Despite devastation, hotels, restaurants and popular tourist spots are rebounding.
By Motti Verses
(An abridged version appeared in The Jerusalem Post)
Ten months ago, it was love at first sight for 42-year-old Lioz Hamo from moshav Amnun in the Upper Galilee, when he took a quick look at the “Villa Tehilla” estate, originally built as a farm in 1882 and later transformed into a famed traveler’s inn in Rosh Pina. The owner, Tehilla Yisraeli, who had been among the first to rent out rooms in the picturesque town, had passed away three years earlier. Although not renowned for being a boutique hotel or resort, Lonely Planet nevertheless saw in it a certain Galilean mystical magic as to describe it 20 years ago as:
“Israel’s most unique accommodation option”.
Placed on the market for rent, Lioz and his wife Adva – tourism lovers who mainly operate a camping compound and rent out all-terrain vehicles (ATV) – jumped at the opportunity to meet the challenge despite the country being engaged in a devastating war. Undeterred with incoming missiles a daily routine in the north, the courageous couple signed the contract and the legendary farm guest house passed into their hands. It was tough; instead of easing, the war was intensifying and few guests arrived, and in September, a rocket from Lebanon landed in the hotel’s backyard with fragments penetrating into the dining room and one of the guest’s bathrooms. Left with few viable options, the couple recalibrated their situation and instead of tourists, took in mostly evacuees, which begged the question I put to the intrepid couple:
“Who makes such a business move in the middle of a war?”
“Tourism is the only thing we know and Lioz always had good instincts in this arena. The 14 rooms “Villa Tehilla” was a dream come true for us,” replied Adva.
Dressed his in military uniform, having just returned a short break amid months of reserve duty on the Syrian border, Lioz makes me a great espresso. We continue speaking. There is a change mood of optimism as the ceasefire agreement on the border with Lebanon appears to be holding reflected in the place being fully booked by midweek Wednesday. It was further evident to me as I observed Adva constantly on the phone smiling as she registered new bookings.
I was enthralled to learn more about Villa Tehilla’s history. Thirty years earlier, Tehilla Yisraeli (Tehilla means ‘fame’ in biblical Hebrew) and her husband Amichai bought this 19th-century farm and converted the former stables and dairy into a charming guesthouse. Over the decades, it became world-famous and visitors to northern Israel headed to old Rosh Pina to experience “Villa Tehilla”. The torch carrying this legacy that has now been passed to Lioz and Adva who eagerly welcome adding their enriching chapters to an enthralling story. Most impressive was how the farm’s original central courtyard is still preserved with the original stone walls and decorative tiles – now exquisite antiques. I felt I was stepping back in time to the heroic era of the early Jewish pioneer – the sweat and toil of building the modern state; draining malaria-ridden swamps and farming – a work that was mostly unfamiliar to most of them! These were the thoughts percolating in my mind as I was jolted back to the present.
“We have 14 charming and beautiful rooms; each room has its own beauty and character,” says Adva. “There is a heated pool, a jacuzzi and a sauna,” and as I can deliciously testify to, “a delicious Galilean breakfast.”
And above all, there is the hotel’s setting in picturesque Rosh Pina, where, as one breathes in the fresh Galian air, one takes in the breathtaking views of the rural landscape as it pastorally leads up to the mighty Hermon Mountain, which every winter is peaked white with snow.
First settled in the 1870s, the original ‘Old Town’ of Rosh Pina consists of just a few short cobblestone streets where today’s visitors can relive village life as it was over a century ago. One can enjoy the cultural and artistic ambiance, popping into dozens of galleries where artists and craftsmen– some well-known – sell jewelry, ceramics, sculpture and paintings. Art certainly occupies a prominent place and sets the tone in this picturesque “Princess of the Galilee”.
The nearby JNF-KKL Agamon Hula Lake, internationally acclaimed for bird watching, was still closed to the public when I was there but reopened a few days later. “During the war, we had about eight workers left to maintain the place, sometimes under fire,” says Inbar Shlomit Rubin, field manager at the Hula Lake. “Even after the reopening, not all of the observatories are available for visitors yet – for safety reasons. Our biggest challenge is manpower. Some of our employees are still evacuated, while others may never return, having found alternate employment elsewhere. Also, nature and the birds will also need time to get accustomed to the presence again of people, and we urge all our visitors to travel with this understanding of a land and its people in a process of healing,” she says.
We drive east and climb the narrow road winding our way up the mighty Golan Heights, aiming for the family-owned Odem Mountain Winery. Located in a forest in the northern part of the Golan, this renowned winery produces 200,000 bottles annually. “While production continued uninterrupted during the war, I was drafted into the army, serving 200 reserve days since October 7th,” says General Manager Alon Arbel. Nevertheless, he says, “Our supply chain continued normally to central Israel and we even invested significant funds in expanding our on-site visitor’s center by building a new wine room.” I must say this new structure is very impressive by international standards and compares well with the famous wineries in Europe. Kudos to Arbel and owner Michael Alfasi. Since the ceasefire agreement in the north, they point out that “traffic to visit the winery has resumed significantly.”
Not far away, 1,070 meters above sea level, we check in at the Boutique El-Rom hotel – a serene retreat amidst the beauty of the Golan Heights. Closed for business during the war, it has now reopened. This 44-room family hotel at the entrance to the kibbutz looks totally new and inviting. Nevertheless, even with a ceasefire, the atmospherics of war was still inescapable. There always remains the need to be prepared as evident on our arrival, finding the 37-year-old general manager, Shimon Michael, attired in semi-army khakis engaged with running El-Rom’s first response defense squad. On my way to meet him in the hotel’s lounge, I witnessed the housekeeper arranging a guest room – with an M16 assault rifle on his shoulder!
“We had to let go of most of our staff during the war and now we are training totally new team members.” Despite the challenges in the north, “the cease fire makes us optimistic as new bookings are coming in daily. Weekends are back to being busy and Passover is fully booked,” says an optimistic Shimon.
A newly appointed receptionist sends us to enjoy dinner at a new fancy restaurant in Birkat Ram, a natural water source reservoir under Mount Hermon. While ‘Waze’ is doing its best in navigating us through the darkness, due to intentional military interference, we soon find ourselves lost on a dirt road close to the Syrian border. Suddenly a suspicious-looking pick-up truck is driving towards us but we had nothing to fear.
“Can you help us with directions to Tushar restaurant by the lake?’ I anxiously asked two very friendly Druze youngsters inside.
“Sure, follow us. We live close by,” they answered and within minutes we were in a mirage called Tushar. For a moment we thought we were in a contemporary designed upscale Tel Aviv restaurant. Twenty-eight-year-old Druze Chef, Saleh Gotany from Buq’ata, who worked in Ran Shmueli’s Claro’s famous Sarona Tel Aviv restaurant, welcomed us with a smile. His Syrian-style cuisine menu was a dream. The steak he prepared for us will be long remembered.
“Who opens an upmarket restaurant in such a place during a war?” I ask.
“It was certainly a commercial gamble,” answers Saleh. “However, we wanted to cheer up the citizens of nearby Majdal Shams.” This is the Druze town in the Golan Heights that made international news when it lost 12 children following a rocket attack by Hezbollah on 27 July, 2024. “My partners and I invested half a million Shekels in this new restaurant,” continues Gotany. “We wanted to make a mark on Druze gastronomy in the Golan and although mostly locals presently dine here, we are aiming to increase our clientele across the entire northern Golan.”
The following day at noon, I am walking along the stream of the breathtaking Tel Dan Nature Reserve, not far from the city of Kiryat Shmona. With me is Raya Shourky, director general of Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Together with her executive team, she shows us the immense damage caused by the war.
The visitor center is closed following a direct hit by a rocket. A temporary caravan serves in its place. Not far away, we see the once green areas in the Banias Nature Reserve now consumed by fire caused by Hezbollah rockets.
“2024 has been the most challenging year in our 60 years of existence,” informs Shourky. “Most of the damage is in the Northern District where approximately 223 thousand dunams have been burned. We will definitely need government financial support to recover.” The good news however, she says, “is that most of the sites are now open for the benefit of the public, so that they can again enjoy nature not far from the border with Lebanon.”
We drive south to central Israel and make a detour, heading to the small Christian village of Jish, also known by its Hebrew name of Gush Halab. The Christmas tree had just been lit and the central tiny streets were decorated for the festive holidays. Taking full advantage of the ceasefire, Bachir Sliman, (named after the late assassinated Militia commander and Lebanese president-elect Bachir Gemayel), re-opened his popular Hunter House meat restaurant for the first time since the war began. “It is so encouraging to welcome back old customers after such a long time,” he says with a smile. “It will take at least six months for the business to recover,” and suggests that “the government should assist tourist enterprises by lowering the VAT rate,” for a designated recovery period. Interestingly, Sliman reveals that regardless of the personal challenges of living through this war, he has nevertheless managed to transfer funds to his relatives across the border into Lebanon who see him as a person living in “a dream country.”
I couldn’t agree more.
One thing is for sure. On Israel’s battered northern frontiers, I found amongst the people, a grit and feisty determination as well as an optimism for a better tomorrow and a confidence in future tourism.
*Feature picture – Sight Sublime.The Agamon Hula Lake in northern Israel, famous for bird watching. (Photo by Dana Klein).
About the writer:
The writer, Motti Verses, is a Travel Flash Tips publisher. His travel stories are published on THE TIMES OF ISRAEL https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/motti-verses/. And his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPSAnd his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPS
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