The stark beauty of the place is noticeable from the moment you get out of the car or bus. The Wadi Qelt area of the Judean desert forms an oasis of sheer beauty and certainly seems to have been a fitting place for Joachim and Anne to have stood and prayed to God for the Virgin Mary.

But for Manahem and Iguem, two pilgrims from Russia, the beauty of the area is a secondary concern. They made the trip to St. George's Monastery, in a remote part of the West Bank, not because of the scenery but because "we revere the saints," they explain to Travelujah. For them, it's all about visiting the holy places, places where biblical characters walked and lived, where they prayed and where their prayers were answered.

Asked to comment further on what they felt was so special about this place, why this place in particular when other churches or monasteries might be easier to visit, the priest and nun from central Russia simply smiled and said "it's a holy place, of course we want to come."

Their devotion and that of the thousands of other visitors to this remote sanctuary, named for S

It is not often that one stands at the bottom of a mountain and finds himself at a look-out point, yet this is precisely the experience of standing at the bottom of Mt. Carmel in Haifa, seat of the Baha'i Gardens and Baha'i World Center.

writer: Chaya Ben Shimon

When positioned at the foot of the mountain, the observer is treated to a vision of unparalleled beauty - a pristine garden with nineteen terraces sweeping majestically up to the mountain's summit.

The foliage that extends the length of the mountain seamlessly strikes a divine chord with greenery that appears to ascend into the heavens, aptly revealing the meaning of the mountain's name: Carmel, the Vineyard of the Lord. The view from the top of the mountain is no less enchanting. Soft winds compliment a panorama of sea, city, and flower blossoms, ornamented by the stately golden dome of the Baha'i Gardens' shrine to its founder, the Báb.

The Baha'i faith is the world's newest religion. In the mid 19th century in Shiraz, Iran, a merchant by the name of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad Shirází, or the as he was more commonly known, announced the coming

In Sakhnin - a village in the Lower Galilee you've probably never heard of - grand steps are being taken to tackle one of the environmental movement's most perplexing problems: wastewater treatment.

Sakhnin is located approximately 45 minutes from Tiberias. It rests on the site of the ancient town of Sikhnin, a Jewish village which prospered during Roman rule. Today, the Arab community of Sakhnin is mostly Muslim, though there is a sizable Christian community as well. In fact, visitors can join the locals and worship at the Greek Orthodox church of St. George.

Sakhnin is also known for its premier soccer club, Bnei Sakhnin, one of the first Arab teams to play in the top t

It is traditional to eat sweet foods during the Jewish high holiday season. Certain items are very prevalent throughout the country and show up on almost everyone's feast table at some point - such as apples, honey, chocolate, honey cake, figs and other specialty items. As part of our celebration of the holiday season combined with the fact that all the schools are out for vacation for almost two weeks, we opted to take a couple days to travel to the north and enjoy the celebrations that were going on. While many venues were offering special festivities during the weekly succot holidays - all of these venues are opened year round, for the most part and are highly recommended for visitation by individuals, groups and families alike. If you are a foodie - even better - you'll love learning about the many products that are organically grown in this region. Below are a couple interesting places that we visited last week.

Bustan HaGolan - Located just off of Highway 98, this wonderful outdoor attraction lies on the easternmost border of the Golan Heights, overlooking Syria. The fields offer abundant peach and apples  - we picked huge granny smiths and star kings as well as massive white peaches which were likely the last of this season. Within this large farm grapes are being grown on the fertile fields. Numerous activities await families with small children that can enjoy spending an entire day at the property. For an entrance price of approximately