Renee Halpert - Your Guide to Israel

Hi!
On Monday, September 16th, I am offering another guided visit to the 'Otef' (Gaza frontier/ Hevel Tkuma) memorials and communities, with transportation from/to Jerusalem.
See comments for a link to the Google doc pre-registration form with further details.

Send a message to learn more

The love keeps pouring in. Kay, Karen, and Joann arrived from the USA to give support to Israel. I led them on a visit to the Hevel Tkuma (aka Gaza frontier) communities in Israel.
We stopped in Moshav Shuva to support "Arugot" , an internationally known, but very local, organic cosmetics company.
Then, we visited the nearby 24-hr rest stop for soldiers, Shuva Achim אחים שובה. Here, we chatted with M, an IDF reserve volunteer who has spent the last 220 days supporting and protecting the small local communities. In his 'other' life, he is a global sales executive for Israeli hi-tech.
In the Arugot bag - a special kit for soldiers with organic foot cream, sun protection, and deodorant.

In a space far from noise and conflict, under a moonlit starry night, I joined with 50 hikers to cover 13 km and raise funds & awareness for Jerusalem's Alyn rehabilitation center. Jews in the Judean desert...

THIS TRIP IS POSTPONED.

I am guiding another visit to the "Otef" from Jerusalem with a minibus on Wednesday, July 24th. PM me or see the comments for Pre-Registration and details.

Send a message to learn more

On Sunday, I had the honour of bringing two visitors who have senior positions at the Florida Holocaust Museum on a visit to the Gaza frontier/ Otef Aza. One was a first time visitor to Israel.
They had the opportunity to connect with the landscape, support the locals, and hear stories from 7.10 and up to the current situation.
We had a unique visit with another educator, Hugo Wolf, of kibbutz Be'eri.
The wind and blowing sand adds to the anguish felt at the Nova festival memorial site.
In contrast, a visit with soldiers at the Shuva junction was uplifting, as we pampered them with fresh treats.
In the photos, the vehicle belonging to Nova festival participant Ben Binyamin Shimoni. He fled the festival safely with 3 unknown passengers, then returns to rescue others. And again brings several revelers to safety.. and returns again to the festival site, putting himself in harms way each time. The last time, he picked up Gaia, Romi and Ofer. They were ambushed by Hamas terrorists. Ben and Gaia were murdered. Romi and Ofer were kidnapped to Gaza. We pray for their speedy and safe return.

I am offering another guided group visit to the 'Otef'/ Gaza Envelop / Hevel Tekuma on July 11, 2024. See the link for details and registration in the comments.

In the good news corner. I recently received this message:

"Birthright is a life changing experience, and for your group it is also a life saving one!
On *May 15, 2019*, a group that you led and inspired throughout Israel attended a Gift of Life drive in Kalia. We are thrilled to inform you that a donor recruited at that drive has donated stem cells for a 66 year old woman battling Myelodysplastic Disorder.We are truly grateful for all you have done to help grow the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, and we thank you for being a part of our family of dedicated volunteers."

The group was a Birthright Mayanot trip. If the donor happens to read this, way to go! כל הכבוד.

If you haven't registered with Gift of Life, please consider doing so. You could save a life.

Due to a special request, I now have 2 spots available for my guided group visit to the Otef Aza/Hevel Tekuma region for this Sunday, June 23. Pick up in Tel Aviv at approx. 7:30 am (exact time and location TBD).

This tour is part of a larger group tour that I am leading. We will be joining other participants who are arriving in their own vehicles.
For cost and other details, please contact me directly.

Dear friends,
I'm offering another guided visit in English to the Otef Aza / Hevel Tekuma region, on Sunday, June 23, 2024. This is a group visit using your own transportation, with the option for joining a carpool.

Details can be found in the comments, below.

I am also available for private guided tours to this region, or anywhere else in Israel. Contact me to discuss. Regards,

Renee Halpert
Israeli Tour Guide & Educator
052350659

Day of Support, Stories, and Reflection - Visit to 'Otef Aza' / Hevel Tekuma (Region of Revival) - Sunday, June 23, 2024 We are all grappling with the tragedies of October 7 - Shabbat Simchat Torah - and our subsequent state of war. During this day trip we will learn about the region and the people most directly affected by the attacks in October, in a sensitive and meaningful manner to learn, bear witness, discuss, a...

What could be better than Friends, Nature, and good Wine?
On Friday, I took overseas visitors to Mony Winery. After their 2 weeks of volunteering with SarEl and the IDF, this was a perfect way to unwind and appreciate the beauty of our country.
Mony Winery is perched next to the Deir Rafat monastery overlooking the lush Sorek Valley, near Beit Shemesh. Mony Winery was founded in 2001 by the Ertol family, a Christian-Arab family of olive-oil producers from the Galilee who moved to the Judean mountains. Dr. Mony Ertol for whom the winery is named and the founder's son, was a physician who passed away suddenly in Italy in 1995.

Only in Israel!
Since 2005, the wines are certified kosher, as is the vast selection of cheeses, olive oil, spreads and other treats sold in the wine shop. On Friday, the winery's balcony is filled with locals from near and far who opt for a wine & cheese social getaway among the vineyards and olive groves. But since the owners are not Jewish, the winery also opens on Shabbat to the interested public.

Above the winery is a monastery founded in 1927 which today houses about 18 nuns French-speaking nuns from the monastic "Sisters of Bethlehem". The nuns sell ceramics and body creams made from the nearby winery's olive oil and special essential oils from herbs they grow at the monastery.

In the Sorek Valley below lies a modern train line along the same 'mesilla' (route) that the biblical Ark of the Covenant was returned by the Philistines in Ekron to the Israelites in Beit Shemesh [I Samuel 6:2-3, 6:13-15].

I am leading another visit to the "Otef"/ Hevel Tkuma to support, learn, and reflect. This is an open group trip taking place next Monday, June 3rd, using your own transportation.

See the link for details and registration in the comments.

- Renee

Last week, I again visited sites and communities along the Hevel Tkuma (Region of Revival), also known as the Gaza frontier or Otef Aza in South western Israel. This time, with a small group who came to learn, bear witness, and support.
There is a memorial site containing over 1,600 vehicles attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023/ Shabbat SimchatTorah. It is a haunting site. The terrorists attacked with bullets, RPGs, & grenades to kill as as many people in these vehicles and elsewhere as they could, then they mutilated, r@ped, tortured and burned. The vehicle occupants included Nova music festival revelers, families on vacation, cyclists heading to the trails, first responders, fire fighters, police, and hostages that the terrorists were stealing into Gaza! The vehicles were brought to this lot so each vehicle could be carefully checked and cleaned to provide an honorable burial for every remnant of every Israeli occupant, according to Jewish law.
At the site, we heard the chilling account of brave Tali, a Nova festival participant who somehow managed to survive in the caravan she and 6 others were hiding as it was continuously attacked but never penetrated by the terrorists. She witnessed Hamas atrocities during the many hours she was in hiding. She provided testimony for Cheryl Sandberg's film From Screams to Silence. Tali, and the rest of us, will not be silenced.

Soil therapy!
Trimming clementine trees in a fragrant orchard.
Finding hidden blueberries in a moshav greenhouse.
Bonus, gathering the season's last crop of strawberries.

Yesterday was Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Memorial Day - as commemorated in Israel and by Jews worldwide. There are still several thousand survivors alive, most of whom live in Israel today. Six of them lit torches representing the 6 million murdered Jews, at the annual ceremony the previous evening. Read their stories here:
https://www.yadvashem.org/remembrance/archive/torchlighters.html
The connecting theme this year was "A Lost World: The Destruction of the Jewish Communities". Within those communities, in 1939, there were about 18 million Jews world-wide. Today, 85 years later, we have not reached this number of Jews globally (estimated at 15 million, with almost half living in Israel).

Several Holocaust survivors personally witnessed the atrocities of the Hamas & Hamas-supporters attack on their communities in Israel on 7.10.2023 - Shabbat Simchat Torah. Some of their family members were killed or taken hostage and are still unaccounted for somewhere in Gaza. 85-year-old survivor Yaffa Adar was paraded into Gaza by gleeful Arabs in a stolen golf cart, and gratefully released after 48 days in captivity. Shlomo Manzur, kidnapped by young Palestinians, is now Gaza's oldest hostage at 86 years old. Moshe Ridler, הי"ד, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in his home in Kibbutz Holit on October 7, 2023.
We learn that in every generation new enemies will rise up to try to defeat us. They use lies and intimidation, libels and treachery, violence in words and action, and unspeakable crimes to rid the world of Jews. The enemies of the past are long gone. The newest generation of them will also not last.
The Jewish nation will.
We will continue to dance.
We will continue to thrive.
We will continue to bring amazing innovation to the world to stave off thirst, hunger, and disease.
Am Yisrael Chai עם ישראל חי

The Negev desert offers a majestic variety of formations and colours, wildlife, hike and bike trails. When you come to Israel, I'll take you there!

We successfully manoevered a mid-Pesach getaway with friends into the Ramon Machtesh. It's the largest of these geological formations created from uplifting and collapse, wind and water erosion. Magnificent.

What do you think about my post earlier this week?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/JAei4LRuZqrgvurA/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Tense night last night; set up to sleep in the 'safe room' - that's the messy room that double as my office toy room and guest room. But sleep was evasive until almost dawn. No sirens where we live but others filmed the light show and we heard dozens of fighter jets lower and louder than usual.
Last night marks an unprecedented attack of any scale of one nation - Iran - against another sovereign nation. How would your country respond to a attack of over 300 missiles many ballistic on your cities? But much more impressive was our remarkable response - the Israeli response - the technology - and the cool and collected people behind it all.
Who is like unto you oh Nation of Israel?
We must stave any arrogance. Remain alert and stay smarter than Iran the world's biggest terror sponsoring nation and its depraved proxies Hamas Hezbollah and the hooting Houtis. In reality we've prepared for this type of attack for years. When your enemy tells you what they are going to do - believe it.
We don't know what is around the corner - or atmosphere.
But I just fell in love again with my people and my nation.
Am Yisrael Chai

Very belated thank you to all of you who posted birthday wishes to me on 29.11! Happy New Year for 2024 - Wishing you all a year of good health, welcomed challenges, inner peace, and joy.

Last week I had the honour of guiding the YICC Mission to Israel for Destination Israel יעד ישראל under the leadership of Rabbi Elazar Muskin. Through 4 intense days these 22 (plus) visitors came to learn and listen, support and be supported, inspire and be inspired, and give thanks.
With great sensitivity and passion they came to bear witness. These amazing people opened their minds and their hearts to the stories of sacrifice, heroism, pain, loss, and dedication.
Nothing typical on this route: Shura IDF base, Kibbutz Be'eri, Ofakim & the family of fallen Gouri brothers, Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery, and more.
Sharing just a few photos....
And hoping to return to 'regular' tours in the very near future!!

Traveling through Israel is always enlightening thanks to the amazing people I guide and their insights & questions.
Grateful to the Kaplan/Hoffman/several-other-names clan for their friendship & keeping me on my toes!

That's a wrap! Try this mouthful... MTA Bnei Akiva Masa Program TAGLIT/ Birthright Trip. Amen!

Every now and then small surprises tell big stories.
Kaitlyn from San Antonio found this whole dish that's been been waiting 2100 yrs for human touch. A teen from New Jersey find the little olive oil jug.
Beit Guvrin National Park

Exciting news! Since early January, the skies to Israel have officially opened to vaccinated tourists, with conditions.
While tour groups are not coming in yet, individuals are arriving. Every day I get more inquiries for tours that could fill my calendar through August! But, every day are more cancellations as the uncertainty accompanying Covid-19 continues to upset people's travel hopes and plans. Such is life these days, so we go on with other plans, keep busy in other ways than guiding, and spend more time with family. No complaints and still optimistic.
Thank you to journalist Alan Rosenbaum who has highlighted tour guides in his extensive story for the Jerusalem Post Magazine this week.
Read it below, and then plan your next tour in Israel! We are waiting for you!
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-694053

Time to Get Out & Explore!

Join me this *Friday, January 7th*, for an English guided walking tour on amazing Tel Lachish!

What made Lachish the largest city after Jerusalem in ancient Judea?
What do we really know about its destruction?
Is there archaeological evidence of Hezekiah's 'bringing down the altars?'
What about Lachish in the modern period?
Together we'll explore these questions more as we uncover how Tanach, foreign sources, and archaeological evidence converge to give us a picture of Lachish and Judea in the First Temple Period.
And we'll enjoy the beautiful, lush winter scenery!

Please pre-register for this fascinating tour to Tel Lachish: https://forms.gle/9SgbP4Q1Vfwn2HTn8

Cost: 60 nis/person or 100/per couple or pair
Time: 10:00 am; duration 2.5 hours.
Please arrive on time.
Additional details and payment options will be sent directly to you after registration.
* Kindly Share*

The Center for Social Justice - מרכזים לצדק חברתי - have created an wonderful initiative "Yahad B'Derech - יחד ברדך" to help promote Israeli tour guides during this period of no incoming tourism.

Over 400 tours are published on their site, including my tour to *Tel Lachish* on Jan. 7th, (in English). Join me in discovering the secrets & stories of what was once the largest city on the border of ancient Judea.

To pre-register for this fascinating tour to Tel Lachish - submit this form: https://forms.gle/9SgbP4Q1Vfwn2HTn8

To view and select from the many amazing tours offered, go to this site:
https://merkazim.org/yahad/

יחד בדרך - יוזמה של מרכזים לצדק חברתי - סיור בתל לכיש - Backyard Treks with Renee! Walking Tour of Tel Lachish: Fortified City at the Crossroads in Judea תודה ליוזם ביחד לדרך! Please submit this pre-registration form for our fascinating tour of Tel Lachish - A Fortified City of Judea. TOUR DATE: Friday, January 7th, 2022 TIME: 10:00 am Meeting Point - Parking Lot of Tel Lachish - חניון תל לכיש DURATION: 2.5-3.0 hours. COST...