Love, leisure and libations for Tu Be’av

Nowadays, couples looking for a romantic getaway have quite a lot of opportunities to choose from on Tu Be’av throughout Israel.

By MEITAL SHARABI
Dalton Winery in Merom Hagalil (photo credit: MICHAL COHEN)
Dalton Winery in Merom Hagalil
(photo credit: MICHAL COHEN)
Today is Tu Be’av, also known as the Jewish holiday of love. According to Jewish tradition, in the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, unmarried women would wear a white dress and go out to dance in vineyards among the heady scent of the ripening grapes to mark the beginning of the grape harvest. Nowadays, couples looking for a romantic getaway have quite a lot of opportunities to choose from on Tu Be’av throughout Israel. Most of these eclectic tours are geared toward couples, but there are a few that are suitable for families, too.
Bein Hakramim
 Just in time for Tu Be’av, the Merom Hagalil Regional Council is organizing a festival called Bein Hakramim. The festivities, which began yesterday, will continue for eight days, and include musical performances from sunset until sunrise, a Latin celebration at Adir Winery, a special excursion for children in the forest with professional actors, and an arts-and-crafts fair. In addition, the public is invited to Beit Hakerem Farm on Moshav Hazon at 2 p.m. on Friday, for Shishi Bakerem, where guests will enjoy breathtaking views and a performance by Oasis Music. You can enjoy the house wine in the shade of the grape vines while your children are busy making arts-and-crafts projects.
Shishi Bakerem will continue until Shabbat starts.
Details: 050-477-2792, www.2beav.co.il.
Dates: August 18-26.
Bell Ofri
Bell Ofri Tourist farm in the Golan Heights is offering guided tours in its sculpture garden that overlooks the valley. The tour is geared toward couples, and includes a glass of wine for each Love, leisure and libations for Tu Be’av TOUR ISRAEL participant. During the tour, guests will hear about what it was like to live in the region during the talmudic period, including discussion of what type of agriculture they engaged in, what wines they produced, and artwork they created. The guided tour is led by Tami, who has a master’s degree in Jewish philosophy and who created all the statues on display there.
Together with her husband, Bavi, she recreated an ancient talmudic village.
All the sculptures depict biblical stories, such as Creation, Adam, Eve and the serpent, Noah’s Ark, and the Ten Commandments. The tour is also a great opportunity to learn about ecological construction since the entire site was built from recycled materials.
In addition, there’s a winepress, a clay oven, and an olive press. The will also be a tasting of Tara Noam cheese during the tour.
Tours will take place daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pre-registration required: 052-880-5026.
Price: NIS 35 per person.
InsideOut
During the week following Tu Be’av, the InsideOut escape room will hold a challenging competition for couples in the three escape rooms in Ra’anana and Rosh Pina. During the hour-long exercise, participants will have to find clues and solve puzzles in order to escape from the room. Whichever couple succeeds in solving the puzzle the quickest will win a prize. The special offer is valid until August 20.
Price per couple: NIS 240.
Details: Ra’anana, 054-992-6443.
Rosh Pina, 054-308-4338.
Hamat Gader
Hamat Gader decided to make this summer even hotter by screening a number of romantic films (don’t worry – they’re suitable for the whole family), such as Alex is Lovesick and Top Gun. The films will be shown during the Tu Be’av weekend, and wine and beer will also be available at reduced rates. In addition, all spa treatments will be offered at a 30 percent discount.
Details: *6393, www.hamat-gader.com
Tel Hatzor
If your idea of celebrating Tu Be’av involves spending the evening enjoying the full moon, then I recommend you attend the Israel Nature and Parks Authority lantern tour of Tel Hatzor. Tel Hatzor is the largest tel (archeological mound created by human occupation) in the country and walking through You’ll get to hear about ancient rituals that revolved around the full moon and what weddings were like in those days. At the end of the tour, there’ll be a sing-along of well-known Israeli love songs, and hot tea and cookies will be served.
Location: Tel Hatzor National Park.
Date: Friday, August 19.
To register: *3639.
Argaman Beach
Located at Argaman Beach in Acre, Mobarsham Restaurant is inviting couples for a romantic meal on the beach next to the lifeguard tower. This meal is going to be the type of picnic you see in the movies, and the food is actually going to be really tasty. Once you experience a meal like this down by the water at night you’ll be spoiled for life. The meal includes either fish or seafood, and lots of salads.
Location: Argaman Beach in Acre, Yehonatan Hahashmonai Street.
To reserve a table: (04) 699-9066.
Dalton Winery
Today, the Dalton Visitor Center is holding a wine tasting, a special musical performance and lots of other treats for couples. Guests are welcome (for a fee) to partake in the wine tasting, as well as nibble on crackers with a variety of cheeses, spreads and jams, as well as sensational chocolate. Between 10:30 and 12 noon there will be hour-long tours of the winery, which include a wine tasting.
Price: NIS 20.
Location: Dalton Industrial Park, Merom Hagalil To reserve: (04) 952-7107.
Translated by Hannah Hochner