Things To Do In Israel Master Thread

[Emkay]

Seems to still be having growing pains.

[emjee]

Any suggestions what to do one day chol hamoed with two kids a 4 year old and a 2 year old. One day im doing the zoo i just need to fill another day
Thanks

Kef tzubah

[emjee]

Anyone have small crib gemach number or chasdei shmuel number?

[Dan]

Cross-posting:

He did reach out to me for advice and this is what I replied. Feel free to post what you would have advised

Hey Ben,

If you're booking with AMEX, don't miss this Matmid promo and don't forget to wait 24 hours after transferring to get exec rates: https://www.dansdeals.com/airfare-deals/mileage-deals/el-al-matmid-discounted-coach-business-class-awards-upcoming-matmid-devaluation/

I'd love to see a review of LY 787 J from EWR-TLV and LY 777 F from TLV-LAX, but I know that'll cost an obscene amount of points/cash
If you do fly F though, you should be able to have a travel agent make special meal requests from TLV...as long as they're kosher

A week is a tall order, especially on a blogger schedule. If you can swing it, I'd probably do a 5th night free award at the Waldorf Jlem, and then a night or 2 each at Sheraton TLV, Ritz, and SPG Design Elma Arts. I'm assuming you're going before March, otherwise the W TLV may be an option.

Just bear in mind that Israel does not have a service oriented culture, so a 5 star hotel will never exist there.

That being said, the Waldorf J'lem is in a fantastic location and does a decent enough job. I can put you in touch with the GM there if you need standard award space or to confirm a suite or a deluxe balcony room in advance.

Conventional wisdom is to avoid Jerusalem on Friday/Saturday, but I'd stick around. The experience of seeing an entire city in a hustle and bustle preparing for Shabbos (walk around the machne yehuda shuk or the streets of meah shearim) is neat and then seeing it come to a halt on Friday evening/Saturday is something you won't find elsewhere. You can still tour Christian/Muslim sights/temple mount in the old city on Saturday and if you're up to it, see the crowds filling in the western wall area on friday night.

-Definitively book a western wall tunnel tour well in advance: https://english.thekotel.org/western_wall_sites/western_wall_tunnels/

-And I love the ramparts walk in Jerusalem on top of the old city walls, you can get a birds eye view into everyday life in all 4 quarters of the old city from there.

-The holocaust museum is obviously a must do.

-City of David tour, be prepared to get a bit wet

Aside from that, Jerusalem is a good base for a fascinating day trips to::
-Masada tour/Dead Sea floating/Ein Gedi hike
-Dig for a day archaeology at Bet Guvrin
-A tour of Hebron and the cave of the patriarchs.
-If you want to take a tour of the west bank for a view of the conflict from both sides

TLV has beaches and a big bar and nightclub scene, but not much historical. I wouldn't focus too much time there. People love the dialogue in the dark exhibit, which has to be booked well in advance. :http://www.childrensmuseum.org.il/eng/pages/childrens_activity/dialogue_in_the_dark.aspx
And the Palmach museum is neat as well: http://www.palmach.org.il/Web/English/TheMuseum/Default.aspx

There are a ton of awesome wineries if you're into that. I can give you more info on those if you'd like.

Up north along the Mediterranean sea, you've got the Roman ruins in Caesarea, the high-tech companies in Haifa, the grottoes in Rosh Hanikra.
Inland north there's Tiberias on the sea of galiliee, the ancient city of Tzfat, and the Golan Heights. I love Nimrod's fortress and Baniyas waterfall in the Golan.

There are more authentic israeli possibilities, like staying in a kibbutz for a night or staying in a "Zimmer" https://www.zimmeril.com/

And that's ignoring the possibilities of goind down south to Mitzpe Ramon, Eilat, and trips to Petra or Sinai...

Anyway, I hope that wasn't too overwhelming. Happy to follow up on anything.

Enjoy,
Dan

[grodnoking]

Anyone have extra schach? Any schach gemach? Anyone want to rent schach to me? Anyone want to buy schach at a steep discount off me after sukkos (it'll only be used once, and I'm getting a steep discount to buy but I won't be here next year and don't want to spend that much money). Pm me

[mendy613]

Cross-posting:

Very informative for the rest of us too, thanks for sharing!

[nafnaf12]

Any decent cleaners for a bekitcha? In Jerusalem

[jmz]

Anyone have extra schach? Any schach gemach? Anyone want to rent schach to me? Anyone want to buy schach at a steep discount off me after sukkos (it'll only be used once, and I'm getting a steep discount to buy but I won't be here next year and don't want to spend that much money). Pm me

How much do you need?

[grodnoking]

How much do you need?

27m^2
20.5 by 14 square feet

[mgarfin]

Any recommendation for Jeeping?  A family of 7, based in Yerushalayim, but can travel.

[jj1000]

Anyone have a list of best restaurants in Israel? Wiki has a long list but not ranked as the best...

Friend is going and he wants to do a restaurant tour of Israel...

(Feel free to mention dishes too)

[sky121]

Anyone have a list of best restaurants in Israel? Wiki has a long list but not ranked as the best...

Friend is going and he wants to do a restaurant tour of Israel...

(Feel free to mention dishes too)

What hechsherim are we talking generally?

[Z56]

Anyone have a list of best restaurants in Israel? Wiki has a long list but not ranked as the best...

Friend is going and he wants to do a restaurant tour of Israel...

(Feel free to mention dishes too)

Dairy/ meat ?

[jj1000]

What hechsherim are we talking generally?

Basically any in the wiki look good.

Dairy/ meat ?

Both it's a 9 day trip...

[Z56]

Try: skyline, Lechem basar, or waffle bar,  Luciana

[Hjay]

Try: skyline, Lechem basar, or waffle bar,  Luciana

Remove waffle bar from that list, imho.
Gabrielle’s
Joy - mamilla
Red heifer
Picollino
Grill bar (not so fancy but great food & it’s great for experiencing an Israeli restaurant).
Crave and/or ishtabah in the shuk.
Hasandak - dairy, shuk. Great for a lunch
Ahavat hayam
L’entrecote in Tel Aviv
Sumesa (never been, heard good things) ramat gan
There’s a kosher dairy place in zikhron Yaakov

[grodnoking]

How wide are the sukkah panals here?

[emjee]

How wide are the sukkah panals here?

Panels are all different sizes. The most common ime is 80cm

[Live N Learn]

How wide are the sukkah panals here?

IINM the standard ones are 87cm.

[Boruch999]

Panels are all different sizes. The most common ime is 80cm

+1 IME