A Family Shavuot at the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites

The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage, invites families to take part in a variety of activities at heritage sites leading up to and during Shavuot, including First Fruits (Bikkurim) ceremonies, Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a wine fair, musical performances, guided tours, and more. Some of the activities are free of charge. Here are some examples of activities:

The Valley Railway Site at Kfar Yehoshua:

When: Wednesday-Thursday, May 13-14

What: The Jezreel Wine Festival - as part of the "Milk and Honey" festival of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, 17 wineries from the Jezreel Valley will hold a wine and music celebration, including tasting and sales booths, performances by Adar Gold and Ohad Shragai (Wednesday) and the "Meusharim BaTzibur" ensemble (Thursday), food trucks, and more. In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Sports and Mifal HaPayis. Entry for ages 18 and up. Cost: 120 NIS per participant. Details at the link

First Settlers' Courtyard at Ein Shemer:

When: Saturday, May 23

What: First Fruits (Bikkurim) ceremonies with audience participation, a parade of tractors and agricultural machinery, dance performances and public dancing, harvesting in a wheat field, activities at a 100-year-old flour mill, roll baking, tractor tours around the kibbutz, a visit to the tractor museum, guided tours of the early kibbutz museum, holiday-themed craft corners, and more.

Cost: 72 NIS per child (ages 2-16), 67 NIS per adult. By advance registration only. Details at the link.

Ayalon Institute Museum, Rehovot:

When: Wednesday-Friday, May 20-22

What: Guided tours following one of the most fascinating stories of the pre-state era—a secret ammunition factory established and operated right under the noses of the British.

Cost: 33 NIS per adult, 24 NIS per child (6-17) or senior citizen. By advance registration only. 08-9406552.

Ayanot Heritage Museum:

When: May 30

What: Museum tours, old-fashioned laundry activities and soap bubbles, baking pita bread with herbs, and more.

Cost: 35 NIS per participant. Registration at the link.

The Museum for Islamic Art:

When: Wednesday-Thursday, May 20-21

What: In honor of Shavuot, a special tour (11:00 AM) will be held at the museum following one of the most central and important elements in our world: water. Through selected items from the museum's collection, participants will discover how water shaped art, culture, imagination, and faith in the Islamic world. They will examine the role of water not only as an essential element for survival but also as a spiritual symbol, a key component in purification rituals and worship, an inspiration for images of paradise, abundance, and harmony, and as a connecting thread between man, nature, and the divine.

Cost: 44 NIS per adult, 25 NIS per child (5-18). Details at the link.

Full information on all events: on the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites website

Photo: Valley Railway, courtesy of the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites