[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — My birthday was Monday.

One of my gifts was supposed to be a week-long tour of Israel, visiting all the places I have never been before.

Because I have been out of work since September, it seemed the perfect opportunity to celebrate and see this glorious country. Notice the operative words “supposed to be.”

Late Tuesday afternoon, within minutes of taking off in the rental car, I received a job offer contingent upon my starting work early Thursday morning.

I realize I should be thankful that I have a job, but as a religious Jew living in Israel, I do not have the luxury of a Sunday to do errands or go places.

My day off is Shabbat (Saturday), and I cannot travel anywhere. Even touching money is forbidden.

Sunday begins the new week here. There is no such thing as enjoying three-day holiday weekend excursions with family and friends. Our holidays are holy days treated like Shabbats, usually spent in synagogue and with the various lists of forbidden activities. Again, no driving anywhere.

We Do Have Priorities

I now had to cram a week of travel into a day and a half. First things first — food. We arrived at an Argentine restaurant decorated like a hacienda on the pampas. The waiters and waitresses all spoke Spanish as well as Hebrew. Menus were available in those languages as well as English.

The waiter, a young Jewish guy born in Uruguay, brought us a shot glass of a traditional Argentine drink, a mixture of wine, rum, and cinnamon. Delicious!

From a menu written in Spanish, I ordered empanadas (spicy ground beef-filled pastries) as an appetizer served with Argentine chimichurri sauce made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, red vinegar, red pepper flakes, tomato, red bell pepper and a myriad of spices. It is usually the marinade for Argentine grilled meat.

Argentina is known throughout the world as having the best beef. My rib steak proved that was true.

A young Jewish girl from Colombia, who was an Israeli soldier during the day and waitress at night, brought me the roasted baked potato halves, salad, and grilled eggplant. And of course, how can I be in Israel without accompanying my meal with a small cup of “cafe shachor,” which, literally, means black coffee. In reality, it is boiled coffee grounds that settle at the bottom of a cup, forming a mud-like consistency similar to Turkish coffee.

Definitely an acquired taste.

A Taste of Ancient History

Bright and early the next morning, we began our drive to the Golan Heights. We went through a town called Neve Ativ, known for its Swiss chalets and European atmosphere.

As we continued to climb the mountains, we passed Nimrod's Fortress, built during the 13th century, famous for its battles during the time of the Crusades. It sits upon a plateau at the top of a mountain and overlooks the entire valley below.

We also visited the Baniyas, located in a nature preserve at the foot of Mt. Hermon, the highest point in Israel. It is known for its large, magnificent waterfall and streams, almond trees, and many species of plant and animal. The rushing water could be heard for miles.

Then we climbed the twisting and turning road up to Mt. Hermon, which, until four days earlier, had been covered in snow.

The ski lifts were still running so tourists could reach the top and enjoy the spectacular views. Who could not have fun riding the “bobsled” roller coaster?

Then we began our trip toward the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) and the town of Tiberias.

We passed by acres of banana trees and almond trees, grazing cows and artist villages along the way.

By the time we reached Tiberias, the sun was beginning to set and there were fewer than a handful of ships on the water. But the night life of this resort town began to bustle.

Many famous Jewish sages and rabbis were buried in Tiberias. The grave of Maimonides (the Rambam) is one of the most famous. I went there to pray along with many other worshipers.

Next stop was a Druze village near Haifa, about an hour from Tiberias. The Druze claim to be descendants of Jethro, the non-Jewish Priest and father-in-law of Moses. Their religion is secretive, and part of it is to be loyal to the country in which they live.

Most reside in Lebanon and Syria, and that has been difficult because the Israeli Druze actually had to fight their cousins during the various wars. The Druze and Bedouins serve in the Israeli army.

The Druze also have a disproportionately high representation in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). Although their native language is Arabic, they also speak Hebrew. Many even speak English.

Years ago, I had a Druze client from Lebanon living in California . When he found out I was going on vacation to Israel, he asked me to visit his Israeli cousin. This Israeli Druze cousin and his family have been friends of my family for the last 15 years, and it was to his home that I was headed.

Although he and his children speak English, his wife only speaks Arabic. Somehow, we have been able to communicate. She is always dressed in traditional Arab garb and head scarves. She exudes hospitality.

Unfortunately I am now religious and therefore can no longer savor her delicious feasts. However, I must admit that over the years I have tried to make her recipes with kosher ingredients. Often I have received the most compliments on my moussaka, which I consider a very poor version of hers.

With only a few hours sleep, I went off to work the next morning.

L'hitraot (“see you soon”). Shachar

Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel 2 ½ years ago.