Favorite Israeli Shops and Restaurants

 My husband and I have been to Israel several times. We have discovered places that are special to us, that we make a point to visit again when we are able to. 

If you have read much of my writings about the Holy Land, you know that we like to go "off the beaten path." So our little getaways are not found on most tour itineraries. Many of them are places that are only frequented by Jewish Israelis. 

Part of the delight of being in Israel is shopping and dining at truly Israeli locales. Though not all are out-of-the-way, here are a few of our favorite spots in Israel:

Derech HaGefen (Vine Road Restaurant) in Beit Zayit - A dairy restaurant with outdoor dining in a lovely garden.

Tamar Bakfar (Village of Dates) in Kinneret - A wonderful store that specializes in dates and date products, as well as spices and other Israeli foods that make great souvenirs and gifts.

Amirim - A vegetarian village in the Galilean hills. Hands down, this is one of our favorite places to stay.

Sambooki - Our go-to shop for fresh Israeli pastries like bourekas and rugelach. 

Cafe Aroma - The Israeli equivalent of Starbucks, only a lot better. We don't drink coffee, but their chai is great. 

Mamilla Pedestrian Mall - This upscale outdoor mall is mostly beyond our budget but it is fun to walk through on our way to entering the Old City through Jaffa Gate

Os Caminhos Antigos

In August 2020, Missionary JJ Lambeth contacted us about translating our book Walking Ancient Paths - Gleanings from the Holy Land into Portuguese. 

A couple of years previous, he began translating apostolic books from English into Portuguese so that believers in Brazil could have materials to help them in their walks with the Lord. He also uses these translated books to reach out to Brazilians who want to know more about God. 

Walking Ancient Paths - Gleanings from the Holy Land was of particular interest to Brother Lambeth because he has been to Israel three times. During one of his trips, he completed a four-day hike by himself from Nazareth to Capernaum.

This week, copies of Os Caminhos Antigos - Um Vislumbre da Terra Santa arrived on our doorstep. The book looks fantastic and we hope it is a blessing to many Brazilians!

Brother Lambeth in Brazil

Tips for Touring Israel

www.holylandexperience.weebly.com

To date, we have never rented a traditional hotel in Israel, nor have we participated in a group tour. We prefer to explore Israel on our own. We get a rental car and stay in tzimmers (guest houses/apartments) in moshavim (Jewish communities.)

A couple of years ago, a pastor asked us to take him and his wife on a personalized tour of Israel. He wanted preparation information. As it turned out, we were never able to take that trip with them, but at that time I put together a website with valuable tips for visiting Israel, particularly if traveling apart from a group tour.

The website is called:

Off the Beaten Path: 

Holy Land Tour With Bill and Sylvia Ferrin

If you wonder what you might need to do to prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime off-the-beaten-path adventure in Israel, clink the link below to check it out!

www.holylandexperience.weebly.com