Food, fun and fancy footwork
05/24/2012 11:21
The Land of Milk and Honey is flowing with festive activities for Shavuot.
MILK CELEBRATIONS at Be’er Tuvia. ( Photo: 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.