This week from Israel

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on March 4, 2013

This week from Israel

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on December 31, 2012

‘Come back [to Israel] and bring a lot of people with you’

Published on December 4, 2012

“No Shopping!” guide Nadav Kersh admonished his charges as they entered the crowded Old City of Jerusalem. “I mean it. No shopping! It’s just too easy to get lost here.”

Syrian fighting decimates tourism industry

Published on December 3, 2012

Damascus is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. International flights into and out of the capital continued despite throughout 20-months of fighting between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the rebels seeking to depose him. But as of Friday, the flights have stopped.

Haifa a many-faceted jewel

By Elyse Glickman
Published on October 31, 2012

Visiting Americans often compare Haifa with San Francisco for its hilly landscape and trendy, artsy neighborhoods, or Boston for its mix of academia and maritime culture.

Culture on the menu

Published on October 15, 2012

Times Square, the icon of New York kitsch and tourism, pop culture and media art, not only looked different that day in late September, it smelled different. The place that many people call the center of the world was transformed into one big Chinese kitchen. That's right. Times Square was home to the 5th International Chinese Culinary Competition.

Ancient Shiloh: A new stop on the tourist map?

Published on August 14, 2012

Travis Allen was spending three weeks in 2009 driving around Israel visiting historic sites when he suddenly noticed Shiloh on the map and asked his driver if they could go to the site of the archaeological dig. What Allen, a financial advisor from California who’s making his first run for public office, remembers vividly is what was not there. People.

Hot Spot Tel-Aviv

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on August 8, 2012

In Bulgaria, Israel’s tourism minister vows to continue tourism ties

Published on July 23, 2012

Israeli Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov traveled to Bulgaria to shore up the relationship between the two countries in the wake of the deadly attack on a bus full of Israeli tourists.

How can Woody Allen make Israel’s tourism flourish

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on July 17, 2012

Wave of Chinese tourists expected

Published on May 31, 2012

Over 100 million Chinese tourists are expected to be traveling annually by 2020 and one of their preferred destinations is turning out to be the Middle East.

Article Highlights Jewish Culture Festivals in Europe

By Ruth Ellen Gruber
Published on May 27, 2012

Jewish Institutions take Part in European Night of the Museums Saturday Night

By Ruth Ellen Gruber
Published on May 17, 2012

Israel’s April tourism numbers set record

Published on May 10, 2012

The number of tourists entering Israel last month set a record.

Anne Frank’s Amsterdam App

By Ruth Ellen Gruber
Published on May 8, 2012

Web Site Aimed at Jewish Visitors to the Summer Olympics in London

By Ruth Ellen Gruber
Published on April 20, 2012

Learning about Craic with Richard Bangs

By Lisa Niver Rajna
Published on January 23, 2012

I love Lucy! What is in your backpack?

By Lisa Niver Rajna
Published on November 7, 2011

Czech Republic surprises with Jewish treasures

By Jay Firestone
Published on October 2, 2008

Birthplace of Theodore Herzl, Franz Kafka and Sigmund Freud, this increasingly progressive country is trying to shed the specter of the Nazi and Soviet occupations and embrace its Jewish past and present to bolster tourism, an important part of its national economy.

Party planning in the Holy Land is just a mouse click away

By Francesca Lunzer Kritz
Published on September 27, 2007

Planning a bar mitzvah in Israel? The Israeli Ministry of Tourism has just posted a Web site to help you get started

U.S. Jewish Population Rising; California and Israel Join in Tourism Pact

Published on December 14, 2006

Briefs

Jaffa flea market offers bargains and co-existence

By Sarah Price Brown
Published on November 16, 2006

The magic of the Jaffa Flea Market derives from both its past and present. The market began as a small bazaar in the mid-19th century. It is a rare remnant of the old Middle Eastern way of life in this modern Jewish country. But the market is also a place where Jews and Muslims work side by side as neighbors and friends.

Noteworthy sessions and events at the G.A.

Published on November 9, 2006

Noteworthy sessions and events at the General Assembly

Jews join the quest for space commerce

By Adam Wills
Published on November 2, 2006

Commercial space interests are now playing a critical role in the dawn of the second space age -- one built on business ventures and international cooperation. Instead of Hilton and Pan Am, the corporate names associated with the commercialization of space include Budget Suites and Virgin.

Northern Israel tourism gets back to normal; Travel warning impacts Rangoon synagogue

Published on October 19, 2006

More than two months after the cease-fire took hold, tourism to northern Israel is returning to normal. Hundreds of thousands of holiday travelers ventured north during Sukkot, attending festivals or simply exploring the great outdoors.

Travel warning impacts Rangoon synagogue
Myanmar's small Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue in Rangoon, Burma, has thrived for years thanks to Jews visiting from the United States, Canada, England and France.

Heritage Center opens in Jamaica
Jamaica is marking the 350th anniversary of its Jewish history with the opening of a new heritage center at Kingston's Shaare Shalom Synagogue on Nov. 9.

Calling all Matterhorn climbers
Have you conquered Switzerland's Matterhorn? The Zermatt-based Matterhorn Museum is scheduled to open its doors in December and organizers are asking alpinists to register on its Web site, www.matterhornclimbers.ch, to be included in its permanent exhibit.

Northern Israeli Hotels Feel the Pinch

By Uriel Heilman
Published on August 3, 2006

With the fighting along Israel's northern border showing no sign of letting up, Israel's most popular summer tourist region has been turned into a battle zone. Instead of the sounds of kids splashing in swimming pools and canyons, there is a constant booming of artillery shelling and tank fire. Instead of birds quietly hovering in the skies over the Hula Nature Reserve, attack helicopters and fighter jets streak across the sky headed north, into Lebanon.

The Roots of an Israel Marathon

Published on August 3, 2006

Some people raise money for Israel, other people visit Israel, and still others look for a unique way to support the country, like Eat4Israel. Now a new group of local athletes wants to Run for Israel, in Israel. A marathon, to be precise. "Roots Marathon" is starting their training program this summer, inviting people of different faiths to run the 30th Tiberias Marathon or 10k in Northern Israel next winter.

News Briefs from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Published on July 27, 2006

News Briefs

The Road to Recovery

By Howard Blume
Published on May 4, 2006

When you think of victims of Middle East unrest, tour guides are probably not the first to come to mind. But Amir Orly knows of two who committed suicide in the last couple years. Others have left the country or taken odd jobs -- anything to make ends meet.

Orthodox Lobbyist in Eye of Ethics Storm

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on May 12, 2005

Missions to Israel are a staple of Jewish organizations, but when Pepe Barreto leads a group tour there in August, it'll represent something new.

Israel Tourism Drive Focuses on Latinos

By Tom Tugend
Published on May 12, 2005

Missions to Israel are a staple of Jewish organizations, but when Pepe Barreto leads a group tour there in August, it'll represent something new.

Barreto is perhaps the most popular drive-time host on Spanish-language radio in Los Angeles and a major player in a new drive to boost travel to Israel among California Latinos.

A Swiss Family Bind—No Hotel Heirs

By Adam Wills
Published on March 24, 2005

The Hotel Edelweiss in St. Moritz and the Hotel Metropol in Arosa are Jewish sanctuaries for observant tourists, offering everything from kosher dining and space for simchas to daily religious services and snow-melt mikvahs.

Brand Israel

By Amy Klein
Published on March 17, 2005

"Our modern brand is in trouble," Weinberg told a group of Los Angeles Jewish leaders who gathered last week to discuss branding and advocacy on Israel at the Israeli consulate.

We’re Off on the Roads to Sepharad

By Lisa Alcalay Klug
Published on January 20, 2005

An authentic medieval mikvah rests near a stone bridge and the picturesque river it spans in the Catalonian city of Besalu. Clearly marked signs identify the newly renovated "call," or medieval Jewish quarter, in the nearby city of Tortosa.

Israel Taps Into Interfaith Tourism

By David Finnigan
Published on December 16, 2004

As Israeli tourism officials focus on their main demographic with seven new tourism DVDs targeting Christian churches, 233 people will travel to Israel on Dec. 20 for the Los Angeles Jewish community's 10-day, post-Chanukah Mega-Mission. The number falls short of the 400 Jewish tourists who were expected to go, with the drop-off partly due to the Orthodox Union's (OU) convention last month in Israel.

New Israeli Consul Arrives in L.A.

By Tom Tugend
Published on December 9, 2004

For a man who is celebrating his 34th birthday this month, Ehud Danoch, Israel's new consul general, introduces himself with an impressive resume.

He has an insider's knowledge of his country's domestic, economic and foreign affairs, is a lawyer, holds a master's degree in business administration and knows all the right people in the Israeli government and bureaucracy. He also has an advantage as a fluent speaker in this region's two primary languages, English and Spanish, and he can also get by in French.

World Briefs

By JTA Staff
Published on August 19, 2004

World Briefs.

Israeli Tourists ‘Ugly’ No More

By Larry Derfner
Published on June 17, 2004

Leafing through travel books on Turkey at Tel Aviv's L'Metayel (For the Traveler), veteran sojourner Ronen Lazar suggests how to curb the phenomenon of the "ugly Israeli" -- the obnoxious Israeli tourist.

Another Chance to Buy Israeli

By Journal Staff
Published on April 1, 2004

Last year's Israeli merchant fair in Irvine -- the first stop in a three-month caravan -- spoiled vendors with large crowds open pocketbooks and home-cooked meals.

Evangelical Media Gather Around Israel

By Gaby Wenig
Published on March 25, 2004

"Free soup's on us!" That was the invitation David Suissa's Los Angeles-based charity Meals 4 Israel extended to all 5,000 participants of the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Charlotte, N.C. last month -- and it was pastors and ministers who made their way to the booth to sample some soup and learn more about the charity.

This Year in Jerusalem

By Rachel Pomerance
Published on March 18, 2004

For the past decade, members of Shaare Shalom, a Persian synagogue in Great Neck, N.Y., have traveled en masse to Miami each Passover.

Crafts Revitalize Israeli Spirit

By Mihal Peretz
Published on November 27, 2003

While strolling old Jaffa's gallery district in May, Zehava Bitton saw empty storefronts. "It was heartbreaking," said Bitton, who was on a mission with American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI), Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross.

Tourists Pass on Israeli Passover

By Jessica Steinberg
Published on March 7, 2002

It's known as the holiday of freedom, but Passover this year in Israel will likely be remembered for its sense of restriction.

‘Sunday’ Aids Argentina

By Michael Aushenker
Published on February 28, 2002

Community Briefs

Closed for the Duration

By Larry Derfner
Published on November 1, 2001

Whenever there's a wave of terror in Israel, the nation's hotels come up against a wave of cancellations, and the country's entire tourist industry -- from five-star hotels to souvenir hawkers -- goes into a slump. But in a few months the terror and fear subside, and the tourists come back.

The Circuit

By Michael Aushenker
Published on March 22, 2001

Media be warned -- skewed reportage of Middle East stability is being actively countered by Jews and Arabs alike.

Don’t Even Go There

By Rob Eshman
Published on March 22, 2001

The U.S. State Department travel advisory against Israel cannot be good for that country's image, much less for its beleaguered tourism industry.

Destination Israel

By Jonathan Friendly
Published on March 15, 2001

Tourism in Israel is being hammered. The Al-Aqsa uprising that began last fall has prompted a flood of trip postponements and cancellations, particularly by Americans who saw no need to put themselves or their children at risk when stones and bullets were flying in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Banking on the Future

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 1, 2001

Tourism to Israel is slumping, but the country's national airline is betting $400 million on a liftoff.

Violence Harms Israeli Economy

By Avi Machlis
Published on December 14, 2000

With images of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip flashing across television screens around the world, it did not take long for Israel's tourism industry to start feeling the pinch.

Crypto - Jews Unmasked

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on August 5, 1999

This past October I found myself, along with four other North American Jewish journalists, flying business class -- a wonderful way to fly -- to Croatia on Lufthansa Airlines.

Fitting Together

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on March 19, 1998

Community Briefs.

The City by

By Diane Arieff
Published on November 20, 1997

Once-sleepy Haifa is now a tourist mecca, and MayorAmram Mitzna is spreading the word