ISRAELI GASTRONOMY feels like a crossroads on a plate, where ancient traditions and modern creativity meet. Each dish carries the memory of many cultures and the warmth of shared tables.
A farm-to-table dinner workshop was set for us at Deli Alhambra, where we prepared our own food paired with za’atar wine. For an upscale dining experience, we were served exquisite dishes at Pop and Pope, with an opportunity to converse with Ethiopian-Israeli activist and influencer Ashager Araro.
In Jerusalem, we joined a Machane Yehuda and Chanukiot tour in Nahlaot. Just as our tourism officer Ching Pangilinan wisely taught us, if you want to experience true local food pride, you go straight to the marketplace. And that is exactly what we did in Jerusalem.
From the first sip of arack, their very own version of our “alak,” we knew we were not just tasting food. We were tasting Israel itself, bold, spirited, and unforgettable. Since it was Hanukkah, donuts were everywhere. The sufganiyot, filled with jelly or custard, were indulgent, delicious, and unapologetically greasy.
In Nazareth, we enjoyed falafel and shawarma, sampled knafeh at Mokhtar’s Sweets, and savored bread delicacies from Meshhdawi.
Nothing, however, beats Kibbutz cuisine. All delegates agreed that Kibbutz Alumim served the best goulash and schnitzel of the trip. We tasted mulled wine from Cana, the place where Jesus performed His first miracle, where he turned water into wine at the wedding.
A Technologically Equipped State
In Ashkelon, we explored Israel’s agri-tech ecosystem at AgroStudies Farm, where international students train in agriculture under MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation.
“We really learn comprehensively in the field of grafting, irrigation, and plant care, so when I go back to the Philippines, I get to further establish our family farm business,” said John Paul Miranda, from Isabela Province.
Innovation continued at HTI Hermon Technology and Innovation Center in the Golan Heights with Dr. Taisir Marai. In Tel Aviv, we were introduced to the Start-Up Nation through a walking tour led by Gilad Carni, CEO and founder of the UAE-Israel Innovation Office.
If there is Silicon Valley, Israel proudly has Silicon Wadi.
Fragments of Challenge and Lessons of Humanity
We remembered, felt, and walked back in time at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. It is a space that compels reflection on humanity, memory, and the lifelong fight for truth and the right to exist.
We also witnessed recent tragedy as we visited the Gaza Envelope and the Nova Festival Memorial Site, a solemn reminder of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. We met Police Sgt. Remo Salman Al-Hozayel, a Bedouin police officer whose bravery saved numerous festival-goers.
We also met with witness Esther Marcus who hails from England, bravely narrated her experience at their Milking Parlor where terrorists shot some of their Thai workers.
At Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Avidor Schwartzman-Flash walked us through a survivor’s account, showing ransacked homes of tragically murdered residents, including the memorial of Filipina victim Angelyn Peralta, a caregiver who refused to leave her patient.
We also had a heart-to-heart conversation with Noralin Agojo, a Filipina survivor who was held captive by Hamas for 53 days. She speaks of her survival as a miracle, one without assurance, yet one that continues to give her strength to live and confront trauma.
Another global challenge today is digital warfare. Israel is not immune. Here4Good blogger Ella Kenan provided us with an extensive discussion on combating misinformation and navigating truth in the digital age.
Shabbat, Stillness, and Gratitude
Before heading home, we were invited to a traditional Shabbat dinner hosted by a local chef. Phones were put away. Candles were lit. Time slowed. It was pure immersion in tradition and community. We left Israel with hearts full and souls deeply enriched.
My endless thanks to fellow Southeast Asian delegates and our AJC family: Olga Tripp, Sharon Nizza, Shira Loewenberg, Roni Lippman, our ever-trusty tour guide Daniel Cedar, and documenter Ariel Fields.
Here is a single, emotional, and inspiring closing paragraph written in your voice and suited for a global lifestyle or cultural exchange piece:
As I leave Israel, I do so carrying more than photographs and memories. I carry the faces of people who opened their homes, shared their stories, and trusted us with their truths. This cultural exchange taught me that beyond borders, beliefs, and histories, humanity is stitched together by light, resilience, and the courage to hope.
Israel revealed itself not only through its ancient stones and modern innovations, but through the strength of its people who choose dialogue over division and remembrance over forgetting. I return home transformed, reminded that cultural exchange is not just about understanding another country, but about discovering our shared responsibility to protect truth, honor life, and keep the light burning for generations to come.
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AJC Project Interchange believes that there is no substitute for first-hand experience when it comes to understanding Israel. Since 1982, the program has brought influential global opinion leaders and policymakers from over 120 countries and all 50 U.S. states to experience Israeli society firsthand. Through direct engagement with leading Israeli figures, senior Arab-Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and experts across fields such as human rights, economic development, entrepreneurship, and peace-building, participants gain meaningful insight into Israel’s diversity, democracy, and complexity, enriched by historic, cultural, strategic, and religious site visits.
