Page 18-THE NEWS-May 1994
Travel
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Israel Travel Update: «w •* ^
Ancient Treasure Discovered Off Haifa Coast
Why is This Guide Different
From All the Other Travel Guides?
The Jewish Traveler is a world-wide guide to Jewish communities
and sights.
If you must know: where to
get a pastrami sandwich in Hong
Kong or Helsinki; the name of
the first Jew to hitch his horse
in Houston; or how to find the
old Jewish neighborhoods of
Bombay, the answers and much,
much more are listed in The
Jewish Traveler: Hadassah
Magazine’s Guide to the World’s
Jewish Communities and Sights
(Jason Aronson Inc.) edited by
Alan M, Tigay. Tigay is the
executive editor of Hadassah
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sah, the Women’s Zionist Orga
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prime minister.
Subheads like “Reading,”
“Side Trips,” “Personality,”
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ed in each chapter, distinguish
The Jewish Traveler from other
Yiddishkeit guides. For exam
ple, before traveling to Istanbul,
two novels “The Light of Day”
and “America, America,” both
set in this cosmopolitan center
of Turkey, are part of a recom
mended reading list. Readers
will come to know that in Tomb
stone, Arizona lies a Jewish
cemetery adjacent to the noto
rious Boothill Graveyard, and
while in Kenya they should say
shalom to Charles Szlapak, the
Jewish owner of The Fairview
Hotel.
Equally enjoyable for both
armchair and on-the-go travel
ers, The Jewish Traveler, can be
found in bookstores or ordered
directly from the publisher by
calling 1-800-782-0015. Publish
ers price is $30.
A hoard of 4,000 ancient
coins, weighing over 40 kilo
grams, has been discovered
several yards off the Haifa
shoreline. One of the largest and
most valuable finds anywhere in
the country, the discovery was
made by a team of Antiquities
Authorities underwater ar
chaeologists.
The coins have an inscription
with the date and place of
minting, together with a picture
of an eagle on one side, and the
Greek emperor Talmei the Sixth
portrayed on the reverse side.
The coins, or “tetradrachma,”
minted on the Greek island of
Paphos in 145 BCE, were each
worth the equivalent of $133.
This calculation is based on the
quarter of a tetradrachma per
day paid to a soldier of that time.
Archaeologists believe that
the money was being transport
ed from Egypt on a boat which
sank in a storm off the Haifa
coast.
Pninat Hamidbar —
Pearl of the Desert
A new attraction was recently
inaugurated in Ein Bokek by the
Dead Sea — a tourist center
called Pninat Hamidbar.
Shaped in the form of a shell,
the building blends into the
landscape of the area.
The complex houses in its
lower level a screening room for
audio visual presentation, where
“The Desert Experience” will be
screened. This presentation re
lates the history of the Dead Sea
area and tells about its fauna and
flora. On the same level is a
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Tetradrachma found off Haifa shoreline.
laundry facility for tourists as
well. In the central level are two
restaurants, an ice cream parlor,
a jewelry store, a spice store and
a store that sells the Ahava
cosmetic line of products based
on the Dead Sea minerals. In the
upper level is a dairy restaurant
and a viewing balcony.
The complex was built at a
cost of five million dollars
invested by a South African/
Australian group of investors.
Jerusalem’s Independence Park
To be Renovated
A major renovation is planned
for Jerusalem’s Independence
Park, located in the heart of the
city and in the vicinity of some
major hotels. The plans drawn
by the architect Shlomo Aaron-
son call for the construction of
a 3,000 seat amphitheater, as
well as new play areas, walk
ways, new landscaping and stone
sculptures. In addition, there
will be two artistic gates added
at the entrances to the park from
Nahalat Shiva and Agron Street.
The renovations are expected
to be completed by the summer
of 1995.
A Coffee Shop for All Kinds
Tel Aviv’s Cafe Nordau claims
to be the only place in Israel that
will offer its clients two separate
menus. One for regular visitors,
and one for canine visitors.
Chow for dogs comes in differ
ent varieties: for puppies, with
high energy content or regular.
Sometimes canine customers are
treated to mushroom sauce as
well. And best of all: dogs eat
free.
New Tourism Site for Eilat
Minister of Tourism Uzi Ba-
ram was a guest of Eilat’s Mayor
Gabi Kadosh during the recent
groundbreaking of a giant new
project in Eilat, a new lagoon.
This lagoon will in its initial
stage add approximately 3,600
square feet of sandy beach front
for Eilat vacationers.
Eilat, Israel’s southern most
resort town, by the Red Sea,
expects some 165,000 tourists in
the upcoming season. Eilat is the
site of many festivals, including
the Red Sea Jazz Festival, which
attracts jazz performers from
around the world and takes
place in August this year.
Allan S. Oxman, CLU, ChFC
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