In 1994, then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin – who had previously asserted that the Golan Heights, conquered during the 1967 Six Day War, would always remain a part of Israel – began talking about a possible withdrawal. Extremely disturbed by the idea, the Golan Heights Residents Committee decided to find ways of explaining to as many tourists as possible the value of the Golan Heights to Israel. “We did this by stationing tour guides at critical overlooks,” explains Avi Zeira, who was committee head at the time, “but this got really expensive. That's when we explored the possibility of audio information systems so that at the push of a button, every visitor to the Golan would learn about the different sites and their importance.” The first audio information centers were set up soon afterward and were crucial to the Golan residents' effort. Then, when the danger had passed, Zeira decided to try dispersing similar information centers at popular sites all over the country, founding the nationwide Masbiran Company. Today 180 masbiranim (from the Hebrew word for “explanation”) provide in-depth and detailed information at over 150 natural and historic sites. The vast majority “speak” in both English and Hebrew, and quite a few feature relevant songs. Incredibly the audio guides are almost always in working condition – truly a miracle in this country – and eco-friendly as well. North American-born Marla Van Meter reads the unusually clear English texts. When we traveled north from Jerusalem to the Galilee a few weeks ago, we stopped at a number of sites especially to hear what the information centers had to say. Here is just a sampling, from places above and around Lake Kinneret, and in Safed. For more information about any of the sites, you can head for them yourself and press the buttons. Mitzpe Kinarti (Kinarti Lookout) Off Highway 90, turn into Menahemya, then turn again at the sign for the lookout. Travel 6 km. up a winding road to the site. Wheelchair accessible. Towering 500 meters above the Jordan Valley, the shaded lookout offers one of this country's most stupendous views. There are two sparkling reservoirs on either side of the overlook, and below to the left, Lake Kinneret shimmers in the sun. The Golan Heights and Gilad mountain range, divided by the Yarmuk River, loom above the Jordan Valley that spreads out before the onlooker. Naharayim, site of the country's first hydroelectric plant, stands in the middle between Israel and Jordan. Moshava Menahemya, established in 1901 as the first Jewish settlement in the valley, is beneath the overlook. If you push the button on the masbiran, you will learn about the nearly insurmountable problems – from swamps to epidemics to Arab hostilities – that early settlers faced. Obviously their hard work paid off, because today dozens of communities flourish in the peaceful valley. This site was dedicated to Noah Kinarti, a member of Kibbutz Kinneret and one of the founders and managers of the Jordan Valley Water Association. In 1994, during peace treaty negotiations with Jordan, Rabin appointed him as the expert on water issues. Kinarti died in 2010. The Deganya Tank Located next to the gate at Kibbutz Deganya Alef, off Highway 90. Established in 1910 on the west bank of the Jordan, Deganya Alef was the first kibbutz in Israel. Famous general Moshe Dayan was born at Deganya; poetess Rahel tilled its fields. So did Aharon David (A.D.) Gordon, an early 20th-century philosopher who believed that only physical labor could reconnect the Jews with their ancient homeland. Deganya has another claim to fame: a tank in its yard. During the War of Independence, Syrian troops tried to break through the kibbutz before heading further west into the Galilee. The battle began on May 18, 1948, and lasted three days. But equipped only with small arms, some anti- tank launchers, 20-mm. cannons and homemade Molotov cocktails, the stalwart defenders managed to halt the Syrian advance. The Deganya tank stands at the spot where the settlers' Molotov cocktails burned it almost to a crisp. For more details on the battles, you can listen to the masbiran at the site. Kinneret Cemetery On Highway 90, at Tzemah Junction, above Lake Kinneret. Audio information guide in Hebrew only. On our latest visit to the cemetery, I was listening to the audio guide when a noisy group of Israelis asked me to point them to Rahel's tomb (not the Jewish matriarch, but the Russian- born poetess). They took pictures with their iPhones, then interrupted me again for directions to another grave, that of singer Naomi Shemer. Two minutes later, they were gone. What a shame that they ignored the rest of the site. For lying there at eternal rest are many of the people whose ideas and way of life were crucial to the eventual establishment of the State of Israel. It all began in 1908 with the Kinneret Farm/Courtyard, a “school” for new immigrants who aspired to become farmers. Kinneret Farm not only prepared young immigrants from Eastern Europe for a life of physical labor, but also acted as a breeding ground for revolutionary concepts. Pioneers from Kinneret Farm founded Deganya (see above) and the first moshav (Nahalal). It was at Kinneret Farm that the Hagana was born, and out of Kinneret Farm came the Histadrut trade union organization. Visitors can walk around to discover whose names they recognize on the tombstones, which include those of A.D. Gordon, socialist activist Moshe Hess, and Berl Katznelson, a leader of the workers' movement and founder of many Histadrut institutions – including the kupat holim (health fund). Metzudat Koah (Koah Fortress/Citadel) Located off highway 90, between Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona. Turn at Koah junction. Look for the audio guide near the observation point. Wheelchair accessible. Like the seven other northern police stations designed by Sir Charles Tegart, Metzudat Koah was constructed by the British in the late 1930s as a defense against dangerous Arab gangs. With its thick concrete walls, narrow windows and a fortified courtyard topped by a six-sided tower, it was indeed a formidable citadel. The fortress was situated on a hill 345 m. above sea level, and controlled two major strategic axes: the northsouth Rosh Pina-Metulla highway, and the route from east to west between the northern road and the Naftali mountain settlements. Although originally known as Metzudat Yesha for its proximity to the traditional Muslim burial site of biblical figure Joshua Ben-Nun (Nebi Yusha), the fortress is now called Metzudat Koah. It was renamed for 28 brave soldiers who gave their lives in three bloody battles for the fortress during the War of Independence (the numeric value of the Hebrew word “koah” is 28; the word itself translates as “strength”). For decades, visitors to Metzudat Koah paid homage at a somber memorial wall and enjoyed an extraordinarily lovely observation point and picnic area. In January, however, the Museon Hare'ut, or Comradeship Museum, opened inside the citadel. The museum is a combination memorial and spectacular display that absorbed us for over an hour. Utilizing innovative technology to explain the battles for the fortress and the real meaning of friendship among comrades, this is a must-see on any trip up north. Skip the movie. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, until 1 p.m. on Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Entry costs NIS 15. The Safed Davidka Located next to the Safed Municipality, on Jerusalem Street. It wasn't unusual for the Jewish community of Safed to suffer at the hands of local Arabs. But relations worsened in 1929, when Safed Arabs massacred 18 of their Jewish neighbors, wounded 80 more and caused enormous property damage. On the eve of the War of Independence, there were fewer than 2,000 Jews and over 10,000 Arabs in Safed – with 40,000 more Arabs in the surrounding area. When the local branch of the Hagana began preparing the town for the attack that would inevitably occur following the end of the British Mandate, commanders found that there were only about 300 potential defenders in the city. Among them were boys, women and elderly people. Skirmishes began all over the country soon after the United Nations' decision at the end of November 1947 to partition the country, and the fighting intensified as the time of British departure drew near. In the Galilee, a strong Arab force numbering in the thousands placed the Jewish community of Safed under siege. The British, expected to leave the country in mid-May, withdrew from Safed with no warning on April 16. As it was obvious to the British that the Jewish population of Safed would be wiped out after their departure, they proposed a civilian evacuation that same morning and gave the Jews an hour to pack. To the surprise of the British, however, the residents spurned the offer, and not a single Jew boarded the convoy of trucks that waited right on this street. Just before leaving the city, the British handed control of Safed's strategic strongholds to the Arabs. These included the police station across the street from where the Davidka stands today; another was the citadel on the heights. Immediately afterward, the Arabs launched a deadly attack on the Jewish quarter, its massive bombardment forcing the Jewish population into cellars that had been converted into shelters. Two female secretaries left at the Hagana's command post resolved to follow the example of the defenders at Masada: If Arabs entered the building, one girl would kill the other, then commit suicide. On May 10, 1948, the Palmah launched parallel attacks on the police station and the citadel, aided by the homemade Israeli mortar known as the Davidka. Although it created more noise than damage, it caused wild panic among Arab residents. Jewish forces took the citadel and the police station in fierce and bloody battles. They then prepared to enter Safed's large Arab neighborhood, only to find it completely deserted. Residents and soldiers had fled the town together. More details are available on the masbiran at the site. Hametzuda – The Safed Citadel/Fortress Follow signs from the entrance to Safed. If in doubt, drive toward the Ron Hotel and you will see the citadel on Hativat Yiftah Street. The path up the citadel is wheelchair accessible. This is a great family site, with trails and trees, landscaping and a fantastic view of the Galilee area. When you reach the top, you will find yourself near an impressive memorial to the soldiers who fell defending Safed in 1948. You will be standing on the remains of a fortress that the Crusaders built shortly after conquering the Galilee in the early 12th century. At 834 m. above sea level, it controlled the whole Galilee and the byways into today's Syria and Lebanon. In its heyday, the fortress spread over 10 acres, surrounded by a wall 30 m. high that stretched over 850 m. During the War of Independence, the decisive battle over Safed began on May 10 (see above). Under cover of heavy artillery fire, soldiers climbed the steep slopes of the citadel and took the hill. For more details of the battle, you can listen to the masbiran, dedicated to the memory of Zeira's parents, Tova and Mordecai. Extra: While in Safed, you can stop in at Otzar Hastam, a visitors' center featuring multimedia technology that illustrates a variety of Jewish traditions with moving chairs and interactive trivia games. We found our visit both fun and enlightening. It was mostly wheelchair accessible, but we had trouble getting our chair from the street into the building. Phone in advance for directions and to be added to a group: (04) 691-2000.
