the
morning while we were jogging,
or later in the afternoon swim-
ming, sitting or walking was
always a trip. The Mediterra-
nean was like a bathtub, so the
swimming was great.
The city is so alive!
It is a city we know well since
our family is there, and it is sad
to think that many visitors to
Israel don't spend more time
exploring -it.
Cafes and flower shops are
everywhere, along with restau-
rants, nonstop traffic, lots of
shopping and window-shop-
ping opportunities for those
who prefer, and the ever-present
Mediterranean with its beaches
and constant activity. Walking
on the streets, visiting the
Carmel market, the nearby
Nachalat Binyamin art fair and
trendy Sheinkin Street, with its
many shoe stores and cafes,
were all wonderfully exciting
and fulfilling.

Galilee And Golan

On our last trip to Israel,
when times were calmer and
visions of the Galan being
returned to Syria were strong,
we tried to spend time hiking
in the north; however, we ran
out of time. We rectified this
by spending four days in
Tiberias, using it as a base to
explore the Upper Galilee
and Golan.
Because the holy day of
Tisha b'Av is followed by the
holiday of Tu b'Av, which is a
"love" holiday, Tiberias was
packed solid, mostly with
Orthodox Jews. This necessi-
tated our staying in one large
hotel for the first night, then
moving to Nof Ginnosar, a
kibbutz hotel just north of the
city. We loved the contrast
and also the opportunity to
see members of the Orthodox
community on motorboats or
camping or kayaking.
We loved kayaking on the
Jordan River, boating on Lake
Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and
hiking at Tel Dan, surrounded
always by the sound and sight
of rushing water.
One evening just before
sunset, we rode the glass gon-
dolas up the Manara cliffs
along the Lebanese border,
enabling us to see the entire
Hula Valley, Har Hermon and
Lebanon. At the kibbutz at
the end of the day, we were
able to swim in Lake Kinneret
or just relax by the pool.

And to top it all off, Yehuda
Poliker, an Israeli artist whose
music we have owned for many
years, was appearing at Bet
Gavriel, a Pine Knob-type
venue at the southern end of
Lake Kinneret. We could not
have imagined a more wonder-
ful, exciting scene. There was a
huge crowd, a fantastic stage
with lighting effects that rivaled
any we have ever seen, and a
great act. Imagine being in
Israel on Lake Kinneret, and
singing along and dancing to
one of Israel's most popular
singers!
Although this was a pleasure
trip, a vacation trip, it was a
very meaningful trip for us. We
got to see the Israel that CNN,
MSNBC and other news media
do not show, a very resilient
Israel. -
Although we had been to
Israel many times before, this
was our hardest trip to see end.
When people now ask us where
we went on our vacation, they
are astounded that we went to
Israel and tell us we are very
brave. Frankly, we are not so
brave as we are committed —
committed to the 5.5 million of
our fellow Jews who we proudly
call Israelis. They are the brave
ones.
Whether you feel more com-
fortable on a tour bus, a mis-
sion or in a rented car, try to
visit your "other" home in
Israel. It will help the Israelis —
but it will really help you even
more. ❑

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BEVERLY & HARVEY STEWART
Boca Raton, FL

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I T FAMILY
JANICE & LARRY
DANIEL, JACLYN & JENN

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