It’s suddenly September and we find ourselves heading into a month of holidays – beginning, of course, with Rosh Hashanah. It’s been a long, hot summer, and thankfully there are many nature sites organizing especially festive chag activities in an effort to lift morale.
If you’re searching for an activity to fill your time between trips to the beach, below you will find a list of events – and one short hike – to make this High Holiday season especially sweet.
1. PIRCHEI HAGALIL
The Israeli Honey Council’s annual honey and beekeeping festival lands in apiaries around the country. During the festival, the Pirchei Hagalil Apiary in Moshav Manot, which is managed by beekeeper Nogah Reuven, will inaugurate its newly upgraded apiary, following the agricultural terrorist attack last year during which it burned to the ground.
Reuven, an expert apiarist with a bachelor’s from Belgium, has been working as a beekeeper since 1984. During the festival, she will be celebrating her 70th birthday with lots of family-friendly activities, including a guided tour of the apiary, a workshop in which participants will learn how to collect honey from a hive, and of course a honey tasting.
Price: NIS 25Dates: September 3-5 (closed during Shabbat)Details: (04) 822-0505, 054-496-7420Honey Festival will take place on September 11. www.honey.org.il
Beekeepers of the Western Galilee
The public is invited to join their Rosh Hashana festivities and learn about the lives of bees, their importance to our ecosystem since they support the growth of trees and flowers, and how honey is produced. Of course, there will also be a honey tasting and other fun surprises.
2. OPHIR’S FARM
Visitors to the farm can watch a short film, join a guided tour during which they’ll learn about the work of the beekeeper and of the bees. Guests will be able to watch everything the bees are doing behind the glass-walled beehive, witness the apiarist procuring honey from the hive, try on an apiarist’s protective gear, taste honey, make candles from beeswax, bake pitot on a taboun and then drizzle honey on top of the pitot. Visitors are also welcome to visit the winery at Ophir’s Farm and taste a variety of wines.
Price: NIS 40Dates: Saturday, September 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours every 30 minutesLocation: Moshav Alon Hagalil.Details: Pre-registration required, 072-395-7567.
3. ASAL ALNOR
At Asal Alnor, located in the picturesque village of Peki’in, visitors will learn about the life of bees, their behavior inside the beehive, and all about honey, which is used for food, healing and cosmetics. The apiary is run by Jasan Salah, an expert apiarist who completed his studies at Tel-Hai College. Salah has published two in-depth research papers about the world of bees, as well as a book called Mamlechet Hadvorim (The Bee Kingdom). After the tour led by Salah, visitors will be invited to taste a variety of honeys, along with nuts and slices of apple, baklava made with honey, coffee, and chocolate truffles filled with honey.
Price: NIS 20Dates: September 6 to 8, 11 a.m. to noonLocation: Peki’inDetails: 072-395-7616
4. ESHKOLOT & KKL-JNF
Eshkolot, together with KKL-JNF, will be holding special slichot tours that will include the singing of hymns to get everyone into the spirit of the High Holiday season: 12 different tours will take place simultaneously in 12 separate locations all over Israel, including Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Caesarea and the Old City of Lod.
The tour in Lod, which will be run by BishviLod in cooperation with KKL-JNF, will bring participants to spots in the city, as well to a number of synagogues. Participants will learn about the Tannaim who lived in Lod’s Old City 2,000 years ago, and spent their days in Torah study alongside their hard work as laborers. The tour will pass by ancient sites in the city, including alleyways, the shuk and Beit Hakeshatot, all the while hearing stories of Lod’s glorious history. The circular walk is two kilometers long and takes about 2.5 hours to complete, beginning and ending at the Chicago Matnas. Tour is appropriate for families and almost all of it is wheelchair-accessible.
Price: FreeDates: Thursday, September 14, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.Location: Chicago Matnas, LodDetails: (08) 663-0030, tic.li/EOAGa3g
5. ZICHRON ESCAPE ROOM
Take part in an exciting escape room experience on Zichron Yaakov’s vibrant midrachov appropriate for the whole family (green pass not required). Participants will use their own smartphone to play the Baron’s Code Game. You will need to solve riddles and decipher codes in order to locate each object, which will help you advance to the finale. The game takes 1.5 to two hours to complete. Participants are welcome to take breaks on the midrachov during the game (such as stopping for ice cream). Appropriate for couples, groups of friends or families with kids. After paying for the game, you will receive a code so that you can access game from a number of smartphones.
Price: NIS 70Details: 072-240-9004
6. KFAR YEHOSHUA VALLEY TRAIN
At the Kfar Yehoshua Valley Train located in the Jezreel Valley, the public is invited to view the spectacular re-creation of the old train, which includes miniature trains that are exact replicas of the trains that used to run there. On Rosh Hashanah, the site will be open to visitors free of charge, as part of the Shabbat Yisraelit program run by the Society for the Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites.
Location: Jezreel ValleyDetails: (04) 901-4230, Tickchak.co.il Green Pass and pre-registration required.
7. EIN BOKEK WATERFALL
In the Judean Desert Nature Reserve, located between Arad and the southern tip of the Dead Sea, you will find an easy walking path along Nahal Bokek. This is one of the most magical areas in the country, and this path will lead you to the beautiful Ein Bokek oasis. At only 15 kilometers long, Nahal Bokek is one of the shortest rivers in Israel. A canyon was formed here as a result of water flowing over the desert rocks for many years, with an amazing waterfall and wading pools at the end. This trail is appropriate for families with children, and you will come upon a number of fascinating rock formations and ancient remains from Roman times along the way.
There are two hiking options: The first and shorter trail is 3.5 kilometers and is appropriate for families with small children. It takes about two hours to complete. There is also another trail that is appropriate for more experienced hikers.
Directions for shorter trail: Park in the lot just south of the gas station located across from the hotels. Follow the black trail markers. The trail descends alongside the river. You will come upon a waterfall after a few hundred meters. This the ending point of the shorter trail. Retrace your steps to return to your car.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.