Israel: Beyond the Headlines 1/3
A different kind of tour itinerary bypasses the historic bastions and leads instead into a landscape of olives and wine, art and artisan foods, laced with a touch of history
Whatever you imagine Israel to be, it probably isn’t the Israel Lin Arison wants people to know: a living, bubbling land of glassblowers, savvy chefs and worthy vintages. In this Israel, the Gaza Strip strife that dominates headlines seems a world away.
“Everyone who comes here says the same thing, that it feels so safe,” said Arison, who splits her time between Miami and Tel Aviv. “There’s normal life here. That’s the thing that’s so hard to get people to understand.”
As a first-time Israel visitor and non-Jew, I expect our tour will be insightful, instructive. “Enjoyable” isn’t on my list.
We check into our hotel in the upscale neighborhood of Herzliya. Though Herzliya hugs the Mediterranean Sea, this is no cramped and rocky sliver but a generous, sand-cushioned strand crowed with kite boarders, surfers, retirees, families.
A few minutes south, Tel Aviv awaits. The city is a mishmash-in places, a dingy, commercial hub. An arts center and wide, grassy boulevard look fresher. Endless coffee cafes-the three homegrown brands chased out a Starbucks incursion-feel like a welcome mat. Day and night, young women walk alone, often with cockapoos and Lhasas-not guard dogs.
The highlights of our Tel Aviv jaunt is Neve Tsedek. Founded in the late 1800s as a Jewish enclave in the sand dunes outside the crowed port town of Jaffa, Neve Tsedek became the foundation of Tel Aviv.Today Tel Aviv towers over the district’s few squares blocks-homes, shops, eateries, a performing arts space. The living room of one three-story house has been transformed into a sales space for antique linens; another homeowner sells second-hand toys, a third hand-blown glass bead jewelry.
Vocabulary:
- itinerary (n.) — 行程表，旅行路线
- a world away (idiom) — describing something that seems extremely far removed
- mishmash (n) — a badly organized mixture
- chase out (phr. v) — to get rid of someone or something
- welcome mat (idiom) — something that makes you feel you’ve been given a warm and friendly greeting upon arrival
- tower over (phr. v) —- to be much bigger and more successful than another things of the same type
- Gaza Strip (n. phr) — 加沙地带a coastal region between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea; formerly occupied by Israel from 1967-1994, but under Palestinian rule since 1994