Camp Landau Color War 2010

One of the summer highlights for boys in Ramat Beit Shemesh, is the famous Camp Landau. Headed by Rabbi Yehoshua Landau, the camp celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.

With amazing, energetic and talented staff, the boys enjoy great sports, swimming, and awesome day trips (the beach, water parks and more).

The camp usually runs from after Tisha b'Av for 2 weeks, providing kids a great, wholesome and fun environment.
For girls, Mrs. Landau runs Bnos (girls 1st grade and up) and Camp Kinderlach (younger ages for boys and girls).

As parents we have so much Hakoros HaTov to Rabbi and Mrs. Landau for the wonderful camps they run each summer.

One of the most exciting parts of camp is color war. Above is a video of the first day of color war. Team White got some Breslov guys to come with their white van and dance with all the campers. Check it out...

Chilling at Ein Gedi Spring

Ramat Beit Shemesh is great....but sometimes, especially when things get hot (like right now in August), finding a cool pool can be the thing to do.

So when I saw this refreshing pic we took at Ein Gedi a few years ago, I just had to post it.

friendly Ibex in Ein Gedi

Ein Gedi springs, besides featuring in Tanach, is also a great family hike. With wildlife (Ibex, Hyrax, etc.), and lots of waterfalls and pools, your family will have an awesome time.

The main thing is to get there early and beat the crowds. From Ramat Beit Shemesh, I'd suggest leaving at 7:30AM or 8AM at the latest. The drive down (near the Dead Sea) is about 1.5 hours.

Mountain Biking with Sheep in Israel

Although I usually try to write about stuff that most normal people enjoy, like nice swimming pools and petting farms near Ramat Beit Shemesh, I get a bit carried away when it comes to small, Kosher, woolly quadrupeds.

On a recent mountain bike ride in the beautiful Judean Hills near Ramat Beit Shemesh, my friend Nachum Wassosky of Hakshiva fame, snapped this shot of myself, my Scott Aspect bike and some Bedouin sheep, with his Nokia E71.

As my close friends know, I love biking and aspire to be a shepherd, so this picture nicely combined the two.

Davida's Farm

horseback riding at Davida's Farm

My family are big fans of Davida's Farm. Located on Moshav Yishi, it's just minutes from Ramat Beit Shemesh, and is loads of fun for everyone.

The farm has a petting area (rabbits, hamsters, turtles and other assorted critters) as well as horses, a camel, some goats and woolly sheep.

You can feed the animals (make sure to bring some apple cores for the horses) milk some of 'em, and even go horseback riding (for kids age 2 and up). However, there are no cows, so bovine-lovers will need to head over to Kibbutz Tzora.

water slides at Davida's Farm

In the heat of the summer, there are super-fun, water trampolines and slides which keeps the kids wet, cool, and smiling. (If you really want a full-body splash, head over to the gorgeous, private Yishi pool.)

They also have a "pot-your-own-flowers" activity where you can....you guessed it, pot your own flowers to beautify your home.

Lastly, they have a great tractor/cart ride for the whole family where you can bounce into the hills for some incredible views and fresh, herb scented air.

For more info, call Davida at 050-573-9899 or 02-991-0061.

Private Pool on Moshav Yishi

It’s summertime, it’s mega-hot and the kids are going bonkers.

For my family, the best place to chill out and beat the heat is the gorgeous, private out-door pool on Moshav Yishi. The pool is owned by Menachem and Deena Mendlowitz (originally from Monsey, NY and Toronto respectively), and is availale for families on an hourly basis.

The pool itself, the beautifully landscaped grounds, and the showers/changing rooms are clean and perfectly maintained.

Pool on Moshav Yishi

With shade, great views, comfy lounge chairs and even a BBQ, the poolside ambience really allows a family to unwind and feel like they are on vacation somewhere in Southern California (or 5 minutes from Ramat Beit Shemesh-whatever floats your boat).

In addition, Mendlowitz has a lovely guest house that can host about 60 guests. It’s perfect for large family get-togethers, school Shabbatonim and other events. Everything is tastefully designed and fits with the rustic Moshav atmosphere.

For more info, call Menachem at 052-595-5073.