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Photo: Moti Kimchi
Photo: Moti Kimchi
Photo: Moti Kimchi

Tens of thousands pack Israel's favorite sites: 'Passover is for the children'

From the Old City of Jerusalem to the safari park in Ramat Gan, the locals take advantage of the holiday and clement weather to visit some of the most beautiful and interesting locations in the country

With the weather sunny but not too hot, many Israelis have taken advantage of the Passover holiday to visit some of the country's most beautiful - and popular - tourist sites.

 

 

Tens of thousands of Israelis have been visiting Jerusalem, in particular the Tower of David Museum and the Old City.

 

Children join in the Passover fun at the Tower of David
Children join in the Passover fun at the Tower of David

 

"We came here to see the beauty of the capital, it's part of our history and it's important for us to teach our children from a young age where we came from as a people of Israel," says Dana Goldstein, who has brought her daughter Sophie to the holy city.

 

Amit Landau has travelled from Ra'anana to the capital, which he says has some enjoyable sites.

 

"We came to Jerusalem during really good weather – it's not too hot and it's not too cold. I enjoy the City of David very much," he says.

 

"The tours are very enriching and it's always fun to hear more stories and more perspectives. My wife and I are going from here to the Israel Museum. We got stuck in a traffic for a while to get here, but we are used to it. The traffic jams are part of the holiday."

 

Ahinoam Wasserman, a student at the Hebrew University and a tour guide at the Tower of David, said that the activities have a strong child-friendly feel.

 

The Tower of David
The Tower of David

 

"We emphasized the issue of pilgrimage and created some sensory activities. I run a feature on the sense of smell, and the children who visit create a scent that simulates the incense that was in the Temple," he says.

 

"During the busiest hours, the features were always full, and we teach the children about history through experiential activities that help them to remember things."

 

Elsewhere in Jerusalem, more than 15,000 people visited the Botanical Gardens in Givat Ram during the festival.

 

Others enjoyed the outdoors with a hike along the Nahal Zimri nature trail in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood.

 

A butterfly rests on a flower on the Nahal Zimri nature trail (Photo: Nati Hochner)
A butterfly rests on a flower on the Nahal Zimri nature trail (Photo: Nati Hochner)

 

Nati Hochner, a resident of the neighborhood, said: "From Nahal Zimri there is an awesome, picturesque view over the Moab Mountains and the Jordan Valley, and at this time of year there are colorful flowers here, different species of birds and other animals, including deer.

 

"There is an historical-biblical story connected to the nahal, which according to researchers belonged to the tribe of Benjamin and served as an agricultural hinterland to the city during the Temple period. There are also archaeological finds here that indicate there were once water cisterns, pottery and more."

 

 

Wildlife on the Nahal Zimri nature trail (Photo: Yaakov Ben Bonan)
Wildlife on the Nahal Zimri nature trail (Photo: Yaakov Ben Bonan)

  

Inside the Old City, more than 7,000 people have packed into sites in the Jewish Quarter over the last two days, including the Burnt House, the Herodian Quarter and the Hurva Synagogue.

 

The Jewish Quarter's tourism director, Sa'ar Barkai, noted that most of the activities are free, and urged people to visit during the festival.

 

Waiting to see the lions

Tens of thousands of Israelis also took advantage of the clement weather of recent days to visit the Ramat Gan Safari Park, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

 

"We came early in the morning so as not to get stuck in the traffic jams," says Roy Nahtomi, who is there his daughter Shir and her cousins Maya and Elad.

 

"We saw monkeys, a fox and giraffes and we are waiting to see the lions," says Elad.

 

An orangutan enjoys some matzah at Ramat Gan Safari  (Photo: Moti Kimchi)
An orangutan enjoys some matzah at Ramat Gan Safari (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

 

Kobi is at the safari park with his wife, mother-in-law and two children, Roy and Ofri.

 

"We spent a lot of time in traffic jams and have just started the visit," he said. " We are hoping to see as much as possible. This is the children's holiday and we are here for them."

 

Lama from the Arab town of Baka al-Garbiyeh has also brought her two children, Yusef and Nai, to see the animals. "We make sure to come at least once a year, to freshen up and look at animals," she says.

 

"Yusef loves cats very much because we have a cat in the house, but it's good to come and learn about other animals. All the information is in Arabic and that's how we learn."

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.24.19, 18:09
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