loubylou Posted March 8, 2013 #1 Share Posted March 8, 2013 We will be on the Sacred Sanctuaries cruise in August on Riviera, In port for three days any thoughts on what to do in Israel on a Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted March 8, 2013 #2 Share Posted March 8, 2013 We will be on the Sacred Sanctuaries cruise in August on Riviera, In port for three days any thoughts on what to do in Israel on a Friday. Most larger Israeli Tour Companies have specific Tours with non observant guides for Fridays. They won't suggest it to you, but if you ask.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cat Posted March 8, 2013 #3 Share Posted March 8, 2013 The Jewish sabbath begins at sundown Friday. Thus, when we visited Israel, we had a full tour day in Jerusalem on Friday. Saturday, however, was a different issue where many places we visited were closed. A kibbutz was open for lunch and a tour, but nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted March 8, 2013 #4 Share Posted March 8, 2013 The Jewish sabbath begins at sundown Friday. Thus, when we visited Israel, we had a full tour day in Jerusalem on Friday. Saturday, however, was a different issue where many places we visited were closed. A kibbutz was open for lunch and a tour, but nothing else. There is no reason you could not do a Masada and Dead Sea tour on a Saturday. Both would likely be crowded on those days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted March 8, 2013 #5 Share Posted March 8, 2013 A really fun place to visit on Friday afternoons is the Machne Yehuda market in Jerusalem, as people rush around purchasing their Shabbat foods. Because Shabbat does not begin until sundown, your touring day should not be affected. Saturday indeed is the day most places are shut down. We have done city walking tours then. Of course, I am talking about Jerusalem; the rest of the country is nowhere near as observant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loubylou Posted March 9, 2013 Author #6 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Thank you all for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetchpeople Posted March 9, 2013 #7 Share Posted March 9, 2013 While Sabbath does not begin until sundown, you will probably find that most everything will close early Friday afternoon, usually about 3 PM. P Accordingly, be sure to plan your excursions in Israel so that you avoid Jerusalem on both Friday (you'll surely want a very full day there) and on Saturday (much will be closed). Any guide or tour company will know what is open where on those days and make the necessary adjustments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted March 9, 2013 #8 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Friday, at sunset, a visit to the "Western wall" is fabulous, as you will be joined by all the boys exiting the yeshivas. On Saturday, another visit to see the Bar Mitzvah's is wonderful. Saturdays are a good day to see the Christian sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcre and the Via Delarosa. We also decided on a visit to see Schindler's Grave- remember the scene in the movie at the end, where people were putting stones on his grave. Look for a cemetery with the names on the headstones are in English and his grave is easy to find, as loads of people have had the same idea and have placed small stones there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted March 9, 2013 #9 Share Posted March 9, 2013 you will probably find that most everything will close early Friday afternoon, usually about 3 PM Exactly my point, and the observant Guides will want to be in their homes at Sunset, not dropping you off at the ship. Saturday was actually less of an issue when we organized our time in Israel, because the Tour Companies are used to working "around" the restrictions, and the Guides who are willing to work on Saturday are more flexible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted March 9, 2013 #10 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Just keep in mind that Israel is a highly secular society, and Friday sightseeing really will not be a problem. And there are many non-Jewish sites you can enjoy on a Saturday, particularly if you are outside of Jerusalem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Sharon Posted March 10, 2013 #11 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I enjoyed a day in Jerusalem on a Saturday. The only restriction on us was that we were not allowed to take photographs of the Western Wall (although if you had an inconspicuous camera you could get away with it). The Arab and Christian bazaars were as busy as ever - more so in fact as many Jewish people went t them to shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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