Honeymoon Israel — Katie Lee Jacobs

As we’re heading into the Jewish Holiday, Passover on Wednesday and Thursday, with Easter to follow on Sunday, I wanted to write about our trip to Israel last November. We were lucky enough to be chosen (after an application and an interview process) to go on a trip to Israel with an organization called Honeymoon Israel. Essentially, they provide immersive trips to Israel for locally based cohorts of couples that have at least one Jewish partner (i.e. Jonathan). The purpose of this organization and trip is to create a community of couples who are all building families and at a similar stage in life — in short, it’s to create a support group of new friends who are just like you!

To be honest, before the trip, we had no idea what to expect. We had always talked about going to Israel, but we’d never been on a group trip before. As you can probably tell, we really like planning vacations, so we were a little nervous going in. We also had no idea what to expect of the other 18 couples. Would we become friends? Do we really have anything in common? We were about to find out…

DAY ONE

We left NYC on a Thursday at 1PM, and arrived on a direct flight to Tel Aviv, Israel at 6AM. We maybe slept 2 hours on the flight so we were pretty exhausted, but the adrenaline of being in a new place with new people quickly took over. The first thing we did was meet our tour guide, Shlomo, who was a middle-aged Israeli man. We were lucky enough to have him with us all day everyday from that point on and he was a wealth of knowledge!

After leaving the airport, our first destination was Jerusalem. Israel is a very small country (about the size of new Jersey), so it was only about an hour drive. It was far to early to check into our hotel at this point, so we jumped right in and started the day. Upon entering the vibrant and colorful ancient city of Jerusalem, we experienced the convergence of the old and the new with an overlook of the city. Here, we learned about the history of this incredible city, and it is to be the spot where many disciples saw Jerusalem for the first time on their journey to the promise land. Wow! We then did some “get to you know you” games so we could meet everyone on our trip and memorize names!

Our second stop was the bustling Mahane Yehuda market. This might have been one of my favorite stops in all of Israel. The sights, smells, and tastes of Jerusalem were so vibrant while walking throughout the open-air market. We quickly gathered with a small group and wandered throughout for a few hours, grabbing a yemenite sandwhich for lunch at Jachnun Bar (one of my favorite meals of the entire trip!) and of course the most delicious rugulech at Marizpan. Our next activity was a Challah baking workshop by a world-class chef at the Teamim Cooking School in the Mahane Yehuda Shuk (market). This was super cool, but it must have been something about the bread and the warm ovens that made almost all of us fall asleep right there at the table. We were exhausted!

Finally, we made it to our hotel. We quickly settled in and then met back up as a group for a shabbat walk around Yemin Moshe, an absolutely beautiful neighborhood near the Montefiore Windmill, followed by a shabbat dinner at the hotel. I would have loved to go back and explore Yemin Moshe during the day — but our trip was pretty jam packed so I never got the chance to do so.

DAY TWO

We had a quick and delicious breakfast at the hotel before heading on a walk through the streets and neighborhoods of Jerusalem. One of the first spots we walked by was this rolling stone in front of what looks to be a cave. While there is a large tomb in the old city of Jerusalem that is believed to to be where Jesus was resurrected, some believe it was here. One of the keys points to support the authenticity of the Tomb is its location. Hebrews 13:12 states that the burial place is outside the city walls, which indeed this was. Another “wow” moment for me!

We continued our Shabbat walk through the streets of Jerusalem, ending at the Israel Museum. Here, we explored the museum, with its eclectic collection, ranging from archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls to Israeli art, and the open-air model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. We then walked back to the hotel and took an Improv class and workshop as a group. I was a little nervous for this as I’m not one who enjoys public speaking, but it was a lot of fun! For dinner we went to Jacko’s Street with a small group of new friends, followed by a very, very, fun night out at Mahane Yehuda. I knew I loved this market during the day, but I had no idea how fun it would be at night. Tons of bars, music, and people hanging throughout the market. Such a fun atmosphere!

What made this trip so special besides being in an incredibly beautiful country with my best friend and partner — was the quick and strong connections we made with the other couples. Honeymoon Israel did a great job of helping us to quickly form friendships as we had many “conversations”. We’d gather in small groups, or as one large group and talk about super intimate and personal life experiences. Being so vulnerable so quickly, lead to fast formed friendships that I know we will have for the rest of our lives.

The “Tomb” some say Jesus was resurrected

DAY THREE

We woke up a little frazzled as we had stayed out WAY too late the night before (but it was worth it). We barely had time to grab breakfast, and I’m pretty sure Jonathan spilled coffee on his shirt, but we quickly hopped on the bus and off we went. Today we were going to the old city of Jerusalem, which was something we had both been so looking forward to.

We spent the morning discovering the Jewish Quarter. We ascended to the rooftops of the Old City for a behind-the-scenes look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how they live alongside each other. We then wrote prayers and wishes on paper to leave at the Western Wall, which was extremely special as it is probably the most holy site in all of jewish religion. Lastly, we went to the fascinating medieval Church of the Holy Sepulchre, venerated by many as the site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Thank goodness for our incredible tour guide, Shlomo, who taught us so so much while we were in the Old City. Honestly, you could spend days here, and I actually wish we would have had a little more time.

Writing his wishes and prayers on a piece of paper before going to the Western Wall

Outside of the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

DAY FOUR

It’s hard to pick a favorite day in Israel, but this was definitely in my top 3! We started our morning by climbing to the top of Masada (via the Snake Path) to see extraordinary views and fascinating archaeological remains. It took about 45 minutes to get to the top. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is where Jewish rebels are believed to have made their final attempt to resist Roman invaders before committing mass suicide. Jonathan and I love to hike, and this was certainly one of the more unique hikes we’ve ever done.

We then went to the Dead Sea, which is 1412 feet below sea level and the lowest point on earth. Here, you’ll be floating, rather than swimming. It’s the saltiest piece of water in the world, nine times saltier than the ocean! We also heard how great the mud is supposed to be for your skin, so we lathered up and created our own little spa experience. While you’re here, make sure to stock up on beauty products. They have a ton of really cool dead sea salts and masks. Back in Jerusalem for dinner, we went with a small group to Mona, and it was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend booking a reservation here for dinner.

DAY FIVE

Today was an extremely special day as we were set to visit Yad Vashem, the National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. After breakfast, on a rather chilly morning, our entire group met outside and gathered in a circle. We were encouraged to share any connections we have to the Holocaust. Jonathan bravely spoke to our group about his families history and connection. Jonathan’s grandmother and grandfather were both survivors of the Holocaust and met at a displaced persons camp after the war. Many others shared their family connections as well, and it was a painful reminder that this horrible moment in history from 75 years ago still lives on in so many of us.

We then spent the afternoon touring Yad Vashem, which made for a very emotional and tough day. I have never felt prouder to be married to my husband, and to have a connection to Judaism as I did on this day. Yad Vashem is beautifully designed, bringing visitors from the dark into the light as they delve into the horrific narrative. The entire structure of the museum — floors, wall, interior and exterior — are reinforced concrete. This was done on purpose, as you’re not supposed to feel comfortable here. As the route nears the exit, the floor begins to ascend and the triangle opens up again giving a dramatic view of modern-day Jerusalem.

We spent the afternoon volunteering at a nearby garden, and then hopped on the bus and drove north towards Western Galilee.

DAY SIX

We woke up in a new area of Israel, Western Galilee. And while unfortunately we had no time to spend at the beach, our hotel sure made us feel like we were. We stayed at the super cute Nea hotel, which reminded me so much of Greece.

We started our morning with a very interesting conversation with Lt. Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, who went into great detail on the multi-leveled geopolitical and security situation confronting Israel on its borders with Syria and Lebanon. Afterwards, we visited Kishorit, a supportive community that provides a continuum of residential and social services for people with special needs. Here, we had a wine tasting and Rabbi Scott Perlo, who was with us during the entire trip, did a few prayers and blessings — over both the partners who have converted and the partners who have chosen not to. Lastly, we ended our day at Rosh Hanikra, the northern tip of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline. We took a cable car down to the beautiful sea grottoes and watched the sunset.

DAY SEVEN

Our time in Western Galilee was brief, as we put our bags on the bus and headed to the city of Akko (Acre) for a day trip. Akko is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to a brilliantly coexistent mixed population of Jews, Christians and Muslims. We toured the entire city including the restored Crusaders' Fortress, The el-Jazzar Mosque, and the Akko Shuk. This town is definitely worth a stop on your trip to Israel, it was incredibly beautiful and has so much history. We were lucky to have our tour guide, Shlomo with us to give a full history lesson through all of the different parts of the town. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch by the ocean (hands down the best seafood we had the entire trip), and wandered through the Shuk.

After a full day in Akko, we hopped back on the bus and drove to Tel-Aviv! We got stuck in a bit of traffic so ended up getting there a little later than we had originally planned. We decided to have a somewhat relaxing night and spent some time on the rooftop of our hotel in the hot tub. We then walked along the beach and grabbed a casual sushi dinner with a small group of friends.

DAY EIGHT

Mornings at the Carlton in Tel-Aviv were next level! Breakfast overlooked the ocean and had just about every fruit, vegetable, and breakfast item imaginable — even ice cream (what!?)

Honeymoon Israel did a fantastic job putting together our itinerary (as you can see from the above), so it was not surprising that our morning in Tel-Aviv would start with such an incredible speaker. Journalist Tal Shalev, chief political correspondent for Walla! News, spoke with us about the country’s turbulent political scene. Afterwards, we went on a graffiti tour and learned about the different graffiti artists in Israel and around the world and the meaning behind their art. We then went to the Ha'Carmel Market Market for some afternoon eating, shopping, and walking. I especially loved walking through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood as it was so beautiful and had a ton of cute boutiques.

We then returned to the hotel to freshen up before a Shabbat candle lighting on the beach. At this point, it had come full circle, as we had been together for a full week. 7 days prior, we had our first shabbat dinner together, and our leaders had us go around and yell “Shabbat Shalom” and hug every person on our trip. At the time, it was awkward, I barely knew these people. Now, 7 days later, we did the same exercise with tears in our eyes as we happily yelled “Shabbat Shalom” and hugged our new best friends.

Walking through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood

DAY NINE

Our last and final day in Israel started off extremely special. Jonathan has some family in Israel (his grandmother’s cousins daughter — and her family) and they all came together to take us to brunch. It truly felt like we were back in the US with our own immediate families. There were adults, kids, lots of food, laughs, and conversation. It was the perfect end to our perfect trip. They made us feel right at home.

Afterwards, they took us to the port of Old Jaffa. Here, we wandered around the streets, grabbed ice cream, and did some shopping. I loved this area! We didn’t even get to scratch the surface when it comes to Tel-Aviv, so I’m very excited to come back someday. And when we do, we’re definitely booking a room at The Jaffa hotel, which was recently renovated and is located within the walls of a 19th century complex that once housed Jaffa's French Hospital.

That evening we had our final “conversation” followed by a memorable Havdallah service (end of Shabbat) —and then we headed to the airport. Our trip had come to an end, but these memories would surely last forever.

View of the Tel-Aiv Promenade from the Rooftop at the Carlton Hotel