‘Nothing has changed in the Israel you love so much’
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

‘Nothing has changed in the Israel you love so much’

Tourism minister welcomes 300 people to Israel Experience event in Mill Hill

Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing

Benji Brofman and Haim Katz
Benji Brofman and Haim Katz

More than 300 people ate, drank and were very merry at a special event at Mill Hill United Synagogue on Wednesday evening. The Israel Engagement Hub (IEH), together with the Israeli Government Tourist Office, created an Israel Experience evening to do just that – enable us to “experience the magical Israel”, said IEH founder Orli Lang in an address.

Designed to correspond with the Minister of Tourism Haim Katz’s visit to London (to attend World Travel Market), the evening was shaped as a mini-expo to remind people of the special magic of travel to Israel.

Leagold Insurance was there to offer a solution to anyone wanting to go but struggling to get cover. There was Israeli food, whisky from M&H distillery and a wide selection of wines from Kedem, plus exhibition stands from all the major travel regions of Israel – Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tiberieas, Eilat and Akko. Representatives shared what each region has to offer and were open to chatting about how things are. Their resilience, positivity and energy are palpable and they want us to come back.

Attendees watched graffiti artist Benzi Brofman in action creating an ‘Israel wall’. And all the while there was joyful music from from Israeli musicians Yagel and Uriah Haroush, who brought the evening to a rousing close with Am Yisrael Chai and the Hatikvah.

Minister of Tourism Haim Katz said: “We wanted to bring you the rich, colourful Israeli experience I’m sure you’ve all missed. Nothing has changed in the Israel you love so much. Since the beginning of the year 900,000 tourists from all over the world have entered Israel, each one bringing a tremendous boost to society and the economy –  I see all of you as ambassadors of Israel and call on those who have visited in the last year to share your experiences with the Jewish community.

“Currently the reality is dynamic and may provoke concern… but please just postpone, don’t cancel your plans and come when possible.”

“It’s no coincidence that we held this event in the week we read about God’s promise to gift the land of Israel to the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Schochet, co-founder of the IEH.

“We must consider going back to savour the splendour of our country once again. Tourism is integral to Israel and the experience is unforgettable, the vibrancy of a place unlike any other.”

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: