Every Christmas we take a family trip. Normally, it’s just the four of us though some years, even as children, we traveled with family friends. This year, we decided to go to Israel which was inspired by Gavin’s Bar Mitzvah and the fact that Adam has never been…and most importantly, our nieces were going to have their bat mitzvahs at the wall.

I went to Israel back in 2004 on Birth Right. That trip was hands down the most special experience of my life. Back when I went, it was 3 years after 9/11 and the media was making Israel look like a war zone. Given that I stayed put in NYC after 9/11…nothing was gonna scare me off. So I went.  And I’m SO glad that I did. 18 years later…I am going back with my family + Adam’s sister and her family! 

I think a very important note about traveling to Israel, for your first time, is to have a plan in place. There’s so much to do, see and eat, better to go with an itinerary so you’re not scrambling to figure things out while you’re there.

I worked with the amazing team at Fly Smoother who partners with Israel My Way to customize your Israel experience and tailor it to you and your family in a way that works for all ages involved. 

Here’s how our trip went down…

We took a flight direct out of Newark on a Thursday at 1:15pm.  That got us into Israel on Friday morning. Since we were traveling with 4 kids (ages 10-14) we kept Friday CLEAR of plans.  Figured this way we can settle in, rest, sleep if/as needed and use free time to walk around the neighborhood if we had the energy. This was such a smart move because we genuinely needed some time to sleep off the jetlag.

Our first destination was Jerusalem. We stayed at the David Citadel. The hotel was in a great location and had an outdoor, heated pool and beautiful views of the city. It was right next to the Mamilla mall which is an outdoor shopping center with a mix of American stores, traditional Israeli boutiques and jewelry shops. There were also really cute restaurants, coffee shops and a gelato stand. Gavin purchased his first ever Jewish Star necklace at a beautiful shop, using some of his gifted Bar Mitzvah Money.

Once we had arrived and settled into the hotel, we were just in time to catch the end of breakfast which was an awesome buffet and included an egg station where they cook to order (minus the ham). 

One plan that we did have in place for the day we arrived, because it was the only day that really worked, was lunch with a hockey family from Florida. We found that we ended up knowing tons of people traveling to Israel over our same dates which was pretty cool. I asked this family if they would mind meeting at our hotel for lunch to accomodate for the exhaustion and loose schedule that we planned for.  They of course had no problem with this and our lunch together in the Lobby Lounge of the hotel was perfect and happened to be very delicious.

For dinner, since it was Shabbat, I really wanted to find a family to host us for a dinner.  Unfortunately, that was hard to coordinate with 8 people and it was Hanukkah. NEXT TIME…

Instead we went to dinner at a local spot called Adom. It was close enough that we could walk from the hotel and was situated in a cool area to stroll through. The food was great and so was the service which was necessary because by dinner time, we hit a wall. We all slept great that night!

Saturday - officially our first day:
We started the day with breakfast at the hotel which was a low key buffet because it was Shabbat so nothing could be heated. We then met with our tour guide for the first time and quickly learned…he was AMAZING. His name was Roni and he was so easy to be around.  Didn’t yap our ears off but gave us all of the information we wanted and needed every day.

Our first stop:  MASADA!
We descended toward the Dead Sea, where the surface is 1,300 feet below sea level and the water is nine times saltier than the ocean. We first rode the cable car to the historic zealot fortress of Masada to learn this iconic site’s strategic and tragic history. 

My cousin Carly lives in Israel and while we were there, my cousin Bailey (her sister) who lives in Toronto, was visiting.  Bailey spent the day with us at Masada and the Dead Sea which was so cool to be able to go to together!

While on Masada we bumped into 4 different families that we knew from New York and Toronto. It was WILD hearing people shout SERI SERI HI SERI all the way on the top of Masada. 

Next stop: The Dead Sea! Ahhhhh I love the dead sea. It was a bit chilly but we did it!  We got to spend the afternoon at a hotel + spa where they provide you a buffet lunch, a bag of mud, a robe and access to the Dead Sea, hot tubs and pools. We slathered that mud all over our bodies and face and floated in the mineral rich Dead Sea. It was so fun!

After the big day, we came back to the hotel and had some time to rest which was so needed as the jet lag was really kicking in. 

That night we had dinner at a restaurant called Sea Dolphin. Also walking distance to our hotel and known for…you guessed it, seafood! It was super cute inside and right after we arrived, they called us downstairs for the lighting of the menorah for the 7th night of Hanukkah. Everyone gathered around to sing the blessing and Gavin got to light a candle! Pro tip: They had the yummiest schnitzel!

Sunday: WAS BAT MITZVAH DAY!

We didn’t have to meet for photos till 10:45am so we SLEPT IN! Woke up at 10am! We needed it!! It cured the jet lag and from that point onward, we were on track. Was great.

We started the day with photos at our hotel. We hired a photographer, Miri Photography, so that we could enjoy the service and the day and not worry about taking photos ourselves. Bailey, Carly, her husband Itamar and baby Tommy joined us for the day which was so nice. The more family the merrier!

The girls (my nieces Morgan and Mikayla) were Bat Mitzvah’d at the Western Wall. Rabbi Shlomo was incredible, Gavin made an Aliyah and we all teared up with joy listening to the girls read their portions so beautifully including the grandparents who we patched in on Zoom so they could watch the whole thing.

Following the service, we went over to the wall. We had our notes written and split up the boys and girls and went right up to it to stick our notes in and give a kiss. 

This was truly the most special day, one we will never forget. I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to be with our family for such a momentous occasion in ISREAL.

After the service and our time at the wall, we went to have a late lunch at Piccolino. I wasn’t super impressed by this restaurant so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it however it was also close to our hotel which was nice and of course we had fun spending time together as a family and for a celebratory lunch their service was great for a big group.

Dinner that night was at a place also near our hotel called Dejabu. Was good, nothing to write home about. I would say we missed some spots in Jerusalem for meals…..I made a list from accounts that I follow on Instagram who were there at the same time as well as friends who were traveling through Jerusalem while we were…so next time I would go to:
Hatzot
Machneyuda
Thinker’s Distillery
Marzipan Bakery

Monday: This was a day for us to spend time with our cousins so there was no official plan which was perfect because it was the first and ONLY day we had rain!  So was nice to be able to go with the flow!

We met our cousins over in Tel Aviv where they live. They took us shopping through an area that felt very much like Soho in New York and then over to the Shuk Market which I absolutely loved. There were tons of vendors selling the freshest fruit and vegetables that I have ever seen, spices, souvenirs and more.

Off one of the market side streets, there was a shawarma restaurant that our cousins said is the absolute best and they were right. This place Basta TLV is known for their science and precision with layering a pita so that each bite of your shawarma has the perfect mix of accoutrements. Unreal.

After lunch we walked through Neve Tzedeck to grab a coffee and a bathroom break and to squeeze our new baby cousin!

After a short rest, we hit the beach which was so gorgeous and a rainbow popped up! Was so beyond words lovely!

Itamar’s (My cousin’s husband) parents live on the boardwalk. We made our way over to their stunning home for snacks and champagne. Their home is designed in the most funky way making each room more interesting than the next. Their whole main floor is surrounded by huge windows and when we got to their place a huge storm began and we had front row seats! Was pretty cool to watch. Our time together was perfect.

Dinner that night was at the hustling bustling spot Romano. SO FUN. Great scene, vibe and incredible food. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Tuesday: We were back together with the group and our guide and we spent the morning at Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Museum. This is a heavy morning but also tolerable even for a child as young as Luke because he knows so much about what happened so nothing came as a shock to him. He was able to learn, take in his emotions and process what he saw in the museum that day.

After the museum, we stuffed ourselves with falafels. The first of many on this trip. I could eat these every day, all day….YUMMMMMM!

That afternoon we toured the old city. To get there, we hiked up the old city tower and RAPPELLED our way down! You heard me. It was SCARY but so fun!!

Late that afternoon, we traveled to the Sea Of Galilee for a 2 night stay at the Setai Sea Resort. En Route was a farm to table restaurant called 1910. We had a fantastic dinner there and then hit the hay.

Wednesday: Morning we woke up and had another glorious buffet breakfast. We were then off for a full day in the Golan Heights which included a family ‘escape bunker’ game that was led by this fascinating ex-soldier who educated us on the 1973 Yom-Kippur war which took place at the site where we played this game.

We then got to visit a private IDF military base where we met with the sweetest soldiers and learned what they do as we stood on the border of Israel and Syria.

For lunch, we went to a Kibbutz and enjoyed their communal, cafeteria style food. Was it the best meal? No it wasn’t though somehow I was devouring the food and my family was laughing at me. They served a vegetable cabbage soup that I could not get enough of and planned to make when I got home (and did…and it tasted the exact same! Was so good!  More on that in another blog post soon). After lunch we got a tour of the Kibbutz. It was cold and probably the least interesting thing we did on the whole trip so I don’t actually recommend this.

Overall it was a fascinating day and I am happy that we did it, especially with the kids. Next time, I would change up this part of the trip and follow suit of a Toronto friend who was in Israel at the same time and would go to the Mitzpe Hayamim spa for R&R and wine tasting tours!

Thursday: We visited Tsfat, the city of Kabbalah where we met with a rabbi to learn more about his mysterious, spiritual faith.  We had some free time after meeting with the Rabbi so we watched Talit being made by hand, found a wine bar where the boys could play chess and have a snack and we strolled through the market.

Afterwards, we got to drive ATV’s to the top of Galilea which was the craziest view I have ever seen. Luke kept pretending that he was falling off the rocks which was pretty funny and driving around in ATV’s on the mountainside was super cool!

Lastly, we got to have dinner in a private home of a Druze Family. Now this was really cool. We learned all about their interesting culture (they believe in the after life and once you die you come back as an animal, person, tree, etc) and we got to cook dinner with them! Which was delicious! After a long day and wonderful evening, we hit the road to Tel Aviv.

TEL AVIV

Now if and when I go back to Israel…I could just do Tel Aviv. It’s like the New York of Israel. Bopping, big city, tons of amazing shopping, fantastic restaurants, great vibe.

We stayed at the Norman Hotel which was a full service, gorgeous hotel in the absolute best location possible. They are known for their Library bar which is where we ended up for New Years Eve and it was easy and super fun!

Friday: We started our day with a thrilling experience. We got to learn how to be undercover combatants, as shown on Netflix's ‘Fauda'.

For lunch we went to an indoor food market (very similar to Chelsea Market in NYC) that quickly become my favorite spot called Sarona Market.

There were so many food vendors to choose from it was hard to make a decision! I got a pita that was filled with egg, tomato, cucumber and onion. It was DELICIOUS!! We enjoyed wine, beer, candy and cookies and of course I couldn’t leave without hitting the cheese shop.

That afternoon we had time to explore Tel Aviv’s beautiful neighborhoods like the quaint Neve Tzedek, enjoying its restored architecture, artists’ galleries, and touches of Yemenite culture. After some strolling around, me and the boys went up to the roof of our hotel and played Rummy Q by the pool with prosecco and our cheese.

Though we spent almost the entire day eating, we were not missing any meals…! Dinner was booked at a restaurant that my friend recommended called Sun Young. It was Asian Fusion and super swanky. We LOVED it. Gavin had a camp counsellor this past summer who lives just outside of Tel Aviv so he joined us for dinner. It was so awesome catching up with him on this trip. Gavin was just thrilled with this plan and the fact that it came to fruition. 

After dinner, I met up with my tour guide from Birth Rite. I haven’t seen him since 2015!! Then I met up with my cousin and friends from Toronto!! We went back to Romano which has a great scene on the weekends. We had some drinks and then bopped around to some more bars. Was pretty cool meeting up with family and friends to party in Tel Aviv!

Saturday - New Years Eve: This morning we got to do something pretty cool and that was explore the clandestine Machon Ayalon bullet factory to hear the amazing adventure story that took place there during the establishment of Israel.  We really enjoyed this, I highly recommend it. Afterwards, we took a tour in the port, markets, and alleyways of Old Jaffa, listening to legends attesting to its significance as the ancient gateway to the country which was not only beautiful but so interesting.  Luke definitely needed to run off some energy at this point so I took him and his cousin Mikayla over to the ninja park. It’s a park where they set up a course that you can work your way through while over looking the Mediterranean sea and beach. All along the beach there are parks, work out stations and kiosks for food and drinks. It’s really amazing. 

After all the fun, we said farewell to our Guide Roni and our Driver. They were both absolutely incredible. 

It was New Years eve and our hotel had lots going on so we had booked our dinner there which turned out to be perfection. We had a large table in a private space with a delectable menu and festive cocktails. We shared our roses and thorns of the trip which was so special to hear as we went around the table and listened to one another. After dinner we strolled the Streets of Rothschild where the bars were bumping and crowds of people were out celebrating the new year. Around 11:30pm the kids got tired so we took them back to the room, tucked them in and said:  See you next year! Adam, Itamar and I hit the Library Bar in our hotel where they had a DJ spinning great tunes and the champagne was flowing.  It was the perfect way to ring in the New Year in Tel Aviv.

Saturday New Years Day: We met with an expert food guide in the Shuk Market for a culinary experience. I have to say, although I ate so much on this trip I felt as though I may explode, this was my absolute favorite. She took us to all of the secret stands and I just loved it!

Here’s a recap of what we got to sample and eat that morning:
Tikvah’s smoothies: Tikvah was one of the first stands to open in this market many years ago. She blends together the freshest, seasonal ingredients for a taste explosion in your mouth. If you are feeling sick tell her and she will help cure you with one of her specialty blends full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Next to her was a falafel stand that was outstanding. I ate so many falafels in Israel I felt I may turn into a chickpea but it was worth the pain. Ah so good! We moved on to a stand where they spiral slice potatoes and deep fry them. They served with fresh lemonade and we ended that sampling with fresh strawberries at the stand next door. We then moved on to what was known to be the best stand in the market:  Panda Pita. They make pita sandwiches here filled with fish, cabbage, sliced meats and more. They boil their pitas which is the secret to fat and fluffy pita which was outstanding.  I highly recommend trying these!
We then went to a spice store which was perfect because it was our last day so was the right time to load up on spices to take home to cook with. My boys love to cook and had an opinion on the spices that they wanted so I let them choose. They picked a Himalayan pink Salt, malden salt, rock salt that tasted like eggs, sweet paprika, peppercorn and I added on Za’atar. Was a great variety of spices and we have already cooked with them each so much since being home! Last but not least we got to try a delectable dessert that resembled panna cotta and was made with crushed peanuts, rosewater syrup and coconut. It was absolutely delish.

Alas, our trip came to an end. It was the perfect amount of time to spend there and we had the most memorable trip with our family, one that we will never ever forget. Now…I can’t wait to go back! And speaking of going back - I’m going to list the restaurants that we did not have time for in Tel Aviv - these were highly recommended to me so if you are there and have time..check em out!

Cafe Noir: Best schnitzel
Pizza Lila
Hotel Montefiore
Abie
M25
On the Beach:
Greco Beach
La La Land