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Doug, Adam, Mara, and I are now back home and so I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for arranging our trip of a lifetime. This is something that we will remember for the rest of our lives, particularly because we experienced this trip together. In the coming year, both of my children will be married, so this was the last opportunity to spend this special time with them – and to do it at a magical place: Israel. Yael, every part of our trip’s accommodations were perfectly set. There were no problems with the driver who picked us up from the airport and returned us at the end of the trip. All hotels were properly scheduled, and each met or exceeded my expectations. Each place had its own charm, and I’d return to any of the hotels. Thank you for these choices and for setting this up so that there was ZERO hassle on our part. This removed any anxieties along the way, and made the trip quite pleasurable. Dafna. Well, I could probably write pages about her, but I will be brief. Simply put, she will be with me for a long time in my head and my heart. She was the perfect guide for us, although I know she wondered if this was true from time to time. I hope that by the end of the two weeks she understood that we liked her very much, and she had become more than a walking encyclopedia of Israeli knowledge. She rearranged our itinerary in appropriate ways, took us to a few favorite mountain spots of hers, and most importantly she sensed what each of us needed at varying times, and she always accommodated each person’s needs;

Marty Siegel, Bloomington, Indiana

The trip was a blast! Thank you for putting us in touch with Rabbi Bearman and Gideon. The Bat Mitzvah service was lovely. My daughter on the ancient temple steps with the city of Jerusalem in the background is the site I am not likely to forget… Gideon was an absolute delight! He clearly knew a lot about the places we visited with him, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy talking about Israel. He even acted out certain historical events for the kids. The few days that we spent with him were absolutely the highlight of the trip!

Rina Alberstein, Clifton, VA

We are home. Thanks so much for all of your work on our trip. We had a great time and can't wait to return. Thanks for making the extra effort for the Kotel tour… the hotel in Tel Aviv worked out well and was well worth it for the few hours that we had. We arrived and went to the beach for swimming and dinner before cleaning up and going to the airport. Max and Sarah thought that it was very cool to be swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. The Scots Hotel is a beauty and was a nice change from the larger hotels that we stayed in. Their artwork in the lobbies, their gardens and their pool were stunning. We liked touring with Zamir. He was knowledgeable and, most importantly he had a knack for finding great places for lunch. Thanks again for everything.

Ann Greenstein and Jeff Farbman Arlington Heights, IL

Your guidence was like that of a prophet. You need to know the important role you play in the lives of the travelors you meet. You made Israel come to life for both the kids and adults of our group. It is a great responsibilty to be a teacher. You are a fine teacher of Jewish and Israeli life and history. You play an important role for future generations. When our children, our future, think and speak of eretz yisraoel, they will relate what you taught and shared with them. Toda Rabah

Mark Weiss, Chicago, IL

Thank you so much for the itinerary. It was exactly what Cheryl and I wanted. And, thank you for Tal. He was the perfect match for the type of trip we envisioned. Knowledgeable, part mountain goat, part guide, exceptionally professional, he showed us Israel, its people, its history, its uniqueness. Thank you again. .

Leona Rothbaum, Lake Worth FL

Our day at Ein Harod was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. The art museum is a gem, and I can't imagine why so few tourists know about it. We found it to be especially meaningful that the museum was founded in 1948; how wonderful that the preservation and display of art was deemed a priority at such a perilous time and place. Thanks so much for all your planning on our behalf, and for the flawless execution of those plans. We have already recommended you to another friend....We couldn't have been happier with our trip. Each day with Baruch was better than the day before.

Marilyn and David Samson, Deerfield, IL

We had an extraordinary time in Israel. The country offers so much on so many different levels. Zamir did a wonderful job showing us highlights over a relatively short period of time. We greatly benefitted from his extensive knowledge of the country and its history, as well as his wisdom. He was wonderful with our son, and I really appreciated his guiding us and keeping us focused, as well as his flexibility. I would highly recommend him as a guide based on our experience. Thank you also for your flexibility given our changing itinerary. I appreciate all the time you spent on the phone and e-mail....and, thank you and Zamir for helping us have such a wonderful, incredible experience in Israel.

Barbara & John Cohn, Dallas TX

...my head is filled with images and my heart is filled with feelings from our trip. We are very grateful to you both for your help in planning our experience, and providing us with a wonderful guide. The trip was a dream come true for me and far exceeded my hopes, for both me and David. We knew that I would love and be inspired by the sights and experiences, but I am so delighted that David had such a profoundly moving experience as well. He was going to accompany me to fulfill my dream, and he returned with a deepened awareness of our heritage and appreciation for the people and the land of Israel.

Nancy Schlack, Chicago, IL

Thank you so much for organising such a fabulous trip. Both Shlomit and Chantal were wonderful and so a good time was had by both us adults and our children. We all felt that we learned so much about Israel.

Vivienne Kahan, Melbourne, Australia

I just wanted you to know that our family had a fabulous time in Israel. Israel is a beautiful and diverse country. Our trip was a spiritually uplifting one as well. Our guide, Naftali Cohen, is a wonderful guide and person. He really captured the essence of Israel for our family. Naftali's descriptive and very knowledgeable explanations of the sites, Israel's history, and Israel today made our experience terrific.

Janine Pawlowsky, Bala Cynwyd, PA

Wanted to thank you for a great trip you organized. The whole family had a fantastic time.

Edwin Gans, Canada

I just wanted to let you know that the tour with Joe was wonderful. We had a great time, he was so knowledgeable and kind, my parents loved it, and we all learned a lot. Thank you all.

Rabbi Nina H. Mandel
Sunbury, PA

I just want to thank you for making a "shidduch" for me with Zamir. Altogether, he was very pleasant to be with and knowledgeable. I am not your ordinary tourist--I've spent quite a bit of time in Israel and know a lot--but I learned much from him in our travels.

Ruth Seldin
White Plains, NY

We thoroughly enjoyed everything. Yossi was special and wonderful. He knew how to relate to every member of our family on their own level of interests and was just plain wonderful. I am still trying to put our trip into words. Yossi was amazing. Yossi treated us like family...he taught us, he protected us, he found was to save us money, he went out of his way to make sure that every part of our tour was perfect and of course he shlepped us around.

Lois Reisman-Dunetz & Jeff Dunetz
Dix Hills, NY

On the whole we give high ratings to the trip. The guides made it....w/o them (who I compare to good college professors) the trip would be close to zero. Anybody who can afford it should get a private guide....

Peter Lusing
Far Hills, NJ

The tours were wonderful. The guides were both very very knowledgeable and we enjoyed them both so much.

Warren Harmel
Dallas, Texas

We were so pleased with our jeep tour and with Joe. He is an excellent guide and we learned so much from him. Thank you for setting up the day. It was a wonderful experience for us!

Nina Schwartz Kantrowitz and Adam Kantrowitz
New York, New York

Thank you for arranging a wonderful time for both Erica and me. Baruch was a perfect choice as a guide for us. His demeanor with Erica was perfect, and I certainly enjoyed his company and the knowledge he shared. I hope I did not tire him with too many of my questions. In fact, when it came time to say goodbye and pay him, Erica said, “You mean we have to pay you? But, you are our friend. Why do we have to pay you?” That should sum up our experience.

Marc and (9 year old) Erica Rothman
Rydal, PA

By coincidence, your message popped up on my screen just as I was about to send you an Email telling you how very much we enjoyed our trip to Israel. Our appreciation of your wonderful country was greatly enhanced by Baruch, our guide for the five days. His passion, his knowledge, and his pleasant nature made our trip all the more enjoyable. Please convey to him Usha’s and my very sincere thanks and kindest regards. Thank you, too, for your efforts. Your efficiency and attention to detail ensured that our trip went off without a hitch and left us free to enjoy ourselves.

Homi & Usha Mullan
London, United Kingdom

We just got back and wanted to say thanks for all of your help! Booking a guide through you for our day trip to Massada and the Dead Sea was an easy and great idea. …Baruch was incredibly helpful with information and oversight of the area and the places we were to go….. On the way he gave us insight into the people and the land and we even had a short fun detour to a local Wadi to see a monastery cut into the rock. He was great with our teenage kids and was a super choice for the day trip to Massada. …because he had a jeep, we took advantage of the fact and did some four wheeling in the desert area. We only wish we had more time.

Josh Werner
North Easton, MA

The tour was excellent, and so was the guide, Sandy. He and my brothers were like triplets with the same sense of humor. Sandy was knowledgable and respectful of all traditions, and of course , the Jezreel Valley is gorgeous. I will definitely be in touch the next time I'm in Israel, and I've already been recommending your site to friends. I'm so glad I found Gems. Thanks again.

Sandy Lebowitz
Brooklyn, NY

The tour was wonderful and Joe Yudin is a great guide. We had several private tours on this trip and the Gems’ tour was the most unusual and memorable. We will recommend it to all our friends.

Ilya Ravkin
Palo Alto, CA

I would like to thank you for everything, we had a beautiful time and our guide was excellent. We are delighted and longing to return as soon as we earn enough to travel! Thanks again.

Yael Cristina
Barcelona, Spain

The tours were great - Joe is a fantastic guide and we enjoyed the day thoroughly. I'd love to take another tour with him in the future. Thanks for your help!

Jan Ihmels
Tel Aviv, Israel

The Bauhaus tour was wonderful. Shlomit has a wealth of knowledge and puts the style as well as elements of construction into perspective. My niece who was an Art major, especially appreciated the style concept......it gives me ideas for future Birthday presents. Thank you.

Donald Fried
Modi'in Israel (and family from the US)

We all really enjoyed the tour. It was very informative and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to learn a little more aboutt the city I live in. As for my Aunt and Uncle, they found it a great way to see more of the city and discover some of its history. Thanks for your help in setting it up.

Nomi Schwartz
Tel Aviv, Israel

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