Gallup Poll: Israelis are the happiest people in Asia, and 8th in the world

August 15th, 2010

A poll published in Forbes magazine shows that Israelis feel a sense of well-being to a degree rivaled by few other peoples in the world. Only the Scandinavians, their senses perhaps distorted by seasonal extremes of daylight, have a more cheery self-perception.

The Gallup poll ranked 155 countries on their inhabitants’ sense of well-being, based on in-person and phone surveys. The in-depth poll was conducted between 2005 and 2009, and measured two types of well-being. First pollsters asked subjects to reflect on their overall satisfaction with their lives, and ranked their answers using a “life evaluation” score from 1 to 10. Then they asked questions about how each subject had felt the previous day. Those answers allowed researchers to score their “daily experiences”–things like whether they felt well-rested, respected, free of pain and intellectually engaged. Subjects who reported high scores were considered “thriving.”

The poll showed that 62 percent of Israelis believe that they’re “thriving” — tying the Jewish State with Australia, Canada, and Switzerland and well ahead of fellow human beings in the United States and the United Kingdom.

1 Denmark 82
2 Finland 75
3 Norway 69
4 Sweden 68
4 Netherlands 68
6 Costa Rica 63
6 New Zealand 63
8 Canada 62
8 Israel 62
8 Australia 62
8 Switzerland 62
12 Panama 58
12 Brazil 58
14 United States 57
14 Austria 57
16 Belgium 56
17 United Kingdom 54


More on the report in Forbes.

Is Israel the new hot destination for Japanese tourists?

August 2nd, 2010

Guide on Israel has become one of Japan’s most popular travel books.
Are Japanese tourists making Israel their destination of choice? If Japan sales of a “tourist bible” on Israel are anything to go by, then the answer is yes.

In recent years, Israel has seen a marked increase in tourism from East Asia, including Japan, China and Korea. In 2008, some 135,000 visitors from East Asia arrived in Israel, an increase of 20 percent from the year before.

Recognizing this trend, the publishers of Japan’s largest travel guide added Israel to the popular Globetrotter series. The new guide book quickly climbed to second place on the company’s best-seller list of guide books by country.

Most Japanese tourists traveling independently view the Globetrotter series as the “tourist Bible” - using it for hotel and restaurant recommendations, and even for shopping in recommended stores.

As a result of the book’s success, a translation will be published in Korean by the end of the year.

Israel’s Top 10 Export Chains

April 8th, 2010


Diversifying from the Jaffa orange, Israel’s export market is booming. From chips for Intel to underwear for the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Marks & Spencer and Calvin Klein, to a host of popular chains, the best of Israel is being appreciated across the globe. 

Read a great top 10 list of Israel Export Chains here: http://israel21c.org/201004017823/culture/gotta-think-global-israels-top-10-export-chains

Featured on the list are celebrity favs such as Laline, the beauty product chain, Castro, the international fashion brand and Aroma, Israel’s leading coffee chain.  Find one of these chains near you or take an Israel tour and see them first hand.

Innovative Airport Security In Israel

April 6th, 2010


When it comes to security, Israel are undoubtedly amongst the world’s leaders, renowned for innovative, proactive solutions. As airports across the globe face criticism for reactive security measures (checking shoes of all passengers after a hijacking attempt was made), Israel shares their top 10 technologies to fight terror in this must-read article: http://israel21c.org/201003157781/technology/sraels-top-10-airport-security-technologies .

 

Most notable include the WeCU system and the Suspect Detection system, both of which blends high-tech with psychology to nab suspects, and to the relief of flyers everywhere, the MagShoe, which scans shoes without the need for them to be removed.

The Traditional Israeli Breakfast

April 6th, 2010

Taking an Israel Tour has several advantages, one of them being Israel’s culinary excellence. Israel’s traditional breakfast is scrumptious and created from fresh vegetables and produce. The most important component of an Israeli breakfast is the Israeli salad. This healthy salad is comprised of tomatoes, Israeli seedless cucumbers, red onions and bell peppers. Many cafes in Israel serve breakfast late in the day and offer several different versions of the traditional breakfast.

 

Get recipes here: http://www.isrealli.org/the-israeli-breakfast-colorful-wholesome-and-delicious-2/

A Historic Must See During Your Next Trip to Cairo

March 24th, 2010

In addition the splendors of Egypt, there is now yet another reason to take a tour to Cairo. The historic Maimonides’ synagogue in the ancient Jewish quarter has been reopened after two years of restorations.

The synagogue, known in Egypt by its Arabic name of Musa bin Maymun, is named after the 12th century Jewish scholar, philosopher and physician. Maimonides was born in Cordoba, Spain, in 1135 and fled from persecution to Egypt where he died in 1204.

Read more here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3859474,00.html

For more information on our guaranteed tours of Egypt and Jordan, call 800-223-3855.

Gil Travel Announce ELAL Special Family Rates for Israel Tours

March 11th, 2010

Gil Travel announce special deals for families planning to vacation in Israel this summer with ELAL special family rates.

“An Israel family vacation presents an exciting opportunity for children and teens to learn about their culture and history,” reports Iris Hami, Vice-President of Gil Travel. “Our goal is to present the information in a way that is interactive and fun for children. In fact, we make a strong effort to match each guide with the type of people on a particular tour, in order to find the guide that is most suitable to each group’s age range and interests.”

 

Recommended education adventures for the whole family to enjoy during an Israel Tour include:

·         A donkey ride at Kfar Kedem, where travelers can actually hitch a plow to one of the donkeys and work the land or put their shoulder to the wheel of an ancient grindstone to prepare the whole-grain flour.

·         A jeep ride up the Golan Heights, one of Israel’s most beautiful and controversial regions.

·         A chance to pet the kangaroos at Gan Guru.

·         A swim in the Gan Hashlosha water springs.

·         A trip to the new Jerusalem Zoo and Wohl Archeological Center

·         A (surprisingly affordable) plane ride over the Dead Sea.

·         Bike riding in the Hula Valley

 For additional details on the ELAL family rates or for help planning your summer Israel vacation, please call Gil Travel at 800-223-3855.

Gil Travel Organizes Christian Israel Tour For Pentecostal Church & General Bishop Charles Scott

March 11th, 2010

Gil Travel recently organized a Christian Israel tour for a group of 130 pastors and their spouses led by General Bishop Charles Scott of the Pentecostal Church of God International.

The trip was part of the Eagles’ Wings “Watchmen on the Wall” program to educate the Christian community about supporting Israel. 

Gil Travel coordinated Israel travel plans for the group which included meeting with Israeli government officials, taking a tour of the country and presenting a prayer covenant to Knesset on behalf of the 4,700 Pentecostal Churches worldwide.

“This educational mission marked the Pentecostal Church’s first official solidarity mission to Israel and the first Christian Israel tour led by Bishop Scott,” reports Iris Hami, Vice-President of Gil Travel.  “Gil Travel was careful to ensure that every detail, from departure to return, was strategically arranged to provide a rewarding and memorable experience for the entire group.”

Gil Travel operates weekly guaranteed Christian Israel tours from Sunday to Sunday.  For more information about Holy Land tours, Jewish Heritage Travel, or Non-denominational tours of Egypt, Jordan and Europe, please call 1-800-223-3855 or visit http://www.giltravel.com.

Mahane Yehuda: A Tour of the Middle Eastern Market

March 18th, 2009

One of the greatest joys of being in the Middle East is the fantastic food. While there are supermarkets spread across Israel that could handle all of your shopping needs, it’s so much more fun to go to the shuk!

The most famous shuk in Israel is Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem. This open-air farmer’s market is full of noise, color, and flavors floating in the air. It is the ultimate sensory experience. Yalla, let’s go take a quick visual trip of this vibrant shopping locale…

The first place your nose will draw you to is the Marzipan bakery on the Agripas Street side of the market. You will not only fall in love with the smell of the freshly baked chocolate rugelach, you will not be able to stop popping them into your mouth! Take a look at the wonderful treats the bakery has to offer:

You can also pick up some great middle eastern breads at a few more stands throughout the shuk. The one I always go to (pictured below) is near the middle of the main street of Mahane Yehuda itself:

Another essential stop in the shuk is at Uzi Eli’s stand with freshly made spreads, sauces, and drinks made from the best of herbs and other ingredients available. You must try their samples of the green Yemenite schug and the hilbeh. To drink, try the Rambam mix for a little sweet almond taste of health.

The Jerusalem etrog medicine man (above, center) and his natural, delicious salads with medicinal properties (below).

Pick up some fish to grill, broil, or pan fry. You can make a delicious Moroccan or Yemenite style fish, or just throw it on the barbecue if you want to create a traditional Israeli summer meal.

There are plenty of shops that offer one of the more famous local ingredients, olives. Choose from Moroccan Black olives, large Stuffed Green olives, and more. They will also sell various pickled vegetables on the side, such as pickled eggplant and cucumbers.

Check out the colorful spices that are the staples of any great local dish.

Of course, the star items at the shuk are none other than the gorgeous, local farm grown fruits and vegetables.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go out and get some great deals at the Mahane Yehuda shuk. Try the following recipe for a yummy shuk-inspired refreshing lunch.

The Shuk Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of baby field greens
  • 1 bunch of mint, finely chopped
  • 1/2 kilo (approx. 1 lb) of strawberries, stemmed and halved
  • 2 cucumbers, chopped
  • juice from 3 lemons (save the peel for zest)
  • 1/4 kilo (approx. 1/2 lb) of candied pecans, crushed
  • 1/4 kilo (approx. 1/2 lb) of feta or bulgarian cheese, crumbled
  • pure olive oil
  • za’atar seasoning

Method:

Rinse all vegetables and fruit before preparation. Pat dry. Toss the first five ingredients together in a large bowl. Place the candied pecans inside of a paper bag and crush. Add the pecans and crumbled cheese into the salad mix. Add the olive oil and za’atar, to taste, and toss again. Serve and enjoy. Beteavon!

The Generations Center, Western Wall, Jerusalem

March 16th, 2009

The permanent exhibit called “The Generations Center” open to the public near the Western Wall, documents the history of the Jewish people from Biblical times until the present. The Center was established under the auspices of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation with the help of generous benefactors who sponsored the project.  The project, which received the prestigious THEA award from the Disney Company in 2008, extends down into the catacombs at the edge of the Kotel (or Western Wall) in Jerusalem. This impressive site, which incorporates ancient and modern Jewish history, includes an elaborate audiovisual show, and nine magnificent glass sculptures created using the unique artistic talents of Jeremy Langford.  Read the rest of this entry »