Just announced - the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, situated at 417 meters below sea level, is one of the finalists in the new competition of the seven great wonders of the world.  In a show or cooperation and support, the Tourism Ministries of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority individually signed the official supporting papers for candidacy of the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is also known as the Sea of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities which were destroyed in Gen 19:1-29. There is nothing in the lake that breathes life, no fish or animal or any moving waters.

In 2007, the level of the Dead Sea was minus 421, almost the lowest in the last 20,000 years and each year the lake claims to be shrinking by 3 feet. More than 90 percent of the water fro

A biblical landscape reserve nestled amidst the Judean Hills, Neot Kedumim offers an extensive array of exciting programs geared to the entire family. Our group contained contained visitors of every age group  from the United States, and it was therefore, critical that the afternoon outing meet both the physical and educational needs of all the age groups. At Neot Kedumim we had  a private, 2.5 hour tour that began with an explanation of  the history of this vast 600 acre reserve and the abundant plant life that is represented throughtout this landscape. Our guide directed us onto an easy trail to different stops along the reserve where we learned about the lives of biblical women, the chosen topic for that day. One child cleverly dissappeared from the group while we were busy admiring the trees and moments later  when asked about how Miriam hid her brother, Moses, amongst the reeds, we all began "looking" for Miriam in the similar landscape.

We learned about ancient olive manufacturiing and had the opportunity to push the olive press in order to understand the process of extracting the tasty and useful oil. At another stop we learned about ancient caligraphy by using reeds to create our personal works of art. Our day concluded with pl

With spring in full bloom in Israel, a leisurely stroll through Tzippori, nicknamed by Josephus as "the ornament of the Galilee" is a must see visit for all travelers this time of year. Located in the heart of the Galilee, Tzippori is situated on a hill in the western part of the region, situated between the Tzippori stream to the south (Nahal Tzippori - also happens to be a wonderful place for a hike) and the Beit Netofa Valley to the north. The site is one of Israel's National Parks and is extremely well maintained. A modern visitor center sits at the entrance of the park and English speaking tour guides who work for the park service are available for hire in advance for approximately $150 for an hour and a half tour.

Tzippori received its name because of its location on the top of a mountain "like a bird" as written in the Talmud. Visiting today, one can view the remains of a magnificent city with streets, buildings, bathhouse, complete with very well preserved mosaic floors as well as an ancient synagague. A large theatre was also uncovered as well as an ancient water reservoir. For over two thousand years, Tzippori has enjoyed a very colorful history.

Last weekend we traveled northward scouting sites for a bat mitzvah location. We opted for a return visit to Beit Lechem Haglilit, an idyllic village situated in the hills of the Galilee. Beautiful calanit flowers were in abundance throughout the countryside with cars after cars parked in the endless fields allowing visitors to access the many trails throughout the hilltops where they could admirethe new spring blossoms. The village of Beit Lechem Haglilit is easy to explore by foot or bike and the local historian, Kobi Fleishmann (04-953-2901), will gladly take around tour groups for a two hour stroll through the village by pre-arrangement. Kobi and his family live in a beautiful historic old Templar home and have converted a portion of it to a bed and breakfast as well as a local museum, chronicling the Templar roots of the village as well as the rise of the local Hitler Youth movement, which rose to prominence in this town during the 1930's. Photographs on display in the local museum chronicle this dark period of local history and provide visual evidence of the Nazi Youth parade that occurred in the village to mark Hitler's birthday. The museum showcases much of Kob