Lauren and Mindy’s father, Ed and Mindy’s 13 year-old son, Max traveled to Israel this summer.  The main reason for the trip was to attend a friend’s Bar Mitzvah and catch up with many other friends, but the two also had a chance to experience and explore Tel Aviv and Jerusalem together with a lot of military history included.  The trip was a wonderful experience for Ed after more than 40 trips to Israel, but a nearly 15 year absence.  It was a first trip for Max appropriately so after his Bar Mitzvah late last year.  The pair started their trip by relaxing at the Dan Acadia, a beachfront resort in Herzliya just outside Tel Aviv.  Many family memories of this resort made this stay very special.  From here they ventured to the Palmach Museum for the history of Israel’s underground military movement.  Their stay in Tel Aviv was at the Carlton Hotel located beachfront along the pedestrian-friendly promenade.  A great place to stroll.  A private guide (and friend) took Ed and Max to the Ayalon Institute in Rehovot (a secret ammunitions factory) and to the Yad Lashiryon Museum (Armoured Corps) near Jerusalem which maintains an international display of over 200 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles from around the world.  Their final hotel, the King David in Jerusalem, also brought back many memories for Ed and they really enjoyed the Old City view from their spacious room.  They hired a taxi driver for the day to visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, The Western Wall and Mount Herzl and also visited the Dead Sea.  They returned to The Wall and met up with another of Ed’s grandsons, Jake, who was traveling with a Birthright trip.  Overall the trip was a great success with Max meeting and hanging out with many children his age which he can stay in touch with through Facebook and grandpop catching up with his many Israeli connections and watching his grandson absorb the Israeli culture and history for the first time.