Israel: Highlights from Tel Aviv

First Things First — Food & Beach!
We landed in Tel Aviv and arrived at our adorable hotel on Rothschild Boulevard. Not knowing much about the city, we headed down this pedestrian and cycling-friendly boulevard to explore. We were struck by the number of motorized bicycles; based on what you see in Tel Aviv, pedaling may be a thing of the past!

Our first stop was the Carmel Market. The energy of the market, the spices, and the fact that I work in the food industry couldn’t keep us away. We couldn’t help but notice that you could place this market in any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean city and you wouldn’t know the difference save the yamakas.

After walking even just a few feet in the Tel Aviv heat, the beach called our names. It was simply too hot to do anything else! The waterfront in Tel Aviv was the perfect spot to chill, paddle board, and take in a cold coffee. We couldn’t get enough of the beach. And we weren’t alone in our thinking; it is clear this town likes to relax and enjoy. They say Tel Aviv is the liberal city and it certainly gives that vibe. The long boardwalk makes hopping from beach to beach easy, especially with free city bikes (I guess a few people still pedal)!

The setting sun on the beach was not to be missed. So we made sure to catch it twice.

To stimulate the mind, we also visited the Yitzhak Rubin Museum in Tel Aviv. Not only does the museum paint a vivid portrait of the life of this peace-inclined leader, it gives you a good overview of the formation of the state of Israel. And while we still can’t keep the borders straight (and we were told neither can many of the residents of Israel), rest assured there are officials everywhere monitoring the situation. Below are UN officials watching the Syrian/Israeli border in the Golan Heights.

While not in Tel Aviv, the Golan Heights (pictured above and below) is one of the occupied territories, meaning occupied or controlled by Israel but not necessarily recognized but the U.N. and international communities. Other occupied territories include The Gaza Strip and The West Bank. And within these territories there are designations A, B, and C, which determine who can move freely and safely. These lands’ borders have been the subject of dispute and the reasons for multiples wars, especially since the state of Israel was created in 1947.

What struck me most about the formation of the state was learning about the will of the returning diaspora (diaspora meaning the Jews that lived and established communities outside their ancestral homeland). The returning Jews worked the land from socialistic Kibbutz to one of the richest intellectual countries in the world in less than a century. And still today, many people from around the world come back to the land they call home. Below is a American girl from southern California who voluntarily joined the Israeli army. We met her on our walk to the museum and she kindly share her story with us.

A trip to Tel Aviv isn’t complete without a tour of the Old City of Jaffa. Jaffa is the original town out of which Tel Aviv grew. It’s hard to believe Tel Aviv was barren land at the turn of the 20th century while just to the south, Jaffa has a history dates back to 5000 b.c.e and, like the rest of Israel, has experienced periods of Jewish, Roman, Byzantine, Mamaluk and Ottoman rule. Jaffa’s long history is evident in its design, structures, and in the composition of the people (as a percent of the population, Jaffa has more Christians and Muslims than Tel Aviv). Known today as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the combined city is perfect juxtaposition of the old and the new.

From Tel Aviv we made our way to Jerusalem to experience this conservative capital of Israel and its special holy sites.