These Past Memories Keep Me Motivated to Create More!
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Flawless from arrival to departure, it was by far our best family vacation. Every day exceeded our expectations with an itinerary that was perfectly balanced. We were amazed by the wide range of interesting, engaging and fun activities that succeeded in being both educational and bringing us literally in touch with Israel’s remarkable natural resources through hands on experiences like our own archaeological dig and cave explorations.
The trip also provided context for our kids who often wonder why they go to Hebrew school. Iddo did a masterful job of bringing the relevance of Israel, past and present, to our lives as American Jews. It goes without saying that Iddo was a gift. Without his scope of knowledge, passion for Israel, talent for conveying information in an interesting and accessible manner, flexibility, and good humor, all of the best planning would not have created the wonderful trip we experienced.
Finally, despite a full and complex itinerary, Larry and I have never had a more relaxing vacation which of course enhanced our family time together. Each step of the way, from the personalized brochure of our journey through Israel, prearranged late check out on our last day, and seamless transitions and small changes in itinerary throughout our stay, we felt pampered and secure.
Having been eavesdropping on our kids phone calls over the past few days I have been delighted to hear them telling friends that Israel was the best vacation ever, and the biggest compliment of all that “Israel rocks”.
My first look at these buildings came during a general architectural walk guided by Iddo Katz, an archaeologist with a clear love of the city. That day, the sky shone a crystalline blue and the sun beat down benignly. Bougainvillea bloomed, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the city’s copious palm trees danced a little in the breeze.
Our small group met outside my nondescript hotel, one of several that hulk over the beach promenade. Katz pointed out a few nods to the International Style that these 1990s buildings offer: the vertical strip of “thermometer” windows that run along their sides, the notched corners, the horizontal ribbons of room windows that band the buildings.
Katz also indicated a skyscraper a few blocks away, the Shalom Tower from 1965. A rectangular slab that echoes such modernist classics as the Secretariat Building of the United Nations (designed by Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier) and the Seagram Building (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe), the tower represents the height of the “ideology that was behind Tel Aviv,” Katz observed. “It says, ‘We’ve moved beyond mud and stone. We want modernism.’ ”
From the Horowitz Bat-Mitzva Tour:
I have a profound appreciation for your knowledge, expertise and ability to relate on a personal level. This along with your curiosity for learning, in my eyes puts you head and shoulders above any one I have previously worked with in Israel. Seeing Israel, including but not limited to Old and New Testaments, through your eyes and heart made this a very special trip- the best of any trip I have led to Israel before.
My warmest regards and thanks. I look forward to seeing you again
