On a recent trip to Israel during the Passover holiday, we were quite eager to visit the Water Tunnels in the City of David. Within minutes of meeting the tour guide, Shira Victor, we had learned that she was an American who had moved to Israel quite some time ago and was now serving as a tour guide to eager tourists.
Immediately, we were met with a warmth and excitement about what the tour had to offer. Shira had a monumental task ahead of her as she was tasked with making this tour, not only interesting to the adults but to also reach the interests and maintain the interests of my teenage daughter and eleven year old son.
Throughout the two hour tour, she showed us pictures, maps and other artifacts that provided relevance of how the site was an integral part of the history and my religion. She was able to put together the pieces of a puzzle that tapped into my own and my children’s prior knowledge. Her knowledge base was so expansive that not only was she able to reach the interest of all of us who hung on her every word but we knew that she could reach the interest of people who were of different cultures and religions than we were.
I periodically looked over and saw my children, totally engaged, being asked fun and age-appropriate questions and until the very end of the tour, were entranced in what she was saying. As we reviewed our day, we were all in agreement that this had been one of the best days and experiences we had in Israel. Shira was the reason this outing was a true success. While our time in Israel was amazing, from a ‘touring’ standpoint, my only regret is that we did not have an opportunity to experience more of her vast knowledge in relation to different sites throughout the land of Israel. Without a doubt, I would wholeheartedly recommend Shira as a tour guide who has the knowledge, tools and personality to make the sites of Israel come alive to those who are young and old alike.
Adam Felader
