Consider taking a family excursion to experience special holiday activities at local sites.
By MEITAL SHARABIHanukka activities focusing on candles in Moshav Shadmot Dvora(photo credit: COURTESY DVORAT HATAVOR)
Hanukka is almost upon us, which means that if you’re a parent, you should probably start scheduling a variety of events to fill up the week of vacation.Kids are excited to take advantage of this holiday time off from school and get out of the house, take trips and enjoy their free time. In addition to attending the incredible performances with famous stars that traditionally take place during the Hanukka holiday, I recommend taking advantage of the crisp air and taking a trip around the country. This time of year the weather is clear (most days), the seasonal rivers have begun to flow and the flowers are blooming.There are many exciting activities to choose from; I have picked a few of the best for your convenience.Israel Heritage Week Israel Heritage Week will be taking place this Hanukka at more than 25 sites throughout the country. Visitors can join guided tours and fun excursions into the past, pass on messages through code, bury a time capsule, decode riddles, create works of art and collect hanukkiot, letters, weapons and ancient symbols. The Nature and Parks Authority, the Society for Preservation of Heritage Sites, the Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ministry, the Department of Family Heritage Memorial, the Defense Ministry and the Israel Antiquities Authority are cooperating to raise public awareness regarding the importance of preserving heritage sites.From these sites, visitors will learn many interesting historical facts and hear exciting stories about Israel’s history. Curators have gone to great lengths to come up with fun exhibits and activities that are suitable for the whole family. Some examples of activities are: riddles and quizzes from the Roman period at the Beit She’an National Park; guided tours of the caves at Tel Maresha, during which actors will tell stories about how they used to raise carrier pigeons at Beit Guvrin National Park; and stories told by Dr. Adolfo Roitman about how the famous scrolls were hidden in the caves of Qumran National Park.Dates: 24 December until 1 January.Price: All activities are included in regular entrance fees.Details: www.moreshet2016.co.il.Ashdod DunesOn Tuesday, December 27, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Science invite the public to come to the big dunes of Ashdod, where they will explain how this is the only place in the country with an ecological ecosystem that is preserving the local landscape, flora and fauna.Despite the fact that this is a beautiful region for hiking, the Ashdod Municipality has plans to build on this land. During Hanukka, there will be hikes titled “We’re not going to wait for a miracle to take place: Preserve the dunes.” There will be experiential workshops at stations for the whole family, and visitors can also follow trail markers among the dunes and ancient sycamore trees with guides from the Shikma Field School.Date: 27 December from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Price: Free.Jerusalem Botanical GardensThe Botanical Gardens invite visitors to partake in day and night tours called Follow the Light. There will be workshops, quizzes and navigational exercises using maps. Guests will learn how nature and people deal with the shortest and darkest days of the year. During the tour, visitors will learn how to press oil from African olives, walk through a maze made from African herbs and visit Maccabean burial caves. Kids can make aromatic candles, heating pads and fragrant incense.Dates: The whole week of Hanukka from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Night tours will take place at 5 and 7 p.m.Pre-registration required: (02) 679-4012.Price: Free for members; NIS 10 for Jerusalem residents; NIS 5 for extra workshop (two are free).Palmahim BeachThe Nature and Parks Authority will be holding a special Hanukka program at the Palmahim Beach National Park, during which visitors can walk along the very special beach. The two-kilometer path is easy to walk along and suitable for the whole family. What will make it special for Hanukka is that there will be stations along the path where you can stop and hear anecdotes about the Palmahim seashore, the ancient port Yavne Yam, and its connection with the Hasmoneans and Hanukka.Location: Palmahim Beach National Park.Date: 24 December, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Price: Regular entrance fee.Jewish Quarter There are a number of tours and excursions of the Old City of Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter that are great for families.Some are free and others are reasonably priced. Participants will also get to see the Western Wall and even light Hanukka candles with residents outside their homes. The Davidson Center will be holding a candlelight tour of the Old City walls. Children can partake in experiential activities, such as a dramatic tour, painting jugs, decorating sufganiot, and filling out quizzes.Dates: Free tours will leave the Jaffa Gate every day December 25 to 29, between 4 and 6 p.m. The hanukkia and oil-lamp tours will take place December 26 to 29. Hanukkia tours begin at the Jaffa Gate from 5 to 7 p.m. Oil lamp tours will take place in the Davidson Center between 7 and 9:30 p.m. Children’s activities will take place December 26 to 29 at 10:30 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.Tickets can be purchased at: *4987.Price: Oil-lamp tour: Adults: NIS 60; children: NIS 30; and family ticket: NIS 145.Ben-Shemen ForestKKL-JNF is organizing navigation activities for families at the Maccabean graves. Participants are invited to come to the Ben-Shemen Forest and use their navigational skills (with the help of KKL-JNF volunteers) to find their way around the forest. Before you start, guides will teach you basic navigating skills, and when you reach each station, there will be activities in which you’ll learn about the spot and how it is connected to Hanukka.Location: Ben-Shemen Forest.Date: Thursday, December 29 at a.m.Price: NIS 10 per person, maximum NIS 40 per family.More information: 1-800-350-550.Ein ShemerThe Old Courtyard Museum at Kibbutz Ein Shemer invites the public to nostalgic Hanukka activities for the whole family.The activities include using an olive press, creating hanukkiot and dreidels from materials found in nature, touring the Old Courtyard museum, touring the tractor museum, riding on a tractor, baking bread and riding the train.Dates: December 26 to 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Price: Children from ages 2 to 5: NIS 42; children from age 5: NIS 45; adults: NIS 42.Biblical Zoo The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo invites visitors to become detectives for a day and help them locate the eggs of the black vulture, hear the zookeepers talk about their daily schedule, enjoy an amazing circus performance, and look on as animals play with a piñata that is full of snacks for them. There will be a myth-shattering workshop called Banish the Darkness, during which the guides will clear up a few misconceptions we have about animals.For example, most people don’t know that tarantulas pose no risk to humans, or that the hippopotamus is actually an extremely dangerous animal. Participants will get to see snakes, insects and arthropods.Location: Amphitheater of statue garden.Dates: December 26 to 28 at 1 p.m. and at January 1 at noon.Shadmot DvoraThe Dvorat Hatavor visitor center on Moshav Shadmot Dvora will be holding special Hanukka activities focusing on candles. Visitors will be able to light Hanukka candles, take pictures and hear stories about the Maccabees. Participants will learn about natural candles that are made in modern times and how to make candles from beeswax. Children will make their own candles and will receive chocolate- honey sufganiot. The whole family can join a tour of the apiary and see how honey is harvested. In addition, participants will see how silk is produced and feed the dwarf goats and other farm animals.Dates: The whole week of Hanukka, from 9 am to 5 p.m. (last entrance at 3 p.m.).Price: Adults: NIS 37; children over 2: NIS 49.Translated by Hannah Hochner.
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