Israel Travel

Pope Benedict XVI starts today his first papal visit to the Holy Land, after visiting Jordan. The Pope's Holy Land Pilgrimage, from May 11 until May 15, will include visits to the holy sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem.

During his five day visit, the Pope will deliver, on the afternoon of 12 May, a Holy Mass at the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem, where thousands of worshipers are expected to participate. The Pope will also visit Yad Vashem (11 May) and the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Mount Zion, the Cenacle and Gethsemane Church (12 May). After a visit to Bethlehem and Mass at Manger Square, (13 May), Pope Benedict will deliver another Mass in Nazareth at Mount Precipice and will pray at the Church of the Annunciation (14 May).

More than 15,000 Christian pilgrims are expected to accompany the Pope on his trip to Israel. The Pope's visit is expected to generate more than $50 million for Israel, according to BBC news.

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The first concerts of Cohen in Israel, with his acoustic trio of Shai Maestro (piano) and Mark Giuliana (drums), will take place at Jerusalem’s The Lab art center on Thursday October 11. The Israeli bassist will also perform at Tel Aviv’s Zappa Club, starting from Friday, October 12 till Sunday October 14.

Avishai Cohen, born April 20, 1970 in Israel, is a musician who has been called a jazz visionary of global proportions by DownBeat, and was declared one of the 100 Most Influential Bass Players of the 20th Century by Bass Player Magazine. Until late in 2003, Avishai was a member of the Chick Corea New Trio, and accompanist to other jazz note-worthies, including Bobby McFerrin, Roy Hargrove, Herbie Hancock, Nnenna Freelon, Claudia Acuna, Paquito DRivera and many others.

His new album offers an overview of his career with highlights from his recordings: Smash, Elli, Samuel, One For Mark and Nu Nu are from Continuo (RazDaz, 2006), Remembering and Feediop were featured on At Home (RazDaz, 2005), Etude stems from the recording Unity (Avishai Cohen & The International Vamp Band, Stretch, 2001), and Bass Suite #1 is a stand out track from Avishais debut release, Adama (Stretch, 1998).

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Print advertisements include depictions of a dancer on the beach in Tel Aviv, a chef in Jerusalem, a cowboy on the Golan Heights, a Tel Aviv high-tech expert whose hobby is building guitars, and an archeologist atop Masada. The television campaign will be concentrated in New York, Los Angeles and south Florida.

Travelers from North America representing the largest single source of tourism to the country, with some 600,000 North Americans visited Israel in 2006, almost 30% of the total tourists visiting Israel last year. Israel goal is to double North American tourism to Israel by 2010.

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The Jazz Festivals in Eilat have roots in the middle of the 1980s but it is only in the last couple of years that it has become a catalyst for the development of a new kind of rich jazz environment, which places the broad style of jazz music in the cultural mainstream of the Israeli public audience. The Red Sea festival not only attracts leading international jazz musicians that are a great source of inspiration for local jazz groups, but it drives other leading jazz performers to play in Israel throughout the year. The year 2007 is probably the best ever in terms of the quality of the international jazz favorites that have come to play here in the holy land.

 
Eilat Red Sea Jazz Festival

The small-scale event for jazz buffs which started in 1987 became a major three-day jazz festival drawing the foremost overseas artists. During the 20 years of its existence more than 1500 world class jazz artists have been hosted by the highly esteemed festival which aligns with the most important jazz festivals worldwide.

This year's festival, which took place in Eilat Sea Port from August 27 until August 30, featured a global array of artists from a broad spectrum of musical styles, from New Orleans and Latin to top Israeli groups.

Highlights of the 21st International Jazz Festival include the famous British Jazz group "Incognito". Formed in 1979 in London, England by leader Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, Incognito deliver a blend of Hip Hop, Acid Jazz with a touch of Rhythm & Blues.

Award-winning, jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri was perform with his group STEPS AHEAD and the American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist Joey Defrancesco and his trio featuring Ron Blake combined their talents in a organ/sax jazz concert. Other interesting international groups that performed in the festival are: Bireli Lagrene and Sara Lazarus, Vienna Art Orchestra, Chris Potter's Underground Quartet, Conrad Herwig and Brian Lynch, and Tomasz Stanko Quartet.

10 Israeli ensembles, selected out of 80 applicants, will perform in the festival alongside the international groups. The Israeli groups in the festival are Shem Tov Levy Ensemble, Rony Holan in a tribute to Tony Williams, Hot Club of Israel led by Roman Alexeev, Walakata, The Mamelo Gaitanopoulos Nonet, Arad Yeini in a tribute to Lee Morgan, Fourword Quartet, Arie Volinez Group, Hagiga Sextet and Meir Ben Michael Quintet.

Jerusalem Jazz Festival

The International Jazz Festival held in Jerusalem is still small compared to the Eilat jazz festivals, but this year it has succeeded in bringing famous jazz artists from around the world. International Jazz favorites such as Slide Hampton, one of the greatest trombonists of all time, and Carmen Lundy, one of the most talented, sophisticated and respected jazz singers in the past 30 years, participated in the Jerusalem Jazz Festival 2007, which took place in David’s Tower Museum and the Yellow Submarine, from June 19 until June 22.

Slide Hampton appeared in Jerusalem heading a band of four trombones and a Rhythm Section, in a performance of mostly original arrangements of the delicate and sensual Bossa-Nova music of the renowned Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. The Carmen Lundy Quartet was featuring the brilliant pianist Anthony Wonsey, Carmen’s brother the respected contrabass player Curtis Lundy, The Norwegian guitarist Lage Land and the young New York drummer Jason Brown.

Tel Aviv Jazz Festival

The famous saxophonist Pharoah Sanders cancelled his arrival to the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival 2007 but it didn’t stop it from being one of the most comprehensive jazz events in Israel for some time. The Festival was celebrating its 18th annual event with leading international artists like the pianist Stefano Bollani, the saxophone and clarinet player Matt Renzi along with his Trio; the Organissimo Trio from Michigan, and the American jazz vocalists Judy Wexler.

Israeli Jazz musicians participated with special performances for the festival from - Slava Ganelin and Vladimir Volkov, Daniel Zamir and Omri Mor, Julia Feldman, Uri Bracha, Nadav Haber, and many others.

While the internationally renowned musicians still caught most of the attention at the jazz festivals in Israel, there was no doubt that the quality of the Israeli jazz performers was one of the best ever. No wonder! The international jazz stars are a source of inspiration, creating new standards to rise to. And the local musicians learned the lessons year after year in order to climb to the top levels. Some of them had to taste the Jazz atmosphere of New York City or go to study in Barkley, but those who stayed in Israel had the talent, motivation and openness to bring new sound to their music. Sounds that are drawn from the richness of the Mediterranean music culture.

Will the rise of Israeli jazz musicians be a catalyst for the development of a new type of cooperation between the major force on the local music scene and the leading international artists? We need to wait for next year to see if this wish will come true.

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The Israel Museum unveiled a rare and never-before-exhibited Hebrew scroll fragment from what is known as the "silent era" – the six-hundred year period from the 3rd through 8th centuries CE from which almost no Hebrew manuscripts have survived. The fragment, dating from the 7th or 8th century, is believed to have been part of the Cairo Genizah, a vast depository of medieval Jewish manuscripts discovered in Cairo's Ben Ezra Synagogue in the late 19th century.

The manuscript is a fragment of a Torah scroll from the book of Exodus (13:19-16:1), which includes the Song of the Sea, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful examples of biblical poetry. The Song celebrates the Israelites' safe crossing of the Red Sea, praises the Almighty for vanquishing their enemies, and anticipates their arrival in the Promised Land.

"The Song of the Sea manuscript is one-of-a-kind in terms of its historical and literary significance," said James S. Snyder, Anne and Jerome Fisher Director of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. "It bridges the gap in the period of history between the Dead Sea Scrolls [1st-2nd century CE] and the Aleppo Codex [10th century], both of which are permanently housed in the Shrine of the Book."

The Song of the Sea manuscript provides a rare historical bridge. Written centuries after the last Dead Sea Scrolls (approximately 2nd century CE), the manuscript includes some examples of delicate lettering that resemble the Scrolls, while other letters recall examples from rare 6th century manuscripts. However, the text is also strikingly similar to the Masoretic (traditional) version familiar from such later Biblical codices as the 11th century Leningrad Codex in the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. Many stylistic elements of the Song fragment link it to manuscripts originating in Egypt, including those found in the Cairo Genizah.

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In the first four months of 2006, Tourist overnights in Israel's hotels rise to record of 2.6 million. The upward trend indicates that tourist overnights will reach 9 million by the end of 2006, according to Israel Ministry of Tourism statistics.

Overnight stays of Israelis and tourists reached 5.8 million, 16 per cent more than in the same period in 2005. The number of overnight stays in the country's hotels rose to 1.8 million in the month of April, up 10 per cent from the same period one year ago. 800,000 of these were by foreign tourists, up 38 per cent from April 2005.

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