Overview

We begin this panoramic tour in the Ramot Naftali area, pass through Kiryat Shemona and Kfar Giladi, and reach the end at Kibbutz Snir. The route offers spectacular views of the Galilee “Panhandle” (“Finger,” in Hebrew), the Golan Heights, and, beyond the border, into Lebanon. The high hills at the start provide a magnificent overview of the geography and history of Israel and its centuries of peoples, cultures, and religions. As we descend through the northern Hula Valley, the natural landscape will blend with the human landscape. We’ll get to know several owners of small businesses in the region and learn the stories behind their work and their products. How are these businesses faring in a remote setting that is at once idyllic and threatening? How were they affected by the recent war in Lebanon? What are the hopes and expectations of their owners?

Detailed route

The tour covers the length of Rt. 886, offering panoramic scenery and a glimpse at some very interesting communities.

The Caucasus on the Basalt Hills

Our first stop is Reihania, a Caucas community (the Caucasus refers to the former Soviet Union region in Eurasia) with an extraordinary history. There, Shauki Khoon (# 89) will introduce us the “Caucas Experience,” and we’ll sample traditional cheeses and other delicacies.

Dolls at the Border and an Ancient Rift

We’ll continue along the Northern Road, gazing across the border into Lebanon and passing alongside the communities that dot this scenic but vulnerable area. We’ll stop next at Ramot Naftali to play with Geula Harel's cloth dolls (#15), and then head for the Balhasan observation point for a view of the Hula Valley – a small section of the massive geological phenomenon called the Syrian-African Rift.

The City of the North and a Celebration of Artists

We’ll next travel down to the Hula Valley by way of Kiryat Shemona and hear the story of the “city of the North” from different points of view.

Next is Kfar Giladi, where we’ll meet Tzafra Porat (#36), Ceramics artist

We'll also visit "Gallery 12" – a cooperative of women artists from the kibbutz and the surrounding area:

Tamar Prat (#12), Jewelry making

Iris Trojbics Sofer (#137), Jewelry making and design

Erela Nir (#34), Jewelry design, painted wooden objects, tie-dyed silk scarves

Mazal Kaufman (#13), Paintings, signs, nameplates

Tami Shapiro (#138), Ceramics

Miriam Munk-Sat (#11), Ceramics, pomegranates

Hila Ashori (#10), Ceramics, paintings

Rachel Alter (#69), Jewelry, Judaica

Smadar Hardy (#90), Glass and copper work, papier mâche

Tamar Bierliech (#33), Millefiori beads

Shosh Gorlovetzky (#14), Artistic photography

A Tasteful Ending

From Kfar Giladi we'll head to lunch close by.

The route will then carry us eastward along Rt. 99 to our last stop, Kibbutz Snir at the foot of Mt. Hermon, where we’ll meet with kibbutz members who are also artists and craftspeople:

Nathalie Nadel (#31), Natural soap products

Ofer Peri (#32), Wooden rocking horses

Malka Blowstein (#140), Jams

Agmon HaHula