More than enough fun for Shavuot

What's happening around the country this holiday.

By MEITAL SHARABI
CHILDREN EXAMINE wheat at the Gilad Farm. (photo credit: DAVID LAZAR)
CHILDREN EXAMINE wheat at the Gilad Farm.
(photo credit: DAVID LAZAR)
There will be a plethora of activities for the whole family in the Modi’in area this Shavuot holiday season, including harvest festivals, cheese and wine workshops, tours and agricultural activities. This is a great opportunity to visit the vast Ben-Shemen Forest region – located just a short drive from Tel Aviv – where you can meet individuals who grow produce locally, pet some nice animals and smell wonderful herbs.
Gilad Farm Gilad Farm invites visitors to take part in its harvest festivities.
Among the activities are harvesting potatoes and wheat and creating objects from wood in the children’s carpentry shop. In addition, children can pet the goats, bake pita bread over a bonfire and wander around the open spaces.
Over the next few Saturdays, as well as throughout the Shavuot holiday, tours will begin on the hour.
Entry price: NIS 20 to NIS 40.
For details: www.havatgilad.com Neot Kedumim The third annual White Festival in the Modi’in area will take place between May 29 and June 7. Train lovers will be happy to hear that, for the first time, Israel Railways will be joining the festivities and offering fun treats for children on the trip from Tel Aviv stations to Pa’atei Modi’in. Free rides and free entry will be available to Monkey Park and Neot Kedumim on June 5.
Monkey Park Over the Shavuot holiday, the Monkey Park, near the entrance to Kfar Daniel, will be organizing activities for visitors with monkeys that hail from around the world. In addition, there will be a giant Gymboree on the park grounds, a challenging sports competition for children, as well as a variety of craft workshops and other surprises.
On Wednesday, June 4, the Monkey Park will hold a special event in celebration of authentic African culture, the creation of a group called Africana.
The special activities at the Monkey Park will take place throughout all the days of the holiday.
Entry price: NIS 48.
Ben-Shemen Youth Village The Ben-Shemen Youth Village, which was created to inculcate Zionist, agricultural and altruistic values, will be holding a number of free tours as part of the festival. The youth village, which is awash in green trees and has preserved the authentic feeling from the early years of the state, will be holding a show featuring the beautiful Israel of the 1940s and 1950s. On site you’ll be able to see how youngsters who arrived in the Jewish State as orphans lived, and how this unique educational and agricultural project had such great success.
Tours will take place on Friday, June 6 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
For details and registration: info@thm.org.il Aladdin Agricultural Farm The Aladdin Agricultural Farm in Kfar Ruth has prepared a special program about the Seven Species of the Land of Israel. Visitors both young and old can search for and collect wheat from the fields, which then needs to be separated from the chaff, ground and finally made into delicious pita bread. Visitors are involved in this hands-on experience from start to finish.
Animal lovers will be happy to enter the chicken coop and feed the new chicks, and everyone can listen to stories about the animals and plants found on the farm and then make herbal tea with herbs they’ve just picked.
Entry price: NIS 25 adults, NIS 35 children.
For details and registration: 054-314-1822/4. Tours depart every hour on the hour, registration required.
Moshav Mevo Modi’im Judy and Shafir Avraham Chai, who made aliya from the UK and India respectively, will instruct visitors how to milk goats belonging to their private herd. The two will also be inviting guests into their home to get a firsthand look at (and taste of) the cheese making process. Adamhon Galor, an artist who is originally from Ethiopia, will also demonstrate how she turns milk into a form of art.
Next, painter Yitzhak Ben-Yehuda will regale visitors with fascinating stories about his life and how he came to live on the moshav. He will take visitors on a tour of the murals of the local synagogue and will even let them try their hands at painting murals themselves.
Hours: Friday, June 6, 9:15 a.m. at the entrance to Moshav Mevo Modi’im.
Cost: NIS 100.
For details and registration: (03) 972-8999.
Moshav Nehalim In honor of the upcoming holiday that celebrates dairy products, Doron Min Hateva (A gift from nature) at Moshav Nehalim will be conducting cheese preparation workshops. In addition, there will be a tour of the milking facility, as well as tastings of delicious local wines and cheeses. The workshop will be held today, under the direction of Doron Forer, the owner and head cheese maker. The dairy produces cheese from the milk of goats and sheep that live on the farm. During the workshop, Forer will demonstrate techniques for producing homemade cheese and will also offer tastings of a few more sophisticated types of cheese.
Hours: 10 and 11 a.m.
Participation is free.
For details and registration: 03-932-8559.
Natuf Winery The boutique Natuf Winery in Kfar Truman will hold a wine and cheese tasting in a rustic atmosphere and accompanied by music. As they listen to owners Meir Akel and Ze’ev Cinnamon, both vintners, tell the story of how the boutique winery was founded, guests can taste Natuf wines and cheeses produced in the Modi’in area.
Hours: Wednesday, June 4 from 10 a.m.
Participation is free but with advance registration only.
For details and registration: 054-670-1061.
Floroz This is a wonderful opportunity to see, feel, smell and hear about agriculture and the love of flowers at family-run business Floroz located at Shilat Intersection.
As part of the Modi’in area festival, Floroz will be offering tours of their greenhouses, screen a short film about the company, and explain about the intricacies of growing roses and the advanced water recycling system they installed on the premises.
At the end, visitors can participate in a tour through the fields of flowers.
Hours: 10 and 11:30 a.m.
Entry price: NIS 15.
For details: 050-883-8225, 08-976-2555.
Bnei Atarot Osnat’s Studio is proud to invite visitors to participate in an interesting hands-on experience with chocolate and ceramics on Moshav Bnei Atarot. The Alkobi family will be hosting guests who are interested in using a potter’s wheel.
Hours: Thursday, June 5. Workshop lasts about three and a half hours.
Price: NIS 40 for both workshops, including light refreshments.
For details and registration: (03) 972-8999.
Moshav Ginaton Saba Moti invites guests into his home in Moshav Ginaton to view the fantastic wooden dolls he creates with his own two hands. Each doll is unique and is constructed from between 20 to 30 pieces. Moti will be holding creative children’s activities in his home during the Shavuot holiday and will also explain how he makes the dolls. In addition, he will help children design their own personal dolls they can take home with them at the end.
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, June 4 and 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price of workshop: NIS 55. Viewing the collection is free.
For details and registration: 050-668-8680.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.