038 Still Optimistic

Tel Aviv released a new tourism campaign, inviting visitors to see for themselves that the city is still kicking • Gan HaHashmal audio tour recommendation • Visitors to Israel coming January 2026 with extended time for exploring should check out the country’s southernmost region - including Sde Boker, Ramon Crater, the Arava Valley and Eilat • Season 2 of Tel Aviv Tours Podcast is in the worksShow notes:• telaviv.tours• The Electrifying Story of Gan HaHashmal and Its Architecture• Lily & Bloom Boutique Hotel (Booking.com affiliate link)

One performance captivated the audience in the inaugural Tel Aviv Festival, celebrating one of Israel’s most prolific singer-songwriters, delivering a powerful anti-war message • The White City audio tour recommendation • Visitors to Israel coming January 2026 with extended time for exploring should check out the country’s southern regions - part 1 of 2, including the Dead Sea and Massada, the city of Beersheba and the Western NegevShow notes:• telaviv.tours• The White City• Savanna Hotel (Booking.com affiliate link)

The shopping sprees of late November were held back in the city that saw its fifth annual repair and reuse campaign • Neve Tzedek audio tour recommendation • Travelling further out from Tel Aviv during January 2026 will leave you with a richer understanding of Israel's landscape, history and cultureShow notes:• telaviv.tours• Picturesque Neve Tzedek: A Tour around Israel’s Petit Paris• THE GUTMAN TLV - Neve Tzedek (Booking.com affiliated link)

A fierce gay rights advocate and vocal Israel supporter, Debra Messing receives the Key to the City from Tel Aviv’s mayor and an honorary award at the city’s international LGBTQ+ film festival • Old Jaffa audio tour recommendation • Travelling to the Golan Heights and the Galilee, as well as other parts of the North of Israel during January 2026Show notes:• telaviv.tours• Old Jaffa's Secrets: A Circular Tour from the Clock Tower to Yefet Street• JOJO Hotel

Kimuraya chain restaurant introduces Japan-loving locals to traditional cuisine as one city landmark turns into a matcha pop-up stand, making this city on the Mediterranean ever more similar to Tokyo • Trail of Independence audio tour recommendation • November 30th marks the day commemorating Jewish expulsion from muslim countries, contextualizing Israel's democratic character evident in the equal citizenship of its Arab minorityShow notes:• telaviv.tours• The Trail of Independence: Tracing the origins of modern Tel Aviv• Kimuraya Israel

Trump’s inner-circle Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff explore Tel Aviv’s culinary landscape • The strengthening of Israeli-American ties is evident in VP Vance’s quick visit to Israel and a record number of direct trans-atlantic flights between Tel Aviv and New York anticipated this summer • Old Jaffa audio tour recommendation • Visitors coming in December 2025 can witness how Israel's Jewish "tribes" celebrate Hanukkah differently, from secular festivities to ultra-Orthodox traditionsShow notes:• telaviv.tours• Old Jaffa's Secrets: A Circular Tour from the Clock Tower to Yefet Street• Pereh restaurant• Dr. Shakshuka

From Dudu Geva’s duck to Hanoch Levin’s Shampoo Queen, culture masterpieces embody the spirit of the city that dares to be different • Old City of Jerusalem audio tour recommendation • Visitors to Tel Aviv in December 2025 have the opportunity to not only take part in the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, but also witness Christmas celebrations in Jaffa and party on New Year’s Eve in the city that never sleepsShow notes:• telaviv.tours• The Four Corners of the Historical Old City: A Self-Guided Jerusalem Tour• King David Hotel

As the sun disappears ever so early, the opportunity for a couple’s tour of the city is even more attractive than before • Jaffa’s American-German Colony audio tour recommendation • The meaning of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of light, that will be celebrated this year starting December 14th, 2025Show notes:• telaviv.tours• A Jaffa Tour: The Story of its American-German Colony• Joseph Hotel

Shlomi Shaban, artistic director of the Tel Aviv Festival, is aiming for a cultural event that will experiment mixing different cultural mediums • Old City of Jerusalem audio tour recommendation • High prices, rude service providers and lack of personal space are some of the shortcomings with which Tel Aviv is still grappling, but it’s better to manage expectations before your visit to this great cityShow notes:• telaviv.tours• The Four Corners of the Historical Old City: A Self-Guided Jerusalem Tour• Jerusalem Gate Hotel

The pioneering educational institution nurtured generations of Israeli leaders from its original Jaffa location to its current campus and a thousand graduates came to partake in the celebrations • Trail of Independence audio tour recommendation • The Tel Aviv based Revolution Orchestra will play its “more Rock, less Baroque” interpretation of Bach’s music this November 2025 at the Tel Aviv Opera House and there are several more institutions that together make the city into a cultural hubShow notes:• telaviv.tours• The Trail of Independence: Tracing the origins of modern Tel Aviv• Casa Suzana