creative jewish mom

Lake Ram, A Crater Lake In The Shadow of Mount Hermon, Israel

On our 3 night vacation just before Passover, we explored so many beautiful spots in the Golan Heights in Northern Israel. One such spot that I'd never even heard of is Lake Ram, a crater lake in the shadow of Mount Hermon, and in the middle of a Druze village. With pick your own cherries orchards right next to the lake, and the cherry trees in bloom, it was a stunning destination and truly different from any place we've been in Israel. And of course with a bit of snow still on the peak of Mount Hermon, wow, it was magical! Okay, lets take a closer look!

Stunning Views From The Car On A Golan Heights Road Trip

Imagine seeing a snow capped Mount Hermon as you are driving down the road? Yes my friends, that was in fact the case on our road trip across the Golan Heights just before Passover, and there were so many great sights from the car window that I just had to share them with you! This was new territory for us, more or less, so it was also really exciting to be not all that far from home and yet see things that were totally different from anywhere else we've been in Israel. And in case you are wondering, spring is hands down the best time to visit Israel and especially Northern Israel, to experience the green hills, a bounty of wild flowers and blooming trees! Okay, lets take a little ride, shall we?

A Walk To See The Stunning Hilltop Views From Moshav Keshet, Israel

A stunning snow-topped mountain with a lovely pond and blooming fruit trees in the foreground, mingling with rolling green hills? It doesn't get much better than that, especially on a cool spring day with blue skies! A few weeks ago we were able to work really hard preparing the house for Passover and take a 3 night vacation for shabbos HaGadol, the shabbos before Passover. We choose Moshav Keshet in the Golan Heights, as a newish neighbor of ours had lived there for 30 years and it was totally unfamiliar to us. And wow, what an amazing location and change of scenery just an hour or so drive from home. The red bud trees were blooming on the moshav, and you can see that here, and we even discovered a very rare wild iris here, and enjoyed cyclamen (a flower native to Israel) blooming everywhere, here. And now I'd like to share with you some of the stunning views from a bunker hill just above our vacation rental......a hill that I climbed twice as I just had to make sure that all the family members got to experience it! Okay, join me, will you?

We Spotted The Rare Golan Iris, In The Golan!

On Shabbat HaGadol we spent a glorious three nights at a Moshav in the Golan called Keshet. The weather was spectacular and the walks just outside our door were wonderful and so very inspiring as this was an area of Israel with which we were not really acquainted, though it is just an hour's drive from our home further west. On Friday while some family members hung out and read, my daughter and I took a walk up to a lookout point with views of the Moshav and also a stunning peak at Mount Hermon with snow, the volcanic mountain of Mount Peres and so much more. It was so glorious I just had to go again, this time with husband and one of my sons (the other son found it himself on a shabbat walk) and I enjoyed it just as much the second time.

On our way down from the top, I suddenly spotted a large flower amidst the tall grasses and plants and gasp, it was an Iris! Of course I oohed and awed and only once at home did I discover that this particular orchid, the Golan iris (Iris hermona) is quite rare, so was indeed quite special, and so happy to share it with you. Want to learn more, keep on reading......

Cyclamen Bloom In The Golan Heights!

This past week we spent three nights in a lovely Moshav (agricultural community) by the name of Keshet, and wow, all the flowers in bloom made our stay even more lovely. Many of the stone walls were home to bunches of cyclamen in bloom, and while they may have been planted and are not wild, some definately did look exactly like the cyclamen I've seen growing between rocks in my area. Cyclamen in native to Israel, which is so very special! I'm in a rush to finish all the Passover prep, so enjoy my photos and if you want to know more about visiting Keshet, simply drop me a line or leave a comment. Okay, lets take a look at cyclamen and more cyclamen.......

Judas Tree Blooms In Keshet, Israel

One of my greatest pleasures when spring comes to Northern Israel are the abundance of flowering wildflowers, bushes and trees, in addition to orchards full of fruit trees! The Judas Tree, or Red Bud tree, or in hebrew klil hahoresh blooms with bright pink flowers and native trees dot the landscape with pops of color that are just so very beautiful. While the tree is a native here, of course some are planted in residential areas and in city parks as they are quite simply stunning. After working for a good week cleaning our home for Passover we took a 3 day break to explore the Golan Heights, spending shabbat and our nights in a special spot called Moshav Keshet, which I highly recommend. The weather was chilly and sunny, perfect for local nature walks and there were so many beautiful things to see, which I'll be sharing with you here! But first, a look at my beloved Judas Tree, now in bloom in Keshet! And then take a look at my previous post from 2018 to see some lovely up close shots of the flowers, here. 

Ah yes, and if you'd like to read more about our abundance of wonderful native plants, take a look at all the posts in the category called Native Plants of Israel.

A Trip To The Orthodontist In The Golan Heights!

A view of the top of the Kinneret (Lake Tiberius) from Moshav Ramot, Western Golan Heights

Who would have thought that a visit to the orthodontist would mean getting acquainted with a gorgeous moshav on the western border of the Golan Heights? Not me. Don't orthodontists see patients in city offices? Here in Israel, one should always expect the unexpected, including getting care from a top notch city orthodontist who happens to see patients once a week in the Golan Heights, lucky for us! Now we don't live in the Golan heights by any means, and its an hours drive from our home, but I have to say, going to the orthodontist is going to be a great way to get to know a region of the country that we have yet to explore. Sometimes crooked teeth and even an underbite which requires attention from the age of eight, can also include good things. Sigh.