| DECEMBER 2012 Vol. 5 - Issue 10 |
GREETINGS FROM THE COMMISSIONER
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Dear Friends,
The winter season is a truly special time to visit Israel, with travelers from around the world arriving to celebrate the holiday festivals taking place in the Galilee and Haifa in the north, Tel Aviv, the Old City of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea and Eilat in the south.
I would like to wish you and your families a joyous Holiday season, and I look forward to welcoming you to Israel in 2013.
Haim Gutin
Israel Tourism Commissioner, North & South America
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HAMSHUSHALAYIM FESTIVAL IN THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM, DECEMBER 20-22
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 Jerusalem's annual Hamshushalayim Festival, December 20-22, will feature live music, theater and dance performances, including the Israel International Organ Festival. The Hamshushalayim Festival will also offer travelers free entrance to museums and cultural centers in Jerusalem, including the Israel Museum, Museum on the Seam and Bible Lands Museum. http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/Humshsh/2012/eng
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EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES OFFERS CHANCE TO WIN FREE FLIGHT TO ISRAEL
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El Al Israel Airlines has recently launched a new Facebook-based contest offering participants a chance to win two roundtrip Economy Class Plus tickets to Israel taking place through December 27. To enter the contest, participants can visit the El Al USA Facebook page, watch a new two-minute spoof video, and "like" the Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/ELALIsraelAirlinesUSA
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EILAT TO HOST ANNUAL RED SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL, JANUARY 17-19, 2013
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Israel's southern seaside resort city of Eilat will host the third annual Red Sea Winter Jazz Festival, January 17-19, 2013. The festival will feature performances by Israeli and international musicians, including Itamar Doari and the Unipulse, Motion Trio, Stanley Jordan Trio and Benjamin Taubkin, as well as nightly "open-jam sessions." www.redseajazzeilat.com
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JERUSALEM'S ISRAEL MUSEUM TO UNVEIL NEW EXHIBITION SHOWCASING THE TOMB OF KING HEROD IN FEBRUARY 2013
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On February 12, 2013, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem will unveil a new exhibition showcasing the tomb of King Herod the Great, entitled "Grand Exit: The Final Journey of King Herod the Great." The exhibition is the museum's largest to date and will present the tomb of King Herod to the public after years of extensive research.
www.english.imjnet.org.il
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NEW HAIFA-ACRE BOAT RIDES SET FOR 2013
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 New boat rides between Israel's cities of Haifa and Acre are due to commence in March 2013. The 30-minute boat rides will operate twice daily in each direction between Haifa, Israel's 3rd-largest city and port, and the Mediterranean fortress city of Acre. Haifa, draped around the slopes of Mount Carmel, is home to the Baha'i Shrine and the magnificent "hanging" Baha'i Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Acre was once the Crusader capital of the Holy Land; its ramparts, bazaars and Underground Crusader City are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The boat rides will offer travelers guided walking tours to popular tourist sites in both cities.
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| ISRAEL'S DESIGN MUSEUM HOLON ANNOUNCES NEW EXHIBITION EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN DESIGN |
 Israel's Design Museum Holon will host a new exhibition exploring the history of design in Central and Eastern Europe, entitled "Common Roots," through March 2, 2013. The new exhibition will present artwork and objects from the period following the end of World War II until today created in various European countries, including Romania, Poland and Croatia, among others. www.dmh.org.il/default.aspx
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GOOGLE LAUNCHES "CAMPUS TEL AVIV" STARTUP CENTER
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In the wake of being named one of the "Top Startup Capitals in the World," Tel Aviv is now home to a new Google-created startup center, entitled "Campus Tel Aviv." The "campus" offers various entrepreneurial workshops, as well as business development centers promoting partnerships between international and local companies. www.campustelaviv.com
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NEW "RESTROOM SHOP" OPENS IN TEL AVIV
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Created by Dutch company "2theloo," a chic new "restroom shop" has recently opened in Tel Aviv on the vibrant King George Street adjacent to the Carmel Market. The restroom shop features nine separate toilet stalls adorned with picturesque scenes of Tel Aviv, including the city's beachfront and Azrieli Towers. www.2theloo.com
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ALANIS MORISSETTE PERFORMS TO SOLD-OUT CROWD IN ISRAEL
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Grammy Award-winning singer Alanis Morissette performed in front of a sold-out crowd this month at Tel Aviv's Nokia Theater. Alanis is pictured, center right, alongside staff members of the Dan Tel Aviv hotel.
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NEW MALL AND VISITORS' CENTER TO OPEN NEAR THE DEAD SEA IN 2015
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Israel has announced plans to open a new mall and visitors' center in the Ein Bokek region of the Dead Sea, Israel, in 2015. The new 100,000-square-foot shopping mall will boast shops by international and local brands, as well as restaurants, a salt-based sculpture museum, a multimedia presentation about the history of the Dead Sea and a family recreation center.
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