Israel Travel News April 2009

MAY 2009 Vol. 2 – Issue 4
ISRAEL RELEASES POPE BENEDICT XVI OFFICIAL PILGRIMAGE LOGO
Israel has released an official Pope Benedict XVI pilgrimage to the Holy Land logo this week. The logo was designed in advance of the Pope’s first papal visit to the Holy Land on May 11th this year. www.holyland-pilgrimage.org

PAUL REISER, MAD ABOUT ISRAEL
Paul Reiser, star of the award-winning television series Mad About You, visited Israel earlier this month, making stops in Haifa, the Dead Sea, Masada and Jerusalem. “It looks better, it looks younger, snappier,” says Reiser, who has also authored two books featured on the New York Times best sellers list.
NEW ART-THEMED HOTEL OPENS IN TEL AVIV
Travelers to Israel this spring will be able to stay in one of the world’s most artistically imaginative hotels, The Art + Hotel in Tel Aviv. The Art + Hotel features artworks by some of Israelis leading artists including Zadok Ben David, Sigalit Landau and Maya Attoun. www.atlas.co.il

JERUSALEM’S TIME ELEVATOR TAKES TRAVELERS THROUGH 3,000 YEARS OF OLD CITY HISTORY
The new “Time Elevator” exhibit will allow visitors to Israel to relive 3,000 years of the Old City’s history in a unique interactive experience combing film, motion platforms and special effects. The attraction is open daily and programs are available in multiple languages. www.time-elevator-jerusalem.co.il

NEW ECHOES OF EGYPT EXHIBIT OPENS AT JERUSALEM’S BIBLE LANDS MUSEUM
A new exhibit entitled “Echoes of Egypt” opened at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem last month. The exhibit features images of the Great Pyramid of Giza, in addition to the works of leading artists, cartographers and photographers and their impressions of the great monuments and daily life in Egypt from the mid 16th to the 19th centuries. www.blmj.org

BMI LAUNCHES NEW FLIGHT TO BEN GURION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN TEL AVIV
BMI has launched a second daily flight between London Heathrow and Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. BMI will fly passengers on its A330 aircraft twice daily following high demand for its first daily service.

TEL AVIV’S DOCAVIV FESTIVAL CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILMS
DocAviv Festival, Israel’s international documentary film festival, will take place from May 7th until the 16th and feature a selection of documentary films by both Israeli and international filmmakers at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque, ZOA Theatre, Tel Aviv Museum and the Tel Aviv Port. The festival will also include a variety of workshops, parties, outdoor events, panel discussions and special screenings. www.docaviv.co.il

1,500-YEAR-OLD BYZANTINE MOSAIC OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN WESTERN NEGEV
A 1,500-year-old mosaic has been restored and opened to the public at the ancient synagogue in the town of Ma’on-Nirim in the western Negev. The mosaic, decorated with a seven-branched candelabrum and images of several animals and palm trees, is believed to be from the Byzantine period between the 5th and 6th centuries.

April 30, 2009   Posted in: Israel