THE JODHPUR-HAIFA CONNECTION

Touring India’s “Land of Kings” reveals surprise insights to Israelis on history of their own land.

By Motti Verses

It all began with my daughter, Lihi Verses, a medical student soon to become a doctor. This summer, she chose to spend her vacation in Rishikesh, the spiritual cradle of India, immersing herself in yoga and meditation at a peaceful ashram beneath the Himalayas. When her course ended, we decided to meet in New Delhi and embark on a journey together through Rajasthan – India’s land of kings.

Rajasthan is India’s largest state and it stretches across 342,000 square kilometers – larger than many countries, home to 80 million people, more than France or Italy. In 2024 alone, over 230 million visiting Indians and 2.1 million foreign travelers sought its colors and stories. Numbers that stagger the mind, yet barely begin to convey its magic.

Our voyage led us to Jodhpur, the fabled Blue City. The first glimpse of it from the desert highway felt like seeing a mirage solidify into stone. A sapphire city shimmering at the edge of the Thar Desert, where houses, temples, and winding lanes glow in shades of indigo, as if the sky had descended to earth.

**True Blue**. Jodhpur in Rajasthan Is known as the “Blue City” of India for the many blue-painted houses in its old town, particularly around the Mehrangarh Fort. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Above it all looms the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort, a citadel carved from sandstone, mighty and eternal. Walking through its colossal gates and latticed courtyards feels like drifting through a dream of another age. Walls that breathe with legend, echoes that whisper of valor, and balconies that once looked down upon an empire of sand and courage.

It was there, among the fort’s ramparts, that our local guide Deepak, acknowledging we are from Israel, surprised us with a question: “Do you know,” he asked, “about the Jodhpur Lancers – the horsemen who saved your city of Haifa from the Germans?”

We exchanged puzzled looks.

Haifa? Saved by Indian cavalry?

**City of Symbols**. The writer and his daughter standing before Mehrangarh Fort and (right) a man with a well-groomed mustache, making an impressive mark, a proud symbol of Rajasthani seen in forts, museums and hotels in Jodhpur. (Photos: Motti Verses)

We recalled that Indian soldiers assisted the British army to free Haifa. But Jodhfur? We had never heard such a story. Deepak looked astonished at our ignorance and then told us briefly about a regiment born from the deserts of the region – the Jodhpur Lancers, led by a noble general, Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh. “They had crossed continents in 1918,” he said, “to fight alongside the British and free the city of Haifa from Ottoman and German forces.” We listened with fascination, but still found it hard to grasp. The fort, glorious as it was, had kept its secrets well.

**Victory over the Turks**. The Battle of Haifa was fought on 23 September 1918 towards the end of the Battle of Sharon which together with the Battle of Nablus formed the set piece Battle of Megiddo fought between 19 and 25 September . Here are India’s Jodhpur Lancers marching through Haifa after it was captured in 1918.

That afternoon, as we climbed toward the dome of Umaid Bhawan Palace – a 20th-century marvel where royal tradition fuses with Art Deco grandeur – our next guide, Rohit, returned to the same theme. When he heard we were from Israel, his eyes lit up.

**Majestic Marvel**. A 20th-century architectural marvel, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, gleaming in golden sandstone, sits high above the Blue City, amid 26 acres of gardens. (Photo: Motti Verses)

“Do you know,” he asked eagerly, “that the visionary regent who paved the way for this palace was Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh – the same leader who officially commanded the cavalry that liberated Haifa?” We stood silent once more. Twice in one day, two guides, the same forgotten tale.

Back at our heritage hotel, the elegant Ajit Bhawan Palace, curiosity turned into determination. The hotel itself was a chapter of history. Once the residence of Major General Maharaj Sir Ajit Singh, younger brother of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, it became India’s first palace hotel. The transformation started after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished royal privileges in the 1970s.

**Serene Swimming**. The alluring but tranquil palatial atmosphere at the pool of Jodhpur’s Ajit Bhawan Palace. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Within its courtyards of domes and fountains, I began to search for the truth behind this mysterious link between Jodhpur and Haifa.

And what a story it was.

🇮🇳 Jodhpur the Blue City and the Ajit Bhawan Palace heritage hotel 10/2025 MOTTI VERSES

In September 1918, as the Mediterranean waves lapped the shores of Ottoman-held Haifa, horsemen rose from the desert dust – the Jodhpur Lancers. They had journeyed from faraway Rajasthan region under the patronage of Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh, loyal general and statesman of the British Indian Army. Facing relentless machine-gun fire, these Rajput warriors charged fearlessly into battle, sabres flashing in the sunlight. Within hours they broke through the Ottoman lines, capturing the city and opening its vital port to the Allies.

**Heroism at Haifa**. Known as the “Hero of Haifa” for his actions in the ‘Battle of Haifa’ during World War I, Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh was awarded the Military Cross. Part of his citation read: “… accompanied only by his trumpeter, he charged an entrenched machine gun killing and scattering the crew and capturing the gun. At the same time, he captured the commandant of a regiment and another officer.”

The cost was high. Twenty-six-year-old Major Dalpat Singh, who led the charge, was killed in action. Yet his bravery became legend, earning him the title “The Hero of Haifa”. What we learned in the Blue City were the true facts of history in that that Major Dalpat Singh, although fighting as part of the British Indian Expeditionary Force, he was representing Jodhpur. So, while technically he fell under British command, he represented, as a loyal soldier, his Jodhpur Maharaja ruler and patron. We found these unexpected insights so illuminating. Since gaining independence in1947, the Indian nation has revered him as the key figure in one of the last great cavalry charges in military history in a battle not on India’s soil. Each September 23, at the British Military Cemetery in Haifa, wreaths are laid to honor Major Dalpat Singh and his men. The most recent ceremony, marking 107 years since the battle, was attended a few weeks ago by Haifa’s Mayor Yona Yahav, India’s Ambassador to Israel J.P. Singh, Defense Attaché Captain Vijay Patil, officers of the IDF and Israel Police, and military attachés from around the world. Together they paid tribute to those Jodhpur horsemen and additional battalions, Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers, who changed the course of history. Twenty-one of the soldiers were killed in action.

**India in Israel**. India’s Ambassador to Israel J.P. Singh and Haifa’s Mayor Yona Yahav (right) at the cemetery during a memorial on the annual ‘Haifa Day’ on September 23 2025. (Photo: Bella Shahar Hilel)

In his address, Mayor Yahav admitted:

“All our lives, we were taught that the British liberated Haifa from Ottoman rule. Only in recent years have we learned the historical truth. That it was the Indian Cavalry Regiment, under Major Singh, who led the charge and achieved victory. We thank the people of India from the bottom of our hearts for their contribution, and we are proud to honor their brave soldiers as they deserve.”

Back in Jodhpur, on our final morning, before setting off toward our next Rajasthani destination, my daughter Lihi and I met Sumer Singh, who has been an integral part of Ajit Bhawan for over three decades as a doorman. Before joining the hospitality industry, he proudly served in the Indian Army for 20 years, demonstrating exceptional discipline, dedication, and commitment to service. With his towering turban, crisp uniform, and glorious moustache, he looked every bit the embodiment of Rajput pride. Perhaps even a living echo of those 1918 Lancers. I saluted him, half in jest, half in reverence.

“Thank you,” I said. “For the warm hospitality, and … for saving Haifa.”

He straightened his back, eyes fierce yet kind, and returned the salute with quiet dignity. And in that fleeting moment, between two sons of distant lands, the story of Jodhpur and Haifa no longer felt like history. It felt alive.

Upon our return to Israel, I did not miss the chance to visit Haifa’s Indian cemetery near the port, just a few weeks after the official ceremony. The place stood silent and deserted, yet impeccably tended, serene in its solitude.

The lesson about Haifa I had learned in Jodhpur, India, resonated deeply – a quiet echo of history that reached across time and continents.

**Closing a Circle**. Moved by his surprise discoveries in India, the writer on his return to Israel, places a flower at the Indian cemetery tomb in Haifa to honor of the brave soldiers of Jodhpur who left a legacy on the emerging state of Israel. (Photo: Motti Verses)

*Feature picture: Closing a Circle. Honoring a Legacy. Saluting with Sumer Singh, Ajit Bhawan doorman in Jodhpur. (photo by Motti Verses)

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.

While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

FROM PLONSK TO A NATION

Tracing Ben Gurion’s roots from small town in central Poland to forging a nation.

By Motti Verses

This coming October 16 will mark another birthday of a leader whose wisdom we could certainly use in today’s roller-coaster reality. Born back in the 19^th century in 1886, he is sadly no longer with us. While most people, myself included, tend to honor his memory by visiting his grave in Sde Boker, this time I decided to pay tribute in a different way: by tracing David Ben Gurion’s roots in Poland.

On our way back from Gdańsk to Warsaw Chopin Airport, we turned off the highway to a small, easily overlooked town: Płońsk, 70k/ms north of Warsaw. Israel’s founding prime minister was born here, and I was determined to find the house where he first saw the light of day. Thanks to modern technology, the task was surprisingly easy. Without it, it would have been nearly impossible, as there are no road signs directing visitors there.

It was a moving visit. The oval-shaped old town plaza is tiny, ringed with homes of bygone eras. Among them stood a turquoise-colored building that, according to images on my phone, matched the one I was seeking. Once a restaurant, now closed, it bears a “For Rent” sign in the window. Perhaps this is a golden opportunity for a Jewish investor to acquire the property and give it a purpose worthy of its history. A modest black plaque announces that David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, was born here.

**Food for Thought**. From the outside, a visitor would know that this small turquoise building had once been a restaurant but could be excused for not knowing that long before had been the childhood home of one of the most iconic nation-builders of the 20^th century – David Ben Gurion.(Photo: Motti Verses)

Back then, he was still David Grün, growing up in a modest Jewish household. At the time, Płońsk was part of the Russian Empire (today, Poland) and had a vibrant Jewish community that made up roughly half its population. His father, Avigdor Grün, was a teacher and an active member of the Ḥovevei Zion (“Lovers of Zion”) movement, which inspired young David with the ideals of Jewish national revival.

As a teenager, Ben-Gurion joined Poale Zion, a socialist-Zionist youth group, and even began teaching Hebrew to local children. Life in Płońsk’s close-knit shtetl, shared with both Jews and Poles, shaped his worldview: he saw the necessity of Jewish self-reliance while also recognizing the challenges of coexistence. In 1906, at the age of 19, he emigrated to Eretz Israel and the rest, as they say, is history.

**Płońsk to Palestine**. David Ben-Gurion (bottom center) in white shirt at a gathering of “Poalei Tzion” (Jewish worker youth movement) in Płońsk before his emigration to Eretz Israel/Palestine in 1906 still under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. In the back row, right of the flag, stands his father, Avigdor Grün. (Photo: Ben-Gurion Archives)

Today, Płońsk commemorates him with various educational initiatives. The Płońsk Memorial House (Dom Pamięci w Płońsku) tells the story of his youth and of the once-thriving Jewish community. Located just across the narrow street from the turquoise house, it is dedicated to the intertwined history of Polish and Jewish residents who lived together in Płońsk for nearly five centuries. The museum is housed in a restored early 20th-century two-story brick building that once served as both a pharmacy and a residence. The project reflects a broader goal: to preserve the shared memory of both communities, foster intercultural dialogue, and honor the legacy for visiting descendants of Płońsk’s Jews as well as tourists interested in the town’s history and its connection to David Ben-Gurion.

**Sign of the Times**. A modest black plaque informs that Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion was born in this house.(Photo: Motti Verses)

What struck me most was a remarkable mural on one of the nearby building walls. This vibrant graffiti artwork tells the story of Israel and Ben-Gurion. It was created by the multifaceted Polish artist Bruno Neuhamer (also known as Bruno Althamer), a draftsman, illustrator, sculptor, and street artist. The mural was unveiled on October 26, 2021, during the Jewish Culture Festival in Płońsk. The project was realized in cooperation with the city authorities, the local cultural center, and the Israeli Embassy in Poland.

**Mural of Memories**. Located on a wall of a tenement house at 6 Warszawska Street in Płońsk, Bruno Neuhamer’s mural tells the story of Israel and the life of Ben-Gurion, including the legendary image of the Prime Minister standing on his head which he did from childhood in Płońsk to old age in Israel, including on Tel Aviv beach. (Photo: Motti Verses)

The central image shows Ben-Gurion balancing on his head, inspired by a 1957 photograph by Paul Goldman, preserved at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. According to historical accounts, young Ben-Gurion often fainted, and his doctor prescribed headstands as a remedy. A habit he maintained well into later life. Beyond the literal image, the pose – as I saw it – carries a deeper metaphor: to achieve something great, one sometimes must turn the world upside down.

**“HISTORY IS NOT WRITEN, HISTORY IS MADE”**. This is the last line in the Murial’s inscription on the life of Ben Gurion that appears in Polish, English and Hebrew. (Photo: Motti Verses)

In Ben-Gurion’s case, this is the story of a boy from Płońsk who did just that, ultimately founding a nation. The mural is filled with details: exotic plants, tanks with raised barrels, adding layers of meaning. At first, the tanks seemed out of place, yet in today’s reality, Neuhamer’s choice feels prophetic. The mural left me thoughtful, even melancholic, about Israel’s present and image in the world.

**Early Life**. One of the exhibits relating to David Ben Gurion in the Płońsk Memorial House. (Photo: Motti Verses)

As an Israeli visiting Płońsk, I felt a mix of emotions. Walking the same streets that young David once knew was like touching the roots of modern Israel’s story. It was a reminder that a boy from here turned the world upside down to create a nation. There was a strong echo of resilience, dreams, and lives stretching from Poland to Israel, along with sadness for the absence of the once-vibrant Jewish community, erased by the Holocaust. The silence where synagogues, schools, and children’s laughter once filled the air was palpable. And yet, there was also warmth: many Polish young people today take pride in commemorating their town’s connection to Israel. Płońsk still holds a living link to the Jewish people. An encouraging reality in our times.

**Past Preserved**. Across the street from Ben Gurion’s childhood home is the entrance to Płońsk Memorial House. (Photo: Motti Verses)

It was pleasantly cool in Płońsk this August. In winter, average temperatures here hover around 0 °C (32°F). My thoughts drifted to young David’s reality, and to the stark contrast of his later life in the Middle East-especially during the sweltering hot days of the Negev desert in Sde Boker. Quite a change, and quite a challenge.

You don’t need more than an hour to see Płońsk; everything is small and close together. But if you’re in the area, make the stop – it will certainly be worth it.

It will also be both enlightening and rewarding to see how from this small town emerged a giant of the 20^th century that defied insurmountable obstacles and challenges to forge a nation on their ancestral land that today hosts the largest core Jewish population in the world, with 7.2 million, followed by the United States with 6.3 million.

The man who did headstands knew where and when to stand where and when it mattered!

*Feature picture: Birth of a Nation. The writer stands in front of Ben-Gurion’s childhood home in Płońsk, Poland. (Photo: Motti Verses)

About the writer:

FROM DEVASTATED HOMES TO HOTEL HOSPITALITY

As Iran’s ballistic missiles pummel Israel’s urban areas turning residents into evacuees, Israel’s hotels – despite tourist decline – meet the challenge.

By Motti Verses

(This article first appeared in The Jerusalem Post)

Friday morning in Be’er Sheva this June, 51-year-old Sima Elimeleh huddled with her husband Avi and their daughters in their apartment’s safe room as air raid sirens echoed throughout the city.

**It’s Personal***. “We were determined to do everything we could for those who had lost their homes and their sense of safety*,” said Sima Elimeleh, GM at the Leonardo Negev hotel of Fattal group in Be’er Sheva. (Photo: Ohad Abrahimi)

Heightening the family’s anxiety was the previous day’s ballistic missile strike from Iran scoring a direct hit on the nearby Soroka Medical Center, that provides medical services to approximately one million residents of the South. Then, when the news broke that another missile had hit their normally quiet neighborhood causing severe damage to numerous buildings, and local residents reeling from shock began to assessing the destruction, Elimeleh, the General Manager of the Leonardo Negev Hotel, quickly shifted gears. Asking her husband to manage preparations for their family’s Shabbat (Friday night) dinner, Elimelah Whats App’ed her hotel management team to report immediately to the hotel. Despite being only three months in her new position, she acted like a seasoned professional and arrived there within ten minutes. Her team wasn’t far behind.

**Hit on a Hospital**. Damage at the Soroka hospital in Be’er Sheba following a direct hit from an Iranian missile barrage on June 19, 2025. (Credit: Israel Fire and Rescue Services)

Within an hour, the hotel had transformed. Guest rooms were readied, public spaces organized, refreshments laid out, and even a kindergarten was established. “We at Fattal Hotels have experience hosting 20,000 evacuees since October 7,” Elimelah explains. “But when it’s your own hometown, people you know, whose children go to school with yours, it hits differently – it’s personal. I felt a sense of mission. We were determined to do everything we could for those who had lost their homes and their sense of safety.”

Minutes before the ceasefire was announced of the ‘12 Day War’, Be’er Sheva suffered another deadly attack, claiming four lives. A second wave of evacuees soon arrived at Elimeleh’s hotel. By nightfall, 500 civilians were housed there. Many are expected to remain for at least a month.

**Serving the People**. The Fattal Hotels that have been hosting Israeli evacuees since October 7, 2023, were back in “business” when its Leonardo Negev hotel in Be’er Sheva welcomed evacuees following the devastating missile attacks from Iran that also hit the local Soroko hospital.(Photo: Aya Ben-Ezri)

The events of October 7 and the ensuing war with Hamas displaced over 200,000 Israelis, particularly from communities near Gaza and later from the north. Many were sheltered in hotels and short-term rentals. What began as temporary arrangements soon extended into months, testing the limits of logistics, finances, and emotional resilience.

Hoteliers found themselves in dual roles: offering standard hospitality services while simultaneously meeting humanitarian needs. Guest rooms were repurposed for long-term stays. Support services, mental health care, educational programming, childcare was coordinated in part by the government.

The hard-earned experience from those months proved invaluable when Iranian missile strikes targeted Israeli cities this June. Since the outbreak of Israel’s military campaign with Iran, the country’s tourism industry has faced a dramatic downturn. Regional tensions, heightened travel advisories, flight cancellations and general insecurity have nearly brought international tourism to a standstill. Even domestic tourism, especially in the north and along the southern coast has evaporated. In this vacuum, many hotels saw housing evacuees as both a moral imperative and a practical solution.

One person well-positioned to manage this challenge is Romi Gorodisky, Deputy General Manager of the Israel Hotel Association. Known as a behind-the-scenes powerhouse, Gorodisky has led crisis responses since 1996, when the IDF launched ‘Operation Grapes of Wrath’ against Hezbollah. On October 7, she helped establish a command center to oversee hotel placements for evacuees from both the Gaza and northern borders. When ‘Operation Rising Lion’ against Iran began, she launched a new center. “In the Iron Swords operation, launched following the October 7, 2023 massacre, everything was centrally coordinated via the National Evacuation, Care, and Casualties Authority (EWC); this time, the responsibility shifted to municipalities,” she says.

While the previous efforts focused on peripheral communities, this round of war effected Israel’s urban centers. “Of the 15,000 evacuees, 10,000 were placed in hotels,” she explains. “The rest stayed with friends or family. We worked with municipalities to place people close to their original neighborhoods, preserving familiar environments and community continuity,” she says. Her team’s real-time ops room and inventory system – another possible Israeli innovation – allowed for rapid, efficient placement of evacuees. Their proven-under-pressure methodology may well serve as a model for crisis management globally. It would also do the industry good by being studied at hotel schools.

**New Home.** Danny Sadeh (right), Yoav Yaari and Tyson the dog became literally overnight evacuees when an Iranian ballistic missile struck a building near their apartment in Tel Aviv causing widespread damage. (Photo: Danny Sadeh)

Among the displaced is 72-year-old Danny Sadeh, a former tourism correspondent for the Israeli daily, Yedioth Aharonot, who has reviewed hotels worldwide and locally for 20 years. He was evacuated just hours after a missile struck a building near his Tel Aviv apartment. “I found myself with my partner in a 14-square-meter room at the Brown Bobo Hotel, along with 100 other civilians,” he recounts. “The room is small, but the food is excellent and the staff is incredibly supportive.” Sadeh, who has stayed in over 250 hotels in 40 countries, says this stay is unlike any other. “This is the first time I’ve had to bring my dog. Running to the basement during sirens, especially when the elevators are full, isn’t pleasant. Much of our time is spent on paperwork related to our damaged apartment. This is not a hotel stay I ever imagined.”

**Home away from Home**. Following the destruction of their home from an Iranian missile, the Brown Bobo urban hotel in Tel Aviv provides for evacuees this guest room. (Photo: Max Kovalsky)

So how are hoteliers in metropolitan Tel Aviv responding to this unexpected influx of guests? Dr. Eran Ketter, Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Kinneret Academic College, offers some perspective:

“From January to April 2025, Tel Aviv hotels saw only 45% occupancy, due to the sluggish return of international tourism. The arrival of evacuees has improved this, offering hotels a much-needed revenue stream, at least temporarily.”

**Rescuing Kids**. Security and rescue personnel at the scene where an Iranian ballistic missile hit in Tel Aviv, June 22, 2025. (Photo: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.)

Still, challenges remain. Many Tel Avivian evacuees will struggle to find alternate housing in a city where real estate values are comparable to major global hubs like Paris and New York. “However, the hospitality industry has adapted. In 2024, many hotels experimented with hybrid models, hosting evacuees alongside regular guests. While this brings operational challenges and concerns about guest experience, most people seem to understand the unique reality we’re living in. To avoid friction, larger hotel chains may designate specific properties for evacuees while reserving others for tourists. Flexibility will be key,’’ concludes Ketter.

**Meeting Changing Needs**. With war impacting negatively on international tourism, Israel’s “hospitality industry has adapted,” says Dr. Eran Ketter, Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Kinneret Academic College. (Photo:Tal Hefetz)

Ask any Israeli hotelier, and they’ll tell you:

“We long for peace and the day when tourism resumes in full force. Until then, we will continue to serve evacuees quietly, professionally, and with compassion.”

Feature picture: These were once Israeli Homes! Apartment complex in Tel Aviv following a direct missile strike launched from Iran on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Photo: AP/Oded Balilty).

About the writer:

RETRACING ROOTS

Israeli travel advisor takes a trip of a different kind tracing the footsteps of his late mother to Uzbekistan’s Samarkand.

By Motti Verses

Central Asia was one of the few places that accepted Jews fleeing the Holocaust. Altogether, about 1.6 million Soviet Jews and 200,000 Polish Jewish refugees are estimated to have survived the war in Central Asia – across Siberia and parts of the Ural Mountains. In this fortuitous part of the world that became an unlikely center for Jewish refugees, the city of Samarkand played a significant role as a hub for these displaced Jews. Few in the world today are aware that this city served as a major center for the evacuation of children from the Soviet Union, with thousands being sent to Uzbek families and orphanages. Research reveals that the Samarkand region during the first years of the war, absorbed about 90,000 children. To meet this influx, sixteen orphanages were established absorbing 8,000 children, including 300 from Poland.

**Safety in Samarkand**. During WWII, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, became a refuge for Jewish refugees, primarily from Poland, who had been displaced by the war. Above is a group portrait of Polish Jewish refugees in Samarkand in 1943. (Photo Credit: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Anne Miransky)

My late mother Sarah was a teenager when together with her family and a quarter of a million Polish Jews, fled with the outbreak of WWII, to the interior of the Soviet Union. Residing in a small village near the city of Chelm in eastern Poland, my mother, together with her parents and a brother and sister, crossed the nearby border into Soviet Russia following the German Wehrmacht entering Warsaw on October 1, 1939. In retrospect, she was among the fortunate to have escaped the genocide that befell European Jewry. I can only imagine what she experienced as she fled from one labor camp to another across Central Asia’s Muslim regions.

Years passed, and when I was her age in Israel of the 1970s, she began to revisit her past and spoke about this “most beautiful town” she remembered – Samarkand. She was reliving the best and blocking out the worst – like her experiences in a labor camp. This was understandable.

While for years hearing the name “Samarkand”, I never imagined that 85 years after the deadliest disaster to befall the Jewish people, I too – intrigued by my mother’s recollections – would journey to this intriguing city in Uzbekistan renowned in ancient times for being on the Silk Road linking China to the Mediterranean.

Samarkand Uzbekistan on the Silk Road and the Hilton hotel / MOTTI VERSES 5/2025

This past Spring, I set out on my long-awaited journey tracing my mother’s footsteps to the city and its people that saved her life. A five-hour comfortable night flight in an empty aircraft from Ben Gurion airport and we landed in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The view from my taxi was of a modern impressive metropolis, but while our eyes feasted on the city’s wide boulevards, its iconic Independence Square with vibrant fountains, an impressive park and spacious walkways, our minds were elsewhere, some 300 kilometers away – Samarkand.

ON TRACK TO SAMARKAND

Uzbekistan offers modern transportation, including flights and trains – fast track as well as regular. Unfortunately acquiring tickets to the faster options is not that easy with online tickets sold-out long in advance. Frustrated, we booked the 4-hour slow train, however, fortune favored us as the Tashkent hotel concierge came to our rescue and business class tickets on the fast train were found at the last minute at affordable prices. This 210 km/h high-speed train, the Afrosiyob, proved quick and comfortable as well as providing an unexpected and interesting encounter. I met a fellow passenger, Orif Shermatov, an Uzbek astronomer who was on his way to a paragliding festival in Samarkand and we engaged in a long conversation thanks to Google translation. He told me about his Jewish friends that had immigrated to Israel and when the conversation shifted to why Jews eat Matzah on Passover, my mind shifted back in time to the war and the Jewish refugees – including my late mother and her family – marking Pesach (Passover) during those trying times in work camps.

The 2-hour ride passed quickly and soon felt as if we had passed through a time tunnel arriving in Samarkand one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. It felt as if we had also arrived back in the 14th century. Situated at the crossroads of trade, Samarkand flourished under the rule of empires with its strategic location on the Silk Road marking it a melting pot of diverse cultures, fostering advancements in science, art and particularly in astonishing architecture that soon became visually all to apparent. It is home of the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty, a Turco-Mongol empire that ruled much of Persia and Central Asia in the late 14th and 15th centuries founded by Amir Timur, widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of Central Asia and today an Uzbek national hero.

**Exquisite and Enchanting**. The structural geometry and colorful facades of Samarkand’s renowned Islamic architecture did not fail to enchant the writer. (Photo: Motti Verses)

For history lovers and architecture enthusiasts alike, visiting the exquisite Gūr-i Amīr or Guri Amir Mausoleum Complex is undoubtedly a must as we soon found out. It took our breath away staring at the incredibly huge azure dome over the tombs of Amir Timur himself and his sons and grandsons. It was a highlight not to be missed. Gur-e Amir means “Tomb of the King” in Persian.

**A Feast for the Eyes**. Interior of the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum which was erected on the initiative of Timur in 1404 and occupies an important place in the history of world Islamic architecture.(Photo: Motti Verses)

Located in the heart of Samarkand, the ancient Registan Square ensemble of Madrasas is a real gem and undeniably the centerpiece of the city. Its grand architectural ensemble has earned it global fame as a monument of oriental architecture offering a breathtaking journey through centuries of history, architecture, and cultural heritage. But it did not always look like this as we soon discovered.

**‘Roaring’ Success**. The name of the impressively restored Sher-Dor Madrasah on Registan Square built between 1619 and 1636, translates to “Madrassah with Lions”. *(Photo: Motti Verses)*

Over the centuries and a lack of resources left it neglected. We learnt how Samarkand had gone through severe economic decline, particularly when its status of being a capital city passed to Bukhara and merchants of the Great Silk Road bypassed the city.

However major restoration works were undertaken between 1967-1987 and the outcome is jaw dropping. We were left speechless facing this grand architectural collection and I couldn’t help thinking about my late mother, who had been 14 and 15 years old at the time, admiring the unmaintained sites in the 1940s before the restoration. The structures were then in a ruined condition with the domes and portals partially or in some cases, totally destroyed. The minarets were dangerously inclined and the façades in some places had lost 70-80% of their ceramic tile coverings. We saw in the museum section of the madrasas, photographs capturing the history from those days. However, and this is what struck me so emotionally, was reflecting back to the city’s depressed period, its iconic architectural gems neglected and my mother as with all the Jewish refugees also in a state of tragic upheaval and ‘disrepair’, nevertheless marveling at what she saw and experienced here in Samarkand. To my mother, it was the most beautiful city she had ever seen in her life.

**Iconic Leader**. A great patron of art and architecture, Uzbek national hero, Amir Timur, the Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire. (Photo: Motti Verses)

The old town is gigantic in size. Much bigger to what I imagined. We explored endless additional breathtaking structures, monuments, mausoleums and the famous Bibi-Khanum Mosque, named after the emperor’s wife. At the time it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. Bibi-Khanym Mosque is considered a masterpiece of the Timurid Renaissance and left us once again breathless.

**Majestic Mosque**. A masterpiece of the Timurid Renaissance, Samarkand’s Bibi-Khanym Mosque is one of the country’s most important monuments and in the fifteenth century was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Everywhere we explored, I thought of my Mom as a teenager here, where she had been and what she saw and experienced. Leaving the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, we visited the nearby colorful Siab Bazaar known for its vibrant atmosphere and a wide variety of goods, including fresh produce, spices, textiles, and local handicrafts.

Walking by numerous restaurants offering delicious Uzbek cuisine, we eventually stopped and tried the Plov, the national dish of Uzbekistan with carrots, rice and lamb. Tasty and definitely the ultimate social food here that brings people together. As I chewed this delicious food, I could not escape the thought:

“What did my mother eat as a refugee in this city? Did she also enjoy as I was the Plov?”

**Food for Thought**. Always wondering what his mother may have eaten here during the war years, the writer enjoys a plate of Plov, the quintessential dish of Uzbekistan. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Thirty minutes away into the countryside and we were in the ‘Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center’, a unique tourist complex built along an artificial rowing canal dating from the soviet times.

**Dazzling Delights**. Constantly wondering what his mother had seen all those years before of the ‘Eternal City’, the writer explores and is bedazzled by the restored beauty of Samarkand. (Photo: Motti Verses)

The architecture and landscaping – a recreation of ancient Samarkand, complete with domes and mosques, restaurants and bazaar-style shops – was stunning.

**Surprise Encounters**. The writer found surprise and beauty at every turn in this dream “Eternal City”. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Like Alice entering Wonderland, we felt we had stepped into an oriental fairy tale with the turquoise domes, majestic mosaics on palaces and high minarets piercing the blue sky.

While we strolled fascinated by the architecture, it was our minds too that wandered, imagining the versatile heritage of bygone centuries. The trade routes of the Great Silk Road paved the way to Samarkand paper manufacturing. The silk paper process-making is one of the most impressive presentations here. Thousands of years of astonishing technology by Samarkand craftsmen.

**Paper Processing**. From ancient times to the present, Samarkand paper has not lost its significance as seen hear in this silk paper process-making. (Photo by Motti Verses)

Moved by Samarkand’s magical landmarks and its rich cultural heritage, this city will certainly remain in our hearts forever. We felt – as my mother must have felt – completely safe here, surrounded by the friendly Uzbek people. In my heart, I thanked them for being so brave and warm to the refugees fleeing the bloodiest conflict in human history.

**Time Travels**. During the time the writer’s mother was in Samarkand during WWII, a group of fellow Jewish refugees are seen here in front of Tamarlane’s tomb. (Photo Credit:United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Marc Ratner)

Visiting Samarkand was not only a breathtaking journey to a beautiful city with wonderful people but it was also a journey into the past, linking my mother’s stories of my childhood with her childhood in this wonderous place where she found refuge before starting a new life in a new land – Israel.

In memory of Sarah Migdal-Verses (1926-2009)

*Feature picture: The writer thinking of his late mother Sarah (right) in Samarkand’s Registan Square (Photo: Motti Verses).

About the writer:

ICE CREAM AND A BOMB SHELTER FOR TOPPING!

How the mundane morphs into the monstrous as two totally separate concepts find commonality for an anguished Israeli grandfather.

By Jonathan Feldstein

One of the best things in life is to have the privilege of taking one’s grandchildren out for ice cream. Even during a war. Perhaps, especially during a war.

This week, my daughter and son-in-law brought my four grandsons for a visit, partly as a fun outing and partly as a respite for themselves. Since the war began with Iran, all school and pre-school programs have been canceled, leaving parents of young children to figure out how to juggle keeping all the kids occupied without pulling their own hair out, and keeping them safe and close to home for the eventuality of having to take cover in the bomb shelter sometimes 2-3 or more times a day.

This variety of ice creams could at any moment be followed by a variety in lethality of incoming Iranian missiles.

My kids have taken to putting their boys to sleep in the spare room that doubles as the bomb shelter, to avoid having to move them all in 90 seconds, and risking their waking up due to being moved and the jarring sound of the siren.

Moving little children to the bomb shelter is all the more complicated in families where one of the spouses had been called up for reserves, something that’s much more common in the past week, even more so than the recent previous major call up of reservists. Imagine being a young mother with three to four kids under seven, home alone, not only having to move the kids into the shelter one by one, but also having to get them back to sleep after an attack.

Then there are the times during the day when they are awake, as happened again yesterday (and at night) and having to occupy and comfort them for at least 10-15 minutes, but sometimes for over an hour.

Whether one or two parents with little kids, or empty nesters like ourselves, we are all operating bleary eyed from repeated nights’ sleep being interrupted. Last night the “blessing” was that it was at 4:20am. The day before it was at 2:30am. Sometimes one is able to get back to sleep. Sometimes (like me in all cases), not. Good thing I am not operating heavy machinery!

With grandson #4 napping, and me more than a little envious, it was prime time to take the three older boys for ice cream, giving my daughter and son-in-law a few minutes of quiet. Bleary eyed or not, it’s always a pleasure to take the kids out and spend some time with them. Also, parenting never ends, and letting your own kids in their 30s have a break is important.

On the way out, my daughter said something I not only had never heard, but never could have imagined. In my life, I never would have put these words together in the same sentence. “Make sure you know where the bomb shelter is at the ice cream parlor when you’re out with the boys,” the mama-hen responsibly reminded.

Nope. I’d never have thought of it. But we’re at war. Iran is firing ballistic missiles with massive warheads directly at our towns and cities. All the casualties in Israel have been civilians. Yet even while we are at war, there’s never a better time for ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles – to at least bring also a “sprinkle” of normalcy on these young precious lives!

Also, for the first time, there was abundant signage in and around the strip-mall next to our house identifying where all the bomb shelters were – just in case. As much as I’d never thought of including “ice cream” and “bomb shelter” in the same sentence, I never would have thought that whoever planned the architecture would put a bomb shelter right there in the ice cream shop. But there it is, behind the bright pink walls and shelves of toppings.

Just in case!

On the way home, my first-grade grandson told me about all the different ice cream flavors they have at home. It’s a good parenting strategy to have ice cream to pull out even under missile attacks, maybe especially so. While I joined them with a scoop of yummy pistachio today, I’m really feeling that I need something more along the lines of a rum raisin or bourbon-caramel swirl.

Maybe a double!

An ice scream parlor in Tel Aviv, Israel.

When it was time for my grandchildren to return home to their parents, I experienced feelings of ambiguity. On the one hand I did not want them to leave – as I never do – but this time I wished they would hurry because reports were coming through that Israel had again successfully struck significant Iranian targets and I knew that this would soon – probably very soon – translate into a lethal response and our skies would again light up with Iranian missiles. This would send Israelis to the bomb shelters again – whether at home or in an ice cream store! When this happens – as it inevitably would – I wanted my grandchildren at home in the safety, familiarity, and comfort of their own bomb shelter.

This has become their norm, and all of ours. The reality could not be more contrasting:

Israel issues warnings to Iranians living near various military sites that they should evacuate before an aerial attack in order to prevent the loss of civilian life while the Iranian Islamic regime deliberately fires dozens or hundreds of missiles at a time into civilian areas, targeting homes like where my grandkids live.

Okay to enjoy ice creams during the day, but you want the kids safely at their homes with bomb shelters long before evening with the expectation of incoming missiles from Iran.

Iranians are given ample notice to flee in advance of a military strike, and indeed we have seen massive traffic jams with them doing just that. On our side, the evacuation is wanting my grandchildren to leave early enough that they will be in the ‘comfort’ of their own bomb shelter when the jihadi missiles target us all.

I welcome the return to the day when I can again take my grandchildren for an ice cream and not have to think of a bomb shelter!

About the writer:

Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.

REFLECTIONS IN SUNNY EILAT

A week’s holiday in Israel’s southern seaside resort during war presents some illuminating thoughts beyond sea and sun.

By David E. Kaplan

Before setting off to the beach I stepped into two bookstores. It presented the first clue signifying a fundamental change from visiting Eilat in years gone by when there were always robust English sections and prominently displaced – no more! Such as there were, were now tucked away; one had to look for it and when found, they displayed few recently published books in English, mainly the old classics – good to read but also having read. So, I saw Melville’s Moby Dick and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings – as if obligatory presentations – but no sight of a latest Follett or Baldacci bestseller. Afterall, it was the beach I was heading to, not an English lit tutorial! While hot outside at a sweltering 36 degrees, there was little hot on the bookshelves – in English. The reason was soon obvious; why stock a merchandise if there are no customers and clearly, there are no foreign English-speaking tourists from abroad coming to Eilat.

It was soon evident there were no foreign tourist coming from anywhere!

**Turquoise and Tranquil**. View from the writer’s hotel balcony overlooking the Red Sea with Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the left and Egypt on the right. (Photo: D.E. Kaplan)

This observation was all too evident walking along the long beautifully renovated beach tayelet (promenade) splicing a path between the long line of majestic hotels on one side and the emerald green merging into turquoise of the Red Sea on the other. It was packed – day and night – and to walk it was like threading a needle but there was another conspicuous difference from the not-too-distant past. Whereas previously Hebrew was a ‘foreign language’ on the promenade as one walked past conversations in French, English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and German. Today, the lingua franca is emphatically Hebrew as the tourists here in their multitude were all local Israelis.

With enemy ballistic missiles from Yemen directed mostly at central Israel, the concern here may not be existential but it is certainly financial. Being a resort city dependent on foreign tourism, Eilat is being hard hit by the war and is a microcosm of the situation vis-à-vis Israel and the Jewish world. Foreign tourists seeking sea and sun have stopped coming to Eilat and Israelis – feeling increasingly isolated by rampant antisemitism abroad and few airlines flying to Israel because of the Houthi missiles aimed at Ben Gurion Airport – flock to Eilat.

**Splendid and Serene**. Four countries that were once at war but no more as seen from Israel’s Eilat beach with Egypt on the righ and Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the left. (Photo: D.E. Kaplan)

Actually, the bookstores should not have been the first clue of this now presently flawed gem!

Frequent visitors to Eilat over the years will recall when the airport was in the center of town and the planes would approach the runway from the sea, skimming over the roofs of the hotels, it used to be a fun pastime while lying on the beach – particularly with kids – to count the incoming planes and to identify the airline from the logos – that’s how close they flew in to land. I recall times when they used to come in at intervals of 5 minutes, with planes flying directly to Eilat from cities across Europe and Russia. Now the new airport – Ramon International – is approximately 20 kilometers north of Eilat and as my wife and I drove past heading to Eilat, we saw not ONE plane fly in, nor could we see any planes parked. There was not a plane in sight, either in the air or the ground.

It didn’t register as significant then until hours later we processed on the promenade – No Foreign Tourists!

**Desert Dreams**. As seen from Eilat, a close-up of the lettering of Marsa Zayed boldly embedded into the Jordanian mountain. (Photo: D.E. Kaplan)

Lying on a deckchair under palm trees at the beach in front of the hotel was sheer joy. Far removed visually and atmospherically from war, my eyes scanned from left to right, taking in the ochre-colored mountains of Jordan, followed in the distance by Saudi Arabia and then across the Red Sea dotted by moving and at varying speeds, yachts, power boats and jet skis – Egypt. All so pleasantly peaceful. Dreams and visions for the future were all to visually evident. On the Israeli side, new residential building was sprouting out the desert scaling the mountain side, while to the left on the mountain of Jordan above the port of Aqaba, was a huge sign embedded into the mountain. The writing was so big that one did not require binoculus sitting in Eilat to read the two words – Marsa Zayed. “What did it mean?” I wondered and was puzzled why it was spelt so boldly in English and not in Arabic. Curiosity got the better of me, so I Googled and leant that Marsa means “harbor” or “anchorage” and that Mara Zayed is a $10 billion redevelopment project named after sheikh Zayed Bin Saltan Al Nahyan, an Emerati royal politician, philanthropist and founder of the United Arab Emirates and served as its first president from its independence on 2 December 1971.

**Aqaba Awakening**. An artist’s impression of Aqaba’s $10 billion Marsa Zayed development project that will comprise a marina, high-rise, hotels as well as retail, residential, entertainment and financial districts. The white tower in the center is clearly visible from the beaches in Eilat.

The project will consist of a marina, high-rise, hotels, retail, residential, entertainment and financial districts. This is Jordans only coastline and is only 16 miles (26 Km) long, the country with the fourth shortest in the world but nevertheless plans to make the most of it. Size does not matter – one has only to look at Monaca with the world’s shortest coastal frontage – a mere 2.5 miles of Mediterranean coastline but boasts home to over 12,000 millionaires.

**Jubilant Jordanians**. At the Marsa Zayed project initiation ceremony in Aqaba which will transform a 320-hectare section of Red Sea beachfront into a tourism and business hub. The name MARSA ZAYED can be seen in the center halfway up the mountain.

No shortage of coastline is Egypt with its Red Sea Riviera immensely popular for its year-round warm weather, its white sand beaches and world-renowned diving.

I reflected on the name of Eilat’s tayelet called the “Peace Promenade” and the plan for it to eventually run from Taba in Egypt’s Sinai through to Aqaba in Jordan. Both countries are contractually at peace with Israel if not with any great public enthusiasm or support, but the vision and the potential is there, particularly if Saudi Arabia , which I could clearly make out to the south, joins in a post-Gaza war, the Abrahams Accord.

**Music and Musings**. A staple of Eilat’s nightlife, the popular ‘Three Monkeys’ on the promenade offers live music nightly and has been attracting a diverse and dynamic crowd since its creation. Usually filled with foreign tourists, at present because of the war, mostly Israelis.

Trade and tourism not tumult I thought as I doused myself with more sunscreen lotion. The only danger today was the sun’s rays and I hoped on my next visit to Eilat, the bookstores will again be replete with English books!

Feature picture: Eilat’s coastal frontage of beaches and hotels with the city center to the left.

MODI’IN: ISRAEL’S NEW TOURISM DESTINATION?

The fast-growing city in central Israel has just opened its first hotel in a bid to attract business and leisure tourism.

By Rolene Marks

(*First published in the JNS)

Modi’in, situated halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is considered a quiet city that is more sleepy suburbia than fast-paced metropolis. But that may be changing rapidly, symbolized by the recent opening of its first hotel.

The city is an attractive destination for many immigrant families. It boasts a diverse community composed of olim from English-speaking countries as well as from France, South America and elsewhere. They enjoy the “soft landing” provided by the municipality, which seeks to ensure that all the bureaucracy associated with immigration is made as easy as possible.

Like many Israeli towns and cities, Modi’in straddles its ancient roots and the modern day. Often dubbed “The Chanukah city” in a nod to the Maccabees who lived and are buried there, Modi’in is also Israel’s only “learning city” and is regarded as the first and most modern “green city” in the world.

Orna Mager is the director of the municipal Multidisciplinary Center (MDCM) and is responsible for growing small businesses and tourism in the city. Mager, who represents Israel at the UNESCO Global Forum of Learning Cities, explained what this meant in an interview with JNS.

“A learning city is a model that the global forum is running that focuses on understanding that the world is changing so quickly and [that] people need to learn how to adapt to these changes,” she said. “There are a lot of crises in the world. It’s about learning how to adapt and learn to live with all the changes,” she added.

“Learning cities means that the municipalities take responsibility for the lifelong learning of its citizens. We also deal with other issues like climate change, sustainability, gender equality and social cohesion. The policy of the mayor [Haim Bibas] is to promote learning for every citizen.”

Modi’in’s municipality is hoping that the city will soon become a popular tourist destination, and Mager stressed that growing tourism is a top priority for the city.

“Even during these difficult times, we have taken a huge leap forward with tourism,” she said. “We have mapped out the tourist attractions in the city in order to map our story. There are archaeology, culinary courses, nature parks, the museum, businesses that cater to tourism. We have found a treasure in human resources.

“The city has invested a lot in courses to help people who have stories to tell or something unique about their homes to share their stories. For example, we have unique collections in some of the homes. Someone has a collection of cactuses and another ancient menorahs; some have art and many more. We are preparing routes that tourists can follow.”

On Feb. 15, the city received a major boost in its endeavor to brand itself as a tourist and business hub—the opening of the Jacob Modi’in. The luxury hotel is part of the Jacob Hotels chain and has 85 rooms and suites, high-quality facilities for conferences and events and public areas for relaxation.

A tastefully furnished suite in Modi’in’s first hotel Jacobs Modi’in.

The hotel is a short distance from the city’s entertainment area, with restaurants, bars and stores, and is next to the Azrieli Center and train station. Because it is conveniently close to Ben-Gurion International Airport, its owners hope to attract both business and leisure tourism.

The hotel is located in the new West complex of the Azrieli Group, which combines commerce, offices and rental housing. The Jacobs Hotel chain has invested approximately 7 million shekels [$1.9 million] in the hotel’s design. There are rooms of various sizes, spread over two floors, in an area of approximately 5,200 square meters (56,000 square feet). These include rooms for couples and families, as well as suites.

All rooms are equipped with a smart system for operating the electrical and air conditioning systems. The public areas are large and include a luxurious lobby. Future amenities will include a spa with five treatment rooms, a bar and restaurant open to outside guests, and two large play areas for children.

Einat Ganon, the hotel manager and CEO of the Jacobs Hotel chain, said this was a milestone event.

Set midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Modi’in’s first hotel Jacobs Modi’in, has opened for business.

“We are very excited to be the cornerstone of the hotel industry in the city of Modi’in,” she said. “The Jacob Hotel Modi’in is great news for the city and for the hotel industry in Israel.”

The owners are confident that the Jacob Modi’in, which has five meeting rooms, an event hall and a large garden, will attract companies wanting to hold seminars and conferences. The hotel caters for Shabbat and family events and has a large synagogue. It can accommodate events of up to 150 people and has been fitted with state-of-the-art technology to facilitate both professional and family gatherings at a high level.

**Let there be light**. Windows from floor to ceiling invite the sun’s rays, illuminating the lobby.

Modi’in has plenty to offer. Among the attractions is the Hashmonean Heritage Museum in the center of the city, which connects the modern with the ancient. Many archaeological finds in the city and surrounding area that testify to its rich, historical past are featured in the museum’s exhibitions. The museum presents the story of Modi’in from the time of the Hasmonean dynasty until the establishment of the modern city.

The Hasmonean Heritage Museum presents a fascinating saga of the city of Modiin from the days of the ancient Hasmoneans until the present day.

The modern city of Modi’in was built in the 1990s and later merged with the nearby towns of Maccabim and Re’ut to create the unified municipality of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut. Now home to more than 100,000 residents, Modi’in is on the way to becoming a desirable tourist spot with all the essential amenities, including shopping malls, a variety of good restaurants, entertainment facilities and sports fields.

On March 14, Modi’in is scheduled to officially open The Wall—the largest climbing wall in Israel that includes a variety of walls for all levels, from children to adults.

Other attractions include a popular water park and Givat HaBroshim, where people from around the country visit to see the blooming flowers and enjoy local cuisine from food trucks. In April, an exhibition of sustainable art called Land Art will open to the public.

ZICHRON YA’AKOV – A CULTURAL COLONY ON THE CARMEL

Views, vineyards and wineries, this Moshava (colony) has it all – besides the multitude of visitors it deserves.

By Motti Verses

Fourth grade pupils from the Ariel Sharon School in Nahariya have taken over the picturesque pedestrian street of Zichron Yaakov – a “Moshava” (colony or town) nestled high atop Carmel Mountain, south of Haifa. They enthusiastically circled the Benjamin Pool National Site, the water reservoir built in 1891 and named after Baron Edmond James de Rothschild – a French member of the Rothschild banking family and strong supporter of Jewish settlement in Palestine. Founded in 1882 by Romanian Jews, who the following year received support from the Barron, they renamed the town in honor of his father, whose Hebrew name was Ya’akov.

**First of its Kind**. Benjamin’s Pool, the water reservoir built in 1891 and named after Baron Benjamin Edmond James de Rothschild was the first of its kind in Israel, and used a newly developed pump to bring water up to the village on the hilltop.‏ (Photo: Motti Verses)

To a casual observer it may easily appear that Zichron Ya’akov is bustling. The truth is that on a sunny January weekday, if it weren’t for the playful pupils , the street with its restaurants, cafés and shops would be quite deserted. In the Gan Tiyul green oasis, the first ornamental garden in the Land of Israel on Hanadiv Street, planted by Baron Rothschild’s officials in 1886, you could hear the sounds and squeals of joy. They were emanating from dozens of animated girls from a local religious elementary school filling the air and playing happily. “If this was Europe,” I thought to myself, this magnificent little colony of visual delight would be bustling with visitors. Sadly, the reality here is that visitors return slowly on weekends, and are hardly noticeable on weekdays!

**Road of Revelations**. Seen here on main street, cobbled and exclusively for pedestrians with many historical structures and quaint shops selling art, clothing, antiques, is Council Member with the portfolio for tourism, Dganit Azoulay. (Photo: Efrat Peleg)

Zichron Yaakov is a jewel of the Land of Israel, the pearl on the mountain. “It was born from a vision by people of faith who realized the Zionist cause. Over the years settlers have gathered and come through its gates from the four corners of the world,” is the message you will hear from passionate ‘Zichronites’. The Moshava is home to diverse tourist areas, including many artists who open their homes for workshops, cozy hotels, magical B&Bs and original spa complexes, restaurants, wineries and boutique hotels. There are many tour guides routinely leading tourists along the historical trails and magical corners that characterize the colony. It is no secret that tourism in Zichron Ya’akov is an important growth engine for the town’s economic prosperity. At the same time, I felt something was missing. To understand, I turned to the person who symbolizes the Moshava to me, more than anyone else.

Dganit Azoulay ran the high-quality and groundbreaking “Adama” restaurant in the town for many years. But it too closed and the hard-working restaurateur turned her energies to local politics. She was elected in the last municipal elections as a high-profile member on the list of incumbent mayor Eli Aboutbul and became a council member responsible for the tourism portfolio. A year after the municipal elections, Azoulay is optimistic.

“Zichron is going to upgrade its tourism with new projects. A massive renovation of the main pedestrian street, which includes multimedia presentations and the construction of a modern parking lot nearby, with an investment of NIS 5 million, will soon be underway,” she reveals. “At a later stage, the pedestrian street will be expanded by another 400 meters to the Carmel Wineries, where wine production has ceased. A commercial center with an emphasis on wine will be built in the historic winery building that will be preserved, in collaboration with the Carmel Wineries. Even a boutique hotel with 100 rooms will be integrated into it,” says Azoulay. “This spring, a 150-room hotel of the Gordonia Israeli brand will open on the western cliff. In the ‘Wine Park’ residential complex in eastern Zichron, commercial centers including hotels and wineries will be built in the future, and the project is currently in the tender stage of the Israel Land Administration,” she says.

“Zichron is not just a pedestrian street. It is an open museum of the history of the State of Israel. No other place throughout Israel that bears the honoured name of Baron Rothschild is preserved like this. In addition, the Moshava is a base for enjoyable nature trips. Cyclists will find trails on Mount Horshan. Jeep tours here are exciting. Ramat Hanadiv is an attraction in itself,” concludes Azoulay. A Memorial Park and Nature Reserve, Ramat Hanadiv honors Baron Edmond de Rothschild whose vision and philanthropy so influenced the early establishment of communities throughout the Land of Israel. Seventeen acres of beautiful landscape on the southern end of Mount Carmel, it is most famous for its beautifully maintained formal gardens which offer spectacular views and many peaceful and tranquil corners. There is a Visitors’ Center that tells the story of Ramat Hanadiv. Proud of its eco credentials, the building housing the Visitors’ Center, was the first ever certified green building in Israel.

**A Walk in the Park**. Within the Ramat Hanadiv nature park at the southern end of Mount Carmel between Zichron Ya’akov to the north and Binyamina to the south is the magnificent and serene gardens commemorating the Baron and Baroness de Rothschild.
(Photos: Motti Verses)

Like other tourist hospitality places in the country, Zichron Yaakov has also undergone a shake-up during the war. Overnight, the pastoral Eden Inn Hotel became “a residence for evacuees from southern Israel and the student-immigrant population from the Ivim absorption center in the western Negev near Sderot also moved to live in the hotel,” reveals Tal Daniel, the charming hotel’s General Manager.

The writer (left) with Tal Daniel, General Manager of Zichron Yaakov Eden Inn. (Photo: Itzhak Rabihiya)

The hotel has 96 rooms that host mainly small conferences of business companies during the week and families on the weekends. The hotel covers a generous area of 33 dunams and its surroundings projects a visual landscape of green nature. It exudes a kind of kibbutz atmosphere – rural and tranquil – and is within easy walking distance of all the Moshava’s attractions and hiking trails. “A quarter of those staying at Eden Inn on a regular basis are tourists from abroad, but we lost them all due to the war,” says Daniel.

**Warm and Welcoming**. An idyllic ambiance greets visitors to the lobby of the Eden Inn Hotel. (Photo: Eden Inn Ben Rodstein)

“However, because Zichron was considered a relatively safe destination in the middle of the war, the hotel experienced a boom in the spring and summer. During last fall, with the intensity of the war in Lebanon, Zichron lost this advantage. Sirens were heard constantly. Now that there is a feeling that the country has become safer, it is the north that is experiencing a boom which they desperately deserve and need, however, Zichron now is unfortunately losing its pull factor.”

**Some Like It Hot**. The intimate hot tub in the courtyard of the Eden Inn Hotel is particularly inviting in the winter. (Photo: Eden Inn Ben Rodstein)

A visit to the pastoral Kibbutz Ein Shemer offers an insight of the early days of the pioneers, living off the land by farming. At the entrance to the kibbutz which was founded in 1927, there is a reconstructed historic courtyard housing a museum of the “Rishonim” – the first. It tells the story of kibbutz settlement covering these pioneers – their system of education, evolving culture and style of socialist labor. What I found most fascinating was the antique tractors and the shack where the first pioneers lived and the restored agricultural tools. How these early pioneers lived, mapped out the future shape the country would take. The resilience of today is found in the legacy of their example. On a more ‘refreshing’ note was the gastronomic refreshments at the kibbutz’s cozy Cawe Coffee Cart. Other nearby attractions are visits to the Gallery of Contemporary Israeli Art in Givat Haviva and the gallery and studio of the international artist and blacksmith Zeevik Gottlieb near Ma’anit (a must and recommended!). To appreciate all on offer and soak in the history and culture, the Menashe Regional Council is suggesting visitors stay overnight at Yichron Ya’acov.

**Ploughing into the Past**. Over a century of farming equipment used on kibbutzim is on exhibit at the Rishonim museum.

Everything in life is relative. From the perspective of Michal Abramov, the tourism director of the Menashe Regional Council, which borders Zichron, the Moshava is a focus of envy. “In recent years, with the help of a government grant of 6 million NIS, we have promoted a comprehensive plan for the development of agricultural tourism with future infrastructure for rural accommodation, B&Bs and even glamping with at least 500 beds to strengthen the local economy in the council,” she says.

**Window into the Past**. To learn the history of Israel’s early pioneers, a visit to ‘The Museum of the Firsts’ (“Rishonim”) at Kibbutz Ein-Shemer is a must. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Proud of Zichron’s multitude of hospitality options is Tal Daniel of Eden Inn. I ask her in conclusion:

“What does Zichron Ya’akov mean to you?”

She smiles appreciating the question and had a ready answer by referring me to the poignant words of Israeli actor and composer, Naftali Alter incorporated in Oshik Levy’s famous song. “Understand these words, and you will understand everything,” she says.

She recites the lyrics:

“In Zichron, people are happy, night and day.

In Zichron no one goes to sleep in the heat. There are empty bottles in Zichron and everyone drinks everything in my Zichron Yaakov.”

Absolutely.

This gem of the Carmel, Zichron Yaakov, of course wants and deserves so much more.

**War – then and now**. Remembering the hostages at the gates of the Aharonson House on the Moshava pedestrian street, where the Nili Museum is located. The museum tells the story of the courageous and heroic deeds of members of the Jewish Nili spy network that aided the British during World War I, contributing to the ending of Ottoman rule and the entry of the British to the Land of Israel.(Photo: Motti Verses)

About the writer:

REVELATIONS OF RESILIENCE IN ISRAEL’S BATTERED NORTH

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”.

**Northern Gem**. The entrance to “Villa Tehilla” housed on an 1882 estate built as a farm and traveler’s inn in Rosh Pina. (Photo: Motti Verses)

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.

**“Room with a View”.** A typical “Villa Tehilla” room at this Galilean famous guest house (Photo :Motti Verses)

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.

**Old World Charm**. Villa Tehilla’s inner courtyard leading to the stables now transformed into guest rooms. (Photo by Motti Verses)

“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.”

**Dream House**. “Villa Tehilla is a dream come true for us,” says General Manager Adva Hemo seen here with the writer. (Photo: Itzhak Rabihiya)

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 7^th,” 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.”

**Le’Chaim** (“Cheers”). “Since the ceasefire, business has picked up significantly,” says Odem Mountain Winery owner Michael Alfasi (right) seen here toasting with General Manager Alon Arbel in the new wine room. (Photo: Motti Verses)

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!

**Business is Back**. Following the ceasefire agreement, “…weekends are back to being busy and Passover is fully booked,” says an optimistic Shimon Michael, general manager of the 44-room family-oriented Boutique El-Rom hotel. (Photo: Motti Verses)

“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.

**Golan Gastronomy**. Druze Chef Saleh Gotany at Birkat Ram’s new Tushar restaurant by the lake near Majdal Shams in the Golan. (Photo: Motti Verses)

“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.

**Adjusting to War**. The writer with Israel Nature and Parks director general, Raya Shourky in the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. With the visitor center closed due to a direct hit by a Hezbollah rocket, a temporary caravan serves presently in its place. (Photo: Motti Verses)

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.

**Nature under Attack**. A scene in the Banias Nature Reserve following a rocked attack from Lebanon. Approximately 223 thousand dunams were burned in Israel’s the Northern District since Hezbollah began on 8 October, 2023, firing missiles at Israel. (Photo: Motti Verses)

“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.”

**Surprise at the Stream**. The writer discovers a gaping hole in the Snir Stream (Hatsbani) Nature Reserve, caused by a Burkan short-range ballistic missile fired by Hezbollah. (Photo: Motti Verses)

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.”

**We ‘Meat’ Again**. Christian Bachir Sliman is happy, following the ceasefire, to be welcoming back his regular customers at his popular Jish Hunter House meat restaurant. (Photo: Motti Verses)

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:

BEYOND BEN GURION’S VISION

From ancient traders to modern tourists, the changing landscape of Israel’s Negev desert.

By Motti Verses

Revered as the founder of the Jewish state and a strong believer in the future of Israel’s arid desert – the Negev, David Ben-Gurion dreamed of developing this region and pursued his vision by personal example. At the age of 67, together with his wife Paula, the couple left the ‘city life’ of Tel Aviv to make Sde Boker, a pioneering kibbutz in the Negev their home. Living in a modest dwelling, it remained his home until his death in 1973.

**Prime Minister to private citizen**. Capturing the lifestyle of a kibbutz pioneer, the simple bedroom of Ben-Gurion kibbutz Desert Home bedroom. (photo: Motti Verses)

Declaring that it is in the Negev “that the creativity and pioneer vigor of Israel shall be tested,” Ben-Gurion linked the ingenuity and determination of the people of Israel to meet the Zionist challenge of “making the desert bloom”. For decades, his dream inspired Israelis of all backgrounds and ideologies to follow with a sense of collective purpose. However, the outcome fell vastly short from what he had envisioned. While Ben Gurion dreamed that by 1968, 500,000 people would live in the Negev, the population did not reach this figure until 2003 – well over three decades later. The main towns he envisaged as potential growth centers like Dimona and Mitzpe Ramon remain relatively small and the southern Red Sea city of Eilat has shown to be commercially marginal as a port, so seen in recent times that while Yemen Houthis are blocking free passage through the Red Sea, goods to Israel are being rerouted to its Mediterranean ports, ensuring the flow of international trade. Even though agriculture and mining, while impressively innovative did not meet Ben Gurion’s expectations, prosperity did however come but from an industry, the great leader himself did not vision at the time – TOURISM.

Not long before October 7 2023, the Ministry of Tourism formulated an ambitious plan to transform the Negev into a global tourist hotspot that would attract annually over a million tourists from around the world. The plan involves the construction of a multitude of tourist attractions in sync with the Negev’s unique desert environment including inter alia, nature parks, hiking trails, cycling tracks and of course alluring hotels.

While Ben Gurion never saw the potential in his time of tourism, ironically, many of the Negev’s tourist attractions today have a strong connection with the visionary leader. Visitors attracted to this dry region will likely not miss out on visiting Ben-Gurion’s Tomb National Park located a few kilometers south of Kibbutz Sde Boker where he lived with his wife. The surrounding landscape is pleasantly populated with large herds of Nubian ibexes, majestic desert goat creatures so distinguishable by their horns. The male ibex grow giant horns that are arched backwards used mostly for sparring with other males for the right to mate with the females of the herd. The females’ horns are short and pointy.

**Biblical Landscape**. A panoramic breathtaking view from Ben-Gurion’s Tomb National Park of the Zin Valley, the longest wadi in the Negev that attracts visitors from across the country. (Photo: Motti Verses)

The surrounding landscapes are stunning. One can take a classic desert hike in the Zin Valley enjoying amazing views of the wilderness that will include Ein Akev, the biggest spring in the Negev and the ancient Nabatean city of Ein Avdat.

**Resting Place**. Ben-Gurion’s Tomb National Park in Sde Boker hosts ibexes enjoying the greenery (left) and the graves of David Ben Gurion and wife Paula. (photo: Motti Verses)

Closer to ‘home’ is Ben Gurion’s desert home, today an illuminating museum. Preserved in its original condition as Ben Gurion requested, it is a testimony to the lifestyle of a community that founded and established the Jewish state in the early days. The hut still holds Ben Gurion’s original furniture from the 1960s, and you can see his kitchen, bedroom, and a library full of books in multiple languages. Few know that his books, apart from those in Hebrew, include books in English, German, French, Arabic, Latin, Russian, Turkish and Greek.

**Learned Leader**. A man of books in multiple languages is all too evident at Ben-Gurion kibbutz Desert Home – today a well visited museum. (photo: Motti Verses)

It is fascinating that the trendy developments taking place today in the Negev follow in the path of the ancient Nabateans, an enigmatic ancient tribe mentioned numerous times in the bible. They controlled trade along the famed Incense Route that stretched from southern Arabia through their capital Petra to the land of Israel, via the Negev desert. They originally constructed small waystations in the Negev that in time grew into larger settlements and as the Nabatean community in the Negev grew, new towns were constructed in the desert wilderness.

This ancient mysterious tribe we know so little about, fascinated Ben Gurion, who admired their talents, particularly in agriculture – as it was an achievement to master cultivation in a dry arid desert. You can still see the remains of the Nabatean networks of small channels and aqueducts in order to make the most of the only 80 ml of rain to irrigate their terrace farms. They appeared out of history as a role model for Ben Gurion and it is little wonder he referred to them as an example of the possible realization of his vision. He marveled how they, in order to produce olive oil, grew olive trees in the desert. Few know that when Ben-Gurion was the chairman of the board of the Jewish Agency during WW II, he even proposed to place the capital of the future Jewish state in Mamshit that had been one of the major cities of the Nabateans in the Negev, starting out as an ancient caravan stop.

So too had been Sde Boker, akin to a “caravan stop”, for until 2020, this kibbutz was just a stopover for visitors and tourists on route to elsewhere. That was until Isrotel, one of Israel’s leading hotel brands, inaugurated in the middle of the Covid pandemic, its latest hotel – Kedma. Nowadays, when Israel is preoccupied with the crisis of war, the hotel quietly marks its 4th anniversary. To discover more of this relatively new alluring addition to the desert landscape, I headed south with my beloved family, following in the path of the ancient Nabateans.

**Commercial Nomads**. A painting of the Nabateans – the controllers of trade routes – depicted by an anonymous painter, on sale in a gift shop in Petra Jordan. (Photo: Motti Verses)

“We at Isrotel believe strongly in the desert and we proudly proclaim it by ever-expanding our presence in the hospitality industry in Israel’s desert region,” says Lior Raviv, Chief Executive Officer of Isrotel. “We started at ‘Pundak Ramon’, which was our first hotel, currently under renovations, and then our majestic ‘Beresheet’ overlooking the awesome Ramon Crater. Our newest Negev addition to the Isrotel family is ‘Kedma’, in walking distance from the home of David Ben-Gurion.”

**Desert Delights**. “We believe strongly in the desert” says Lior Raviv, Chief Executive Officer Isrotel (right) to the writer. (Photo: Motti Verses)

Lodge-style and built on one floor, “It provides an authentic desert experience and is proving a super popular hotel,” he says.

The 2-hour drive south from central Israel in the last week of August, confronting busy traffic, was surreal when then finding it a challenge to find a parking spot in the desert, next to the Kedma hotel. This came as a surprise considering the reality of the country being at war. Also surprising was my erroneous assumption that in the heat of an intense Israeli summer, local Israeli tourists, especially families, would prefer a waterfront location. I was wrong!

**Serene Sights**. Kedma, a Khan style resort, offering 163 rooms and suites built around a courtyard with a serene pool (Photo: Motti Verses)

The moment we stepped into the busy Kedma lobby for our group check in, I found myself completely captivated by the interior design. A Khan-style resort, Kedma offers 163 rooms and suites built around an expansive open-air courtyard with a serene pool. It is surrounded by luscious fruit trees, most of them mentioned in the Bible, together with plants, creating an environment of a desert oasis. The impressive designs of the Lobby and restaurants captures the ambiance of the desert and structurally pays tribute to the Nabateans and the ancient Incense Route. Impatiently I rushed to hear the explanations of the award-winning interior designer, Ruth Arad. “The design is conceptually rooted to the desert and inspired by the ancient Nabatean route used for transporting spices and fragrances,” she says. “The main lobby is long and narrow, symbolizing the endless wandering in the desert. The lounge is presented with a tent-like structure using ropes, fostering intimacy and connection. The main dining room reflects a desert Sukkah and an atmosphere of minimal illumination while dining in the evenings,” she explains.

I admired the use of the Islamic-influenced ‘Moucharaby’ windows characterized by the use of grills to replace glass and shutters. Quite extraordinary!

**Road of Revelations**. The long narrow Kedma lobby, symbolizes endless wandering through the desert along the ancient ‘Perfume and Incense Trade Route’.(Photo: Motti Verses)

The ceilings in most of the outside open areas are low and the lighting twinkles like stars. We loved the ground sitting with cushions and feeling like Nabateans in designated corners with a fireplace in the center, enjoying a typical desert oasis night atmosphere.

**Lounge and its Legacy**. The Lounge projects a desert tent-like structure using ropes, fostering intimacy. (Photo: Motti Verses)

With the Kedma a buzz with mostly local tourists this past August, we entered the main restaurant gravitating to the Buffet table offering a delicious array of food that would have the ancient Nabateans salivating. We were.

**Pulsating Past**. The dining room – a design deeply rooted in the connection to the desert, with a Sukkah in the center (Photo: Motti Verses)

Cutting through the queues and the noise, the service was tops. I assumed that the resort enjoying a ‘full house’ had to do with the relatively safe geographic location far removed from the war in Gaza and in the north of the country. However, my assumption was wrong. “We have been busy all the time since the opening four years ago. Guests just love it here,” says General Manager, Boaz Zur and I fully understand why.

**Awakening the Senses**. Soak up converging cultures in the Hotel’s luxurious unique Hammam (steam bath). (Photo: Motti Verses)

And when I teasingly challenged interior designer Arad of “Where in Kedma is the spirit of Ben Gurion?” she was spot-on with a spirited response:

“He is everywhere here. The founder of Israel had a vision to make the desert bloom, well, we fulfilled his dream. He wanted the Negev to offer employment opportunities, well, Kedma is a desirable sought after workplace and as far as hoping to change a negative mindset about the desert, this green oasis as you can see is super popular. People are flocking here. Did you not say you had to look for parking when you arrived? No, I’m sure Mr. Ben Gurion is smiling down with approval, particularly as we are in close walking distance from his home.”

The jaw dropping Israel Negev desert and the Kedma by Isrotel Khan/ 9/2024 MOTTI VERSES

*Feature picture: The writer looking at sunset at Ein Avdat, a magnificent canyon in the Negev south of Kibbutz Sde Boker. (Photo: Motti Verses)

About the writer:

Category: Tourism

THE JODHPUR-HAIFA CONNECTION

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FROM PLONSK TO A NATION

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RETRACING ROOTS

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ICE CREAM AND A BOMB SHELTER FOR TOPPING!

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REFLECTIONS IN SUNNY EILAT

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MODI’IN: ISRAEL’S NEW TOURISM DESTINATION?

The fast-growing city in central Israel has just opened its first hotel in a bid to attract business and leisure tourism.

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ZICHRON YA’AKOV – A CULTURAL COLONY ON THE CARMEL

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REVELATIONS OF RESILIENCE IN ISRAEL’S BATTERED NORTH

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BEYOND BEN GURION’S VISION

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The fast-growing city in central Israel has just opened its first hotel in a bid to attract business and leisure tourism.

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