Bruce Avishai

Bruce lived in the Boston, Massachusetts area and later graduated from Rutgers College with a degree in Political Science. He immigrated to Israel in 1972, where he has lived on a Kibbutz, worked as a guide in the Sinai desert, maintained a private farm for 10 years, and finally became a professional guide in 1991. Bruce’s first impression of Israel was that it is a most unique and sometimes indescribable place to be. Bruce’s personal journey and growth as a professional guide have only reinforced those feelings. He always desires to try to show people Israel’s “uniqueness”, in order for them to have true and lasting impressions of Israel. Bruce resides in Rehovot, just south of Tel Aviv, is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5.

Caesarea Maritima is an ancient city that was built by Herod the Great in 25–13 BC. It is located along the coast of Israel between Tel Aviv and Haifa, in a place formerly called Pyrgos Stratonos. This is also where Herod built his palace on a cliff overlooking the sea. Civil life of the new city began in 13 BC, when Cesarea was turned into the capital of Judea, and the official residence of the Roman procurators and governors. The remains of all major buildings erected by Herod lasted until the late nineteenth century. The remains of the medieval town can also be seen, which are the walls, the palace and the site of the cathedral crusade.

Modern Caesarea Maritima has a population of 4,500 inhabitants and it’s the only Israeli locality managed by a private organization, the Caesarea Development Corporation. It’s organized as a communal settlement, though not as a kibbutz or moshav. It is a city built in honor of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus. Today it’s a small archaeological enclave declared a National Park with preserved Roman, Byzantine and Crusader ruins; also it has a Roman aqueduct and amphitheater.

Acre Old City Market

The Crusader city of Acre lies on the Mediterranean coast just north of Haifa. It is one of the most beautiful ancient cities in Israel with a hidden Crusader city beneath the ground and the 18th century Old City above ground. One of the most exciting things to do in Acre is walking through the Old City where the main streets are lined with market stalls and shops that open up onto the street.

The Acre Old City Market is a dirty, colorful, loud and bustling market where the local residents do their shopping among curious tourists. The prices are very reasonable, the vendors friendly and you can even try bargaining. Most of the market is covered so you won’t be in the sun and vendors display their goods hanging from every possible surface and spread out onto the street. The market operates during daylight hours and it is perfectly safe to walk around during the daytime. If you follow the market streets you will eventually reach the sea.

The market’s real purpose is to supply locals who live in the Old City with all they need. Among the goods on sale there is clothing, kitchen utensils, toys, jewelry, accessories, shoes, leather goods and more. Food on sale includes both raw and ready-to-eat food. See the fish monger; butcher; vegetable stalls; cheese and spice stalls. At the bakery see large trays of traditional baklava sweet cakes being prepared. You can find unique traditional items in the Acre Old City Market like hooker pipes. In among the market, stalls are several restaurants selling grilled meats, fish dishes, shawama and falafel.

Having entered the Old City Market and walked for a few meters you will see a doorway on your right that opens up to a gentrified, restored 18th century market street. This market is dedicated to arts, crafts and souvenirs. It is completely different to the Old City Market and is lined with elegant boutiques, eateries and pubs. If the Old City Market is a bit much for you then head in to this quieter and cleaner side street.

Hopla Guide

Hi there! We are Laura et Georges, the team behind Hopla Guide.

We run this project together, and in our spare time, we run our life together. We are an international couple, she’s Argentinian, he’s French, but both “Made in Alsace”.

Travellers, food lovers, culture addicts, wanderers… our lives brought us in many places, from Europe to Latin America.

Every trip, we seek for authentic experiences. We want to discover it all, but freely, spontaneously.

During our trips, we found ourselves with two options: either we had to follow a guided group, losing our independence, or wander around with the feeling of missing out on important places.

What to see ? In what order ? And what souvenirs to buy and bring back home ?

Is there no other way?

What if we could visit a city on our own, with freedom and flexibility, and be sure we are going to see everything, learn about the local culture, and have fun at the same time?

What if we could be guided explorers?

One day, we decided to put our abilities together and innovate. Laura has a master’s degree in tourism specialized in management, marketing and eco-sustainability. Georges has a master’s degree in history of art from Paris-Sorbonne university. We both have professional experience in tourism companies.

That is how Hopla Guide started. We built a solution, reimagined guided tours, and created a complete experience, both physical and digital.

Cultural information had to be accessible to the explorer at any time, so we chose to build a mobile app, allowing interactivity and flexibility.

But we wanted to go further and create something that doesn’t stay on your phone but materialises in the real world. So we selected exciting items that enhance the visit and bring the tour on another level of interaction, using other senses : touch, taste and smell.

We believe in slow tourism, in a respectful and deeper way of discovering. We empower little groups to live a true cultural exploration, not just a quick run in the city to take some pictures and go away without learning anything. Our explorers are meant to get an honest grasp of the local identity.

We invite you to take part in our story and give a chance to another kind of cultural experience.

Jewish Seville: La Judería

Discover with us the most beautiful corners and the most illustrious characters of what was the most extensive Jewish quarter of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Jewish Quarter of Seville is the ultimate place to retrace the footprints of Jewish history in Spain. A neighborhood of singular beauty described by the great romantic travelers of the 19th century. A place to discover the fascinating history of the Jews in the capital of Andalusia.
This visit can be combined with a visit to the Real Alcazar, the oldest royal palace in use in Europe. In the Royal Palace of Seville, Jewish intellectuals, musicians and poets played an important role both in the court of the Muslim king Al-Mutamid and in the court of the Christian kings Fernando III and Alfonso X.
Discover with us the heart of Jewish Andalusia and the fascinating story of the Royal Jews of Seville.

Jewish Cordoba: The City of Maimonides

The Jewish quarter of Córdoba is one of the best preserved medieval Jewish quarters in all of Europe. Home of great thinkers and unsurpassed beauty, its streets and houses keep secrets that fascinate both locals and visitors. In it we can visit the only medieval synagogue preserved until today in Andalusia. Discover with us the fascinating history of this neighborhood, declared a world heritage by the UNESCO, as well as the life and work of its most famous inhabitants such as the great thinker Maimonides.

Day trip from Vienna: Fun, Art, Food & Culture

We will leave early morning to explore the most peaceful and relatively unknown part of Austria.

Vienna woods is just a few minutes away and so different. Lets plan some amazing photo-stops and lets walk a little bit around the tranquil area.

After a scenic drive through the southern vine street, we will reach BADEN – former residence city of the Habsburg family. After a coffee break we will continue to Forchtenstein castle.

It is the only fortress in eastern Austria, that was never captured during the Turkish wars. The strong walls served as the treasury of the Esterhazy’s princes, safeguarding all costly and precious possessions. This collection of family treasures and way more, can still be seen there today.

Next stop will be the charming city of Eisenstadt, capital of Burgenland.

Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt is one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Austria and presents a fascinating view of the resplendent life once lived at the court of the Princes Esterházy. But the palace is still the hub of the cultural scene today and regularly provides the picturesque backdrop for festivities and social events.

Only a few minutes to recover, because the next sight is a “bloody window to Hungary’s past”.

The iron curtain memorial!!!!!! The end of the soviet empire! See the place where the iron curtain was opened in 1989, even before the wall in Berlin was destroyed.

Burgenland and Hungary share the Neusiedler See, a lake known for its reeds and shallowness, as well as its mild climate throughout the year. The Neusiedler See is Austria’s largest lake, and is a great tourist attraction, bringing ornithologists, sailors, and wind and kite surfers into the region north of the lake.

We will spend the rest of the day at and on the lake. Your personal, private guide, will now be your captain. The boat ride is included – does not have extra costs. Unique experience – explore Lake Neusiedl like a local, together with your captain Peter. Especially for families with KIDS a most entertaining excursion. Bring your sun glasses, sun cream and don’t forget your swimwear.

Enjoy the superior service and the personal atmosphere of this unique private tour to Austrias east and Hungary!

Elisabetta Gulino

Born 1962 in Caltagirone/Sicily, daughter to a German speaking Swiss mother and a Sicilian father, I spent my childhood and youth mainly in Sicily, South Tyrol, and Switzerland.

Very early I got in touch with the fascinating world of foreign languages and tourism. After spending long periods of time abroad – in Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and France – for study and work purposes and after getting a University degree in Modern Languages at Verona University, I gained work experience in different industries: foreign trade, manufacturing industry, education, tourism. Music, Photography, Architecture, Crafts, Food & Wine have ever since been among my main interests.

I now work in tourism, a very dynamic, exciting and demanding environment, which constantly offers me new challenges and opportunities. Since 1997 I have been working as a freelance official tour guide in Ferrara and its Province, and as an official tour leader since 2000.

Delphine Yagüe CulturistiQ

Meetings, guided tours or workshops about a specific theme for a 1h30 to 2 hours experience, in a pedagogical and entertaining setting, for group up to 20 persons. Those experiences are built jointly by CulturistiQ and its partners: each partner presents the specificities of its work and heritage while CulturistiQ presents the same thematic through the point of view of Rashi and his disciples. As the writings of the Sages of Champagne are wonderful testimonies of daily life in the Middle Ages in Champagne, it is easy to transmit the local medieval way of life through their description of tools and technics, relationships between Jews and Christians, food, agriculture, nature and so on… All through the “experience”, CulturistiQ and its partners offer a dialogue between elements of local culture and Jewish local history/Jewish culture.

Izmir Jewish Heritage Tour and Synagogue Visits

You will be/can be met at the Kusadasi or Izmir Harbor, Izmir airport, or even at your Hotel in
Izmir and Kusadasi. Then drive to the Karatas area in Izmir.

Visit Beth Israel
Synagogue:
The construction of the Bet Israel Synagogue started on 15 March
1905 upon the decree of Sultan Abdulhamid II, and it was opened to worship in
1907. Bet Israel is the largest, most magnificent, and ceremonial synagogue in
Izmir. However, the temple differs from the traditional Izmir style with its
building style and seating arrangement. It was not built with a central plan
but has been a double practice of Teva from the very beginning. Due to the
location of the building plot, the Ehal (the closet where the Torah rolls are
stored) is placed on the south wall instead of the east wall.

Dario
Moreno Street:
It is located on Dario Moreno Street. There are old
Greek houses lined up left and right in this beautiful street, named after the
famous artist Dario Moreno from Izmir and was formerly called Elevator Street.
There is also the house on the street where Dario Moreno lived for a while.
These houses, each of which has been transformed into small and cute cafes and
art workshops today, add a different spirit to the street.

The Historical
Elevator:
The Historical
Elevator is the best structure to catch the unique view of Izmir Bay with its
promenade at the top. The elevator was built in 1907 by Jewish businessman Nesim
Levi to overcome the topographical barrier between hill neighborhoods above sea
level. Then drive to Konak Square and visit the clock
tower;

Konak Square – Clock Tower- Kemeralti Bazaar:
Izmir Clock Tower, the symbol of Izmir, is the Ottoman Sultan II. It
was built in 1901 as part of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of Abdulhamid’s
accession to the throne. Kemeralti Bazaar is called a
well-established commercial area. This commercial square, which was started
from the Hisar Mosque built in Izmir in 1592, has grown more and more. Since
the 19th century, inns and covered bazaars have been located in the Kemeralti
Bazaar, which has been the liveliest trade point in İzmir. However, the shops
here were referred to as small businesses that local people were interested in.
Options such as blacksmith, coal maker, nail maker, spice and straw bazaar were
located in Kemeralti Bazaar in the past. Commercial shops in different areas
were also found at various points.

Havra Street:
Havra Street, named after the
many synagogues in its vicinity, was a lively shopping center where Kosher
(Halal) food was produced and sold. According to their beliefs, the Jews of
Izmir used to obtain a significant part of their food needs, such as meat,
fish, chicken, yogurt, cheese, and eggs from Havra Street. As with other foods,
wine production was produced in and around this street in accordance with
Kosher rules. You will also have the opportunity to taste the dishes in the
Sephardic cosine. End of the tour drive back to the hotel.

🌍 Celebrating One Year of the Jewish Silk Road Portal

World Jewish Travel was thrilled at #IMTM 2024 to present a copy of the WJT Jewish Silk Road Pressbook to the CEO of the Azerbaijan National Tourism Board Florian Sengstschmid and Jamilya Talibzade its Israeli representative Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB).

The Pressbook celebrates the one year anniversary of the Jewish Silk Road Portal launch, an amazing example of using Jewish travel as a means of cultural diplomacy, whilst highlighting the significant Jewish contribution to the ancient trade route. Kudos to our participating partners from the Kiriaty Foundation (Turkey), National Board of Tourism of #Georgia, National Board of Tourism of #Uzbekistan, and Israeli Embassy of #India. 

See the overwhelming reaction from the press, by downloading our free pressbook. Special thanks to Moshe Gilad of the @haaretzcom for highlighting this forgotten but important story in the Galeria section of the newspaper and available to download on WJT.

👉Link to WJT Jewsih Silk Rad Pressbook and more is in our bio

🌍 Celebrating One Year of the Jewish Silk Road Portal

World Jewish Travel was thrilled at #IMTM 2024 to present a copy of the WJT Jewish Silk Road Pressbook to the CEO of the Azerbaijan National Tourism Board Florian Sengstschmid and Jamilya Talibzade its Israeli representative Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB).

The Pressbook celebrates the one year anniversary of the Jewish Silk Road Portal launch, an amazing example of using Jewish travel as a means of cultural diplomacy, whilst highlighting the significant Jewish contribution to the ancient trade route. Kudos to our participating partners from the Kiriaty Foundation (Turkey), National Board of Tourism of #Georgia, National Board of Tourism of #Uzbekistan, and Israeli Embassy of #India.

See the overwhelming reaction from the press, by downloading our free pressbook. Special thanks to Moshe Gilad of the @haaretzcom for highlighting this forgotten but important story in the Galeria section of the newspaper and available to download on WJT.

👉Link to WJT Jewsih Silk Rad Pressbook and more is in our bio
...

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Step into the soul-stirring Pesach traditions of Jerusalem virtually. Experience the resonating echoes of Birkat Kohanim🌿

 Link is in our bio

#VirtualTravel #JerusalemVibes #SpiritualJourney #JewishTravel #Isarel  #BirkatKohanim #JewishJerusalem

Step into the soul-stirring Pesach traditions of Jerusalem virtually. Experience the resonating echoes of Birkat Kohanim🌿

Link is in our bio

#VirtualTravel #JerusalemVibes #SpiritualJourney #JewishTravel #Isarel #BirkatKohanim #JewishJerusalem
...

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Discover the enigmatic “Donkey Stable” in Jerusalem's underground. Unveil the city's secrets from home. 🌌

Find link in our bio

#JerusalemUnderground #CitySecrets #ExploreHistory #JewishTravel #Israel #Travel #WesternWall

Discover the enigmatic “Donkey Stable” in Jerusalem`s underground. Unveil the city`s secrets from home. 🌌

Find link in our bio

#JerusalemUnderground #CitySecrets #ExploreHistory #JewishTravel #Israel #Travel #WesternWall
...

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