Food, fun and fancy footwork

The Land of Milk and Honey is flowing with festive activities for Shavuot.

By YONI COHEN
MILK CELEBRATIONS at Be’er Tuvia. (photo credit: Effi Zur)
MILK CELEBRATIONS at Be’er Tuvia.
(photo credit: Effi Zur)
Get ready for an overload on dairy products and nature-based activities as the country celebrates Shavuot this weekend.
There is a host of mainly family-orientated activities going on in various places.
Upper Galilee Those seeking a little adventure can head to the western Upper Galilee, where KKL-JNF is organizing a 4x4 tour with a focus on relics of the past.
Guided by David Malka, the tour will start with the story of Sayeret Yehiam and continue through the Cabri Forest to the Kolhin reservoir. The Sorsok Ruins is the next stop, followed by a walk among the ruins of a Crusader farm. The tour will continue through ancient olive groves and finish at the observation point from Mount Egar, which is where the first British reservoir in the country was located. The trip will last about five hours, with a difficulty rating of easy-medium.
Friday at 8 a.m. NIS 160 per vehicle. NIS 120 for KKL-JNF members. 1-800- 350-550.
Elsewhere in the Galilee, the Safedbased company Lir is offering a guided tour of the city of Safed It will include a visit to a dairy production plant, a cheese-making workshop, unique wine tasting at the Rimon winery, finished off by cheese tasting.
Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. NIS 85 for adults. NIS 65 for children. Advance booking necessary: 050-695-6385.
The Druse and Cherkess villages
Enjoy the famous hospitality, discover secrets and taste the glorious food of the Druse at the Kfar Bikartem annual festival, an initiative that aims to promote the rich culture of the Druse and Cherkess who live in the Galilee and the Carmel. The festival takes place in nine villages, and visitors are invited to enjoy the rich cultural heritage. Among the special events are a cheese festival in Beit Jann; guided tours (some in English) in Usfiya, including workshops and other attractions; a tasting of Cherkess cheese in Rehaniya; a visit to the heritage center in Kfar Kama; horseback riding tours and archeological displays in Peki’in; and a Druse art show in Jatt. Another highlight is having lunch at one of the open houses.
For more details about events, places to eat and stay, visit www.jabel.org.il/kfarim
Jezreel Valley
In the Jezreel Valley, there will be a number of events, such as a Bread Festival and baking workshops at Museum Ein Dor ( (04) 677-0333, www.eindormuseum.co.il); a Milk Festival at Kfar Kedem ( (04) 655- 5111 www.k-k.co.il); tours at the Marzipan Museum in Kfar Tabor to celebrate the Seven Species ( 04) 677- 2111, www.shakedtavor.co.il); and a Festival of Children’s Shows and tours of the organic dairy facilities at Harduf (054-600-6072, http://hamila.org.il/).
Center
Be’er Tuvia is hosting a range of events under the banner the Feast of Milk from Friday until Sunday. The festivities will celebrate nature at the authentic agricultural village, where Shavuot will be celebrated with all the trappings of the holiday rituals, including the bringing of the first fruits, a parade of decorative holiday carts, fresh agricultural produce from the farm, horse shows, an exhibition of farmers’ pictures and tools, as well as a beauty pageant for cows.
Children will be invited to decorate the farm carts for the traditional procession held in the fields together with the First Fruits Ceremony. The main event will see the crowning of the winner of the cow beauty pageant, which the public will take part in selecting.
Hevel Modi’in
The countryside between the towns of Lod, Modi’in and Petah Tikva, in the Hevel Modi’in Regional Council, will be celebrating in style.
Between the rolling green fields in the Ben-Shemen Forest area, a number of small enterprises will offer events showcasing the rural atmosphere and give visitors an opportunity to experience a real connection to nature. Horseback rides, cheese and wine workshops, boutique winery tours and walks in the forest are just some of the activities available.
The main event will take place on Friday at 11 a.m. at the Tel Hadid Amphitheater in the Ben-Shemen Forest. It will include an all-white kite flying competition, guided tours to the Tel Hadid observation point by KKL-JNF and a treasure hunt (www.thm.org.il).
Jerusalem
On Saturday, Esther Saed will lead a guided tour through the alleyways of the the old city market in Beit Shmuel to discover the hidden places where special beverages are made.
Among the ingredients that will be explored are hot sahlav, dates, carobs, almonds and flavored teas.
Tickets cost NIS 110. (02) 620-3461 www.baitshmuel.com.