creative jewish mom

A Vacation Rental Under The Grape Vine In Kibbutz Harduf

This past summer we has the great pleasure of, once again, enjoying another successful airbnb vacation rental. I will say that I really do my homework before reserving, and this really pays off. Renting someone's personal home is always a bit of a risk, and can be strange, but in this case the home was clean, the bathrooms and kitchens spotless, and we loved the overall feel. You can check out this rental on Kibbutz Harduf here,

My goal was to explore something new, and really feel like we had stepped into another world, while only an hour or so from home, and this rental did just that! Not to mention that the house was full of waldorf style crafts, which I will be sharing with you, and that the kibbutz itself has stunning views, is wonderful for walking and the people were very friendly! Okay, lets take a closer look!

A Visit To Kibbutz Harduf, In The Lower Western Galil, Israel

This past summer in place of traveling to the USA we stayed put in Israel, so I tried to find some vacation destinations that would feel like a totally new experience, though only an hour's drive away from our home! We totally lucked out with our first location, Kibbutz Harduf, which is not far from Kiryat Ata, which is north of Haifa. While the kibbutz no longer operates as it once did, this kibbutz happens to be quite dedicated to their communal mission which includes providing loving communal living for disabled adults as well as foster children. The market on the kibbutz is organic, and the folks I believe are mostly vegetarian if not vegan. The view from our rental was stunning, and I enjoyed walking the loop around the kibbutz and taking it all in. I have already shared a visit to the Tzippori River promenade, here, flowers of Harduf, here, the stunning variegated bougainvillia, here, lovely coral vine in Harduf, here, the views of Harduf here, and some wonderful mosaics in Harduf, here. Now, for a wider view! Won't you come along?

Stunning Views From Kibbutz Harduf In The Galil

This past August we had the great pleasure of a 3 night stay on a kibbutz in the southwestern Galil, by the name of Kibbutz Harduf. I chose it because, well we'd never been to that area, and I was craving mountain views, something new, and within an hour's drive from our house. The vacation rental was on the edge of the kibbutz, meaning it felt like we were in the middle of nature. Here are just a few photos of the views from the rental and on the dirt road just below the rental. The view is looking West towards Haifa unless otherwise indicated. Enjoy, and consider exploring parts of Israel that you've never heard of, there are so many delights!

Stunning Coral Vine With Tiny Pink Blooms In Harduf, Israel

This past summer we has the great pleasure of a three night stay on Kibbutz Harduf, (more about that soon) in the Southwestern corner of the Galil, and I saw a lovely vine with tiny flowers that I did not recognize. Fast forward, today I finally had to chance to do a bit of research to find out just what this charming plant is, and yes, it is called Coral Vine! It is not native to Israel, but rather Mexico, and it clearly loves the climate in Harduf.

Coral vines have beautiful heart shaped leaves and delicate flowers, and they are often used grown along a trellis, arbor or stone wall as their growth habit easily covers them with vines. And when in bloom they attract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees! It is a tropical plant, so don't know if I can give it a try, (we have winters that get down to freezing) but I just might have to if I find it at the nursery.

Before you fall in love with this plant, it is important to note that the vine spreads very easily by wind, water, and through dispersal of animal fecal matter. Coral vine patches are known to pop up far and wide, and their growth pattern can smother other plant species. This explains why they are considered in category 2 as an invasive exotic species by Florida's Pest Plant Council. So keep this in mind and lets learn more!

Views Of The Kinnerest And Har Arbel From Hararit

This past August during our 3 week summer vacation, we had the great pleasure of exploring some stunning mountainous areas in the lower Galil, under an hour's drive from our home, and yet new to us. One of my favorite locations was a community called Hararit, where there are stunning mountian views on two sides of the mountain peak top location as well as a lovely view of Lake Tiberius (the Kinneret) and Mt. Arbel, another favorite location. Hararit is located on the Netofa mountain range, which is parallel to the Meron mountain range, the end of which we see from our home. So friends, enjoy my photos and think about visiting this amazing location yourself someday.......ask me about it if you like!

A Visit To The Yodfat Monkey Forest

This past August, when I realized that the historic site of Yodfat (written about here) as well as The Monkey Forest of Yodfat were just a 20 minute mountain-ridge drive away, well we just had to check it out! My husband and I and three very grown up teens visited the Monkey Forest, and while it is certainly geared towards younger children we actually had a nice time and it felt good to support their work as a refuge sight for monkeys that no longer fit into the zoo scenario for whatever reason.

The Yodfat Monkey Forest is a 10-acre wildlife refuge situated in the natural oak forest of Moshav Yodfat. The Yodfat Monkey Forest has harbored a troop of squirrel monkeys since 1976, as well as rescuing and providing a life-long home for animals that have been subjected to deprivation or neglect. Their goal is to provide the animals a life of dignity and respect and instill a love of wildlife and nature in our visitors. So friends, plan a day in Yodfat, and be sure to visit the monkeys! The most memorable part of the visit may not be the alpaca with the crooked tooth, but rather the squirrel monkeys whose giant cage you walk into, and whom you can feed worms purchased on site. The monkeys come quite close to take the food from your hand, which is certainly exciting! Okay, lets take a look.......

A Visit To Ancient Yodfat, Galil Israel

This past August we had the pleasure of visiting the ancient city of Yodfat, located in the south west Galil, in Northern Israel. It is true, most of the family actually stayed in the car, but one of my sons did venture out into the hot afternoon sun with me to briefly check out this very important historic site. I do hope to return another time to explore the many trails, as it is certainly a lovely spot worth exploring.

Yodfat is famous for the siege of Yodfat, a 47-day siege by Roman forces of the Jewish town of Yodfat which took place in 67 CE, during the Great Revolt. Led by Roman General Vespasian and his son Titus, both future emperors, the siege ended with the sacking of the town, the deaths of most of its inhabitants and the enslavement of the rest. It was the second bloodiest battle of the revolt, surpassed only by the Siege of Jerusalem, and the longest except for Jerusalem and Masada. The siege was chronicled by Josephus, who had personally commanded the Jewish forces at Yodfat and was subsequently captured by the Romans.

We took the short walk out on a paved path, to see some of the excavated site, and this is what we saw, care to join me?

The Gravesite Of Rebbi Matya Ben Charash

I wish  I could tell you that all the holy gravesites of our great sages were wonderfully taken care of and a visual delight, but sigh, that is not always the case, and more often than not I am just grateful that the location still exists and we have access to it, amidst all the challenges our tiny country faces!  And in this case, that sage happens to be buried in a location that years later became an Arab village by the name of Eilabun, so while fenced off and somewhat well known, it is not exactly a hot spot for visitors. Fortunately unlike some instances one does not have to enter the village, rather the gravesite is actually across the highway and above an aquaduct, which explains all the fencing, just in case someone might think it is a great place to swim.....it is not. But this gravesite is a great place to pray for miracles, so of course we put our aesthetic needs aside and got to work! (When we found ourselves in the Lower Galilee not so far away, we decided to have a little adventure! ) As it turns out, there was another family there as well, so together we perched on the side of the hill on the hot summer day, and some of us lit candle after candle as is customary to do. If you are interested in that, just look it up! Okay, lets take a look!

A Visit to Mount Turan In The Lower Galilee, Northern Israel

A week ago my husband, daughter and I went away for Shabbos, a last goodbye to summer, and another opportunity to explore places we've never been. I rented a small "tzimmer" in the village of Mitzpe Netofa, just a 40 minute drive from home, and when we arrived I could not help but notice cars climbing the small mountain which comprised our view. So, while there was still time before shabbat, we took a drive to the top of Mount Turan, and enjoyed stunning views and a new to us place! It turns out that there are hiking trails and biking trails, so keep that in mind, and the road itself has been recently renovated and you can learn about the different approaches here. We took the route that starts just before the gate to Mitzpe Netofa, but I now realize there are several ways to get to Mount Turan, so maybe next time we'll try a different route! The Mount Turan Scenic Route has been somewhat recently paved in large sections, rendering it accessible to vehicles, and worth a visit as the route provides a wonderful view of the stunning landscapes of the Lower Galilee. Keep on reading for more info and lots of photos.....

Stunning Texas Sage, Or Cenizo, Blooms In Northern Israel

The world of horticulture is truly fascinating, and I am always interested in the names of plants and their origin, because sometimes it is quite surprising, as is the case here! I would never have thought that this stunning blooming bush was actually a native of Texas and Mexico, but yes indeed! Wonderful species make their way around the world, which has been the case since the earliest ships left Europe for distant lands and returned with specimens! This past August during our second week of vacation we stayed in an amazing mountaintop community called Hararit, and then visited a neighboring community called Yodfat, and in both locations I saw this stunning bush in bloom, and now I have to have some myself. Just now as I was trying to identify the bush I learned that it is called Texas sage, Leucophyllum frutescens, though I'll have to find out what it is called in hebrew (just as soon as Rosh HaShana is over and we can return to gardening.) Keep on reading for a bit of info I've collected and to see close up photos of the gorgeous silver-ish leaves.