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.

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.

“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.

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 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.

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).

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.

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!

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.

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 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.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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).

Despite devastation, hotels, restaurants and popular tourist spots are rebounding.

By Motti Verses

(An abridged version appeared in The Jerusalem Post)

Ten months ago, it was love at first sight for 42-year-old Lioz Hamo from moshav Amnun in the Upper Galilee, when he took a quick look at the “Villa Tehilla” estate, originally built as a farm in 1882 and later transformed into a famed traveler’s inn in Rosh Pina. The owner, Tehilla Yisraeli, who had been among the first to rent out rooms in the picturesque town, had passed away three years earlier. Although not renowned for being a boutique hotel or resort, Lonely Planet nevertheless saw in it a certain Galilean mystical magic as to describe it 20 years ago as:

 “Israel’s most unique accommodation option”.

Placed on the market for rent, Lioz and his wife Adva – tourism lovers who mainly operate a camping compound and rent out all-terrain vehicles (ATV) – jumped at the opportunity to meet the challenge despite the country being engaged in a devastating war. Undeterred with incoming missiles a daily routine in the north, the courageous couple signed the contract and the legendary farm guest house passed into their hands. It was tough; instead of easing, the war was intensifying and few guests arrived, and in September, a rocket from Lebanon landed in the hotel’s backyard with fragments penetrating into the dining room and one of the guest’s bathrooms. Left with few viable options, the couple recalibrated their situation and instead of tourists, took in mostly evacuees, which begged the question I put to the intrepid couple:

 “Who makes such a business move in the middle of a war?”

“Tourism is the only thing we know and Lioz always had good instincts in this arena. The 14 rooms “Villa Tehilla” was a dream come true for us,” replied Adva.

Dressed his in military uniform, having just returned a short break amid months of reserve duty on the Syrian border, Lioz makes me a great espresso. We continue speaking. There is a change mood of optimism as the ceasefire agreement on the border with Lebanon appears to be holding reflected in the place being fully booked by midweek Wednesday. It was further evident to me as I observed Adva constantly on the phone smiling as she registered new bookings.

I was enthralled to learn more about Villa Tehilla’s history. Thirty years earlier, Tehilla Yisraeli (Tehilla means ‘fame’ in biblical Hebrew) and her husband Amichai bought this 19th-century farm and converted the former stables and dairy into a charming guesthouse. Over the decades, it became world-famous and visitors to northern Israel headed to old Rosh Pina to experience “Villa Tehilla”.  The torch carrying this legacy that has now been passed to Lioz and Adva who eagerly welcome adding their enriching chapters to an enthralling story. Most impressive was how the farm’s original central courtyard is still preserved with the original stone walls and decorative tiles – now exquisite antiques.  I felt I was stepping back in time to the heroic era of the early Jewish pioneer – the sweat and toil of building the modern state; draining malaria-ridden swamps and farming – a work that was mostly unfamiliar to most of them! These were the thoughts percolating in my mind as I was jolted back to the present.

“We have 14 charming and beautiful rooms; each room has its own beauty and character,” says Adva. “There is a heated pool, a jacuzzi and a sauna,” and as I can deliciously testify to, “a delicious Galilean breakfast.”

And above all, there is the hotel’s setting in picturesque Rosh Pina, where, as one breathes in the fresh Galian air, one takes in the breathtaking views of the rural landscape as it pastorally leads up to the mighty Hermon Mountain, which every winter is peaked white with snow.

First settled in the 1870s, the original ‘Old Town’ of Rosh Pina consists of just a few short cobblestone streets where today’s visitors can relive village life as it was over a century ago. One can enjoy the cultural and artistic ambiance, popping into dozens of galleries where artists and craftsmen– some well-known – sell jewelry, ceramics, sculpture and paintings. Art certainly occupies a prominent place and sets the tone in this picturesque “Princess of the Galilee”.

The nearby JNF-KKL Agamon Hula Lake, internationally acclaimed for bird watching, was still closed to the public when I was there but reopened a few days later. “During the war, we had about eight workers left to maintain the place, sometimes under fire,” says Inbar Shlomit Rubin, field manager at the Hula Lake. “Even after the reopening, not all of the observatories are available for visitors yet – for safety reasons. Our biggest challenge is manpower. Some of our employees are still evacuated, while others may never return, having found alternate employment elsewhere. Also, nature and the birds will also need time to get accustomed to the presence again of people, and we urge all our visitors to travel with this understanding of a land and its people in a process of healing,” she says.

We drive east and climb the narrow road winding our way up the mighty Golan Heights, aiming for the family-owned Odem Mountain Winery. Located in a forest in the northern part of the Golan, this renowned winery produces 200,000 bottles annually. “While production continued uninterrupted during the war, I was drafted into the army, serving 200 reserve days since October 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.”

Not far away, 1,070 meters above sea level, we check in at the Boutique El-Rom hotel – a serene retreat amidst the beauty of the Golan Heights. Closed for business during the war, it has now reopened. This 44-room family hotel at the entrance to the kibbutz looks totally new and inviting. Nevertheless, even with a ceasefire,  the atmospherics of war was still inescapable. There always remains the need to be prepared as evident on our arrival, finding the 37-year-old general manager, Shimon Michael, attired in semi-army khakis engaged with running El-Rom’s first response defense squad. On my way to meet him in the hotel’s lounge, I witnessed the housekeeper arranging a guest room  – with an M16 assault rifle on his shoulder!

“We had to let go of most of our staff during the war and now we are training totally new team members.” Despite the challenges in the north, “the cease fire makes us optimistic as new bookings are coming in daily. Weekends are back to being busy and Passover is fully booked,” says an optimistic Shimon.

A newly appointed receptionist sends us to enjoy dinner at a new fancy restaurant in Birkat Ram, a natural water source reservoir under Mount Hermon. While ‘Waze’ is doing its best in navigating us through the darkness, due to intentional military interference, we soon find ourselves lost on a dirt road close to the Syrian border. Suddenly a suspicious-looking pick-up truck is driving towards us but we had nothing to fear.

“Can you help us with directions to Tushar restaurant by the lake?’ I anxiously asked two very friendly Druze youngsters inside.

“Sure, follow us. We live close by,” they answered and within minutes we were in a mirage called Tushar. For a moment we thought we were in a contemporary designed upscale Tel Aviv restaurant. Twenty-eight-year-old Druze Chef, Saleh Gotany from Buq’ata, who worked in Ran Shmueli’s Claro’s famous Sarona Tel Aviv restaurant, welcomed us with a smile. His Syrian-style cuisine menu was a dream. The steak he prepared for us will be long remembered.

“Who opens an upmarket restaurant in such a place during a war?” I ask.

“It was certainly a commercial gamble,” answers Saleh.  “However, we wanted to cheer up the citizens of nearby Majdal Shams.” This is the Druze town in the Golan Heights that made international news when it lost 12 children following a rocket attack by Hezbollah on 27 July, 2024. “My partners and I invested half a million Shekels in this new restaurant,” continues Gotany. “We wanted to make a mark on Druze gastronomy in the Golan and although mostly locals presently dine here, we are aiming to increase our clientele across the entire northern Golan.”

The following day at noon, I am walking along the stream of the breathtaking Tel Dan Nature Reserve, not far from the city of Kiryat Shmona. With me is Raya Shourky, director general of Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Together with her executive team, she shows us the immense damage caused by the war.

The visitor center is closed following a direct hit by a rocket. A temporary caravan serves in its place. Not far away, we see the once green areas in the Banias Nature Reserve now consumed by fire caused by Hezbollah rockets.

“2024 has been the most challenging year in our 60 years of existence,” informs Shourky. “Most of the damage is in the Northern District where approximately 223 thousand dunams have been burned. We will definitely need government financial support to recover.” The good news however, she says, “is that most of the sites are now open for the benefit of the public, so that they can again enjoy nature not far from the border with Lebanon.”

We drive south to central Israel and make a detour, heading to the small Christian village of Jish, also known by its Hebrew name of Gush Halab. The Christmas tree had just been lit and the central tiny streets were decorated for the festive holidays. Taking full advantage of the ceasefire, Bachir Sliman, (named after the late assassinated Militia commander and Lebanese president-elect Bachir Gemayel), re-opened his popular Hunter House meat restaurant for the first time since the war began. “It is so encouraging to welcome back old customers after such a long time,” he says with a smile. “It will take at least six months for the business to recover,” and suggests that “the government should assist tourist enterprises by lowering the VAT rate,” for a designated recovery period. Interestingly, Sliman reveals that regardless of the personal challenges of living through this war, he has nevertheless managed to transfer funds to his relatives across the border into Lebanon who see him as a person living in “a dream country.”

I couldn’t agree more.

One thing is for sure. On Israel’s battered northern frontiers, I found amongst the people, a grit and feisty determination as well as an optimism for a better tomorrow and a confidence in future tourism.

*Feature picture – Sight Sublime.The Agamon Hula Lake in northern Israel, famous for bird watching. (Photo by Dana Klein).

About the writer:

The writer, Motti Verses, is a Travel Flash Tips publisher. His travel stories are published on THE TIMES OF ISRAEL  https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/motti-verses/. And his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPSAnd his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPS

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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!

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!

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.  

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.

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.

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.”

*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:

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).

Millions of tourists around the globe travel every year to some of the most depressing places on Earth: sites of horror, tragedies, disasters, and monstrous death.

By Motti Verses 

(Courtesy of The Jerusalem Post where article first appeared)

The Knot, the Desyatka, and the Kingsmills are names of hotels that most travelers are not familiar with. Those who do recognize the names are included in a specific niche that makes those hotels unique among global travelers. They are part of what experts call “dark tourism.” The Knot overlooks the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, which consists of the only structure that remains standing in the area around the atomic bombing of the city. The Desyatka is the only hotel located in the town of Chernobyl in Ukraine; before the ongoing war, it accommodated trips exploring the abandoned ruins and remains of the catastrophic disaster. The Kingsmills is located in Scotland, a few minutes’ drive from the site of the 1746 Battle of Culloden, the last pitched battle on British soil, where, in less than an hour, around 1,300 men were slain. The battle is the key topic of the popular Netflix TV series Outlander.

Millions of tourists around the globe travel every year to some of the most depressing places on Earth: sites of horror, tragedies, disasters, and monstrous death. According to the dark-tourism.com website, tourists who visit or think of visiting war museums and memorials, including the Berlin Wall when visiting Germany’s capital or the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero when in New York, are, or potentially could be, dark tourists, even if they do not know it yet. And in the case of the 9/11 memorial, they will be in plenty of good company: It is the most visited dark site in the world today.

The term “dark tourism” was coined in 1996 by two academics from Scotland, J. John Lennon and Malcolm Foley, who wrote Dark Tourism: The Attraction to Death and Disaster. According to a 2022 survey under the name “The Rise of Dark Tourism,” conducted by Passport-photo.online, a US website, 82% of Americans have visited at least one dark tourism destination in their lifetime.

However, Dr. Eran Ketter, head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Kinneret Academic College, has a more conservative approach. 

He articulates it as follows:

“Dark tourism is a minor sub-category in a segment called ‘Heritage tourism’ that consists of visits to places that embody the past or/and to places related to intangible heritage manifestations. Most of the world’s normative tourism is built around vacations, good times, and shopping. Visiting heritage sites is, in many cases, part of the experience. However, trips are certainly not built around sites to do with darkness. This is just another component. Fifteen percent of the tourism of Europeans is defined as ‘heritage,’ and this is quite a significant figure. It’s considered an enriching tourism characteristic of Americans, Europeans, and Chinese, dominated by well-established and educated adults.”

The majority of dark tourism sites are located outside metropolitan areas. Memorial parks and battlefields are usually located in the remote countryside. Consequently, tourists who feel connected either personally, emotionally or historically curious will stay in city hotels and participate in day trips to sites associated with tragedy embedded in history. 

An example would be a Hampton by Hilton. Characterized as a global brand budget hotel, one of the 6,000 Hamptons around the globe is located in Oswiecim, Poland, a 10-minute drive to the Auschwitz concentration camp, probably the most horrific ‘dark tourism’ site imaginable.

“Why should travelers stay with you and not in nearby lively Krakow?” I asked General Manager Agnieszka Augustyniak.

“Oświęcim offers the past that goes way beyond the history of World War II. This is a site not simply depicting war but exposing mass murder of an unprecedented scale….an unimaginable scale!  Jewish residents in Oświęcim represented the largest community in the city prior to the war – 8,000 Jews out of 14,000 inhabitants. When you stay here in the city and grasp the rich past of Jewish life before the Holocaust and are then exposed to what transpired thereafter – the total extermination of Jewish life – you begin to comprehend the broader meaning of Auschwitz-Birkenau,” she explained.

SITES OF SADNESS

Steeped in a history of tragedy, it is understandable that Israel offers a number of ‘dark tourist’ sites. These includes Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem, the state official memorial to the six million victims of the Holocaust and Masada, an archaeological site above the Dead Sea where almost 1,000 Jewish rebels committed mass suicide rather than to fall alive into the hands of the Romans and be taken off as slaves. Their deeds 2000 years ago left behind a saga of courage, heroism, and martyrdom.

Following the Hamas atrocities in the Gaza border areas, the question arises: 

Will this become another sad ‘dark tourism’ destination when inbound tourism resumes and travelers feel safe enough to visit?

Since October 7, Sderot’s demolished police station, burned houses in numerous kibbutzim, and the Nova party site in Re’im are places that foreigners and Israelis visit. Some tourists go there on visits organized by civil society groups; others go independently to pay tribute. The number of visitors is enormous. Visitors walk silently; some cry or carry flowers and candles. Those sites will inevitably in time include official commemoration memorials. How they will look remains to be seen.

Clifford Chanin, director of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, might be the most experienced person on the planet as far as memorials are concerned. “We live in an era where people want speedy decisions. Commemorating the events Israel faced will need time and patience. Different opinions and debates are expected and legitimate within the communities on how a memorial should be built,” he said.

“Transparency of all views will finally lead to trust, and once all opinions are heard, a decision could be made. Preserving original, damaged structures and artifacts is also a serious challenge. The 9/11 Memorial was opened on September 11, 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. The museum was dedicated in May 2014, almost 13 years after the horrific incidents. Since then, around six million people visit the 9/11 memorial and museum every year. Visionary planning led to the development of the entire area, prioritizing housing and tourism. Lower Manhattan is now an attraction. There are significantly more hotels and restaurants around the memorial than before 2001.”

“Hospitality lodgings need a profitable business model aimed at numerous market segments. A hotel that serves dark tourism customers alone is a one-dimensional product,” explained Dr. Ketter. “As Israel allows visitors to stay in Metropolitan Tel Aviv hotels and book day tours to the Gaza borderland areas against traffic, I cannot see significant accommodation developments there. Ashkelon might enjoy economic tourism progress due to its proximity,” he said.

The annual Darom Adom festival celebrating the fields of red anemones that flower in the early spring months, Eshkol and Ashkelon national parks and even former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s grave might be additional attractions persuading tourists to stay in the area.

Future memorials in Israel’s devastated south are understandably not being officially discussed yet. The country is still at war. That time will come. During the recent Tu Bishvat holiday, celebrated as an ecological awareness day, trees were planted as well as 364 saplings at the site of the Nova music festival, where the Hamas atrocities occurred. The Jewish National Fund initiated the event in memory of all the murdered young people. Planting a tree is a symbol of hope, love, and life that will last for generations. 

Future tourists to the Gaza borderland will face not only the darkness that was but the beautiful Israeli spirit of what will be.

(*Note: As for now visits to the Gaza border kibbutzim are arranged under strict arrangement with the IDF.)

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 TIPS
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 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).