Dear Into Israel Readers,

This is a special post, and one that I hope you will enjoy and share.  It’s my end of the year post, and I wish you all a very Happy New Year.  I appreciate so much your encouraging words you have written and spoken to me about my Aliyah and Into Israel.  They have touched me deeply.

I wish I could be there in Texas, if just for a moment, to share in your New Year celebrations.  If I could, I would be with my BFF’s from Temple in San Antonio at a quaint bistro laughing away the hours, or with my family partying down in Port Aransas, or at the Bocachica in Austin with Stephanie as she lights the bonfire while Fred, Majau, and the gang fan the flames, or hidden in a Hill Country cabin with a guy I am in love with, but I can’t, because I am here, and here is where I’m supposed to be, and my upmost hope is for you to come and visit me here. So, let’s get the show on the road; I’m off to an Anglo Party!

Ahavah with all my Heart,

Barbara

Israel is a romantic country endowed with sweeping vistas, charming villages, a Mediterranean coastline, and canyons, caves and waterfalls in the Negev. Italy may have Florence and Pisa, but Israel has Zikhron Ya'akov and Safed. After all, it was the Roman Empire that wanted this Land, and not the other way around. Mystical and mesmerizing, you can't help but fall in love with Israel.

Italy may have Vatican City that dates back to the 1st century CE, but Israel has the Old City from before the 11th century BCE. Here, you will find key Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religious sites, shopping, and cafés that serve dishes with olives and fruits fresh from the hills that surround it.

You can still wear your Capris in Israel. Eilat, perched at the northern tip of the Red Sea, offers camel tours, Bedouin hospitality, scuba diving, bird watching, freefall parachuting, the Eilat Film Festival, and the Coral World Underwater Observatory. With gorgeous beaches and restaurants with food from around the globe, who needs Capri!

So you say, "Yes, but I really want Italian food." Stop, look no further, because Israelis have gone wild for Italian food perfecting it down to the last linguini. The smell of pastas and pizzas stretches from one end of the country to the other. Relax and enjoy fresh baked pizza off a side street vendor or Italian fusion cuisine in the upscale restaurants.

There are so many museums in Israel; her history goes back thousands of years. The sheer number of museums precludes listing them all, but a good reference to study before your trip is ilMuseums.com.

You're now ready to unwind with a nice glass of wine, and Israel abounds in award-winning wineries ranging from boutique operations to large-scale wineries. With a Mediterranean climate like Italy, the Israeli wine industry can be traced to back to Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

With a professional Tour Guide or self-guided, by walking, biking or bus, tours in Israel exist for every location, every desire, every age and everyone. There are Biblical, photographic, biking, bird watching, and hiking tours to name just a few.

No visit to Italy is complete without a cup of their famous cappuccino, and indeed when I had my first cup there, my tour bus waited patiently till I had finished every last sip. I hadn’t tasted a great cappuccino till the day I tasted a cappuccino at Aroma, Israel’s highly loved coffee house with over 73 locations. It was even better than the cup in Italy! Israelis are fanatic about their coffee, and Aroma’s owners take coffee very, very seriously. Photo-Mike Goldberg

Italy has the Colosseum, circa 80 CE; Israel has Masada, circa 37 BCE. The Land of Israel is a treasure of archeological riches from the Neolithic Revolution and the Bronze and Iron Ages to the Classical and Medieval Periods. Archeological and Biblical tours will take you from the pre-historic Carmel Caves to the classical ruins in Caesarea.

The greatest natural Spa in the world is in Israel, the Dead Sea. With its mineral rich water and oxygen rich air, it will be an unforgettable and rejuvenating experience. Both luxury and quality spa packages are available. Or for a more holistic approach, try the warm springs at the aromatic Sea of Galilee, famous since Roman times and a magnet for people all over the world.

If after you’ve toured, eaten and rejuvenated, and are still up for some fun, then there’s Tel Aviv, voted one of the world’s best cities to party in. No, Rome nor Milan, did not make the list. The next afternoon you can always spend a lazy afternoon at the beach, or do a walking tour of the Bauhaus architecture before your trip home.