Joel Leyden : Kfar Blum, Kayaking, Peace And Passover In Israel

Kfar Blum, Kayaking, Peace And Passover In Israel

Photo: Aaron Kuris

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem ----- April 24, 2008 ....... While the world reads headlines about Jimmy Carter in Ramallah, Israel enemies trying to breath life into an ancient 20 year-old US spy case and Israel suggesting that it will return some of the Golan Heights if Syria ends terrorism, most in Israel are on vacation.

Miles away from the noise of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Hafia, Israelis are enjoying quiet week long Jewish Passover holiday vacations in the green, rolling hills of northern Israel, the Dead Sea and the dry heat of Eilat. Most businesses and all government offices are closed.

Politics, terrorism and fighting rush hour traffic has been replaced with nature hikes through the Golan Heights, kayaking the Jordan River, family picnics or simply enjoying a cool drink on one of Israel's long, pristine sandy beaches.

"This is our best year yet," says a smiling Dubi Ben Ari, general manager of the Kibbutz Kfar Blum Pastoral Hotel. Kfar Blum is located a few kilometers from Kiryat Shomona near the Lebanon border.

"We have 147 luxury 4-5 star rooms and they are fully packed with tourists from Israel, the US and Europe. Passover (Pesach) is always fully booked here but we are now witnessing an increase from our normal 70 percent occupancy rate before and after the holiday," says Ben Ari.

Passover or Pesach is the one most commonly observed Jewish holidays, even by otherwise non-observant Jews. According to the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS), more than 80 percent of Jews have attended a Pesach seder.

Pesach begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavu'ot and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary observances of Pesach are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery.

The name "Pesach" comes from the Hebrew root Pei-Samekh-Cheit Pei-Samekh-Cheit (in Hebrew), meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that God "passed over" the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. "Pesach" is also the name of the sacrificial offering (a lamb) that was made in the Temple on this holiday.

Dubi has much to smile about.
He is a second generation Israeli, born on Kibbutz Kfar Blum with parents who made Aliya to Israel from England and Austria. Before taking on the position of general manager at the Pastoral Hotel, Ben Ari had served as a Captain in the IDF, head electrician of the Kibbutz, studied international relations at Hebrew University and directed Israel student programs for Americans and Canadians. He is credited for having made the Kibbutz hotel into a success story in his 15 years as manager. Taking it from a guest house with 59 rooms to now heading an expansion effort with the planning of another hotel on Kfar Blum overlooking the waters of the Jordan River.

"This Passover we have a religious group of American and British tourists staying with us. It kind of a natural transition for Anglos to be here given that the Kibbutz was founded in 1943 by the Labor Zionist Habonim youth movement. The founding members of Kfar Blum were primarily from the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States and the Baltic countries. The kibbutz was named in honor of Leon Blum, the Jewish socialist former Prime Minister of France. We have many volunteers, kibbutz members and guests coming from Holland, France, Russia, Spain, Norway, Sweden, South America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Asia."

Ben Ari speaks of how the Kibbutz hotel has grown much in the same manner Israel has matured in the past 60 years.

"We have a convention center, a spa, an Olympic sized swimming pool, bird watching and even Internet access throughout the hotel. In the last month we just added another 16 luxury rooms, many with Jacuzzis inside. We are proud of what we have achieved and highly optimistic for the future." The Kfar Blum Hotel is owned 90 percent by the Kibbutz and 10 percent by shareholders in the States.

Kfar Blum also benefits by being located in the heart of the green and tranquil Hula Valley, below Kibbutz Ma'ayan Baruch, Kibbutz Dan, Kibbutz Dafna, the Banias waterfalls, Moshav Neve Ativ and the Israel Mount Hermon Ski Resort to her north.

The Jordan River is not only a major source of water for Israel as it runs into the Sea of Galilee, but also provides excitement to over 300,000 visitors who enjoy rafting and kayaking on it.

"Last season was our best," says Guy Yarmak, general manager of the Kayaking, Hiking and Camping Center of Kfar Blum.
"But this season is starting out even ahead of last year, with projections of over 10,000 people using our camping grounds and 30,000 coming to use our mountain climbing and biking facilities. This Passover has been excellent and days to follow look great for tourism."

In addition to the Pastoral Hotel, Kibbutz Kfar Blum has a number of agricultural and industrial enterprises on the land. This Israel Kibbutz also hosts the regional school and is a source of great pride when it comes to Israel basketball. Israel sports star legend Doron Shefer who played for Hapoel Galil Elyon (which is based on Kfar Blum), Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Connecticut Huskies returned to Kfar Blum this year.

Ben Ari is also optimistic for the future regarding increased tourism and peace coming to the north of Israel and to the region.

"During the last Lebanon war we were empty but the major media outlets such as the BBC and CNN found comfort at Kfar Blum. But we are no longer talking of wars. Israel did the job it had to do in defending herself once again from unprovoked attacks by Hezbollah and Iran terrorists in Lebanon," says Ben Ari.

"Those in Damascus and Teheran know very well that if there should ever be another war, their cities will be flattened. Yes, they might get a few missiles off towards Israel but after that they would cease to exist as nations. Because of this deterrent factor, because Syria and Iran know as we do that peace is a far better option than war, we can expect many years of tranquility, commerce and even trade with our Arab neighbors. They know as we do that bread, butter and smiling tourists are far better and healthier than bullets, bombs and tears."