Jerusalem
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Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
The Temporary Mughrabi Bridge in the Plaza of the Western Wall (photo courtesy of Flickr user Ariela R.)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I hate politics.
But living in Israel and working in the field of tourism, it is fairly difficult to completely avoid dealing with political issues. Nearly every visitor has heard things about the political situation and/or sees things that relate to the issue. So they will inevitably ask some questions.
And it would not be right for me to ignore these questions. So the way I handle them is to respond in as objective a manner as possible, all the while recognizing and admitting that it is actually impossible for anyone to be truly objective. I try to relate the facts as I see them, and try to keep my opinions out of things. When Israel does or has done something wrong, I admit them. But when I see lies or misrepresentations that damage Israel’s image, I will speak out against them as well.
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Posted in Miscellaneous | 1 Response »
Tags: Al-Aqsa Mosque, Arab-Israeli Conflict, history, Hurva, Jerusalem, Jewish Quarter, Jordan, Mughrabi Bridge, Ottomans, politics, religion, Temple Mount
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
Look carefully at this one!
For those wondering how the test went on Sunday, I’ll be writing another post soon in which I review the exam. But suffice it to say that I feel fairly good about my performance on it and am just waiting to hear whether or not I passed. Results in a few more weeks, I guess.
And now on to the previous Israel Mystery Photo. As 3 of 4 commenters answered correctly, the photo was taken at the 9/11 Memorial in the forest on the northwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. It is a place that I’d been wanting to visit for a while, and was very happy to hear about even before I visited. I was finally able to get there a few weeks ago, and was not disappointed.
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Posted in Mystery Photo | 6 Responses »
Tags: 9/11, art, Jerusalem, memorial
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
The Old City of Jerusalem
I love lists like this, where people list the top things to do in a certain place. But I find that often those lists are just a rehashing of the tourist sites you can find in any Lonely Planet, Let’s Go or Fodor’s Guide. And other times they list a number of places that barely scratch the surface of the location.
So I wanted to do something a bit different with this post. This is not a list of ten places to visit in the Holy City of Jerusalem. This is going to go a little bit deeper. I want to give you some things to do so that you really get a feel for what life in Jerusalem is like. So I have chosen ten categories of things that will help you feel like a Jerusalemite while also seeing, smelling, hearing and tasting everything that my wonderful city has to offer!
Due to length, I’m splitting this post into 3 parts. Now, in no particular order…
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Posted in Israeli Tourism, Primers | 3 Responses »
Tags: food, Garden Tomb, Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus, Ramat Rachel, religion, Tayelet, Temple Mount, Western Wall
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
A band playing at one of Jerusalem's Friday afternoon summer street parties.
Continuing the list:
4. Get Some Culture
Jerusalem has a thriving cultural scene, full of great music, art and crafts. And especially through the summer season (which really lasts about half the year here), there are tons of festivals that can satisfy myriad interests.
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Posted in Israeli Tourism, Primers | 2 Responses »
Tags: archaeology, architecture, art, British Mandate, Davidson Center, history, Ir David, Jerusalem, Market, music, urban planning, wine
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
The Shrine of the Book at Jerusalem's Israel Museum
And now the final entries:
8. Go to a Museum
(Sorry, I couldn’t come up with a clever title for this one!)
I’m not sure who keeps statistics on such things, but I’ve heard that Israel has more museums per capita than does any other country in the world. (Okay, when adding links I found that these guys apparently keep such statistics, or at least report them.) And whether or not that is true, Jerusalem definitely has some of the most significant museums in this country that is full of them.
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Posted in Israeli Tourism, Primers | 2 Responses »
Tags: blood donation, food, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Magen David Adom, mangal, MDA, museums, Nachalaot, Ottomans, Yad Vashem
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
Where in Israel is this?
I’m fairly certain that almost anyone in my tour guide course will recognize this week’s Israel Mystery Photo, because it is from a site that once you’ve been there, it sticks in your mind. It is very memorable. But it is also, unfortunately, not as commonly visited as perhaps it should be. So I’ll be very curious to see how many people outside of my class recognize it.
Last week’s photo post got many correct answers as well. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in modern Jerusalem, a city I know and love. So I’m happy to see that many of you recognize it as well.
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Posted in Mystery Photo | 4 Responses »
Tags: architecture, British Mandate, Haj Amin el-Husseini, history, hotels, Jerusalem, King David Hotel, Mufti, Palace Hotel, Peel Commission
Friday, July 8th, 2011
Yet another mystery: where in Israel was THIS photo taken?
My previous Israel Mystery Photo seems to have struck a good balance. 2 correct answers, and one incorrect, but the incorrect was a decent guess from a first time commenter, Sharone. And Shmilty finally got a right answer! Happy for you buddy. Of course, Aaron once again got it right. That man is like a machine, I tell you.
But yes, the correct answer to last week’s photo was indeed the Tower of David in Jerusalem’s Old City.
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Posted in Mystery Photo | 4 Responses »
Tags: archaeology, architecture, Byzantines, Crusaders, David, Herod, Ir David, Jerusalem, Mamluks
Monday, July 4th, 2011
Can you tell me where this photo was taken?
So, what did I learn from last week’s Israel Mystery Photo? I learned that they are much more challenging for my classmates when we did not visit the location as part of our course. I only got two responses last week (both correct): one directly emailed to me and one from Aaron in the comments, where he admitted to Googling it to find the correct answer: the Artists’ Colony in Ein Hod.
But that also raises another question for me: does making these photos challenging for my classmates also make them way too hard for the rest of you? I’d rather this be a fun challenge for most of my readers, more than a tough challenge for my classmates. So please do let me know in the comments, even if you do not know where this photo was taken. I’m also open to further suggestions and ideas. For example, would multiple choice be better for this? Let me know! Anyway…
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Posted in Mystery Photo | 3 Responses »
Tags: art, Beny Levy, Carmel, Ein Hod, Jerusalem, Tzefat, Yaffo, Zichron Yaakov
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
PM Netanyahu: We need more tourists than people who live here.
This week I am attending the first International Tourism Conference being held in Jerusalem’s Binyanei HaUmah Convention Center. Focusing both on the changing opportunities and challenges in the global tourism industry, as well as on the unique attractions of Israel (and Jerusalem in particular) as a tourist destination, the conference has drawn hundreds of participants from around the world.
With panels on topics such as “The Role of Media in Generating Tourism,” “The Impact of Technology on the Tourism Industry,” and “Branding Cities,” the conference features politicians such as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat alongside media personality Chris Matthews (“Hardball with Chris Matthews”), MTV International founder Bill Roedy and museum directors from around the world.
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Posted in Israeli Tourism | 5 Responses »
Tags: Bill Roedy, business, Chris Matthews, International Tourism Conference, Israel, Jerusalem, Mayumana, Misezhnikov, Netanyahu, Nir Bakat, tourism
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
Malha Mall archaeological site -- a village from about 1800 BCE
Construction in Israel is always a difficult endeavor. In a country with as long a history as ours is, every time a spade or backhoe touches earth, there is the chance (or even the likelihood) that you will come across finds of archaeological significance. And when you do, construction grinds to a halt until the archaeologists can come in and examine the finds, determining whether they are significant, and whether construction can even continue there at all.
In recent years, building expansions have uncovered an ancient church at the site of a modern prison and an ancient cemetery near a hospital. In both cases, the building plans were halted until solutions could be found. Sometimes the archaeological site will be preserved at the location so people can see the finds in situ — where they were found, and construction will be abandoned. Other times, they will be covered and preserved underground, with the construction proceeding above the site. And sometimes the material will simply be removed and catalogued for later research.
I’ve recently visited a few of these types of sites, all within the boundaries of modern Jerusalem. It is yet another reason why I love living here. I am constantly surprised by the history and archaeology that you practically trip over every time you walk around this magnificent city.
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Posted in Israeli Tourism, Miscellaneous, Tour Guide Course | 3 Responses »
Tags: archaeology, Arnona, Bronze Age, Byzantine Era, church, Derech Hevron, history, Jerusalem, Malha, Stone Age
