Jewish Travel Guide

Despite dire warnings of imminent conflict between Israel and Iran throughout the year, foreign tourists flocked to the Holy Land in record numbers.

According to Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, the Jewish calendar year 5772 was the “best tourism year ever,” with over 3.5 million visitors spending at least one day in Israel.

When it comes to trends in the Israeli hotel industry, less is more — less rooms, more authenticity, that is.

The move toward small, one-of-a-kind boutique hotels, which began in Tel Aviv a decade or so ago, is continuing apace with some of the biggest chains — boutique and otherwise — gearing up for more development.

A different kind of tourist is triggering the new development, industry sources say.

In Israel, finding an affordable summer rental near the beach is about as easy as finding a rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan.

Launching my search right after Passover — and cognizant of the fact that a traditional hotel would insist we book two rooms for our family of four — I headed directly to the popular, less-expensive suite hotels that cater to families, but they were already booked by Israeli and European tourists. 

If you’re not familiar with the international Israeli travel circuit, then it may come as a surprise that Cusco, Peru — fabled city of the Incas and gateway to Machu Picchu — has one of the liveliest Jewish scenes in South America.

What’s more, that scene is almost entirely itinerant, composed of visiting Israelis and the businesses that cater to them. Lima, the capital, has a settled Jewish community with synagogues and museums; Cusco has Hebrew-language tour guides and hummus on the menu.

My itinerary in Lublin a few years ago included a few hours one spring afternoon in something called the Brama Grodzka Theater.

It’s a facile analogy, Nina Bassat acknowledges, but in Australian shorthand, Sydney is the country’s San Francisco; Melbourne is its Los Angeles.

A sunny, sprawling cosmopolis on one edge of the world, Melbourne at first glance has quite a lot in common with L.A., explained Bassat, president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, the state of which Melbourne is capital.

What would you see if you had 48 hours in Florence, had no guidebook and were relying on the advice of strangers? Perhaps not the most informed way of traveling, but word-of-mouth is always the best way to explore a new city. That said, relying on the kindness of locals and strangers, I hit the streets of Florence.

Where to Stay

When the hummus wars broke out between Israel and its northern neighbor Lebanon several years ago, the small Arab-Israeli town of Abu Gosh, not far from Jerusalem, made international headlines.

As part of the ongoing food war, which includes arguments ranging from who invented the popular chickpea paste to who should be allowed to claim it as a national dish, the most recent battle was between Abu Gosh restaurateurs and their counterparts in Lebanon over who could make the largest plate of the stuff and become a Guinness world record holder.

Jerusalem — In the United States it’s fairly easy to find hotels that invite kids under 18 to stay for free.

While virtually all Israeli hotels provide complimentary accommodations to infants and toddlers in a standard room (most spas don’t admit kids at all), most charge a hefty fee for even a slightly older child.