The Israel Nobody Knows
Israel’s Vegetarian Retreat
Near the Sea of Galilee

By George Medovoy, Editor

One of my fondest memories about touring Israel was a visit to Amirim, a vegetarian community near the Meron Mountains in the green Galilee.

But I also remember that you didn't necessarily have to be a vegetarian to fall in love with the place.

I recently was in touch with Phillip Campbell, a long-time resident of Amirim I met there on my visit, who brought me up to date about the community.

Campbell told me that there are now three vegetarian restaurants at Amirim: Dalia Cohen's, Stupps, and a small Indian one called Rishikish. The community also has a bakery called Bakery 77.

Rentals at Amirim

One can rent cottages, guestrooms, and chalets at Amirim. Some of the lodging comes with cooking facilities, too, and the community also has a synagogue.

When I visited, it was clear to me that, in addition to the vegetarian meals, most visitors also came for the friendliness of the place and its tranquility.

Amirim is located on a lower ridge of the Meron mountain range, about 20 miles northwest of the Sea of Galilee and about 15 miles south of Safed.

I do recall very fondly my dinner at Dalia Cohen's, a spacious residence built of stone and set in a lush garden.

Cohen described her cooking to me as "simple and tasty." And was it ever!

There was course after wonderful course, beginning with a plate of cabbage filled with rice and pine nuts in tomato sauce. The tabouli salad came with tomatoes, celery, cucumbers and parsley.

Marinated Eggplant, Etc.

Then there was the following: a plate of marinated egg plant, a staple of Israeli cooking; basked moussaka built of layers of eggplant; Cohen·s homemade cheese; and whole-wheat tahini spread; then baked apple slices with sesame seeds.

Dessert was herb tea, baklava and an apple puree topped with almonds and nuts.

A retired home economics teacher, Cohen explained that she, like so many of her friends at Amirim, is a vegetarian on humanitarian grounds first "and after for health reasons."

And the life there, she explained, contributes to the community's overall health: "We go to sleep early, and we wake in the morning very early. All the life here is quiet."

Among Amirim's residents when I was there were artists, but it also numbered among its residents people in other professions. The community offers opportunities for quiet walks, meetings with villagers, or just napping in the fresh air.

There are interesting side trips one can choose to make to other locations in the Galilee from Amirim. (Amirim does not provide these trips).

One sidetrip you can do is to the thriving Golan Heights Winery at Katzrin on the Golan Heights, about 40 minutes away by car.

One spot also not to be missed is Vered Hagalil (Rose of Galilee), a dude ranch not far off on the shores of the harp-shaped Sea of Galilee. The ranch rents cottages and also has a restaurant, too. I remember once riding a horse (with a guide) down to the Sea of Galilee.

Cups of Warm Tea

But getting back to Amirim: Over cups of warm herb tea, Etti Sharir, an Amirim artist who makes kettubot (wedding contracts), gave me this introduction to the village: "People come here to get away from it," she said, "to smell the flowers, to breathe the clear mountain air, and of course, to have the vegetarian food."

At 6:30 in the morning, as I woke my sleep, I could hear Etti Sharir playing the piano, as a blue mist rose up over the valley, unveiling distant Mt. Tabor.

The importance of keeping the body healthy came up time and again at Amirim.

"Our body is like a machine," Sharir told me over mango juice one morning. "And like a machine, you have to give oil. So, our food as vegetarians is ·oil. That·s the way the machine will work well."

Some of my best moments at Amirim were completely unplanned, like a chance encounter with an Amirim resident who invited me to sample home-made wines: spearmint, fig and geranium, all surprisingly refreshing.

Then there was Phillip Campbell's invitation to join his family for a New Year·s Eve party at his mother-in-law·s house.

Yitzhak Tavior's Music

Another unexpected joy was a visit to Yitzhak Tavior, whose house was high above Amirim on the Meron Mountains. I remember being driven up a twisting mountain road to Tavior's residence, which at the time seem to sit in splendid isolation from everyone and everything, his closest neighbors being the foxes and wild boar that inhabit the Meron National Park Reserve.
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For many years, this Israeli pianist has carved out his own, very special way of life in a lovely spot called "Hemdat Yamim" -- Hebrew for "most coveted of days," a reference to the sabbath day.

Tavior presents chamber music concerts, piano recitals, bands and singers.

During intermission, we had tea and cake and could look out on Tavior's veranda and see the Sea of Galilee in the distance. And what a lovely view it was!

One of Tavior's piano recitals might include a brief history of Hemdat Yamim, followed by works from Scarlatti, Beethoven, Debussy, Schubert, Ravel and modern Israeli composers.

For information about Amirim, email Campbell at: alitamirim@hotmail.com. For general travel information, contact the Israel Government Tourist Office, at www.goisrael.com.