Aliyah: Fountain of youth

Young visitors love Israeli food.

By BENITA LEVIN
A lake cabin at the Fountain of Youth (photo credit: XOLI ORMU-DURBIN)
A lake cabin at the Fountain of Youth
(photo credit: XOLI ORMU-DURBIN)
THE TWO-MONTH holiday in Israel sees young and old flocking to beaches, public swimming pools and even park water facilities – anything to escape the sweltering heat. There are also throngs of tourists from around the world, who seem to love these exceptionally high summer temperatures.
Tour buses can be spotted in most cities – with a sharp increase in trips to the the country’s main attractions from the north in Tiberias to the southern coastal oasis of Eilat. Between Tel Aviv and Eilat is the Fountain of Youth (“Ma’ayan Haneurim” in Hebrew), a romantic ranch in the Negev built by the Klinger family, where couples can reserve a cabin a month ahead.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, more than 310,000 tourist entries were recorded in June 2018, about 2% more than June 2017. In the first half of 2018, some 2.1 million tourists came to Israel, a 19% increase from the same period last year.
The tourists to Israel include scores of students, who visit the country during the holidays, often as part of specific youth programs. Some of these group tours are more religious in nature, others are secular, with most of the focus on educating teenagers about the country’s past, present and future.
In the past few weeks, my family had the pleasure of hosting students from two of these tours – two students from Canada, two from South Africa and then two tour leaders, who accompany the young visitors throughout their trip. The insights from all these guests make for fascinating listening.
In most cases, the students are taken across the width and breadth of the country, visiting the obvious sites including the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem, the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, Masada and the Dead Sea. They also get to spend a Shabbat weekend with a local family to get a sense of the more suburban family life in the country. Students are often assigned host families, but in many cases, they may end up staying at relatives or family friends. The young people we hosted came from opposite sides of the globe, yet their observations were strikingly similar.
Children on the move
The teenager guests were all quite vocal about the number of children they saw walking and cycling along the streets of Israel.
From the age of 9 years, a child has the green light to cross the street alone. One often sees groups of children out and about, without any adults in sight. Our 10-year-old daughter walked two 16-year-old overseas visitors to a nearby restaurant, sparking much discussion about the independence of young people in this country.
Food culture
While the menus given to students on these tours seem to be a little repetitive and predictable – with chicken schnitzel being a regular menu contender – there is no doubt that young visitors are blown away by the food one can buy. Whether it’s at the Mahane Yehuda shuk (market) in Jerusalem or in Tel Aviv, the more upmarket Sarona market or a so-called “hole in the wall” humus spot, the range of delicious take-away foods in Israel, is certainly a talking point for young tourists. To be honest, the fascinating food culture in Israel is a discussion point for tourists and locals alike.
Staying open-minded
I was curious about the kinds of speakers these students were hearing and the political messages they were being given on their respective tours. This is a volatile time in a politically charged country, where most people have a strong opinion about peace plans and the best way forward for the region. It was interesting to hear how open-minded these students were, and how their focus was about getting to see the country to get a taste of life here, to meet people and to experience the beauty of the country. They were all adamant there was no “indoctrination” attempt on any side of the political spectrum – the purpose of their visit was to enjoy the experience. And it seems they really did.
Smile of the week
I heard my 12-year old son speaking aloud in Hebrew in our flat. When I entered the television room, I found he was alone, wearing headphones.
At first I was surprised – and briefly concerned – to see him having a “chat” with himself. He later explained to his seemingly archaic mother, he was playing “Fortnite” with a friend, and so the conversation I heard was being conducted through the TV screen. (Note to self – keeping track of the latest technology for children is a constantly changing work in progress!)