When rumors about a different kind of roots trip started flooding the system, I went out to see for myself if we finally had something new.

By ADAM SAVILLE   MAY 29, 2019 14:42   

How does a Jew from another part of the world who genuinely wants to pass their Jewish heritage along to their children, book a trip to Israel that will leave a lasting impression? 

Most Bar Mitzvah trips to Israel all claim to be unique, with “memories that will last a lifetime.” 

But, when you Google a few companies and tour guides, you’ll notice that all of the itineraries of these “unique” trips are exactly the same! 

First up are the sites: The Old City, The Western Wall, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Carmel, Masada, etc. These are the places you want, and should go to! 

But that’s not unique. So it’s onto the attractions. 

Float in the Dead Sea and rub some mud on your face. Fly in a helicopter or a hot air balloon! Drive around in a Jeep, or an ATV… the list goes on and on, but they’re all the same. 

Again, this is nothing unique. 

So, I asked myself, is this what Israel has become? Should we conclude that what makes a bar mitzvah trip to The Holy Land memorable are jeeps, helicopters, and hot air balloons? 

When rumors about a different kind of roots trip started flooding the system, I went out to see for myself if we finally had something new. 

I met with Asaf, owner of Shin Luxury Tours, at a small cafe in Tel Aviv. At first, I didn’t know what to expect. He greeted me with a warm handshake and, as the interview progressed, it was revealed that he was a modest, kind, salt-of-the-earth man. Asaf is connected to his roots and is called to help Jews from around the world reach their own roots. 

What was meant to be a 20 minute interview turned into over an hour long conversation. What follows are the highlights from our meeting. 

Q: Asaf, I’m noticing this trend, that over the past years more Americans are choosing to come to Israel for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip. How do you explain this? 

Asaf: Many American Jews feel like their lives are quickly passing them by. We get so busy working, that when the kids start becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah we realize a lot of significant opportunities to connect with our family and children have passed us by. 

So, bringing the family to see the sights, landscape, and culture of the Holy Land seems natural. 

But in talking with parents, we’ve uncovered a deeper motive: the desire to experience something meaningful together as a family. Something that will leave a lasting impact. That’s why they really come.

Q: Of course, and that seems to be what most companies offer, right? I don’t see any differences. Why do all these itineraries look the same? 

Asaf: I’ve asked myself the same question. If you Google “8 day trip to Israel” the same itineraries seem to repeat themselves. 

Israel is very small, so naturally there will be overlap in the places guides bring you. And, there are some common sites I suggest all Jews visit. But your experience at those sites should be unique and personalized to you. 

That’s what a lot of people don’t realize. 

Q: What do you mean the experience should be unique and personalized? 

Families are made up of people, and people have different interests. As a guide, you have to craft experiences that fit into the personalities of the people you are touring. 

If you try to cram people into a cookie-cutter experience, it may work for some people, but for most it will feel a little bit dry, and it won’t be that memorable for their kids. 

Q: How do you craft an experience around a person’s personality? 

Asaf: Simply by asking different questions and listening to the answers. 

We find out each family member’s likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests. That allows us to develop a very interesting and unique experience while visiting the sites people wanted to go to. 

Of course, you can’t just turn a family member’s personality into the thing that everyone experiences. It takes a bit more work, but the results are incredible. 

Q: You’ve lost me, what do you mean? 

Take the Western Wall – the place where the Israeli army liberated the city of Jerusalem in 1967, during the Six-Day War. 

We created an experience called “Soldier At The Wall”. We’ve got a great video that explains it. 

In short, weeks before the Bar Mitzvah boy gets on a plane, we walk him through a series of videos to familiarize him with the Six-Day War. He sees the war through the eyes of an Israeli soldier named Yoram Zamus, a captain who liberated the Western Wall. 

At the peak of the 10-day Bar Mitzvah tour, after having a traditional Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall, the kid gives a presentation to friends and family that he put together. 

The boy has added a piece of himself into the group’s experience!Read More Related Articles

That sounds incredible! 

Asaf: It is, but that’s just the beginning. At the end of the presentation we really surprise him when Yoram – the soldier he just gave a presentation about – walks out and introduces himself to the young man. 

Yoram speaks, building on top of the Bar Mitzvah boy’s story about him. In that moment, you can watch the past and present meet. 

Yoram represents the past. The boy represents the present. They are connected by the Western Wall, a place that existed in both times. When you mix it all together the Bar Mitzvah boy is able to get a clearer view of his future. 

He will finally connect the Jewish heritage he was born into to his personal modern day identity, making him proud of who he is. 

Q: Asaf, wow! Listen, I’m pleasantly surprised! It seems like you’ve really done something different here. Why aren’t more companies doing this? 

Asaf: Because they can’t! It’s the personal connection we have with Yoram that allows us to do this. But it doesn’t stop there. We’ve used our personal connections to create experiences like this all over the country and we’re always looking for ways to add more. 

Q: You seem to want to really shake up the industry! 

Asaf: [Laughing a bit] No, that’s never been my goal. I simply wish to give people experiences they deserve, ones that inspire them. 

Q: How about one last closing thought to summarize?

Asaf: Coming to Israel for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is the best way to connect your child to their Jewish identity – but only if you hire a guide who creates a custom experience for you. If you get the same experience as everyone else, it might not create the memories and inspiration you’re looking for. 

I’d like to thank Asaf Peled from Shin Luxury Tours for being so generous with his time in giving me this interview. 

If you would like to learn more about booking a personal Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience for your son or daughter, click here and explore your options. 

Your Shin Tours Travel Consultant will listen carefully and will suggest a tailor-made itinerary for the experience you’re looking for. 

We had to find a new way. A way to create a meaningful experience for visitors to Israel. Not just another tour. This is why we created Shin Tours.

By NATHAN LATEMAN   NOVEMBER 7, 2019 12:22   

Jewish heritage tours in Israel, (of which most are bar/bat mitzvah tours), are a well-known and very popular way of visiting the Holy Land. The latest statistics show that tourism to Israel, especially Jewish heritage tours, are at an all-time high despite the regional security situation (which has never really been completely peaceful). No wonder then, that the top attractions and the most popular sites are fully booked. Sometimes months in advance.

“This type of trip should be a formative childhood memory, a memory that many choose to return and revisit, perhaps on several occasions during their lifetime. But each time you come back to Israel you can and should experience your trip in a completely new way. In a way which enables you to see the country as you’ve never seen it before”

Asaf made me this promise in our first interview, which I had scheduled on the back of rumours that he and his team were pioneering a new type of heritage tour experience. Back then I was sceptical, but decided it was worth exploring further.

What I didn’t know was that I wouldn’t have time to really dig into details in our first meeting. However, my curiosity was piqued and I asked to meet again.

This time, I went to meet Asaf and Adam in the Shin Tours Jerusalem offices, in order to hear exactly how they ensure that they deliver on their grand promises.

As in our previous meeting, Asaf, one of the partners in the company, greets me warmly. Casually dressed in a T-shirt and with a twinkle in his eye, he offers me a drink. A moment later, we’re sitting around a table and Adam, a travel consultant who specialises in Jewish heritage tours, joins us. As we sipped our coffee, the conversation began to flow.

To backtrack a moment: I first became interested in the story of Shin Tours when I kept hearing passionate recommendations about their services from colleagues and friends. And I couldn’t help but wonder: how did such a new company manage to become so successful in such a short space of time? Particularly in such a crowded market place: luxury tours in Israel.

“It started from my time as a tour guide,” explains Asaf. “I really enjoyed being out and about in our beautiful country, meeting interesting people, but became increasingly frustrated by the programmes I was being asked to guide. It was the same old recycled itineraries, no depth of experience. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t want to change careers – the working conditions were great; the compensation was more than adequate…but I was losing my passion. I knew that I could do something better. So, despite my lack of business experience, I decided to try and realise my vision and to found a company to change the game 

“It wasn’t that I had a sudden epiphany,” he continues. “It was a gradual build-up of ideas. I kept guiding in different places around Israel, and imagining how it would be possible to make the experience at each site, well…an experience! Exciting, emotional, moving, memorable! And eventually the vision became about more than how to make a specific site special, but how to build an unforgettable overall tour experience.”

Interviewer: That sounds interesting. Can you give me an example?

“When Re’em (my co-founder) and I founded Shin Tours, we were sitting in our improvised office – the balcony of Re’em’s apartment with a view over the Jerusalem hills – and brainstormed for hours on how to make a trip here an incredible experience, and not just another tour. We came up with hundreds of ideas, among them the “soldier at the wall” encounter that we discussed last time we met. But that was just the beginning.

“At the end of the day, we got these amazing ideas from our clients. Because from day one, it was a huge priority for us to really listen to them and make their dreams come true.”

Interviewer: Can you give an example of a dream you made come true for one of your clients?

“One father contacted us – he was in a mixed marriage and felt that his kids were disconnected from their Judaism. He really wanted the trip to be an opportunity for them to connect and be inspired by Jewish history. Together, we decided to send the children a series of videos about Yoram Zamush, a hero of the Six Day War. In Jerusalem they made a presentation about what they had learned, and then were thrilled when Yoram showed up in person to wish them mazal tov. We also found the right rabbi for their ceremony who could help them connect to their heritage. The father couldn’t stop thanking us. It made me very emotional.

“On another occasion, we were contacted by some grandparents who wanted to create a deeply spiritual barmitzvah experience for their grandchildren. They didn’t know what they wanted exactly, but knew that it should be spiritual. We arranged a sunrise ceremony by Robinson’s Arch in Jerusalem, and everyone was deeply moved.” 

Interviewer: Adam, how do you manage to learn these details – not everyone is able to articulate what they want or willing to share. What do they say to you? 

“You’re right,” says Adam. “As with anything, many people don’t know exactly what they want, or even if they do, they don’t know how to articulate it. It’s our job to really understand the client, to get to know them beyond the pure details of specific sites they may want to see or hotels they would like to stay in.

“I and my team really try to create a connection with the people who reach out to us, to understand them and all their family, their needs and interests. We ask specific questions to create a picture of everyone – whether it’s a particular passion for a specific place or subject, or maybe we need to take into account different stamina levels if it’s a multi-generational trip.

“We then build an experience which can be a wonderful and personalised trip to Israel, but also an opportunity to bring the family together and strengthen familial ties. For us you can’t have one without the other.”

Interviewer: I understand – but this is all in the office. How do you make sure that things work as they should in the field?

Adam continues: “Perhaps the most important element in any trip is the tour guide. Our guides are part of the Shin Tours family, we choose them very carefully and they all undergo a rigorous training. But even then, not every guide is right for every trip. We carefully match our guides with our clients to make sure that personalities fit. 

“Then, in the field, the guides help us bring our vision to life, through focusing on guiding as an experience and carefully sensing the group. Even the best-laid plans sometimes need to be tweaked and adjusted as circumstances change, and our guides are a vital part of making sure that our trips can remain dynamic and always be the best experience possible.” 

I thank Asaf and Adam for their time, and the coffee, and leave them to continue their work. As I walk out of their office I realise that there really can be a huge difference in how a tour programme is built and then executed. It seems that I should start re-examining the itineraries we get for our family trips.

On my way out I notice a collection of Shin Tours figurines lining the shelves of the office. Spotting my curious glance, Asaf smiles and explains:

“Each figurine represents a family which has become part of the extended family of Shin Tours. We really feel that we form a close relationship and bond with everyone that we bring here, and that they become part of our family. We see how happy they are with their experience and that they stay in touch, even returning to tour with us again. And from our point of view, our clients are vital to the success of the company. After all, a personal recommendation is the best way of us being able to bring more people for a unique experience in Israel”.

I enter the lift and can’t help but imagine what it would have been like for me to come to Israel for my barmitzvah as part of a Shin tours programme. To experience and connect to the land through incredible encounters, to have someone build a programme that was just right for me and my family. To form a life-long connection with the home of the Jewish people and to strengthen my Judaism overall.

When I was barmitzvah a trip like this was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, but if I could have done, I’d certainly have sent my parents a link to this example of a Shin Tours programme and said: “Mum, Dad – you see this? This is the kind of  experience I’d love on my trip to Israel” . I can’t help but be a little envious of those for whom such an opportunity is possible.

Click here to see an example of a Shin Tours custom-built Jewish heritage tour experience.

More and more companies are able to predict what their customers want. They track behavior, analyze it, and are seemingly able to know what you want to buy before you do.

By EITAN YARIV   JUNE 27, 2019 14:27   

(photo credit: JPOST STAFF)

More and more companies are able to predict what their customers want. They track behavior, analyze it, and are seemingly able to know what you want to buy before you do.

It’s possible because they know what people similar to you have wanted in the past, and are able to predict that chances are good you’ll want the same thing.

Asaf Peled, owner of Shin Luxury Tours, wondered, “What would happen if the travel industry could do the same thing, but in a much more personal way”?
This thought birthed the idea of what he calls a Roots Trip. I sat down with Asaf and one of his top Travel Consultants, Adam Saville, to find out more.Thank you Asaf for meeting with me. Can you tell me, what exactly is a Roots Trip to Israel?

Asaf: Ah, very good. Jewish families all over the world want to come to Israel, tour the country, see the sites, and have a fun family vacation all in the same trip. And there are lots of companies willing to help them do that, and they do a good job. 

But when you come on a Roots Trip, the difference is how you leave the country. You won’t just have seen sights, you’ll have experienced them in unique and personal ways, that connect with you and move you.

Adam: That’s right. The culture here in Israel is so rich, that it’s not very difficult to guide someone through the country and ensure they have a great time. The challenge in our industry is now how do we get to know each member of the family or group we are guiding on a deep enough, individual level, that we can put together experiences that will truly move them.

So Adam, how exactly can you do that?

Adam: Well, my since my boss is sitting next to me I’ll have to be careful not to give away the secret recipe.

Asaf: [laughing] Yeah, be very careful Adam!

Adam: All kidding aside, it’s actually just a matter of intention. If you were planning a trip for someone close to you, and you wanted to make sure it was a trip they would never forget, you wouldn’t just bring them to various places. You would be intentional to use the places you brought them as a tool to connect to past experiences.

You would ask yourself “How are they going to respond when they get here? What feelings are they going to have? What can I do to make that experience even deeper?

”And you are able to do that for people that you’ve never met, when bringing them to a place they’ve never been to?

Asaf: Absolutely. Every Jew around the world is connected to Israel. It doesn’t even have to be for religious reasons.

The people looking to come to Israel are looking for connection to their heritage. A lot of times it’s not just for themselves, but for their children. We bring a lot of families on Bar and Bat Mitzvah trips because the parents want to pass on a part of their Jewish heritage to their kids, but they know they can’t do that as effectively back home.

Adam: And as far as never having met our clients, I’d say that’s not entirely true. Sure, we’ve never met in person, but in order for me to help a client plan a trip like what we’re talking about, it’s imperative that I take the time getting to know the likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, and backgrounds of every person that’s coming.

By the time I meet them in person for the first time, we feel like old friends. And that’s really the secret isn’t it?

What about the fun activities that all the popular tours advertise?

Asaf: Those are definitely a part of the trip. Even if you’re leading a group of academic scholars, they’re going to want to unwind with a beach day, hot air balloon ride, jeep tour through the countryside….

Adam: A float in the Dead Sea…

Asaf: That’s a popular one. But again, we can’t just assume where each group will want to go. If I took you to do all those activities we just mentioned, you would have a favorite experience. 

Adam’s job is to find out what your favorite experience will be before you experience it, so that every day of your trip is more meaningful than the last.

What if you’re wrong, or things change once a group is physically here?

Asaf: As much effort as we put in to planning trips, things come up. Sometimes people want to make changes to their itinerary after it’s been set. Our goal isn’t to take you on the tour we planned, it’s to take you on the tour you want. So if things change in the middle of a trip, we do our absolute best to accommodate those changes.

If you think a tour is a product, then it becomes rigid. The features that were built into it, are the only features it has. I think of a tour more like an experience. It’s flexible. I can change it as needed to fit the people it was designed for.

We go through great lengths to make sure that every guide we hire thinks that same way. Our guides are constantly looking for ways to serve our clients.

 Adam: One example of this is there was an older woman in one of our tours. It became unusually chilly that afternoon, and our guide noticed she was trying to keep herself warm by constantly rubbing her arms. Without being asked, he went and bought her a sweatshirt. She didn’t have to ask him to do that because he was being attentive to her needs,

Asaf: It is important to fulfil the dreams and desires of our clients, but it’s just as important for us to give them what they want even if they don’t know how to ask for it.

_ _ _ _

It’s clear to me that Asaf and Adam are onto something in their approach to planning tours to Israel.

You can schedule a call with them here. As you can tell, they will take time to get to know you, and take care of all the details. Your biggest job will be coming with the expectation that you will go home “inspired by travel”, which is the company motto for good reason.