The Tower of David fortress, built by the grandiose King Herod 2,000 years ago, was the tallest building in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period and the only structure to remain intact after the Romans set the holy city on fire in 70 CE.  Now, the renewed Tower of David Museum near Jaffa Gate continues to impress with its cutting-edge multimedia exhibits and architectural design that blends seamlessly into a 3,000 year old archeological park.     Since it was founded in 1989 by then-Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, the Jerusalem history museum has awed visitors (600 ..read more

The concept of standing in line is (how should we put it?) massively underdeveloped here in Israel. What you identify as a line – people standing quietly at a respectful distance apart, vertically, everyone awaiting their turn – simply does not exist in the Holy Land. To help you survive the unique phenomenon that is standing in line here, we’ve outlined the basic do’s and don’ts that you really must be familiar with. These rules may strike you as humorous, and they are, but ignore them at your own peril. Don’t expect it to be vertical This is what passes for a line at a bank in Israel. Photo ..read more

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After dropping off their car at the auto-repair shop, many Israelis stop for a bite nearby at one of those quintessential restaurants with Formica tables, dispensers of flimsy napkins and steaming trays of comfort food. When the server comes to clear the plates and asks the standard question (“Did you have enough to eat, sweetie?”), the diner can either start regretting the heavy meatballs and rice or appreciate having enjoyed an authentic culinary experience. Those experiences are harder to come by these days. “It’s really elusive to find a true workers’ restaurant today. Yes, the same meals ..read more

There are many flummoxing things about visiting Israel – we’re thinking noise levels, insane driving and our inherent inability to stand in line – but few are as bewildering as taking public transportation around the country. This has less to do with language barriers or unreliable timetables than with cultural differences and local norms. To ensure smooth sailing, scroll down below for the essential things you must know before stepping on a bus or train here. Safe travels! You need an app or a little green card A Rav Kav public transportation card. Photo by Georgy Dzyura via Shutterstock.com ..read more

The art of thrifting – shopping at secondhand stores – is having a heyday in these tough economic times, boosted by growing awareness of the negative climate impact of apparel and footwear manufacturing. According to Axios, the secondhand market is projected to reach $77 billion by 2025, up from $36 billion in 2021. This is a welcome trend for Israeli nonprofit organizations that run thrift shops either to support their projects or to employ clients with physical, emotional or mental disabilities. “Our shops have been so successful as a social business that from a philanthropic point of view w ..read more

On March 15, four red double-decker tour buses rolled out in the streets of Jerusalem offering narrated sightseeing tours in a choice of 29 languages. The Red Bus City Tour takes passengers on a 90-minute route to landmarks such as the Old City, Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus, with a stop for a photo-op. A hop-on-hop-off option encompasses a 2.5-hour loop around significant places including City Hall, Sacher Park, the Knesset, Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, National Library, Machane Yehuda Market and Mount Herzl. Both tours begin next to the US Consulate on Agron Street near the Waldorf Astoria ..read more

For most people, Arad is a dusty town for a quick pit stop on the way to the Dead Sea. For me, it’s a town frozen in time — 1989, to be exact. Birds-eye view on serpentine road 31 from Arad to the Dead Sea. Photo by A. Pushkin via Shutterstock.com It was then that I spent six months in this southern Israeli town bordering the Negev and Judean deserts, as part of an international program for postgraduate students (sadly, it nolonger exists). We were housed in low-rise sand-colored apartment buildings, just a street away from the town square, Arad’s only commercial area. Here we would buy a slic ..read more

“It kind of reminds me of how things were with tattoos. In the past, whoever had a tattoo was categorized as a certain type of person. It was the same with graffiti. But nowadays it’s not like that anymore, it’s turned into a loved and accepted form of street art. I mean, people actually go on graffiti tours,” says Benzi Brofman. And when they do, there’s a good chance that they’ll come across one of his works, whether in Israel, London, Amsterdam or elsewhere in the world. The 39-year-old artist from Migdal HaEmek in northern Israel has been interested in art for as long as he can remember ..read more

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