Blogs from Golan, North District, Israel, Middle East

Wednesday we went on an another outing led by the local guide Shouka. Again about 5 families drove their own cars, following the guide's car with flags clipped to windows. Our objective was to visit the sites of two ancient synagogues, or as they are called 'bet knesset' which means 'meeting house' in Hebrew. First we went to Dir Aziz. The entry to this synagogue has a large stone arch. This leads to a portico with pillars. Much of the base structure has been preserved or reconstructed by archaeologists. The second bet knesset was at Ein Keshatot. In this case the pillared portico leads to an arched doorway into the synagogue proper. Most of these external pillars have tumbled. Inside it is clear that the front part is largely preserved or reconstructed. Likewise the interior pillars ... read more

We were in the Golan at Ramot Resort for the Passover holiday week. We drove up from home through the green hills and valleys of the southern Galilee. Traffic was lighter than expected, probably because we managed to leave about 10am. This despite a bit of drizzle or light rain which diminished as we proceeded on our way. We drove around the northern shore of the Kinneret - the Sea of Galilee - and reached our hotel on the rise above the northeastern shore. after checking in and having a light lunch, we went out to look over the sea. The weather continued to clear. Before our final preparations preceding the Passover seder, we took a picture of the sun about to set over the western shore. For the seder Rabbi Stewart Weiss and his wife ... read more

Sorry folks ther's an adendum On the Golan blog images 9,10,11 is NOT Syria ? It is the Yavne'el Valley. Images taken from across the street from where we are staying Lowell... read more

I planned this trip because I just love the trail. One of the most beautiful in Israel. Late Tuesday morning we gathered at the Dvora Falls parking lot and left one car there. Then we went to the Jilaboun parking lot. Most of the hikers start this trail at the Dvora waterfall, follow the valley downstream to the Jilaboun waterfall, and then climb out of the valley to the Jilaboun parking lot, but to save us the arduous ascent at the end of the trail I decided to do it the other way around. So we waited a little until all the group’s participants arrived, 13 in number, and we set off. The group consisted of six adults and seven children, ranging in age from four to seventy-one, including my son, my brother and his two ... read more

Headed off this morning at 8am and went past the sea of galilee and northward we are close to the Lebanese border and the Syrian border here as we enter the Golan heights region and we notice more troops doing exercises and tanks covered in camouflage off to the side of the road. We stopped at rosh-pina a small town near the Lebanese border where in 2006 during the second war with Lebanon they were targeted with many missiles one man who lost a son in the war has set up a memorial and he tells the sad story of his sons death when his tank was hit by an anti tank missile he has set up the memorial at a high point on the hill with a spectacular view over the ha-khula valley , from ... read more