Hi there!
This trip is centered around Kibbutz Lavi's hospitality options that provide a rich cultural experience combined with outdoor and family activities. Kibbutz Lavi is a religious kibbutz, which is why it combines cultural activities based on the traditional jewish lifestyle with the agricultural activities that are available in non-religious kibbutzes. Shalom Ashkenazi, the General Manager of the Kibbutz Lavi Hotel and Meir Rosenberg, the Cultural Director extend their welcome to you.
Left to Right: Meir and Shalom
Trip Agenda Options
A visit to Karnei Hittin
Home Hospitality
A visit to the Lavi Furniture Factory
A visit to the Dairy Farm
Other Tours - A Heritage Tour, Horseback riding & Ecological Vegetable Garden
Kibbutz Facilities
A Visit to Karnei Hittin You'll be happy to hear that the kibbutz is situated within walking distance from a national park called "Karnei Hittin" or in English, the 'Horns of Hittin' named after the shape of the mountain, an extinct volcano that has two peaks on each side of a depression where the volcano opening used to be.
Karnei Hittin is famous as the battlefield in which Salah Ad-Din overcame the crusader armies in 1187 initiating the decline of the Crusader Kingdom in Israel. The peak offers views of the Arbel National Park, Sea of Galilee and even the Golan Heights. You can reach the national park even by walking. It's about half an hour from the hotel. We were a fairly large group and took a Safari wagon. The hotel can also arrange jeeps, horseback riding and even a horse and carriage ride to take you there.
Other nearby sites that you can include as stops on the way or as excursions if you are planning a longer stay in the north, are a visit to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee, the Arbel National Park, Mt. Meron where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is buried, Mt. Tabor and even the Talmudic city in Zippori National Park.
Home Hospitality This unique cultural offering includes eating a meal with one of the Kibbutz families. It gives you an opportunity to ask questions about the collective kibbutz lifestyle and if it's a Sabbath meal to learn about the jewish religion and traditions.
Although not part of the home hospitality activity, I'd like to mention that the hotel guests are welcome to join the kibbutz members in their Bible classes in the Kibbutz's Beit Midrash / seminary.
A Visit to the Lavi Furniture Factory The factory at Kibbutz Lavi is a one of a kind tour. It is the largest designer and manufacturer of Synagogue Furniture in the world providing hundreds of synagogues with unique pieces several of which are handcrafted by professional artisans.
Top Left: Micha Oberman, Factory CEO
A Visit to the Dairy Farm A typical kibbutz has a cowshed and Lavi is no exception. The kibbutz has 300 milking cows. You can visit the cowshed, see the calves, learn about raising them and observe the milking process at the applicable times. The kibbutz offers a guided tour.
Other Tours The hotel offers a few additional tours that I hope to partake of in the future. There is a heritage tour that tells you the story of the founders who were survivers of the famous Kindertransport that rescued ~10,000 jewish children just prior to the outbreak of WWII.
You can also visit the stables for horseback riding activities such as herding cattle or regular riding including touring outside the kibbutz or visit the ecological vegetable farm for an agricultural activity.
Kibbutz Facilities A walk through the kibbutz will take you through several gardens: a rose garden with hammocks and picnic tables, an archeological garden, a Biblical and Mishna Times herb garden, an orchard, a senses garden for the visually impaired, a playground with outdoor fitness equipment and a promenade overseeing the best views. The kibbutz also offers a heated year-round indoor swimming pool with a jacuzzi, separate toddler pool and sauna, tennis courts, another sports court and beauty&massage treatments to order.
Food The kibbutz offers kosher mehadrin meals. Our tour included breakfast and coffee buffets and lunch in the dining room. All were delicious.
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Accomodation Kibbutz Lavi has recently concluded a 13M NIS renovation and upgrading of its rooms, dining rooms and public areas as part of the 60th anniversary of the hotel's establishment.
The hotel has 184 rooms of varying sizes, including 4 suites, 120 rooms suitable for families twenty-four of which include an exit to a terrace and 60 rooms for couples or couples with a baby. All rooms offer free Wifi.
My Timeline The drive from Tel-Aviv takes about two hours. Our net visit was about 4.5 hours.
This is what it looks like on the map:
This trip centered around one kibbutz, but you have sufficient activities to last you several days.
Best, Talma
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