Plan an Israel Staycation

Here is an educational (and fun!) way to entertain your family this winterbreak.

What better way to express the sentiment of  “Our hearts are in the East, while we dwell in the West,” than embarking on an Israeli Staycation!

ACHI, which stands for American Communities Helping Israel, proposes that families plan and create a “pretend” trip to Israel.

• Involve your children in the planning.

• Brush up on Hebrew. Post Hebrew words and phrases around your home in advance of your “trip”. Encourage family members to speak in Hebrew and prepare a vocabulary booklet with a list of key phrases and words to reinforce and retain what was learned during the course of your “stay.”

• Plan a menu for a day’s worth of Israeli style meals. Then head out to the store to scout out made-in-Israel products. Choose Israeli cereals, “salatim” and cheeses for a Mediterranean breakfast, falafel with all the fixings for lunch, Bamba and sunflower seeds for midday snacking, and dinner can be Shwarma, bourekas, or kabobs.

• Daven at “The Wall.” Create a paper kotel wall mural. Have each child write a “kvitel” to place (or paste) at the wall. Children can daven there too.  Or view the Wall live via Aish’s Kotel Cam.

To learn more about ACHI’s initiatives to keep Israel in the hearts and minds of the next generation, visit Achi613.org.