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Hello reader. Sorry for the long delay with this latest post. I have been so busy lately that I have not had a chance to sit down, gather my thoughts and write something coherent and meaningful. I will endeavour to put that right though over the next few paragraphs as I give you a round up of my activities in Tel Aviv and Netanya. There is so much that I could say but time and space do not permit. However, I hope that I can give you some idea, at least, of my experiences...

I finished my remaining time in Tel Aviv – almost two days – by visiting the following places:

• Etzel Museum (which presents the history of the Jewish victory against the Arabs in Jaffa during the 1948 Arab_Israeli War);
  

• The home of Shimon Rokach (the man who envisioned the construction of Tel Aviv; the pioneering early days of the city are chronicled here);

   

• Ben_Gurion Museum (the home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben_Gurion (see here) – I found it fascinating to see his study and library along with all the pictures of world leaders who he had met there);

• The Jabotinsky Institute (which documents the life of Ze'ev Jabotinsky _ a key figure in the Jewish national resistance movement – see here for more information about him.

• The Nahum Goldman Museum of the Jewish Diaspora in the grounds of Tel Aviv University (here I looked up my surname – Robinson – on their computer genealogy records – to my surprise, it was there);

Let us pause briefly here to consider carefully these two photos – two statues and an explanation of them – that I took at the Diaspora Museum and, at the same time, think about the words of Yeshua in John 4:22_23:

"You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."

May we always remain teachable and humble and never display the arrogance shown in these photos by some of our so_called "Christian" forefathers.

• Eretz Israel Museum (which, amongst other things, presents the life of Baron Rothschild, the financier who paid for many public works projects in Tel Aviv in the late 19th century as the city came to life);

• Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Square (where the aforementioned Prime Minister of Israel was assassinated in November 1995 by one of his fellow countrymen); and

• Kikar Dizengoff (the geographical heart of Tel Aviv).

Then saying goodbye to the city, I headed north on the coastal train (a trip of about 30km) for Netanya, a resort renowned to have the finest beaches in Israel.

Getting into my hotel at dusk, I quickly unpacked and then got my trainers on for a run along the shoreline. I really appreciated the peace and serenity of the lapping waves after the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv and the journey up. With nothing in particular to see in the town, the highlights here were celebrating my first Shabbat eve in Israel by myself (but yes, in the spiritual realm, ADONAI was there too!) on the beach and going to a local Messianic congregation in the morning. Here is a photo I took as the sunset heralded the beginning of God's appointed day of rest:

Stay tuned this week for my final updates as I round up my travels in northern Israel and, finally, Jerusalem.

Shalom in the name of Yeshua,

Ben