The Arthur Rubinstein Memorial

arthur rubinstein

Suppose you are an avid classical music listener and a lover of Frédéric Chopin’s piano works. In that case, you’ve likely heard of Arthur Rubinstein and enjoyed listening to his dazzling Chopin interpretations. You may have also heard of a memorial dedicated to the virtuoso pianist here in Israel. The Arthur Rubinstein … Read more

The Soreq Stalectite Cave

The Soreq Stalectite Cave

The Soreq Stalactite Cave (also called Avshalom Cave or simply Soreq Cave) is a 5,000 square meter (50,000 square feet) cave in the Judean hills not far from Bet Shemesh. It has a dense concentration of magnificent stalactites. The cave was discovered accidentally in May 1968, by a quarrying crew. Like other … Read more

Abu Gosh

Abu Gosh

Abu Gosh Nestled in the Jerusalem Hills, Abu Gosh is the town which is known as the “hummus capital of Israel.” “Abu Gosh,” according to one version, is the name of an Arab family that settled in the Judean hills in the early 16th century. They controlled the pilgrimage route from Jaffa to … Read more

Yad Kennedy (JFK Memorial)

Yad Kennedy (JFK Memorial)

Yad Kennedy (“Kennedy’s Memorial” in Hebrew) is one of the special spots just outside Jerusalem in the Jerusalem Forest. It is dedicated to the memory of the 35th US President, John F. Kennedy. Yad Kennedy is a somewhat large building on top of one of the highest hilltops in the area commanding … Read more

Hirbat Midras Pictures

Hirbat Midras Pictures

Hirbat Midras (also known as Horbot Midras, Khirbet Midras, or Hurvat Midras — “Midras” can also be spelled as “Madras”) was a significant population center in Second Temple times and many scholars believe that it is also the site of the home and grave of the Prophet Zechariah. It is now located … Read more

Emek Ha’Ela (Ela Valley)

Emek Ha'Ela (Ela Valley)

Emek Ha’Ela Emek Ha’Ela (Ela Valley or Valley of Elah) lies along Route 375 – near its junction with Road 38. By the way, “ela” is a term for the terebinth tree, a tree that is indigenous to the area and grows there in great quantities. It produces turpentine, which is why … Read more

Ein Hemed National Park

Ein Hemed National Park

About Ein Hemed Ein Hemed (or in Latin, “Aqua Bella,” which means “beautiful water”) is located just outside Jerusalem in near the villages of Bet Nekofa & Abu Ghosh. Ein Hemed is one of the numerous springs that are dotted around the Jerusalem Hills and is located on the Kisalon Stream. As … Read more

Kift Zuba

Kift Zuba

Zuba is a kibbutz in the Jerusalem Hills, that has turned itself into a family friendly entertainment mecca. Kift Zuba (or Kif Tzuba, which means “fun at Zuba”) is an outdoor amusement park for kids of all ages and families. With the Jerusalem Hills providing as a breathtaking backdrop, the kids can … Read more

Stalactite Cave

Stalactite Cave

Who would have thought that there’s a natural formation — in this case, a stalactite cave — near a city capital? Here in Jerusalem, one of the special sites near to it is the Stalactites Cave. Also known as Avshalom’s Caves or Soreq Cave, the Stalactite Cave was discovered quite by chance … Read more

The Jerusalem Railway

The Jerusalem Railway

One of the relaxing things to do near Jerusalem is to take the train. There are plans (and even some actual work) to build a high speed link with Tel Aviv; but the saga is never ending. Meanwhile, the line is an old Ottoman line and is fairly slow, but winds through … Read more