If You Go -- Planning To Visit Kibbutz Lavi

Lavi is one of about 250 kibbutzim in Israel and the only religious kibbutz with a hotel in the lower Galilee.

The kibbutz is about 10 minutes by car from Tiberias, a modern city on the Sea of Galilee and 20 minutes from Nazareth, where tradition says Jesus spent his childhood.

Lavi's hotel can be used as a base for touring dozens of sites of the ancient world, including the Galilee, where Jesus did much of his ministry; Safed, a holy city for Jewish scholars and mystics for hundreds of years; Beit She'an and Sepphoris, where archeologists have unearthed ancient towns. Rosh Pina, the first Zionist settlement in modern times, is not far away.

All faiths welcome

People of any faith are welcome at Lavi. There are special programs for groups of non-Jews featuring lectures on Judaism through the ages and the common roots of Judaism and Christianity. Group presentations must be arranged in advance.

All guests may take a scripture-based tour of the kibbutz, to see the children's houses, synagogue, dairy, calf nursery and furniture factory.

Private guides and a tour-advice service to help plan day trips around the Galilee also are available. And guests may take a self-guided tour of the Horns of Hittin, the nearby site of a Crusader battle on July 4, 1187.

Dress and food

Clothes are not a problem: Casual dress is standard for guests and kibbutzniks, although modesty is expected. The swimming pool is segregated most of the time, with separate times for men and women.

Lavi's restaurant is well-known in the area for good food. Meals are kosher, which shouldn't make a difference to most guests. That only means that meals are prepared according to Jewish law, so don't expect to eat meats that are prohibited, such as pork or shellfish, or dishes that mix meat and milk.

Breakfasts on weekdays are standard for Israel - huge buffet affairs guaranteed to send you off sightseeing on a full stomach.

The food on Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, is both kosher and cold. Breakfast may consist of fruits, sweet breads and yogurt, for instance. At one Shabbat meal we were served bowls of peanuts, popcorn, dips and other finger foods.

Rates

At Lavi, rates for a standard room with breakfast included are about $85 U.S. per person for double occupancy. The rate increases a bit if you stay for lunch or dinner or come during such Jewish holidays as Yom Kippur, Passover or Hannuka. A special Shabbat package from Friday evening to Sunday morning is $210.

Other kibbutz experiences

You don't have to stay in a religious community to have a kibbutz experience in Israel.

Many kibbutzim operate hotels, youth hostels, bed-and-breakfasts and full resorts. Some offer river-rafting, hiking and bird-watching as well as such Middle Eastern experiences as camel rides and Bedouin teas. One advertises Israeli folk dancing on Wednesdays.

More information

For more information, write Kibbutz Lavi, Mobile Post Lower Galilee, 15267 Israel; phone 972-6-6799-450 or fax 972-6-6799-399; e-mail lavi@lavi.co.il or visit Lavi's Web site, http://www.virtual.co.il/ travel/lavi/hotel.htm

For further information about other kibbutz hotels, contact the Israeli Government Tourism Office, 350 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10118, 212-560-0600 or visit the website of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism Information, http://www. infotour.co.il or the Kibbutz Hotel Chain, http://www.kibbutz.co.il.