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Recommendations
Susie was amazing! She tailored our touring to exactly what we wanted to see and do. Her breath of knowledge was incredible. Literally every minute of the day we spent with her was jam packed with information and fun! We would definitely want to spend time with her on our next trip.
Shira and Meyer Grosser
January 2023
December 2022
Hi Susie!
Wanted to share some thoughts and express our appreciation to you for an incredible two days touring with you in the Galil, and for the info and guidelines you provided for our extended stay in the area. We loved every moment and will always cherish the memories.
Our criteria for a tour guide were to find someone who would not only show us the special typical sites and places, but someone who would provide exactly what you did- a customized tour far above and beyond a basic tour. You covered all we hoped to accomplish, and so much more. You introduced us to people, places and things we would never have found on our own.
We shared a delightful time with you as you shared your breadth and depth of knowledge and insights with us- your love for the land of Israel, the people, the places, the history (past and present), archeology, culture, religious relationship and significance. Your wealth of invaluable information is amazing, your descriptions are clear, your enthusiasm is energizing. Our goal to have an understanding and appreciation of each of the sites and places we visited (not only to see a beautiful view, an excavation, ancient Synagogue, village, etc.) was realized.
You are truly an ambassador for Israel and we look forward, IY”H (Please G-d) to “discover (more of) Israel, one step at a time” with you in the future.
Thank you for a most memorable, precious meaningful and wonderful experience - we learned so much, were filled with awe, wonder and appreciation and had fun in the land we love.
Wishing you a Chanukah Sameach! Barbara and Josh
September 2022
My wife and I have been to Israel many times prior to this trip, and we thought we knew it all. That is until we engaged with Susie Ben David.
On this particular trip to Israel we were accompanied by our children Dani and Eddie Krule, and their young children ( our grandchildren) ages 6-12.
Susie was great. She was a pleasure to have on board. Her attitude towards the children was fantastic and she had them spell bound with stories of what they were seeing. The children and we adults looked forward to every stop on her itinerary.
Susie walked us through the old city, through streets and byways we never knew existed, and she was prepared and organized in thought as she explained the importance of the sights and gave us all an appreciation of what we were seeing.
Susie organized a ceramic painting activity in the Arminian quarter that was a big hit with all of us.
Simply put; Susie brings a wealth of knowledge, and a know how to communicate this knowledge to every age group. When we return, hopefully, next summer with more family we will once again call on Susie Ben David to take us not only around Jerusalem, but the rest of the country as well.
Anyone reading this is free to contact me for specifics.
Jeffrey Rabinowitz
What an amazing time we had with Susie.
She took us to an Armenian pottery craftsman and a weaver who makes talitot. Susie also guided us through a 500 year old house and explained the history of the Jewish people who lived there.
Our second day with Susie was spent in Tel Aviv. First she took us to an outdoor upscale craft show where we met the artists. Then it was on to the Anu Museum, where she was our guide explaining videos and displays on subjects like literature, history, travel, and cooking. She was well-versed and articulate. Susie just gets more knowledgeable each time we tour with her.
Thank you, Susie
Beth Stern, USA April 2022
Recommendation from Valerie M.,
a participant of the AACI-run
'Tel Aviv: Hidden, Restored, Vibrant!' tour, October 2021.
I arrived from England on Sunday and joined Susie's tiyul to Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
From the minute we entered the coach until the end of the tour, we had a commentary from Susie, whose enthusiasm was contagious. We covered a lot of subjects and learnt a lot.
Starting at the Aden museum which documented the large Jewish population.
Unfortunately there are no Jews living there now.
Then we walked in Neve Tzedek, lunched in Sarona and ended up in ANU Museum on Tel Aviv University campus, a new museum beautifully presented.
I look forward to joining Susie again very soon!
Valerie Marchant, England
Our group tour to Tel Aviv with Susie was wonderful!
She kept both the group and the bus driver on schedule, so we could see everything that was on our itinerary. Arrangements for our visit to the Aden Jewish Community Museum and Synagogue worked to the T, then she added in some highlights of the Neve Zedek neighborhood before we traveled north for lunch and a terrific history lesson of the area called Sarona. While at the new ANU Museum, she gave overviews of the many exhibits, allowing us time to explore more deeply those which interested us. It was a terrific day, full of fun and learning. I highly recommend touring with Susie!
MK
Recommendation from MK
a participant of the AACI-run
'Tel Aviv: Hidden, Restored, Vibrant!' tour, October 2021.
Shabbat Shalom Susie! Here is my review: Susie was our tour guide in Jerusalem and even though I have been there many times, a new world opened for us. Her practical knowledge of Ancient Jerusalem and putting it into perspective was excellent! She showed us some "hidden treasures ". I will definitely recommend Susie as a guide, as her warm, energetic, easy-going personality adds to the whole experience. I will give Susie a 5 Star- rating!👌🏻 Zelda M.
Touring the Old City with Susie was a treat! Having done some the Old City of Jerusalem tours on previous visits, our family was delighted with the new sites that Susie introduced us to. Susie's knowledge of the history of the area is impressive and she uses visual aids and pictures that allow you to understand what you are viewing. Most impressive was the rapport that Susie has with some of the shop owners and other tour guides! It gave a personal touch to our experience! We had a great time!
Shelly Winchester
Here are kind words from Thank you for an outstanding two days of touring across both old and new Jerusalem. I was impressed with your knowledge of the history and facts on the sites we visited and the interesting manner you were able to convey it to us (plus supporting physical pictures, maps, etc. that you had with you). Also, you set an excellent pace to ensure we maximized our time but you were also sensitive to our interests and needs as we progressed each day. Your general advice and guidance during our trip was also greatly appreciated. I hope to have the opportunity to use your service for a tour in other areas of Israel on a future visit.
Sonny T
Touring the Old City with Susie was a treat! Having done some the Old City of Jerusalem tours on previous visits, our family was delighted with the new sites that Susie introduced us to. Susie's knowledge of the history of the area is impressive and she uses visual aids and pictures that allow you to understand what you are viewing. Most impressive was the rapport that Susie has with some of the shop owners and other tour guides! It gave a personal touch to our experience! We had a great time!
Shelly Winchester
We have just done a 2 day tour of Jerusalem with Susie and i highly recommend her. Susie was amazing, especially with our 2 kids ages 9 and 11. Brilliant guide - well informed, and very thoughtful and kind and gave us a great tour of all the essential things to do in Jerusalem within such a short space of time. Her knowledge and expertise of the area is brilliant. Highly recommend. Having a wonderful time here in Israel.
Lara Freedman
Dear Susie,
Thank you so much for an amazing trip!!! Coming to Israel, I didn't know what to expect, but everything was outstanding!! Thank you so much for planning our trip and taking us everywhere! I really enjoyed getting to spend time with you and touring the country! My favorite parts of the trip were seeing Navi (the Prophets) in real life, the Machon Ayalon bullet factory, Caliber 3, and the arch cave in the Galil. But everything was different and awesome!! We saw and did so many cool and interesting things that I would never ever see in NJ! One of my favorite things was seeing incredible things that you don't see at home! It was so special that you took the time to plan out trip, and take us to those places. Thank you so much for everything you did for us these past few months and 2 weeks, I really, really appreciate it. Now that I'm back in NJ and reflecting on my trip, Israel really had an impact on me. The most wow moment was seeing Jericho in real life. We had always talked about it when learning Navi in school but I never actually thought about it being real. Additional, on our trip we talked a lot and saw a lot of ruins from ancient times. It was when we were looking at the old buildings near the Kotel that I truly realized that Israel is an ancient and historical society. Many people that I learned about lived here, and people I know now live here in their footsteps. The mountains were amazing! It's incredible to see mountains turned into a society with the best technology and innovations. Israel has adapted and invented so many great things over the past 70 years, and it's still amazing to see how people lived thousands of years ago in the same spots we live now. Thank you so so much for putting your time and effort into my amazing Bat Mitzvah trip!!
Xoxo
Hailey
Dear Susie:
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the expert services you provided myself and my family during our trip to Israel on June 12 thru June 21, 2017. My family was so impressed with your knowledge at every site we visited as well as being able to provide answers around any question we had along our trip.
I also wanted to thank you for all the time and effort you put into our trip during the 2 years of planning. You made Nathan’s Bar Mitsvah trip easy for us which was a big part of why it was amazing. Thank you for patiently answering our questions whether it was via email, live phone call, or Whats app. I realize it was not easy accommodating young kids and older parents however, you executed this flawlessly. It was so cool to hear all the stories and see places that are talked about in our Jewish traditions. This really resonated with my kids as they had the opportunity to witness places that they learn about in Jewish day school.
G-D willing we have the opportunity to visit again and get to have you guide us through the next journey. Regards,
The Leder Family
Dear Susie,
I wanted to thank you for everything you contributed to my family's Israel trip. You were honestly amazing and only you and I know how much time, effort, passion, and energy you gave toward my group and our trip. I myself spent months, weeks, days, and hours planning this trip and I know you spent the same. I don't know how I would have done it without you. Your involvement and insight to our logistics was crucial. You did everything from making phone calls, making reservations, hiring us a driver, being our contact person, recommending restaurants, learning our large family tree, simply everything. You are organized, detail oriented, and friendly- all things crucial to being a fabulous tour guide. Your email communication throughout the planning process was fabulous. I knew that you were taking care of us and helping us plan the best vacation ever! I feel that by working with you we got a two for 1 deal- a travel agent and tour guide in one.
As a tour guide, I appreciated your ability to engage our younger children, read social situations, and build relationships with some of the stronger personalities.
I was so touched when you created a scavenger hunt for the kids and brought them extra snacks. Your tours were lead with passion and clarity and provided us with a deeper understanding of Israel history.
Thank you again for sharing in our trip to Israel- I know that because of you it was as successful as it was.
All the best,
Nina Cusner
"Susie is a blessing for anyone that wants to see all that Israel has to offer, but doesn’t have much time to do all the leg work to make it happen. Our family decided that it was time to visit Israel again, but we did not have much time to plan a trip.
We found Susie to be a truly passionate guide that tailored our visit to Israel to meet our needs. Our three boys (16-24 years old) wanted outdoor activities, but we also wanted a sense of the uniqueness of the country. She knows her stuff…history, archaeology, and religious significance of the sights and explains it in a way that brought the country to life for all of us. Whether we were standing on Tel Azekah looking out at the Ella Valley where David met Goliath,or in Hezekiah's Water Tunnels below the Old City of Jerusalem, Susie had it covered. We much appreciated that Susie went out of her way to recommend shops and restaurants where we could get the best deals and local flavors—not the tourist traps that guides often steer you toward. She also suggested activities we could do independently on the days we wanted to explore on our own. Susie’s excitement for the sights and their significance is infectious."
David and Robin Gould---Potomac, Maryland USA.
I just wanted to write and thank you again for a wonderful day of touring. I thoroughly enjoyed everything you showed me and learned a lot too. It was definitely a highlight of my trip this time.
Lanie K.
My family and I had an amazing time exploring Jerusalem with Susie Ben-David. Susie is extremely knowledgeable and tailored our tour to accommodate our family on a very hot day. I would recommend her for anyone wishing to understand the Jewish history of Jerusalem. ~ L. Miller, Ohio, United States
Thank you,
Lael M
Susie,
Just a note to thank you for all of the arrangements on our trip to Israel. We asked for an itinerary geared to 12 year old girls (our granddaughters) and you came through for us. Planning for months before our trip helped us fine tune our schedule.
Ir Dovid, Hezkiahu's tunnel (a bit wet), Davidson Arch Park, Hurva Shul - that and more was just on day one! The following day, we did Hebron and Ma'arat Hamachpela in Hevron, Efrat and Pina Chama.
Then we went to the Blind Museum in Holon and continued up the coast for an overnight in Akko (Acre) visiting the Crusader Hall and The Underground Prisoners Museum, followed by a visit to Rosh Hanikra and the Lebanese border. Finishing off at the Nisco Music Box Museum.
The next day we went to the Bullet Factory, Biblical Museum of Natural History and my former Kibbutz to show my grandchildren a real live Kibbutz in action.
We rounded it out with Pantry Packers to help feed those less fortunate, Gilo Park and finally ATV in the Judaen Hills.
One granddaughter said that she learned more in one day than in all her years in Day School. The other is now thinking about Aliyah.
You were able to keep up with the kids and keep them interested. Now can you arrange a restful vacation for us old people. Thanks for everything.
Marvin & Linda D.
I gave a virtual zoom tour of Beit Guvrin to a wonderful family sitting in 3 different states! and here is one of the great reviews:
I was assuming that Moshe and Sarah Mindy would be lost and uninterested, and that Doniel would maybe get something out of it but grumble afterwards that it was boring. (Gotta love teens!)
In the end, when we turned off Zoom, Doniel got up and said "That was actually REALLY cool." Which is extremely high praise from him.
Moshe was talking about it afterwards yesterday too, and you could tell that he'd really understood it all and found it interesting.
And you even managed to reel in Sarah Mindy! She was so proud that she answered a question. Thank you for asking a couple of easier questions so that they could feel good about themselves
Thanks again for giving us a fun activity on a cold Covid afternoon!
Keren Perles