This will just be a very brief post to check in on a few things. I owe you a few posts right now: two tiyul (trip) reports to write up (Ein Gedi and Modiin vicinity), and a few class updates as well. I also have a bit of catch-up to do on the tourism business Read More
Month: January 2010
When a Handshake Isn’t Just a Handshake
I don’t know about you, but I shake hands with people all the time, and I barely even think about it. Sure, I’ve heard the potential origins of the handshake as a sign of peace, indicating that neither person is holding a weapon. But in our society, shaking hands is as common as, well… a Read More
Hockey Night in… Israel!
I realize there might be a bit of a seeming discrepancy on this blog. It is called Fun Joel’s Israel, and I talk in my bio about the fun side of Israel. And while I think that hasn’t been lacking entirely on the blog, I also don’t think I’ve done my full duty yet in Read More
A Short History of the Land of Israel
Last week’s and this week’s classes have both dealt with general overviews to the land of Israel, dealing with such things as roads, borders, broad history, and the like. I’ll break down some of the other information in a future post, but I thought it might be helpful for me to give you a brief Read More
A Few Quick Updates
It’s getting late, and I have to be up early for our tiyul/trip tomorrow. So this will be a brief post, just to touch on a few quick things, before I hit the sack. Firstly, a brief update on the exam failure “scandal” I wrote about here. I got a few more “facts” and figures Read More
By the Numbers
There’s been plenty of coverage, of late, about the latest Israeli tourism numbers in 2009. And anytime there is a drop in the number of tourists from the previous year, it will be at least somewhat worrisome to people who make their living (or hope to down the road) within the industry. At the same Read More
Israel Tourism for the Sportsman (or Sportswoman)
Israel’s tourism industry traditionally revolves around a lot of things: archaeology, history, religion, etc. Straightforward resort tourism (beaches, etc.), outdoor/hiking trips and luxury spa vacations have also been mainstays of the industry for quite some time. More recently, there has been growth in areas such as culinary and/or wine tourism. Adventure travel (taking the outdoorsy Read More
Walking Through First Temple-Era Jerusalem
Our siyur (tour) this past Tuesday started in my backyard, almost literally. We met at the Tayelet / Haas Promenade, a mere 5-minute walk from my apartment in beautiful Arnona, Jerusalem. This scenic outlook offers an excellent spot to view the geography of ancient Jerusalem. From there, we went to a semi-hidden and little known Read More
What’s a Tell?
No, I’m not talking about a poker tell. I’m talking about the kinds of tells that you hear about whenever your travel to Israel (or other parts of the Middle East). Tel Arad, Tel Be’er Sheva or Tel Maresha, for example. (By the way, you may have noticed the change in spelling from “tell” to Read More
Should I be Concerned?
There is obviously a tremendous amount of material that the tourguide course covers, both experiential and more academic. And when the two years of the course come to a close, there is still a large and intense exam that each student needs to pass in order to become licensed. People often mention how difficult they’ve Read More