Places : Israel with Children

I’ve been wracking my brain how to convey to you, not only how amazing a place Israel is to visit as a whole, but also how safe, beautiful, vibrant and family orientated Israel is.  I felt at ease, welcomed and never in danger. I’ve written one piece so far about the people and their pride and passion, so now I wanted to cover the place itself.

So what were my favourite places I visited in Israel? There were many, but in this post I wanted to concentrate on some of the family friendly places I visited that were breathtaking in their history, ones that really got me thinking about life, the places that I would most like to share with my children the next time I visit Israel.

Yes, I will definitely be going back!

For The Ultimate Dip – The Dead Sea

I tried so hard not to go to Israel with any preconceptions, but boy I was so wrong about The Dead Sea.  My brain just could not compute, that…

1. You really do float.

 

Image : Shani Sadicario

2. Its feels like a bath that never cools down, it’s so hot

Image : Shani Sadicario

3. When in the sea (we were at the Herods Dead Sea hotel which backs up to the sea) you over look these ethereal looking lilac and white mountains that made me feel like I was either on another planet, or in actual fact in some other reality, it just feels so bizarre!

I just would love to take my family to the Dead Sea, I think they would have so much fun.  My favourite thing to do (I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you) but in my head I was a mermaid swimming in the sea.

Image : Shani Sadicario

History & Religion – Jerusalem

I think it’s a misconception that everyone in Israel, has great faith and are deeply religious. Some of course are, but then that’s the same the world over isn’t it? I met many people who weren’t religious at all, some more spiritual.  I think the main difference is Israel has so much of its amazing history entrenched in religion. Having some of the holiest and sacred places in the world within its boundaries, its been the place many religious and non religious people have wanted to visit because of this.

The Western Wall – Jerusalem

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image by Tamar Avara

Divided in two sections, one for men and the other women, I was surprised how few people were at The Western Wall, I’d expected it to feel overcrowded.  I think when I have seen photographs and news reports it must have been a special religious occasion.  At the prayer section of the Western Wall, grass and plants grow out of the upper cracks, I think you can just see that in the below image. The lower cracks of the yellow-white blocks have been stuffed with bits of paper containing written prayers. It was a place so unassuming in its appearance, and yet so significant to people of the Jewish faith. There were many women at the wall, chanting and swaying.  If you want to observe the religious tradition, once you placed your prayer in a crack, you backed away from the wall, not showing it your back for several paces.  

 

 

 

 

Image by : Tamar Avara

Luna-Da in Be’er Sheva – The interactive children’s museum:

Image : Shani Sadicario

We had so much fun at Luna Da, you can read more about the founders, in my previous post HERE.

We all loved the idea of the room you can see us in, in the image below.  All about the children learning about the different art movements.  It’s done in such a fun way though, they wouldn’t know there was a lesson behind it all.

Image : Shani Sadicario

I think that really was the key to why I would want my children to visit, it was great fun, but they were learning about the world around them at the same time.

Image : Shani Sadicario

Shuks : Markets

Israel really is full of exciting, cultural and interesting places to visit with children, it really is.  Just a simple visit to a shuk (market) would be fascinating for them, full of sights sounds and smells that are new! It can be said the world over I think, to get a real slice of life from the area you are visiting, go to where the locals are. Visit where they eat, relax and shop to get a true flavour of life of that country. This could definitely be said of the shuks in Israel. It was a great place to buy local dishes, to see families and how they interacted with one another.  Shuks are noisy and incredibly busy, especially on a Friday.  Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, and it starts at sundown on Friday.  So on a Friday the market gets incredibly busy, with everyone buying what they need for the weekend, including the Shabbat dinner.  It’s definitely something to experience!

Kibbutz ( A communal settlement in Israel, typically a farm)

The Kibbutz we visited (Harduf) was so much more than a farm. I was blown away by how many things were happening and part of their programmes.  Having always wanted to stay in one, when I was a teenager, I was keen to learn more about life on a kibbutz.  There was a cafe selling pottery and paper goods made by people who lived on the kibbutz. I made sure I bought something to remember my too short but very special time there.

We then went on to visit the farm, which is visited by children, so they can learn more about animal and where their food comes from.

Image : Shani Sadicario

Harduf kibbutz members live according to the anthroposophy philosophy :

Anthroposophy : a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world that is accessible by direct experience through inner development. More specifically, it aims to develop faculties of perceptive imagination, inspiration and intuition through the cultivation of a form of thinking independent of sensory experience, and to present the results thus derived in a manner subject to rational verification.

Feeding the cows and chickens, and collecting the eggs :

Image : Shani Sadicario

Harduf has several health centers within it, which we learnt more about:

Beit Elisha : for the rehabilitation of adults with special needs.

The  Tuvia Community : for children and youth who have been removed from their homes and need a new foster family.

The Hiram : which seeks to help youths who suffer from emotional problems.

 

 

Image : Shani Sadicario

These are all things I experienced, absolutely loved and can definitely recommend to do whilst in Israel, especially if you are going with children. I have fallen for the place, as you can probably tell with my posts, for me its everything I love about a country and travelling.

Above all it is a place where families and family life is important.  ‘Children are everything’ often on my visit Israelis told me this.  A place where they put such an emphasis on that, has got to be worth a visit.

I’d be really interested to know, if you have considered visiting Israel? Is there anything you would like to know, if I don’t know I’m sure I can find out.