Morris Zemach

Over three days, we’ll travel through the Golan Heights, the eastern Galilee, and the western Galilee, combining landscapes, historical sites, and encounters with local communities. On the Golan, I’ll share a personal perspective on the region’s battles and borders as we visit viewpoints and places such as Gamla and the Jordan River. Our eastern Galilee day brings us to Tiberias, the Christian sites around the Sea of Galilee, Rosh Pina, Safed, and Birya Forest. In the west, the route turns towards Acre’s old streets, halls, and harbour, with possibilities including Rosh Hanikra, Peki’in, and Druze and Bedouin hospitality.

We’ll begin above Nazareth, at the Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent, looking out over the city before descending into its streets. From the Church of the Annunciation to St Gabriel’s Church and the Synagogue Church, we’ll follow the Christian traditions that give these places their meaning. Then we’ll turn to the market, the food, and the daily life of Nazareth. A special visit, when arranged, takes us inside a nineteenth-century private home to see its painted ceilings; for those who enjoy ancient art, we can also discuss extending the route to the mosaics of Zippori.

We’ll begin in the Bedouin village of Salame with breakfast and pita bread fresh from the tabun. From here, we’ll set out through the old olive trees of Nahal Tzalmon, continuing towards the cliffs of Akbara, the orchards of Nahal Hamra, and Birya Forest. Along the way, we’ll take a short walk above Nahal Dalton and stop near the great pistachio tree at the tomb of Rabbi Tarfon in Kadita to talk about the Galilee’s sacred sites. Our route continues towards Mount Meron, Bar’am Forest, and Gush Halav, where a Lebanese-style meal can make a fitting end to a day of landscapes, village life, and local food.

If you have already visited Israel and would like to know it a little more closely, come with me into the villages of the Lower Galilee. Following my book about travelling in the Galilee, we’ll discover the traditions, stories, and cooking of its Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Circassian communities. In the Netofa Valley, we’ll look at traditional crops such as okra, black-eyed peas, and sesame. In the villages, we’ll visit homes where food is prepared in courtyards and bread is baked in traditional clay ovens called tabuns. Family-run wineries and dairies add their own flavours to the journey, with the possibility of a home-cooked dinner or an overnight stay arranged with local hosts.

To know Rosh Pina, it is not enough to look at its old stone houses; we need to meet the people behind them. We’ll walk through the old village with stories I collected for my book, “סיפורים ראשפינאים,” bringing its farmers, pioneers, artists, and unusual characters back into the conversation. Why were the doorways in Aharon Feinstein’s house so low and wide, and how did a piece of cheese help save a fig tree? We’ll hear about generous hosts, wandering characters, and the small incidents that tell us so much about life here. Those who would like to continue reading can purchase the book directly from me.

A tour following monks and monasteries, into the desert landscape beyond Jerusalem. We’ll discover the caves, cliffs, and secluded places that drew people seeking solitude, prayer, and a different way of life. We’ll follow the stories of the early Christian monks and the communities that grew around them. How did they find water, grow food, and live in such isolated places? We’ll look at the practical world behind the monasteries: cisterns, bakeries, dining halls, agricultural work, and the strict routines that shaped each day. Monasteries such as St George’s and Mar Saba reveal how buildings became part of the cliffs themselves. We’ll choose our viewpoints and possible visits according to the route and access arrangements, taking time to understand both the landscape and the people who made it their home.