Eleven things you should be aware of before visiting Israel 2023

Transportation, clothing, weather, and whether or not the country is expensive or affordable. Yet with that said, you can make any country affordable if you want. 

So that should never deter anyone from visiting a country. I have seen some of the most expensive countries in the world and did not break the bank.

So a few of these things on the list I did research but got the wrong information when I looked online, so I would like to give you my thoughts on what to know before visiting; it is not a complete, in-depth, detailed list, but it is good to know but not the gospel.

What to know before visiting Israel.

Shabbat

Shabbat falls on Friday afternoons and lasts until sundown on Saturday nights. Which means anything Jewish ran will be closed. When I was in Jerusalem on Shabbat, it was like a ghost town in the Jewish part of town. 

However, the Muslim section is still open. So I ate and shopped at Muslim ran establishments; however, the buses were closed, but you could take a taxi.

Israel is still a country at war.

Being from the US, we hear this, but do we really grasp the gravity of the statement? 

Before I left for Israel, I looked into this, and it said the war was mainly in a few areas, and as long as you avoid those parts of town, you are fine. 

Then I read a thread, and some girl wrote, you have to understand the country is in an active war; sometimes the planes are rerouted due to missiles. So I thought it would be in certain areas, and it wasn't.

When I was there, the attack on Jenin happened, we heard bombings in the middle of the night, and those on the farm also told me they heard gunshots frequently. 

I was a 20-minute drive from the activity, and the next day the town was full of soldiers. The Israelis on the farm said it is part of life in Israel, and yes, most who visit do not understand what it is like to live in an active war zone.

Also, while I was there, an attack happened in Tel Aviv; a man drove his car into a coffee shop (pretty sure one I went to previously), got out, and started stabbing people. A civilian took him down. 

So a country at war is something we should not be naive about, which brings me to the next topic.

Soldiers carry guns everywhere, including on the train, buses, and walking around.

Everywhere you go, from stepping off the plane until the moment you leave the country, you will see soldiers. 

You will see them waiting for a bus with their guns; they are big guns, not just a pistol on their waist. Plus, they look like kids since most join the army at 18. 

Even being there for almost two months, it still never got normal to me, and one of the girls on the farm said

 ¨we forget that most countries do not have soldiers with guns walking around; it has become so normal to us¨.

RavKav or Moovit app.

If you are planning on taking any form of public transportation, you must have one of these. 

I chose the RavKav as you can buy it at the airport, and it is easy to use. You can even add money at Atm's in Jerusalem and all over the country. I ran into a few people who did not have one, and the bus driver kicked them off the bus; you cannot pay with cash and must use your card or Moovit app. 

Typically you have to buy them at a bus station, not a bus stop, and I always added the minimum 30 shekels and refilled them when needed. Supplying them is more straightforward than finding the card to buy, so at the airport, buy it just in case.

Do you have to be religious to visit Israel?

I have met many Israelis traveling, and they had all told me no, but it's Israel; I wasn't sure. So the answer is absolutely not. 

I enjoy visiting religious sites of any type, but I am not religious and do not believe in organized religion. I can visit and respect their choice, but it is not my belief or preference to follow that path.

I feel that so many things are destroyed by religion; what makes one God better than the other? What makes one version of the bible better?

Trance, Psychedelics, and drugs.

In Israel, you can find anything; I mean anything. I went to a trance psychedelic day party; half were on something, and I was shocked. An Israeli told me that Israel is the mecca of psychedelic trance.

A friend told me she thinks there are so many drugs due to PTSD of growing up in a war state. That may be true. 

You can also find anything you want, including a community to live in, cocaine, and a Wim Hoff retreat; it is fascinating how much is happening.

The farm I worked on hosted retreats every weekend, and they did yoga, meditation, aerial yoga, bio dance, and anything that many call ¨hippy dippy¨; naturally, I love that side of Israel, a place you can be yourself and find others who are similar.

Amazing.

The weather.

I had one word for the weather when I was there, HOT. Yes, I was there in the summer, and it is the middle east; what did I expect? 

However, the heat is so much different than what I am used to, I can't even explain it, but when the wind blows, it blows hot air, the heat just is there, the sun is bright, and everything is dry and feels like it needs a good dusting.

I hear the winter is cold and rainy; I would have to go back to talk about that, as I doubt it gets below 30 in Israel, maybe 25?

Israelis are inventors.

On the farm, we grew cherry tomatoes and had a drip system. I was informed of both Israeli creations; who knew? Well, now you.

What type of clothing do I need?

I read everywhere that to be in Israel; I would have to be covered from head to toe. It was a lie. 

You can wear whatever you want, especially in Tel Aviv. It is a modern, advancing country with pockets of religious areas. So if you go into a sacred space or holy site, yes, you must cover your arms, legs, and head, but that is it. 

You will see anything from crop tops to booty shorts in the rest of the country. I saw a lady walking around in a bikini top once; anything goes unless you are in the ultra-religious zones.

So those online who are telling you differently have either never gone or did not go to the right places. 

Side note you can buy affordable long skirts, shirts, and scarfs in Israel, so buy them there and save space to pack hummus to bring home. 

Pass the outfit on to a fellow traveler; I had two long shirts and wore jeans; anytime I was entering a holy site, I bought nothing new.

The weekday starts on Sunday.

After working on the farm for three weeks, it still felt weird that our workday started on Sunday. Even one of the girls asked me:

 ¨is it weird to start on a Sunday ¨, I said ¨yes¨

It also messed my entire week up; I kept thinking it was a day sooner; I guess it takes longer than three weeks to get used to it. Since I was raised, Sunday is God's day. Years of unlearning does not happen in three weeks.

Food, kosher, vegan, vegetarian, fruits and veggies all over.

In my first post on Israel, I complained that I could not find fruits and veggies; apparently, I was blind. 

They eat vegetables and salad for breakfast. Staying on the farm, I never ate so many veggies, and many Israelis are vegetarian. You can find vegan and vegetarian food anywhere. 

A falafel, for example, is fantastic; as I type this, I miss the food in Israel. It was fresh, healthy, and so good. Plus, no toxins are used on the vegetables; at least, where I was, other places are different.

However, you may not find cheese with meat, such as a cheeseburger. I didn't look that hard; I usually eat as little dairy as possible, which was so easy in Israel.

Kosher food is found in Kosher restaurants, but most people do not eat pork or shellfish. Yet to have certified Kosher, you must go to a certified Kosher restaurant or an authorized Kosher grocery store. 

It is not a blanket statement that all Jewish food is Kosher, as I watched a video online of someone stating that it's all Kosher.

When I worked at Cedars Hospital, we even had a Kosher kitchen; plus, being Jewish, my grandparents had Kosher friends.

There is even a Kosher Mcdonald's at the airport.

I learned to appreciate it after being in Israel for almost two months. Initially, I did not like the country; however, it is a place that you must warm up to. 

Israelis are direct, and sometimes if we do not come from a similar culture, we see it as rude, yet it is not. It is how they are, just like some of us from the US beat around the bush so much that when someone is direct, it catches us off guard. 

Also, there could not be two opposite cultures going from Colombia to Israel.

It is a place of extreme kindness and ingenuity, as I have witnessed multiple times. However, I sometimes felt like it was similar to the US; even a girl on the farm, Israeli, told me that they call Israel-mini America.

I laughed and said are you serious then I noticed the similarities and the influence that the US has. 

I missed Latin America's laid-back vibes but can appreciate Israel's directness and hard work.

I have since left and have such good memories of a country still fighting to remain a country. 

I hope to see all my friends again someday, as working on the farm was the most fantastic experience and it brings tears to my eyes, and I miss each of them.

I write from my perspective; yours may be completely different.

XOXO

S