Dr. Susi Cohen-Weisz - Licensed Israel Tour Guide

Dr. Susi Cohen-Weisz - Licensed Israel Tour Guide Digital Creator. Licensed Israeli tour guide (PhD) bringing 4,000 years of history to life through archaeology, Bible, and culture.

Guiding all over Israel in German, English, French & Hebrew.

10/09/2026

As Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) approaches, the ancient High Holiday concept of Sha’arei Tefillah—the "Gates of Prayer"—comes alive at the threshold of the Temple Mount.

Here at Bab al-Qattanin (The Cotton Merchants' Gate), worshippers gather in the 14th-century Mamluk arcade to pray facing the site of the ancient First and Second Temples.

Why pray at this threshold?

🏛️ The Sacred Core: For Jewish tradition, the Temple Mount is the holiest site on earth. The Dome of the Rock stands directly over the biblical Foundation Stone (Even HaShetiya)—the location of the ancient Temples and the inner Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim).

🚪 The Status Quo & The Gates: Under long-standing arrangements administered by the Islamic Waqf and secured by Israeli authorities, 11 of the 12 historic gates are reserved exclusively for Muslim entry. Non-Muslim visitor access is limited to a single entrance—the Mughrabi Gate—during restricted visiting hours.

📍 Proximity at the Threshold: Because of entry limitations and long-standing prayer restrictions on the Mount itself, worshippers gather year-round outside portals like Bab al-Qattanin. Standing just yards from the site of the ancient Sanctuary, praying here carries on a centuries-old yearning to draw as close as possible to the Holy of Holies.

✨ The Rosh Hashanah Connection: As Rosh Hashanah approaches, High Holiday prayers speak continuously of Sha’arei Tefillah. Seeing prayers offered at these physical portals brings that ancient spiritual concept directly to life.

✨ Want to explore the hidden portals, complex history, and living traditions of Jerusalem? Message me to plan a private guided walk through the Old City!

30/08/2026

Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter has preserved a distinct language, culture, and spiritual heritage inside the Old City walls for over 1,600 years.

Stepping inside St. James Cathedral (Surb Hakob) during afternoon prayers reveals traditions preserved across centuries—from the striking of the wooden nakus (used when bells were restricted under Ottoman rule) to ancient liturgical chants sung beneath hanging silver oil lamps.

Key Highlights:

🏛️ Ancient Roots: Armenian pilgrimage to Jerusalem dates to the 4th century CE, following Armenia’s adoption of Christianity in 301 CE—making them the earliest national Christian community in the Holy City.

⛪ Crusader Architecture: Built primarily in the 12th century over 5th-century Byzantine foundations.

🛡️ Sanctuary & Refuge: High stone walls enclose a self-contained compound housing the Patriarchate, residential quarters, and schools. The compound expanded significantly after offering refuge to families fleeing the 1915 genocide in the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey and historic Armenia).

🎨 Ceramic Tilework: The vibrant blue-and-white tiles cladding the cathedral walls showcase a renowned craft. In 1919, British authorities invited Armenian master ceramicists from Kütahya to Jerusalem to restore the tiles of the Dome of the Rock—introducing a craft that would define the city’s iconic street signs and pottery.

🏔️ Sacred Symbols: The clergy's pointed cowl (Vekhar) mirrors Mount Ararat in historic Armenia—revered as the biblical resting place of Noah’s Ark and the sacred national symbol of the Armenian people.

✨ Just one of the many distinct worlds preserved inside the Old City walls. Want to step beyond the standard tourist sites? Message me to plan a private guided walk through Jerusalem’s historic quarters!

25/08/2026

Two ancient traditions, two holy mountains.

While Jewish tradition centers on Jerusalem and Mount Moriah, Samaritan tradition holds that Mount Gerizim is the sanctuary chosen by God. Watching their dawn Shavuot pilgrimage offers a rare look at a distinct, living biblical practice.

In this clip, the Samaritan community (Shomronim)—today numbering under 900 people—gathers for their sacred Shavuot prayers, processing across the peak of their holy mountain.

For anyone interested in ancient text and history, seeing these rituals in person is fascinating:

🌾 The Shavuot Pilgrimage: On Shavuot morning, the community dresses in white and ascends the mountain on foot, praying at a series of holy stations—first where they believe the Tabernacle stood, and continuing to the site of the Binding of Isaac.

📜 Priest Traditions & Scrolls: During the service, Samaritan priests face the congregation and elevate sacred Torah scrolls wrapped in silver cases, invoking ancient priestly blessings over the community.

🏠 Stone Doorpost Inscriptions: Watch the end of the clip to see a Samaritan Mezuzah. Instead of a small parchment case inside a doorframe, they mount large stone plaques carved with Paleo-Hebrew script directly above or beside their entrances—a literal reading of the command to write the law on their doorposts.

✍️ A Distinct Textual Version: In the Samaritan Torah, written in Paleo-Hebrew, the command to establish a sanctuary on Mount Gerizim is explicitly named in their version of the Ten Commandments.

🗓️ A Different Calendar: Because they calculate festival dates based on their own calendar system, Samaritan Shavuot often falls on a completely different date than Jewish Shavuot!

Examining these distinct traditions and holiday practices in person gives such rich context when exploring this land.

Have you ever seen Paleo-Hebrew script or learned about the Samaritan tradition? Let’s chat in the comments! 👇

ExploreIsrael PaleoHebrew OffTheBeatenPath IsraelGuide TextualHistory ReelsIsrael

23/08/2026

From the Mediterranean Sea to the Judean Desert in 90 minutes. 🌊🏜️

Where else in the world can you leave the coastal breeze at 10:00 AM and sit in ancient desert silence by 11:30 AM?

Israel’s superpower is its scale—endless eras, shifting climates, and completely different landscapes packed into a single short drive. (And funny enough, those desert cliffs were actually submerged under the ancient ocean millions of years ago!).

Coast or desert—which view are you riding to first? 🏍️👇

Geography

21/08/2026

Centuries of sacred tradition, deep civic loyalty, and living history. 🌿✨

Meet the Druze—one of the most remarkable communities in Northern Israel.

As a guide, personal conversations in the field always bring our regional history to life. Two encounters with Druze leaders especially stick with me:

🕯️ A Bond Beyond Ceremonies:
Watching high-ranking Druze leaders light a memorial candle in Ohel Yizkor during Yom HaShoah carried a weight far deeper than mere attendance. In that quiet moment, one of them turned to me and said: "Our loyalty to Israel isn't just for official ceremonies—it's how we live every single day." Participating in that solemn act inside Yad Vashem was a powerful testament to a covenant built on shared sacrifice and enduring respect.

🧒 Living Tradition & Memory:
Central to Druze faith is the belief in reincarnation. While visiting their holiest sanctuary, a local leader proudly showed me a video on his phone of his 4-year-old granddaughter speaking fluent, accent-free English—despite never having left her village or taken a lesson. To him, it was a tangible proof of her past life.

Three Historical & Cultural Touchpoints:

1️⃣ A Closed Tradition: Dating to the 11th century, the Druze faith keeps its core theological texts strictly within the community. There is no conversion into the faith.

2️⃣ Biblical Roots: Their primary sanctuary, Nabi Shu'ayb near Tiberias, is revered as the tomb of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses.

3️⃣ Food & Solidarity: Druze cuisine features fresh mountain herbs, saj bread, and slow-cooked stews. Following October 7th, several restaurant owners made their kitchens kosher out of deep solidarity—making their traditional food accessible to IDF soldiers, evacuees, and observant visitors.

IsraelHistory CulturalHeritage IsraelGuide TourGuideIsrael ExploreIsrael

13/08/2026

You can’t truly understand modern Jerusalem until you’ve walked through Shuk Machane Yehuda. 🌶️🧺

Beyond the vibrant colors, sensory overload, and incredible food, the Shuk is a living history book. It’s where traditions from across the globe—from North Africa and Persia to Eastern Europe—converge in the heart of the city.

The real magic of the Shuk lies beyond the surface-level tastings—in uncovering the human stories behind the market. Every stall carries its own history, and every vendor is an integral part of the tapestry of modern Israel.

My favorite way to guide the Shuk is balancing those classic, vibrant flavors with deep historical context—showing how Jerusalem evolved beyond the Old City walls into the thriving, multifaceted culture we see today.

CulturalTravel ExploreJerusalem GuidePerspectives

Travel isn't just about what you see—it's about how you contribute to the places you visit. 🌾🤝One of the most rewarding ...
11/08/2026

Travel isn't just about what you see—it's about how you contribute to the places you visit. 🌾🤝

One of the most rewarding parts of guiding my bus of Maccabiah athletes was taking a break from traditional sightseeing so they could roll up their sleeves and give back through hands-on community volunteering. Seeing these young athletes channel their teamwork and energy into supporting a local project showed the true heart of the delegation.

Building itineraries that balance deep historical context with active, meaningful engagement is what turns a trip to Israel into an unforgettable journey.

Riding the cable car up to the summit of Masada never fails to impress—standing at the edge of the desert cliff, surroun...
09/08/2026

Riding the cable car up to the summit of Masada never fails to impress—standing at the edge of the desert cliff, surrounded by 2,000-year-old stone, is breathtaking. 🏜️📜

Masada holds two distinct chapters of history: the magnificent engineering masterpiece built by King Herod as a desert palace complex, and later, the tragic last stand of the Jewish defenders who sought refuge here following the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

To understand this epic chapter, we look to Josephus Flavius—the 1st-century Jewish-Roman historian whose detailed writings give us a window into the Roman siege. Unpacking his historical accounts while standing directly inside the archaeological ruins brings ancient text straight into the present day.

Guiding these incredible young Maccabiah athletes to this iconic summit and exploring these deep layers of Jewish history and resilience together is why I love this work.

🏛️ Bringing ancient history and archaeology to life across Israel. Direct message or visit the link in bio for tour inquiries!

06/08/2026

As a tour guide, there are moments of joy, and there are moments where words feel too small.

Guiding young American athletes through the Nova memorial and Mount Herzl was one of those moments. At these sites, my role wasn't to lead a debate, but to share personal stories, ground them in history, and hold space for whatever emotions surfaced—the silence, the tears, and the quiet realization of where we stood.

Walking between the historic, uniform military headstones of past generations and the deeply personal, individualized graves from post-October 7th, you witness how a nation grieves, remembers, and honors its heroes across time.

Standing at the edge of the mountain, I asked them to make a promise: to honor the memory of the fallen by telling their stories, and by living our lives with passion, pursuing excellence, and standing fiercely proud of who we are as a global Jewish community. Am Yisrael Chai. 🕯️💙

— As this post goes live today, another name is etched into the stone of Mount Herzl: Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, z"l, who fell yesterday in Lebanon and was laid to rest on this very hill today. Another brave soul who sacrificed everything so that we may live here in safety. May his memory be a blessing. 🕯️

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