When to Go

Climate -- The Israeli seasons are different from those in the United States and western Europe. Basically there are two seasons: winter (late Oct to mid-Mar) which is cool to cold and when the rains occur; and summer (Apr-Oct), which is warm to hot and virtually rain-free. Winter in Israel starts with showers in October and continues through periodic heavy rainfalls from November to March. Swimming is out in the Mediterranean during this time, except during occasional heat waves, although at times you can swim in Eilat and the Dead Sea in the winter. The Israeli winter doesn't normally involve snow, except for Mount Hermon on the Golan Heights. There could be occasional flurries in Jerusalem and the Upper Galilee (and the chance of a heavier snowfall two or three times a decade in Jerusalem). Jerusalem even had a .6m (2-ft.) snowfall in 1920, and two huge storms in the 1990s, so anything is possible. Luckily, even the biggest snowfall melts away in a few days. Tel Aviv and the coast don't get snow -- people from those areas rush to Jerusalem to see it when it occurs!

During February and the beginning of March, the entire country seems to turn green from the winter rains, and wildflower displays in the Galilee and the Golan regions are truly spectacular. By late March, the flowers and the green will have faded. In the months that follow, the heat gathers intensity, reaching its peak in July and August, when the only relatively cool spots are Jerusalem (at night) and the high mountains around Safed. The landscape is dry and parched by May, but by September temperatures fall off a bit.

Israel also experiences hot, dry desert winds at the beginning and end of the summer, although a hamsin can occur anytime from March to November. These south and eastern winds are named after the Arabic word for 50, since the wind was traditionally believed to blow for 50 days a year. Thankfully, it doesn't. A hamsin (or sharav) heat wave means you must cut back on rushing around: Plan to be in air-conditioned museums, in the shadowy depths of a bazaar, or in the water during midday, and make sure you add to your water intake. Also, be sure to wear a hat and slather on sunscreen.

In winter, cold rain systems move in from the north. Because they are prevented from continuing south by the constant tropical highs over Africa, these storms can stall over Israel for days until they rain themselves out. Lots of warm socks, layered clothes (including a fleece liner), and a good raincoat and portable umbrella are what you need if you visit in winter. If you find a few days of your trip hampered by constant rain, your reward will be the chance to visit pine forests near Jerusalem and in the Galilee as fragrant and misty as those of the Pacific Northwest. You'll see the countryside carpeted with wildflowers and a rare, fragile veil of greenery.

Advice for a Rainy Day--There are very few storm drains in Israel, so streets become minirivers whenever it rains. Sturdy, rubber-soled shoes are a necessity! In Jerusalem and in areas of Old Tiberias, Jaffa, and Safed, the picturesque stone pavements and staircases become lethally slippery when wet. Walk on them as if they were covered with sheets of ice, and use railings provided on steep staircase passageways. Always check with tourist information offices or the Society for Protection of Nature before hiking in the desert in winter. The sun may be shining in the desert, but rain up in Jerusalem flows into the wadis (canyons) leading down to the Dead Sea, and can build up into walls of water and boulders that sweep everything (including unwary tourists) away.

Israel's Calendar(s) -- If awards were given for "daily" confusion, or for having the maximum number of holidays a year, Israel would probably win them all. Israel "officially" operates on two separate systems for determining day, month, and year: the Jewish calendar with its roots in ancient Canaanite and Babylonian tradition, dating from some 5,750 years ago, and the Gregorian calendar, used in most countries, including the United States. Recognized, but "unofficial," are even more calendars, such as the Julian (Julius Caesar) calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian; and the Muslim era, which counts the years from A.D. 622, when the Prophet Muhammad led the hejira from Mecca to Medina. Not only do these calendars disagree about dates, but also about whether time is measured by sun, moon, or a combination of the two, and when the year should start and end. (I've never calculated how many New Year celebrations occur each year in Israel, but I do know of at least three Christmases.)

Holidays -- Israeli holidays and events will affect your visit in several important ways. First, hotels and campsites will fill to capacity and rates will rise by as much as 20%. Next, transportation and restaurant service may be curtailed or completely suspended, and places of entertainment may be closed. On the other hand, a holiday is a special occasion, and you won't want to miss the events that may take place.

Israel is also a most confusing place when it comes to the weekly holiday schedule. Jews stop work at midafternoon on Friday; some Muslims at sundown on Thursday (although many shops remain open on Fri); most Christians all day on Sunday. In Tel Aviv, no buses run from late Friday afternoon until Saturday after sundown, although small private minibuses cover the main routes. In Jerusalem, buses run only in the Arab neighborhoods on Saturday; in Haifa, there's partial bus service on Saturday. In nonreligious Eilat, there is no public transport on Shabbat. Some shops open just as others are closing for a holiday.

Lots of religious holidays change dates each year. The entire Muslim religious calendar starts 11 days earlier each year -- it's a lunar calendar. This means the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims may not eat or drink during daylight hours (and when Western visitors may not visit the mosques on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), slowly migrates across the year. How to keep your wits amid all these openings and closings? Read the following information carefully.

The Jewish Sabbath -- The Bible states that the 7th day is one of rest -- a time when no work can be done. For Orthodox Jews, this means no fires are lit, no human beings or animals can be made to work, no machines can be operated, no traveling can be done, no money handled, no business transacted. So officially that's the way it is in most of Israel, where the Sabbath, or Shabbat, is celebrated on Saturday. By 2 or 3pm on a Friday afternoon, depending on whether it's winter or summer (Shabbat begins at sundown), most shops have closed for the day. Buses and trains stop running at least an hour before Shabbat, and the movie houses are closed at night. There is a growing list of exceptions: In central Tel Aviv, many restaurants, cafes, discos, and theaters close on Friday afternoon for a few hours, but reopen on Friday night; Haifa has always had a quiet alternative Friday nightlife; and in Jerusalem, a number of cinemas and restaurants (nonkosher) remain open; recently the pub area around Jerusalem's Russian Compound has begun to boom, and Friday nights are very busy.

On Saturday, almost all shops throughout the country are closed (except for a few cafes and Arab or Christian establishments in Jerusalem's Old City) and nearly all transportation stops (only Haifa has limited municipal bus service at this time, and only taxis or small sherut companies ply in or between cities). Gas stations are mostly open on Shabbat, since few are located in religious neighborhoods. Most admission-free museums are ordinarily open for part of Shabbat; entrance tickets, when required, must sometimes be bought from private-duty guards outside the museum entrance. A few strictly kosher restaurants follow this same no-money-handling rule, accepting only advanced prepaid orders for Shabbat meals, which will often be cooked in advance and served tepid or cold; 99% of kosher restaurants, however, will be closed. Also, do watch for signs in restaurants or hotel dining rooms asking you not to smoke, so as not to offend Orthodox guests. (Lighting a cigarette or turning on a light switch is considered forms of starting a fire, which is an act of work forbidden on Shabbat.)

Precise hours for the duration of Shabbat, which vary according to the time of sunset, are listed in the Friday Jerusalem Post. The restarting of buses and reopening of cinemas and restaurants can be quite late in summer, as Shabbat does not end until you can see three stars in the sky at one glance.

Most Israelis are not Sabbath observant and love to travel on their day off, so if you want to drive on Saturday, you'll find the roads to beaches and parks quite busy. About the only people who'll try to stop you are the ultrareligious Jews, such as those in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim section. There they tend to get rather heated about people who ignore their interpretation of Shabbat restrictions. Many streets in religious areas will be blocked with boulders; most ultraorthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, have official permission to close their streets to traffic. Don't even think of trying to drive in or up to such areas. You can be stoned, and you will have little or no help from the police.

Israelis work 6 days a week, and as almost everything is shut down on Friday nights, Saturday nights are for staying up late and partying. By nightfall, transportation services resume, and movie houses begin selling tickets for evening shows. By dark, all entertainment venues are usually packed full, including the many sidewalk cafes. Restaurants need about an hour after the end of Shabbat to assemble their staffs and prepare things before they open their doors to the public. You won't get the best possible meal at a restaurant on Saturday night -- conditions are crowded, staffs are harried, and many items will have been prepared on Thursday or Friday.