I know I’m back in my adopted second home by that certain smell: a peculiar potpourri of orange blossoms, bus fumes, fried falafel and sweaty armpits. Three years has passed since my last visit to Israel, but on this, my 13th visit, I quickly pick up right where I’d left off. My rusty Hebrew revs up to fluency within a few days, I revert to an instant maniac behind the steering wheel like other Israeli drivers, and sunflower seed husks expertly split between tongue and teeth lie strewn in my wake.
Strolling past octogenarians greeting the morning with calisthenics on the beach and teens in-line skating with reckless abandon along Tel Aviv’s vibrant promenade, it seems like only yesterday–and yet like a lifetime ago–that a jet-lagged, bell-bottomed, raised-Catholic youth unknowingly checked into a shabby hookers’ hotel on H’Yarkon Street and ended up living for three years on a kibbutz.
The Yom Kippur War still lingered in collective agony, the lira had not yet been annihilated by hyper-inflation, and Golda Meir, though recently deposed, still held sway (indelible still is the thrill of sitting in the kibbutz dining hall 20 feet away from the legendary matriarch as she spoke about her life).
This year Israel celebrates its 50th birthday, and like the best of relationships, my quarter-century affair is full of love and affection laced with moments of exasperation. Israel, for better or for worse, has become a place in my heart.
Jerusalem
You might as well get right to the heart of the matter: Jerusalem. Glowing golden at sunset and ethereal by moonlight, Jerusalem’s stone ramparts and towers are steeped in history, legend and myth. From my perch above Damascus Gate, I gaze down at the stream of humanity eddying beneath me: bedraggled Abyssinian clerics, Hasidic Jews averting their eyes from Scandinavian blonds in skimpy shorts, Arab children switching at donkeys pulling carts, a bevy of nuns, wizened women in embroidered Palestinian dresses peddling sabra fruits and hundreds of camera-toting tourists from the world over.
Meandering through the Moslem, Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters, every bend in the shadowed lanes overwhelms the senses: fresh-baked pita bread, sides of butchered meat hanging from hooks, colorful heaps of spices, rhythmic voices of yeshiva pupils studying the Talmud intermingled with the muezzin calling the Moslem faithful to prayer.
The venerated Western Wall, where Jews come to pray, and the golden Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque on Mt. Moriah, the third most holy Moslem site, hardly need mentioning. Be sure to wear long pants or long skirts to Jerusalem’s holy sites; otherwise you’ll be required to don a dreadful schmata to cover up your provocative legs.
A week would be required to take in Jerusalem’s highlights, but these are my favorites:
– The famous Chagall tapestries in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, are a feast for the eyes and soul.
– For history buffs at the Holyland Hotel, the model of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus will help you grasp the layout of the ever-changing walls.
– Across from Jaffa Gate is the imposing Citadel and Tower of David, one of three erected by King Herod, left standing by Emperor Titus in 70 A.D. as silent witness to his destruction of Jerusalem. Today it houses the Tower of David Museum, tracing Jerusalem’s eventful and bloody history through displays and models and a sound and light show.
– The newly renovated Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, will likely induce tears and a heavy heart, but is crucial in understanding the genocide that precipitated the establishment of Israel and, unfortunately, the displacement of the Palestinians.
Several companies (see accompanying story) offer an array of fascinating and unique walking tours in Jerusalem and environs: over the Old City’s rooftops for a unique perspective; a journey back in time into the labyrinth of excavation tunnels under the city; unusual night trips on the Jewish holidays for a glimpse into religious traditions; the haunted sites of Jerusalem; and dozens of other opportunities.
Tel Aviv
Barely an hour’s drive west from venerable Jerusalem bustles Tel Aviv, a newborn babe among metropolises that sprang up on the sand dunes mere decades ago. In Israel’s thriving business hub, discos blare until dawn, sunbathers in string bikinis pay no heed to ozone warnings–and who cares whether the Chinese take-out is kosher? Adamantly secular, and vying for a cosmopolitan mien, Tel Aviv is everything that Jerusalem is not.
Architecture enthusiasts should note that underneath Tel Aviv’s worn and soiled facade is the world’s prime collection of International Style buildings–or Bauhaus, as it became known in the ’30s. In recent years, many Bauhaus structures have been restored to emphasize the simple contours that exemplified the spartan, utilitarian style, and if you keep your eyes open, you’ll spot the treasures among the dreck.
Next door to the Tel Aviv Museum and Library is the Performing Arts Center. Its new 1,500-seat, $60 million opera house offers 250 music and dance performances a year by both Israeli and visiting international groups. What the fanciful opera house lacks in ostentatious formality, it makes up for in visual surprises: the undulating walls of the ground-floor bar, a prehistoric-looking box office, exposed light bulbs hanging from bent wires in the lobby and a golden mini-amphitheater formed within the swooping staircase hosting preperformance jam sessions. In keeping with Israel’s decidedly casual atmosphere, tuxedos and jewels would be far more out of place here than jeans and sandals.
The digs
Israel is an archeologist’s dream delight. If James Michener’s “The Source”–the novel based on the excavations of 20 civilizations built on top of each other at Tel Megiddo–doesn’t arouse your interest. then nothing will . . . except perhaps seeing the site in person. The King Solomon gates and horse stables, grain storage cistern and the engineering feat of the well tunnel are among the highlights. Megiddo, guarding the strategic crossroads used by conquering nations, is only one of 50 archeological tels in Israel.
Just north of Nazareth, Zipori has recently been excavated by some of the 500,000 new Russian immigrants in need of government-subsidized jobs. At Zipori, more than a dozen–with many more to come–fantastic and gorgeous mosaic floors have been unearthed. One floor in a Roman-era villa depicts Greek legends, another commemorates the festival of a record-breaking Nile flood season and a third the zodiac floor of a synagogue.
Another fascinating archeological site is Tel Maresha in the Judean foothills. Here, a wealthy community of Hellenistic Jews thrived making olive oil in a huge underground network of interconnecting cisterns and cellars carved out of the limestone rock below their homes. More than 5,000 cellars have been discovered, with several open to tourists. Visitors can also arrange to work at the excavations.
The Golan
At first glance, one might wonder why anyone would bother with this seemingly desolate piece of real estate. After the wildflowers have withered in the summer’s onslaught, and the creatures of the land and air have retreated to the lush ravines to survive, the parched expanse strewn with basalt disgorged by extinct volcanoes fairly resembles the face of the moon. But gazing upon the vulnerable communities once terrorized by Syria in the Hula Valley 2,000 feet below, it’s easy to understand Israel’s reluctance to hand back the high ground.
Although always sparsely populated, the Golan has been inhabited for thousands of years. Paleolithic remains were unearthed in the north, and Bronze Age dolmen stones, still casting elongated shadows at sunset, have witnessed the rise and fall of the Persians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, Moslems, Crusaders, Turks, French and Syrians. Now about 17,000 Israelis in 32 communities and 20,000 Druze in a half-dozen villages call the Golan home.
At Banias, the principal source of the Jordan River gushes from an ancient cave sanctuary to Pan. Near the arched niches chiseled in the cliff to hold statues of the deity, Greek inscriptions are still clearly legible. Here, Herod’s son, Phillip, built his capital, Caesarea Phillipi.
Massive Nimrod Castle, open to the public a few miles away, was captured from the Moslems by the Crusaders in the 12th Century. in an attempt to control the road between Damascus and Tyre. Strategically, the forces commanding the Golan ruled the Galilee and plains descending to Damascus.
Foolish as it is to hike in mid-day heat, I set out on the path leading to the ruins of Gamla–“camel” in Hebrew. Indeed, the spurlike promontory on which Gamla was built does resemble a dromedary’s hump. Though less known than Masada, Gamla’s story is no less tragic. In 66 A.D., Jewish inhabitants revolted against the loathed Romans and constructed a wall on the eastern side of the city that managed to keep King Agrippa II’s armies at bay for eight months. When the Romans finally breached the wall, a ferocious hand-to-hand battle ensued. The 9,000 residents retreated to the rocky summit and, rather than surrender, flung themselves into the abyss.
In this disputed place, all is not controversy. International connoisseurs increasingly recognize the fine wines produced in the Golan Winery under the labels Yarden, Gamla and Golan. Founded in 1983, this upstart establishment has already garnered several international awards. Even tougher was winning over the Israeli public who, except for quaffing sweet Shabbat and Pesach wines, has scant history of imbibing.
Jointly owned by eight communities, the winery’s visitors center hosts about 80,000 people a year. Here I learned that the Golan’s volcanic soil provides excellent drainage, and the cool winters and high altitude are ideal for grape cultivation. Viticulture in the Golan is an ancient tradition, as evidenced by the bas-relief stone carvings on display unearthed in excavations at the nearby Talmudic village in Qasrin, which is open to the public.
The spas
Most people know about the mineral waters and spas of the Dead Sea, while fewer have heard of the spas in the north. At Tiberias Spa (011-972-6-679-1967), 17 mineral springs are the foundation of a complex that offers large indoor and outdoor mineral pools, sauna, steam room and 25-yard freshwater pool. More serious aficionados can take advantage of the numerous treatments offered in the clinic wing: massages, reflexology, shiatsu, mud plasters and water treatments.
Passing down its palm-lined road through well-kept gardens, it’s evident that Hammat Gader (011-972-6-665-9999) has been radically altered since I foolhardily sneaked under the barbed wire into the bullet-riddled ruins for a swim barely two years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Nestled on a crook of the river in the Yarmuk Valley on the Jordanian border, Hammat Gader was once a spa retreat for Syrian military officers.
The natural springs, with their high mineral and sulfur content, have been employed for thousands of years by successive conquerors. As one might expect, it was the Romans with their fetish for spas who built a sumptuous complex, the second largest in the Roman Empire, which remained in use until the 9th Century.
On the back side of Mt. Carmel, the road winds through the Carmel Nature Preserve and past the bustling souvenir market of the Druze village of Daliyat H’Carmel, a prison, and kibbutz Beit Oren. Finally, down a narrow drive, you reach the Carmel Forest Spa Resort (011-972-4-832-3111). It is undoubtedly Israel’s most elegant–and most expensive at $300 to $400 a night (but it includes all meals and use of the spectacular spa facilities).
The modern, International-style building perches on the steep slope with views of the Mediterranean, and the interior expanses are lovingly created out of glass, native stone, tile and polished wood. The spa facilities themselves are divine. Besides the large outdoor pool, there’s another 25-meter indoor pool, a whirlpool spa nestled among plants, solarium, fitness room, separate men’s and women’s saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges, and a unique Turkish hammam–a marble-lined room whose floors and benches are heated from underneath.
For those who don’t want to spend the night, Carmel Forest Spa offers a special day rate for two of approximately $250 that includes use of spa facilities, classes, two meals (breakfast and either lunch or dinner) and two bodywork treatments for one person. (The second person has to pay extra for his or hers.)
Many events have been planned for Israel’s 50th birthday, with the bulk occurring from April through August. For a complete listing, contact Israeli Tourism (see accompanying story).
A FEW DETAILS ON ISRAEL
Getting there: El Al (800-223-6700) has two non-stop flights a week from Chicago. Other airlines offer connecting service. At present the air fare is about $930 until mid June when the peak season starts and it will be about $1,950 To direct dial Israel, include 011 and the country code, 972, before the local number.
Jerusalem walking tours: Beit Shmuel (2-620-3466) offers a fascinating list of tours. Other tours are offered by:
– David’s City of David (2-652-2568, 2-681-8758, 2-642-0358);
– Archaeological Seminars (2-627-3515);
– Zion Walking Tours (2-628-7866);
– Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (3-638-8674).
Private guides: Amatzia Dayan (4-989-5371; fax 4-989-5403) and Robert Brender (2-671-7427; fax 2-673-6606) are gay-friendly. Prices per day range from $200 to $250.
Northern outdoor activities: Activity Rafting & Recreation (6-939-377) at Kibbutz Gadot offers family kayaking and white water rafting on the Jordan River, four-wheel drive trips, bike rides and hiking.
Other recommendations:
– Canoe and Rafting Sports (6-696-2910) for, well, canoe and rafting sports.
– For horseback riding, contact Amir Duvdevani at Aloni Habashan (in the Golan; 6-696-0019).
Information: Israeli Ministry of Tourism: New York, 888-77-Israel, or visit the Web site, www.goisrael.com
