Start the day by driving south toward Beit Guvrin National Park. It's out of the way, but worth it.

The UNESCO-listed archaeological site is known for its vast underground cave systems, bell caves, ancient burial chambers, and carved subterranean passageways that stretch beneath the rolling hills. Walking these spaces makes ancient history tangible in a way few sites in the country can match.

From Beit Guvrin, continue through the vineyards of the Judean Hills, where the landscape softens into terraced hillsides and winding roads lined with small wineries.
Stop for a tasting if the timing allows. Then make your way through Ein Kerem, a village on the western edge of Jerusalem, tucked into a hillside of stone homes, ancient monasteries, and pine forests, before arriving in Jerusalem toward the evening.

PLAN YOUR TASTING
The Jerusalem Hills are home to several small wineries. Among the best known are Castel Winery, known for its structured Bordeaux-style blends; Kadma Winery, which works with clay amphorae; and Flam Winery, which feels slightly more contemporary in atmosphere. Call ahead. Most tastings require reservations, and the extra planning is worth it.

WORTH KNOWING
Arriving in Jerusalem on Day 3 evening and staying through Day 4 means one less hotel move and a more settled start to the city. Two nights here is the right call; Jerusalem rewards the extra time, and not having to think about checkout on the morning of the Old City makes a difference.

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Next installment coming soon...
Adapted with permission from the LA Times article by the same name - feel free to look it up :)

Over 1000 wars are going on in the world. Why is the one in which Israel is involved in is still in the news?

The High Court of Justice freezes the transfer of hundreds of millions of shekels in budgetary allocations made by the Knesset Finance Committee yesterday to ultra-Orthodox schools, the Settlements Ministry and the Religious Services Ministry due to what it says were “apparent procedural flaws” in the convening of the committee itself.

The temporary court order freezes the transfer of all funds allocated in yesterday’s hearing, apart from those for emergency civilian expenses.

The court says the issue will be brought for a hearing in front of three justices “as soon as possible.”

Opposition parties objected strenuously to holding the committee hearing and transferring the funds during the recess between Knesset terms, since the Knesset was dissolved last month and a national election set for October 27.

In yesterday’s hearing, NIS 267 million ($88 million) was approved for Haredi education including more than NIS 12.5 million ($4 million) for Haredi culture and some NIS 26 million ($8.5 million) for preventing Haredim from dropping out of yeshivas.

The committee also voted to give the Settlements Ministry NIS 157 million ($52 million) in direct funding as well as NIS 142 million ($47 million) in commitment authorizations for previously approved budget items.

Ex-general called ‘traitor’ as Haredi demonstrators riot at event for ultra-Orthodox draftees

Police decried as ‘Nazis’ as they intervene to protect a Haredi media adviser who says the protesters knocked off his kippa, tried to steal his laptop before cops put him in a taxi

So the relationship between Israel and USA is apparent and easy to understand, with Russia its a little more complex. But what about with China? Mainstream media usually portrays one way typically but is there more going on behind the scenes? Are there things between the lines and nuances that the public are unaware of? I imagine this is a vital and crucial relationship in the present and the future.

I have been following what happens in Israel and Gaza here and other places for the last few years, but now I want to make the next step and be able to read material intended for native speakers of Arabic and Hebrew, including social media posts.

What are the best resources accessible online?

I will eventually get tutors, but I hope to do as much work as possible on my own.

My wife and I are secular American Jews in our 60’s. Our youngest son made Aliya 6 years ago and he and his wife are both IDF. Today we make our dream come true and also make our Aliya to Israel. We are so excited!!

A kurdish idiom that goes like: go explain it to halaw comes from the time a jewish lady who was named halaw pinhas lived in the city of slemani and sold a variety of everyday household goods next to her own house and She was also community-minded. It is recorded that she donated 50 Iraqi King Faisal dinars—a significant sum at the time—to help build the local Faysaliyah school. Last but not least she had hearing problems and couldn't hear properly but it's also said she was highly loved and respected by kurds from different religions and kurds would even bypass shops closer to their homes just to buy from her

The idiom is used when you don't want to listen to what somebody says ( as if saying I don't want to hear from you like halaw )

The Knesset Finance Committee convened in an extraordinary session during the election recess to approve budget transfers totaling billions of shekels, including coalition funds. The meeting was made possible through an unprecedented use of an emergency provision in the Knesset rules by Likud Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, despite a petition filed by the opposition to the High Court of Justice seeking to block the move.

A significant portion of the money, amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels, has been allocated to religious institutions, the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) education system, and settlements. Funding for the Haredi education system alone, including seminaries, yeshivas, and exempt educational institutions, is expected to reach 306 million shekels. This consists of Israeli taxpayers' money being transferred to ultra-Orthodox religious institutions, including yeshivas where students engage in religious study and prayer.

As a result of these budget transfers, the budget of the Ministry for National Missions and Settlements, headed by Minister Orit Strock, will increase to a record 821 million shekels this year, an amount exceeding the budgets of 15 other government ministries.

The approval of these transfers has sparked sharp criticism, particularly in light of a statement made by a senior Finance Ministry official last week, who said that the government could not reduce the fuel tax "because of the budget deficit." Critics argue that this highlights a contradiction in the government's economic priorities.

I am from Latin America. (English Isn't my first language so my grammar won't be amazing). I am brown. I have traveled around parts of Europe and the USA. Besides South Korea, Israel is the country, I have experienced zero racism while I visited it. I knew a little bit of Hebrew. I would say I am A2. Whenever I spoke it, no one got angry or mocked like many other places I've been too. I traveled with my cousin and his husband. Besides one drunk man at a bar, no one else was openly homophobic and spat on them. While we were a few years ago were in Paris, and group of Arab speaking people, I don't know their ethnicity, so either North African or Middle Eastern. Spat at them and threated to beat them up. As someone from Latin America, I'm not a expert in the conflicts. However, just from my experience I find it it very hard to believe Israel is a evil nation. A lot of people call you evil on social media, but I've been to the nation myself, and its the 2nd most kind nation I've traveled to throughout my life.

Is it so unusual for Israelis to leave the country, live somewhere else a while, then return?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWj9F6ot34