Ikey Korin and I in May 2014
In May of 2014, we were blessed to travel to the Holy Land, as guests of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, to film a production on Pope Francis’ pilgrimage. (That special is still in production and will be released later this year.)
As part of our trip, the Tourism Office set us up with guides who would not only drive us around, but who would tell us things that we wanted and needed to know. One of those guides was Ikey Korin. Today I’d love to introduce him to you!
What can I say about Ikey? He is AWESOME! He is so in love with his country and its history–he loves all of its people, and is so full of joy to share it with everyone! He is enthusiastic and bombastic! He is a force of nature. Here’s some video of him:
[youtube width=”550″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/j7ADqpLUqu0[/youtube]
On his biography page, Ikey says about himself: “I’m the grandson of a rabbi, son of a Jewish refugee, lived in a kibbutz, wounded in action–what’s more Israeli than this?” And Ikey’s perspective and knowledge were so invaluable to us, not only in our production, but also just in getting to know a wider view of the Holy Land, not just a Christian or Catholic one. I loved hearing Ikey’s stories about his life as a young Israeli soldier, and hearing him expound on what he thought about the future of the Holy Land.
One of the things that many Christian tour operators do is try to get Christian tour guides, to support the dwindling numbers of Christians in the region. I certainly do not want to disagree with that goal. That said, I think it invaluable for Christian groups and people, in general, to broaden their worldview and meet some of the locals, be they Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. We are all children of God, are we not?
Recently, I asked Ikey to tell me a little bit about himself, and to tell us what life is like in the Holy Land these days. Since I am planning a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April (there’s still time to sign up!), I want to know–should I be afraid? Here’s what Ikey has to say about that.
Ikey, sharing his love and vast knowledge of the Holy Land
DVG: You live in the Holy Land now—can you tell us where you live and if you’ve lived there your whole life?
IK: I live about 20 miles north of Tel-Aviv, but over the years I have lived in many other places, and since the whole country’s size is less than half the size of lake Michigan, I can almost say I have lived all over!
DVG: What kinds of people do you get to meet through your work?
IK: I do not limit myself to any special people and the benefit is, I get to guide from the very humble Christian pilgrim to multi-millionaires, Hollywood celebrities, Orthodox Rabbis and backpackers.
DVG: The news makes the Holy Land seem very scary, yet you are raising your family there. Do you feel safe?
IK: People who travel this country, especially during the summer, get to see more hitchhikers than police cars, and kids at grade A (elementary kids) are walking back home from school all by themselves. Is this common to see in America? Actually, and no offense, my wife wonders after each hurricane, tornado, or shooting in malls, schools and elsewhere, who wants to live in such a dangerous country as America?!
Our cameraman, Andy, talking to some local kids near the Western Wall
DVG: What an amazing insight, Ikey! Of course, we Americans obviously don’t consider our country to be so dangerous that we wouldn’t walk outside, but it is interesting to see how dangerous it seems from another country, and from one that many Americans consider to be so dangerous! I remember, when you were driving us around in Jerusalem, we did see lots of little kids walking to school all by themselves! We were all amazed! You’d never see that in the United States! At least, not in a big city. But they were everywhere in Jerusalem. And you’re right, we did see lots of hitchhikers and didn’t hear too many sirens–except for when Pope Francis was nearby, of course! I think I hear more sirens in Philadelphia or New York City! But of course, there was real fighting going on this past year, just a month after we visited. How did those events affect tourism in the Holy Land?
IK: Since this country is so very small, any event that takes place either in the country or nearby turns into breaking news in the media. Many times, it is over inflated, which unfortunately does cause a lot of cancellations, sometimes a year in advance! Would you cancel your next summer holiday in Disney due to a hurricane a year before? Would you avoid going to the local cinema for a whole year because of a crazy gunman shooting? I calculated my damages relating to last summer’s conflict, and it looks like I lost close to 30,000US$ over a period of 8 months!
Ikey took us to the amazing Mehane Yehuda market!
DVG: I know that you are not the only one going through this, Ikey. Many of my friends in the tourism industry are suffering from people canceling their trips because they are afraid. And that’s why I’m hoping that people will read these interviews, with locals, like you, who live in the Holy Land, or with pilgrims who have gone recently. So far, everyone has said that it is safe, and that they should come! Do you think that people who want to visit the Holy Land should feel that it is unsafe there for tourists?
IK: Seriously & honestly, I do not see any more risk in going to the Holy Land than taking a cruise. Remember the Costa Concordia in June of 2012? Or in riding a train in Spain–remember the 78 people who were killed in July 2013? Or in visiting Boston, watching a Marathon.
DVG: Very good points, Ikey. So, tell me, why do you think it’s important for people to visit the Holy Land?
IK: I will try to quote as much as possible a pilgrim from Texas, a Korea veteran (!), who stood up during our farewell dinner and wept as he said:
I don’t know how many more years have I left, but let me tell you, I’m gonna regret them all for not taking this trip earlier. All of my life, I was spending my holidays taking my family to places like Acapulco and Florida, and I always found an excuse for not going to the Land of the Bible, like there’s always bad news coming from there, or it is too expensive. I was reading the Bible and I said to myself, “Some day!” And now, after I’ve been here, I can only ask, why did I spend my time reading the Bible and traveling to other places instead of traveling the Bible and reading of those other places?! Taking a Gondola in Venice–how can you compare that to a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee? How stupid was I, walking along the Champs Elysee, and how blessed I feel walking the Via Dolorosa! What’s the point of standing in line and paying money to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral in London when I can get on my knees for free at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher? I saw all the other places with my eyes, but only the Holy Land got right into my heart!
DVG: Wow. That makes me cry. As someone who has travelled a lot, I really appreciate, and agree with that statement. The world is a beautiful place to see. But visiting the Holy Land changes your life.
So, w hat are some of your favorite places to go in the Holy Land?
IK: Jerusalem, for its uniqueness, Tel Dan, for the combination of history and nature, and the Sea of Galilee, for its beauty.
DVG: I know many who would agree with you on that last one! What is one place that you think people never visit but should?
IK: Israel is multi-faceted country, and there are too many places to list. Every person may find a place that suites his own unique interests, but there is plenty to see.
DVG: What is some of your favorite food in the Holy Land?
IK: Falafel, shawarma, hummus and …. a visit to Aroma (a cafe). Starbucks failed in Israel, but we succeeded with Aroma around the world.
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something yummy
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salad
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stuffed grape leaves
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Shawarma with Ikey
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The best sushi in Jerusalem!
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Mint tea
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amazing breakfast
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yummy sandwich
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yummy sandwich
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these were to DIE FOR! Stuffed with Nutella!
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these were to DIE FOR! Stuffed with Nutella!
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yum!
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yum!
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spread!
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The Holy Land spread!
DVG: Ha! I did love the food in the Holy Land, and my mouth is watering, just reading your list! What do you think the locals think about pilgrims coming to visit—do they think we’re a nuisance or do they want us to come?
IK: We, people of the East, Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike, have the tradition of treating a foreigner as if he comes to visit our own home, and people will walk far out of their way to help you!
DVG: Your hospitality and joy was definitely a wonderful aspect of our trip, Ikey. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I will pray that more people travel to the Holy Land, and hire you to be their guide!
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Next time you’re planning a trip to the Holy Land and want to get the perspective from one of the most friendly and knowledgable tour guides in Israel, get in touch with Ikey at his webpage. Tell him I sent you.