NINETIPS
LIZ SPIKOL I JE STAFF
for Getting the Most
Out of Israel This Summer
The beach in Tel Aviv, Israel
Travel to Israel is booming. Last year saw the most American tourists in Israel since the state was founded.

This year, the first three months saw a 7 percent increase over the
same quarter in 2015 — which means it’s shaping up to be a record-
breaking year.

Though people travel to Israel year-round, summer is the high
season. The cloudless blue skies and beautiful beaches may have
something to do with that, or maybe it’s the general sense of re-
laxation that pervades even crowded cobblestone streets on
a hazy summer day. There are festivals aplenty, music and
arts performances and an overall emphasis on enjoying
life outdoors.

Whether you’re going for a Bat Mitzvah, a wed-
ding or just to relax, here are nine tips that should
help you make the most out of your stay.

Take the kids.

This summer, El Al Israel Airlines, which offers the
most nonstop flights to Israel, is launching special fami-
ly-friendly deals that include roundtrip fares of $1,299 (taxes/sur-
charges included) from New York (JFK or Newark) for departures
between June 16 and Aug. 18. There’s also an El Al children’s fare
10 JUNE 2, 2016
that could save parents $200 for each child between 2 and 14.

For more information, visit www.elal.com or call 800-223-6700.

Send the teens.

Do you shudder when you think of your hormonally besieged
teenager moping around the house and looking at screens? Fear
not — the opportunities for teens to experience Israel
abound. If you want them to get a head start on thinking
about aliyah, there’s the month-long Tzofim Chetz
V’Keshet program that operates in conjunction with
the IDF. Kids get a behind-the-scenes look at army
life, and hike, bike and tour the country in the com-
pany of Israeli teenagers.

There’s the International Leadership Seminar from
BBYO Passport, which combines extensive tours of Israel
with small group learning and an emphasis on figures who
guided the country to where it is today.

There’s the Trek Israel program, which includes the physically chal-
lenging Sea-to-Sea Hike and is meant for kids who like to be active.

THIS SUMMER
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



There are programs that encourage volunteering
and programs that encourage religious connection.

Jewish Federations of North America offers the
National Young Leadership Mission to Israel in June.

And Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has two
scholarship opportunities pertaining to Israel travel, one of
which is for study at Orthodox Yeshivot.

Go shopping.

The U.S. dollar is now 13 percent stronger against the shekel than
it has been in the past couple years, so you’ll be able to spend
more than you’d think. Plus, the VAT refund still applies, which
means that when U.S. tourists leave Israel with their bounty —
excluding food, drink or tobacco — they’ll likely be eligible for
a tax refund as long as they’ve bought their goods in a partici-
pating store.

To find out more about how to get the refund, consult Israel’s
Ministry of Tourism website, goisrael.com.

Pack light.

No, we don’t mean take less luggage (though that’s not a bad idea,
considering all the extra fees these days). We mean pack light cloth-
ing because Israel in the summer — really up until early September
— is hot.

Average temperatures are in the high 80s, and Tel Aviv, Ne-
tanya and the like add a dollop of humidity to the mix. Go to
Masada, the Dead Sea or Eliat, and temps are regularly above
100 — like way above. Things do cool down in the evenings —
in Jerusalem, in the mountains and in the desert — so a light
jacket also is recommended.

See ISRAEL , Page 12
Name: Manayunk Development Corp
Width: 7.5"
Depth: 4.75"
Color: Black plus one
Comment: JE/This Summer
Ad Number: 00067306
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THIS SUMMER
JUNE 2, 2016
11