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PLANNING A VISIT TO ISRAEL? SOME


THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Shalom from Israel, from Avi and Dina ben Mordechai Marcus . I am posting this article for those of you that are planning a journey to Israel. Please, take a moment to review the information that I am presenting to you in this email, so that you can become more familiar with the way things are done in Israel and thus, avoid sudden surprises that can quickly turn your visit into a sour note in a matter of minutes or hours. What I have given you below is a COMPREHENSIVE look at some of the issues that are involved in making a trip to Israel. I did not want to just give you a quick, simple overview of things to be aware of. Take whatever information is relevant to you and read it accordingly.

ABOUT HIRING A GUIDE

I, Avi ben Mordechai, earn my living as an international author and lecturer on biblical subjects. These days, I am also an Israeli State Licensed Tour Guide, for which I worked very hard with a couple of thousand of hours of study in the classroom and in the field, over three years, to the stringent approval mechanisms that are in place with the Israel State Tourism Board (the Israel Ministry of Tourism). As a result, by YHWH’s grace, I am able to work for living, as a paid tour guide. Some tourists who come to Israel might ask, “Why would I need to pay for a Torah faithful tour guide in the Land of Israel? I can get along just fine without a guide and save the money.” My response is this: "don’t cut your head off to lighten the load on your feet."

Israel is a “rough and tumble” place (if you haven’t noticed yet or you are not familiar with the way certain things are done here). If you come to Israel for some on-location biblical studies but you don’t know exactly what you are doing, where you are going or exactly what to avoid and what not to avoid, then you can get yourself into a mess that is often difficult to extricate yourself from. Any mistakes that you make could cost you lots of lost time, loss of your hard-earned money, and generally, cause you great inconveniences and predicaments that you could have avoided, by working with a expert guide that knows the “lay of the land.” Further, there are numerous logistics issues that you need to be aware of. For example, where are the bathrooms when you need them? Or, you could drive some distance to a National Parks site only to find out that they are closed because you got there less than one-hour before closing time and their opening and closing times are different depending on the time of year and whether it is a Friday or a special holiday. The same is true of most tourism sites in the Land. If you don’t know what you are doing, you can make mistakes that can cost you time and money. Further, if you have a rental car (addressed below), inadvertent wrong turns into forbidden areas of Israel will automatically void your car insurance if you should get yourself into an accident (and most Israeli drivers are very aggressive on the road). There are dangers to be aware of; logistics to know; site hours of operations…lots and lots of little things that if you don't know what you are doing exactly, certain things can ruin a perfectly good experience for you. So, put a private tour guide to work for you. Give that person an opportunity to earn a living in Israel and at the same time, give you some important peace of mind, knowing that you are going to maximize your learning experience and minimize your potential mistakes.

For example, did you know that according to Israeli Law, it is forbidden for a group of tourists (to be defined by the Tourism Police) to tour without a tour guide in the Land of Israel? A tourism police officer can and often will approach a touring group (if they determine that you have what they might call a "group"; its their arbitrary definition and you can't argue with them) and ask to speak to your tour guide. If the person who is “guiding” the group is not licensed as a tour guide and your group doesn’t have a licensed guide with you, then the person acting as a “guide” is subject to a very hefty monetary citation, like a moving violation ticket. So, I say, be smart, be safe, and be aware of what you are doing when you arrive in Israel. Put a private tour guide to work for you and you can avoid huge monetary surprises and problems while at the same time, gain tremendous learning insights into things that ordinarily you might miss because you may not be knowledgeable enough to know exactly what you are looking at or where you are going.

Budgeting a tour guide in Israel

How much does a tour guide cost in Israel? Generally, for a private tour guide, you can expect to pay between 1,500 and 2,000 Israeli Shekels per day. My fee is 1,200 Israeli Shekels per day. However, I also know that many amongst the Torah faithful in the house of Israel, simply are coming to Israel with very limited travel funds. Knowing this, I am always open to working with those on limited funds because I care more about your potential for biblical learning. So, let’s negotiate. This is a good business practice (see the biblical story of Abraham and Efron) and in the end, everyone benefits. We all want to make your experience a win-win situation.

CAR RENTALS and TRANSPORTATION

So, you want to see Israel on the cheap? Fine. Getting to all the tourist traps is easy by bus or foot. Of course, a number of things are easily accessible in Jerusalem, without a car, on foot or by bus but there are a number of "must see" sites that simply require more than a walk on foot, meaning you will have to take a bus or taxi ride. So, the question remains: what if you don’t want to go to all the tourist traps and you don't want to take a bus or taxi to some of the more interesting biblical and historical sites that are “off the beaten path”? This applies not just to Jerusalem but also to other areas of the country. What do you do? The easy answer is to get a rental car.

Rental cars are available from most of the major companies such as Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Budget. There are also a number of private Israeli companies that offer cars for rent. Generally, you can expect to pay a base rate of about 300 Israeli Shekels per day for a car. Fuel will cost you the equivalent of about $8.00 a gallon orabout 8 Israeli Shekels per liter. With your rental, you should most definitely purchase full “walk away” insurance. In Hebrew, this is called Bituach Ma’ale. Most credit cards will not cover this for you in Israel because they know that Israeli drivers are very, very aggressive and dangerous. You may be a most excellent driver but this means nothing because it is the aggressive Israeli drivers that you share the road with; they are mostly unpredictable and they are oftentimes accidents waiting to happen. However, call your credit card company and ask them if they cover you for full comprehensive "walk-away" insurance in Israel. If they do not, you must consider a car rental with full insurance to give you full peace of mind in the event that you get slammed from a tailgater or from someone that is not driving safely, which is always possible. Further, if you drive a rental car into one of the forbidden areas of Israel – labeled “Area A or Area B,” any insurance that you have on your rental car is automatically voided and if you get into an accident in one of those areas, you will be fully responsible for all damages to the car including the time that the car is in a repair shop and not available for rental.

When you pick up a rental car at a rental car station, you absolutely MUST bring two forms of ID, one of them a photo ID and a CREDIT CARD. Generally, your passport and a Drivers License will be requested.

Paying for the rental car is another matter. Some DEBIT CARDS from your bank are hit and miss and some just may not work in Israel, contrary to what some people might tell you. I've seen these cards decline when the rental agent tries to run it for an authorization. All CREDIT CARDS like Master Card, Visa, Discover, Amex; all of them work fine.

Make certain that your name which appears on your credit card is the same name that appears in your passport and on your government issued Driver's License. If there is a discrepancy in the way your name appears on your card and it does not match your Driver's License, the rental car company will give you lots of grief and will quite likely not even rent the car to you; and they do not accept a full payment in cash.

Further, all the rental car companies in Israel will run your card for what they call a security authorization. This means that they will authorize your card for twice to three times the amount of the total rental cost. If you do not have enough credit room on your card to handle that authorization, then you must plan ahead before coming to Israel and make sure that you have enough "head room" on your card to take a hit with the rental car company authorizing your card for the money that they expect will be there. Now, an "authorization" does not mean that your card is charged. It just means that your credit card company will set aside the amount being authorized and it will be "as if" you were charged and thus, you will have that much less to work with on your card limit.

Public transportation (the national bus system) will cost you about 4-7 Shekels per ride. Taxis will cost you about 30 Shekels per ride in the city and more to outside of the city. Nighttime and Holy Days are even higher in costs. And if you are carrying baggage, that too will cost you extra.

Taxis are abundant here in the Land. However, traffic issues are typical in Israel and so you must factor this in, particularly when you are riding in taxis. Be aware that you could end up paying a lot of money to the driver if you get stuck in a traffic jam. There is no mercy. Further, you should ask the taxi driver to turn on his meter. Not all of them will do this because their meter records time and money and this means that the drivers have to pay hefty taxes on their income. To avoid this, they will just "work out a verbal deal" with you and if you are not fluent in Hebrew and you simply don't know how to negotiate nor do you understand the price that the driver is offering you (which will oftentimes be much higher than the meter rate) try to speak English with them and you don't know what you are doing, you can easily get taken for a real ride, financially. Most of the time, it is better than you ask them to turn on the meter. However, if you know that you might get stuck in a traffic jam because it is a certain time of the day for commuters and you need to go from point A to point B through an area that is prone to traffic jams, it is sometimes best to work out a flat rate with the driver and thus, if time is working against you, it comes out of his pocket and not yours.

FOOD COSTS

If you are traveling to Israel and you are not planning on visiting restaurants every day, then you will have to buy your own food in the local grocery stores. The general rule of thumb is this: expect to pay more in Israel for your groceries than you will at home, perhaps as much as 50 percent more in some cases. Going out to restaurants can be costly. An average breakfast will cost you about 20 Shekels. An average lunch will cost you about 45 Shekels (unless you want falafels every day, which gets real old, real fast). An average dinner will cost each person about 60 to 80 Shekels. Generally, you can expect to pay a customary tip of about 15 percent on the total bill.

INCIDENTALS

If you need to wash your clothes, get on-line for email, use a public bathroom…everything comes with a price. Be aware of what you are doing and where you are going for these kinds of services. If you need a bathroom quickly, particularly when you are out touring, they are not always easy to find. In other words, do not just expect to find a bathroom easily and quickly. You have to know where the bathrooms are located and if you don't know, ask someone. It's little things like this that us tour guides are trained to know.

WHAT ABOUT MONEY MATTERS?

If you need currency conversion from your local currency to the Israeli Shekel, there are two types of moneychangers: those that charge a commission and those that do not charge a commission. Do not be deceived. No one works for free in Israel. The currency conversion shops that charge a commission take a fee from you at the front end. The shops that do not charge a commission, take their fee from you at the back end. In either case, you will most definitely pay a fee to convert your local currency to the Israeli Shekel.

Using a credit card in Israel? Check with your bank because many banks charge a 3% international service fee for each use of your card. Using a debit card in Israel? Again, check with your bank because some of these cards simply will not work here. It can be a hit and miss situation. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. The ones that do work (it varies) will charge you a minimum 3% international service fee for each use of your card. So, when you get your bank statement, do not be surprised to find a number of 3% international service fees added to your all of your purchases.

Converting your local currency cash into Israeli shequels at the airport when you arrive is expensive but it gives you the added peace of mind that you have some immediate cash to work with, otherwise you have to go out of your way to find a money-changer shop at your destination.

Travelers cheques such as American Express or AAA auto club or bank travelers checks are difficult to cash here! It usually requires that you go to an Israeli post office to cash them. Most merchants WILL NOT take them. Be aware.

Do not carry large amounts of cash on your person. And if you are going to carry a fair amount of cash on your person, have a very secure place to put the cash, such as a body belt that tucks under your blouse or shirt. There are no shortage of thieves in this part of the world; I’m sorry to say!

IF you have a credit card or two, then this is the best way to pay for goods and services, in most cases. Make sure that you leave a copy of the information about your card with someone in the event that it was stolen or someone gets ahold of your card number and starts going on a spending spree. I don’t mean to scare you. I just know that this is a “rough and tumble” place and you almost need to have eyes in the back of your head, always keeping watch on what is going on around you at all times.

MUGGINGS AND PICKPOCKETS

NEVER, ever let a stranger touch you. The rule here is this: keep a distance between you and those around you to the best of your ability; especially the arabs. They are sly little devils and they can smell a “rich American” or a “rich Swiss” or a “rich South African” or a “rich whatever" a mile away. Sadly, your brother Judah is not such an angel either! Just pay attention and you will hear me say this on more than one occasion.

Muggings are not nearly as common as pickpockets here in the Land. If you run into a situation where you are mugged or you get pick-pocketed or something valuable of yours is stolen (which can happen incheap hotel rooms and youth hostels), then you will need to file a police report and chances are very great that you will never see the item or items again.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL OR HISTORICAL SITES

Some archaeological and historical sites in Israel have no entrance fees. You just have to know where they are and how to get to them. Some of them will require hiking up and down trails that may or may not be maintained. More often than not, most of the archaeological and historical sites that are maintained, such as those under the auspices of the Israel National Parks Association and those sites under the jurisdiction ofvarious private foundations will cost you an average of about 30 Shekels per person for an entrance fee. Some are much more and some are less. However, if you plan on visiting more than six of these kinds of sites, there are special entrance cards that you can buy from the National Parks Service; cards that are good for two weeks from the day that you buy the card and they will save you some money.

SUMMARY

Generally speaking, if you are coming to Israel on the cheap, and you want to stay in very inexpensive hostels (ask them ifthey rent their rooms by the hour because if they do, stay away from them as they double as brothels); you want to eat inexpensively; you want to see most archaeological and historical sites that are free; you want to ride public transportation or walk; all of this will require that you budget a minimum that is the equivalent of about $50.00 to $75.00 per person, per day.

If you are coming to Israel and want to stay in a clean, safe, quality hotel or Bed and Breakfast facility; eat fairly well; get a rental car and see biblical, historical, and archaeological sites that dohave entrance fees, you can generally expect to pay the equivalent of about$125 – $150 dollars per day, per person. Of course, there are many variables to all of these scenarios but this can give you a general idea of what things cost here in Eretz Israel.

Generally speaking, you can expect to pay between 20 and 50 percent more than what the same services might cost you at home, depending on where you are coming from.

Private guides are a luxury cost but again, it is my opinion that you should not travel here without one, at least on your first or second visit to Israel. Once you generally know how to get around, what to see, where to go, the pitfalls of how certain things are done here in the Land, then you can generally feel confident that you don't need a guide. Then again, there are hundreds of very significant biblical sites in the Land that are simply not publicized or easily accessible. This is where I come in. I am Torah Observant and I firmly hold to the principles of teaching Torah on-location to all those that have a heart and love for Israel, for the Torah, for Ephraim, for the faith of all Israel as taught in the Tanakh and the Brit haChadasha. So, this is why I stress the importance of hiring a Torah Observant guide such as Avi ben Mordechai. I know what I am doing (generally) and I can steer you clear of potential problems that can ruin a perfectly good day. Some people simply want to save money and learn the hard way. I want you to use your travel cash wisely and learn the easy way.

COMMUNICATIONS

Rent (or buy) a cell phone!

There are numerous companies that will rent you a cell phone for your time in Israel, and they will even mail you the phone in advance of your trip. Or, you can rent a phone when you get to the airport. I know that some people have international roaming plans on their home cell account, but why pay $1.99 per minute, when you can get good rates for a local phone? See Rent a cell phone You also have the option to buy a local phone and put prepaid minutes into it, and this is a good option if you plan on returning to the Land frequently. Sometimes, you can get a SIMM card for Israel that will work with your own phone, but this doesn't always work, so I wouldn't try that route unless you really know what you are doing. If you get a local cell number in advance of your visit, please advise us of your number as soon as you know what it is.

WHAT MUST I BE PREPARED FOR AND WHAT MUST I BRING WITH ME WHEN I COME TO ISRAEL?

Physical Health Preparation. Touring Israel is NOT, I repeat is NOT easy for extremely overweight people and people with many physical walking limitations. IF you cannot walk for periods of between 30 minutes and UP TO two-hours at a time OR if you simply are very overweight or you get extremely tired easily or you cannot be out in the strong Israel sunlight for hours at a time and generally speaking, you are just not in reasonably fair physical health (I DID NOT SAY “PERFECT”; just reasonable and fair physical health), then your best solution to touring Israel, is to stay within the general tourist areas, which are maintained and developed for foreign tourists. Better to do this than to venture out into areas that are "off the beaten path."

Jerusalem's Old City has plenty of interesting sites to see and keep you busy for hours and yes, even days, and you don't need to be in good physical condition to see all the sites. However, if you want to see some awesome biblical and archaeological sites that are not maintained for the average tourist, then you need to be in fair physical condition because these sites will require more of a physical challenge from you than the typical tourist sites of Israel.

For example, suppose you want to visit the ancient City of David, which by the way, is not easy on the feet and the back. It is a great tourist site but it is also a great biblical site. However, there are many, many stone steps and paths that require lots of up and down walking and you should be prepared for this. If you are a very large person, I recommend that you do not attempt to enter Hezekiah's Tunnel. It has its limits, especially for large people. Also, in the tunnel, you will be underground for some 30 minutes, in a very dark and tight tunnel, only about three feet wide, most of its 1500 feet and you will be in water up to your leg calves, at times.

Another site - the Jerusalem Archaeological Park/Southern Steps – is most interesting and its excavations are easily accessible but be fully aware that in many months of the year, the sunlight is intense and hot in that entire area and it can beat you down to exhaustion in a matter of a couple of hours, unless you are prepared with the proper attire and lots of drinking water. If you burn easily or you are subject to heat stroke, or you can't walk a lot in a three hour period, then you may need to skip that site and do something that is geared more to your physical well being.

The Temple Mount is another issue. Not only are there issues of proper dress code imposed by the Muslim Waqf (Police) but there are also physical limitations as to where you can go on the Temple Mount and what you can and cannot say and do. Plus, you must be prepared during certain times of the year when the hot sunlight beats down on the Mount and if you are not prepared for it, the heat can exhaust you quickly.

Overall, Jerusalem's Old City is a wonderful place to visit but realize that you will be walking a lot and you will be walking on plenty of stone pathways as well as up and down lots of stone steps. It is important for you to be prepared that a day of doing this can wear you out physically.

If you are in reasonably fair physical health then you can comfortably consider going outside of Jerusalem to some biblical, historical, and archaeological sites that are away from the tourist areas. It is in many of these types of places that I oftentimes take people, and in doing so, plan on walking across rocky hills and terrain; up and down dirt and stone paths – some of them rather steep.

Crowds and Heat. Many times in the year (particularly at Passover and Sukkot), Jerusalem is very, very crowded with hundreds of thousands of people! Traffic can get annoying and crazy. The crowds of visitors and the city noise can oftentimes give people headaches and make people irritable; in other words, making you easily upset and snapping at others around you. Please be aware that Jerusalem IS A MODERN CITY with lots of traffic and noise and people! Other cities and locations in Israel are not so inundated with these problems but they still have their moments. Cities like Haifa, Tiberius, Tel Aviv. However, most of the time, I am focused on traveling to areas that are not so crowded, where you can think and learn and read from your Bible in peace and quiet.

A Water Bottle. Drink lots of water. I will constantly remind you to drink plenty of water here. You don’t want to become dehydrated and in many situations you will not know that you are dehydrated until it becomes too late to revive you. The rule here: DRINK LOTS OF WATER. The sunlight is strong and the days and the heat will wear you out. You will sleep well at night! If you wish, you can bring your own 1.5 – 2 liter water bottle with a carrying case and strap if you wish. You can pick up one of these at any outdoors or camping store in your area.

A small or medium sized comfortable backpack. You should come to Israel with a small fanny or backpack to carry various small maps, books, water and food items with you. Also it is a good place to put your valuables.

Passport. ALWAYS carry your passport around with you ON YOUR PERSON. NEVER let it out of your sight…EVER. Ladies, DO NOT BRING a purse. Put your important things into your back pack or fanny pack that is strapped to your body. Men, you can bring a wallet but make sure that you have a secure place to put it ON YOUR PERSON.

An umbrella to shade you from the hot sun or in some cases from rain If we should get inclement weather, which is oftentimes possible from December to April.

A small battery-powered light. If you can find a simple light that works on AA batteries or AAA batteries, that’s all you will need. If you can find a light that fastens to the front of your head like an underground miner’s light, that is even better. Sometimes, you will need a light when touring certain ancient sites that have tunnels and caves and/or dark places.

Laptop Computer? If you bring a laptop computer or an Ipad or some kind of computer device to take notes, keep it in your presence at all times. These kinds of items can get stolen quickly, if you are not watching them.

--Audio Recording Device. If you wish, I recommend that you bring a small recording device such as an MP3 Recorder made by Sony or Olympus. The best kind of recorder is one that transfers your data to a computer via a USB port and not a cable because with a cable, it can get lost (but I do have extra ones available if you need it). --Digital or Conventional Camera. These days, it’s wise to bring with you a digital camera with a memory card that can store a 1,000 or more pictures. You will find yourself taking lots and lots of pictures. So, if possible bring a digital camera with you AND KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT AT ALL TIMES! A small one will easily fit into your fanny pack or back pack. If you want to bring a conventional film camera, that’s okay too. WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE YEAR 'ROUND Generally, Israel has two seasons: Summer and Winter. Late spring to early fall is dry. Rain is rare but it can happen. Late fall to early spring is the rainy season with lots of rain (usually) from December to April. Generally speaking, the cooler months are December through March. The warmer days with blue skies and sunshine are April and May and October and November. The hot months are usually June through September. Generally speaking, clear-blue skies will persist in the daytime with summertime temperatures averaging in the mid 80’s (F), which is the mid to high 20’s (C). In the cooler months, you can bring a small light coat (NOT HEAVY) for evening walks and activities. In the summer months, you really don't need a coat of any kind. However, it also depends on where you are in Israel. In the mountains (Jerusalem and Samaria) it can cool down a little at night even in the summer. In the lower elevations, temperatures stay pretty warm and so you may not even use a sweater or coat of any kind. WHAT IS MY CHECK LIST FOR CLOTHES and ITEMS? --Sandals for walking in water (IN WATER, not ON WATER) --A hat or cap for the sunlight --Battery powered light --A small umbrella to keep the heat off of you in certain places. You can find small ones most anywhere. --Body pouch to put money and important documents; the pouch is strapped to your flesh underneath your shirt or blouse or pants. --A dress or two for women. Women’s pants are acceptable in most places but some places will require women to dress modestly. NO low-cut blouses, please. A light garment or sweater to cover your shoulders if they are exposed. Why? Certain religious groups in some areas don’t tolerate women that are dressed immodestly (in their opinion). --A couple of nice pairs of pants for men as well as a couple of nice shirts. Otherwise, loose-fitting shirts and pants for the warm days. Some shorts if you wish. However, some areas that we will be visiting do not allow for men to wear shorts. --***A reasonably good pair of walking OR hiking shoes. With Avi, you will be doing A FAIR AMOUNT OF WALKING, perhaps up to two (2) hours at a time! Especially walking up and down ancient stone steps and gravel and dirt paths. --Sunglasses or clip-on shades, if you are accustomed to wearing them. The strong sunlight can be overbearing at times here. --An extra pair of prescription glasses if you are prone to losing or misplacing them! Also, in the unlikely event that your glasses are broken, it is nice to have a spare backup pair. --Laundry mesh bag, one for light clothes and one for dark clothes (two bags) if you want us to have your clothes laundered at a facility so that you will not have to do it yourself in the bathtub or sink. There will be a modest charge for this service. --Tanakh and New Testament (either separate items or bound together). Don’t leave home without it!!! --Prayer Shawl if you wish (for either men or women). --Talit katan for men, if you are accustomed to wearing one. --Kippa for men if you wish (knitted preferred). Avoid black velvet unless you are trying to make a statement that you are an orthodox Jew. --Tzitziot for men and/or women, if you are accustomed to wearing them. Dina has some that she makes by hand, if you wish to purchase them from her. TRAVEL DIRECTIONS TO THE HOME OF AVI AND DINA If you are taking a bus or a train, call or write and we will give you specific instructions. If you are renting a car, you have two options: A) Highway 6 Toll Road, which is what we recommend. This is a toll road which has no cash payment booths, just points where they photograph your license plate and mail the bill to the registered owner. In your case, they will mail the bill to the rental car company, which will pass the charge on to you, plus an additional service fee, which is usually about 50 Shekels (about $13 US), to pay for their costs incurred in researching who rented the car on that date. You will be billed for the actual tolls that you use, but the service fee will only be tacked on once per calendar month that you use Highway 6. For example, if you use the toll road on three different days in March, you will only be billed once for the service fee, but if you then use it again on April 1st, you will be billed an additional service fee. Does that make sense? The Highway 6 Toll Road is more expensive, but usually faster and more direct, and above all else, much easier to navigate through. It is much more like a US freeway or turnpike than your other choice. To get to our home from Jerusalem or from Ben Gurion, International Airport, via Road (Highway) 6, it will take you about 75 to 90 minutes. If you like, you can make a coffee, bathroom, or fuel stop along Highway 6 at the Allonit gas station or the Si expresso coffee shop. If you drink coffee, ask for "Cappuchino." If you want a standard cup of American-style coffee (black), don't expect what you are used to. Rather, they will probably give you a double espresso in a large cup and add hot water to it. Here are the directions to our house via the Highway 6 Toll Road: Directions to Avi and Dina's place via Highway 6 When you click on the above link, put a check mark at the top where it says "include large map," and you will get a map that will show you the whole route, and you can even zoom in to get close-up shots of the specific sections of the route, and print them out before your trip. B) Your second option, if you prefer to avoid paying the Highway 6 toll charges, and are more adventuresome, is to take Highway 4. But be forewarned! Highway 4 is further out of the way, much harder to navigate, and (depending on the day of the week and/or time of day), could be jammed with traffic! The extra money you spend on gas while driving on Highway 4 could eat into your savings, especially if you get caught in a Tel Aviv traffic jam. Nevertheless, if you wish to try Highway 4, here are the directions: Directions to Avi and Dina's via Highway 4 Either route you choose, you will have to go through Wadi Arah. Both routes will steer you clear of Arab towns until you get to the point where you must go through the place called Wadi Arah. This contains the city called Umm-al-Fahm, plus some other places. There is no avoiding this route without going totally out of your way, and adding at least an hour to your trip. However, the road through Wadi Arah (also called the "Iron Interchange" - pronounced "Ear-ohn") is a major thoroughfare, is well travelled, and should not be a problem so long as you keep going straight. Do not stop or turn off onto any side roads until you actually get to Afula. I'm telling this to you now, so that you don't freak out when you see signs in Arabic on both sides of the road and think that you've made a wrong turn or something! Be careful about the speed you are driving! If you have a GPS that you use at home, you can usually download the Israel maps for an extra fee, and then you could watch for the speed limits on the GPS. They are not marked on the Wadi Arah road. Throughout most of the road the speed limit is 80 or 90 kph (kilometers per hour), but there is a place where the road starts heading up into hills and curves to the left and to the right. At that point, the speed limit suddenly changes to 60 kph. We have heard that cameras have been posted in Wadi Arah so as to automatically mail tickets to speeding offenders. We know they are planning to do this, but we don't know exactly when it's supposed to start, so be careful. Any fines mailed to the rental car company will be passed on to you, plus a service charge, like with the toll road. When you get into the Jezreel Valley city of Afula (you will know it when you arrive here), you can call us on a cell phone or just follow the directions that are listed above. Also, you can call us if you have any troubles along the way. Lots of people here can speak English, but some don't do very well at it. If Dina can help with the Hebrew, she will. Driving time from the entrance to Afula to our house is only about a 15 minute drive, so once you get into Afula, you're pretty much home free. AVI AND DINA CONTACT INFORMATION Avinoam ben Mordechai Marcus Givat haMoreh, Lower Galilee/Jezreel Valley, ISRAEL Israeli State Licensed Tour Guide Website 1: www.cominghome.co.il Website 2: www.m7000.com Email: avinoam.cominghome@cominghome.co.il Contact- USA & CANADA: (800) 880-2656, Ext 0 Contact – USA ONLY (719) 359-8527 Israel Land Line: +972 (04) 689-6669 Israel Mobile Dina: +972 (0524) 380-669 Israel Mobile Avi: +972 (0526) 344-330 Physical Address: # 1 Hochit, Givat haMoreh, Israel LUGGAGE TAGS and INFORMATION IF you plan on coming straight to our home in the north of Israel, write or place on each bag tag (on your luggage bags that are coming with you to Israel) the following information; write CLEARLY and NEATLY in ENGLISH: YOUR NAME In Care Of Avi ben Mordechai Marcus Number 1, Hochit, Givat haMoreh (Afula) Phone: (0526) 344-330 OR (0524) 380-669 If you are first going to another location upon your arrival into Israel, simply get their address information and put that information on your bag tags. Because you are traveling to Israel, this means that your checked-in luggage WILL LIKELY be opened and inspected in some place at the airport of your departure to Israel. In other words, when you are flying to Israel, your departure airport security will check your bags in and you will not likely see what airport security will do with your bag or bags after you check them in. Just keep in mind that everything that you put into your bag, KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN THERE. And, if you are putting something in your bag that looks questionable or has a strange shape to it (because it will be scanned at the airport) make sure that you have proper supporting paperwork or documentation as to what the item is. Airport security WILL open your bags and have a look IF they see something “strange” in the scan. Just think ahead and don’t just throw things into your bags without asking yourself, “Is this something that could arouse the suspicion of airport security”? If you answer is “YES, IT MIGHT”, then just make sure that you make it easily available for someone to go into the bag and have a look. I don’t recommend locking your luggage from the outside because airport security will break the lock to have a look at your things. Again, you are coming to Israel and security is very strong here. At all costs, we DO NOT want your luggage coming in delayed because it was carefully examined due to an unnecessary and lengthy inspection at the airport. IN BRIEF: 1) If you are bringing prescription medications in your carry-on, make sure that you have supporting documentation or information on that item so that in the event that you are questioned about it, you can give a straight story about it. 2) Bringing small flashlights, batteries, electronic items are not usually a problem. Just make sure your stuff is easily accessible for inspection. 3) Don’t worry about bringing Bibles. However, DO NOT bring books that have titles like, “How to blow up the Arab Dome of the Rock inJerusalem” or something crazy like that, okay? If you bring something really controversial and airport security sees it as a possible threat, your bags will become delayed and so might you! 4) You will be questioned by airport security about your trip to Israel. Tell those who are questioning you that you are coming to Israel because you are interested in learning about Israel, because you love your Bible. If airport security should ask you for more information, just give them Avi ben Mordechai's NATIONAL ISRAELI I.D NUMBER. (Put this number in your purse or wallet in the event that you need it, okay?) a. NAME: Avi ben Mordechai (Bradley) Marcus b. NATIONAL ID: 3-1367304-8 c. ADDRESS: # 1 Hochit, Givat haMoreh (Afula) d. PHONE: (0526) 344-330 OR (0524) 380-669 5) PLEASE, DO NOT tell Israeli security personnel your specific travel itinerary in Israel. Just tell them that you will be staying in Afula and in Jerusalem and that you will be visiting Tiberius and Jerusalem. If you are going to be traveling to areas such as Samaria or Hebron or other "hot spots" DO NOT tell them Israeli security this information. They don't need to know and if you tell them information like this, it will delay you and cause you to be heavily questioned, especially on your outbound flight, leaving Israel! There is no need to cover up or lie about anything. Just don’t tell them things that they DO NOT need to know, otherwise you might invite trouble and a delay and a bunch of unnecessary questions. MORE IMPORTANT: DO NOT ACT JEWISH. Just be a good “Gentile” that is coming to Israel because you love learning about the Bible and Israel, that’s all. Men, if you wear tzitziot hanging out, you are likely to be questioned about it. Okay, just don’t make a big scene otherwise you could delay yourself and others all because you want to give them an “Ephraimite witness.” Save your witnessing for another time, please. Come to Israel. Learn Torah. Save Money. Grow in the Faith. Blessings from Israel Avi ben Mordechai