My first trip to the land of milk and honey – it was like the first chapter of a great book.
The country, the geography, the people, the politics, the history, the religion, the culture, the conflict – Israel feels like a big, compelling, complex story.
Here are some of my notes and photos from an inspiring, eye-opening trip.
Also, if you go, bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Books: Before the trip I read The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan, a beautiful background on the region. I also started reading To the End of the Land by David Grossman. At the recommendation of a Tel-Aviv bookstore staffer, I bought Three Floors Up, by Eshkol Nevo and enjoyed it on the flight back (here’s a NYT Book Review). It pulls you into three interwoven fictional stories, set in an Israeli high-rise. Also, there’s a great chapter on water and energy in Israel in the otherwise unrelated book The Wizard and the Prophet (NYT Book Review). I also have Seth M. Siegel’s Let There Be Water, en route.
Music: The Spotify Top 50 Israel Charts playlist of most popular songs in Israel is a good time – many familiar songs, many catchy foreign ones. Also, check out the podcast Israel Story, which offers a colorful glimpse at Israeli culture and context. Surprisingly, I didn’t find opportunities to see live music or local bands on the trip. There was one band playing randomly at a bar in Tel Aviv, but even scanning the website Secret Tel Aviv didn’t reveal much live music.
Food: In Jerusalem: Machneyuda and The Eucalyptus were the best. Pricey but worth it. The Mahane Yehuda Market is great for more of a street-food feel. In Tel-Aviv there are a ton of great restaurants, it’s easy to randomly stumble into someplace randomly and enjoy your meal. Many obvious ones are along the mainstream Rothschild street. A place called Herzl 16, more off the beaten path, was my favorite. You should do like I did and eat lots of shawarma, kebab and falafel, almost every day.
Tel Aviv: My new favorite city (recency and sampling bias in effect full force), the people are warm and friendly, the city has a laid back Mediterranean vibe, it’s clearly a big cosmopolitan city, but it’s right on the beach, and doesn’t seem to carry much big-city stress – it feels safe and fun. Easy to walk around and stumble across something cool and unexpected.
Art: Tel Aviv Museum of Arts Big, modern building with many great exhibits. I watched about an hour (5-6pm) of The Clock by Christian Marclay, and can barely get my head around the complexity of the work, even though it’s a somewhat simple concept: a 24-hour film of movie clips, centered around clocks, that run in real-time. Maybe it’s not a simple concept. Here’s one of many great Israeli paintings (unrelated to The Clock) from the museum:
Some cool street art, beyond museum walls:
Jerusalem: The Old City of Jerusalem was special, even if you’re not religious. It’s the holiest place for three massive and influential religions, and you can see and feel the convergence all over the place. Very different than Tel Aviv – understandably older and quieter. Some of the sites seen: Western Wall, Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount, David’s Tomb and Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Other recommended sites across Israel: Most of these can be seen in an easy day trip from Tel Aviv. They offer some unique looks at remnants and stories from the ancient past. Also, for something different, go check out a winery.
- Masada National Park (hike up the Snake Path!)
- Caesarea National Park
- Dead Sea (float in it – it’s weird!)
- Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)
- Lotem Winery
