My expectation or should I say my hopes for my Holy Land pilgrimage conjured up scenes from some of my favorite Hollywood movies like “King of Kings” and “The Story of Ruth”. Did it look like that when our group arrived in Israel? Yes and no. Yes, there are sites that are instantly recognizable like the Western Wall of the Temple, the Dome of the Rock and the Sea of Galilee just to mention a few.

No, if you’re looking for the “King of Kings” version of Jesus walking the Via Dolorosa. That will be a bit of a shock, especially when you literally walk through a market to reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Did the changes in any way diminish the experience? Absolutely not. Why? Because we were lucky enough to have David Hyman guiding us. The word “guiding” doesn’t begin to describe what he does. I would say “transporting” us is a better way to put it. With David’s vast knowledge of archaeology, geography, history and scripture, he helped create the places that I had been envisioning no matter what their current state. He took the time to put everything in it’s historical, biblical, and even political context so that we could experience in a very real way what it was like when the events at that site occurred. And every day he taught us something new. Every day! That was such a gift given to us by a very gifted man. David’s other gifts are his patience, sense of humor, love of country and love of family which he so generously shared with us by telling us about his life and experiences. First, as a young boy immigrating to Israel, then as a young man serving his country, then as a father raising his children and keeping the legacy of, so many who came before him, alive and well and thriving. Whether you’re Christian or Jewish, with David Hyman, you will have the experience of a lifetime in Israel.

Donna Monaco,
New Jersey
November 2011

Dear David:

Having just returned from our Catholic pilgrimage to The Holy Land, I wanted to thank you for the integral role you played in our wonderful week.  Your knowledge of history and both the Old and New Testaments was impressive and your sensitivity to the Catholic faith was truly admirable.  Also, your passion for the country and the subject matter certainly affected many people in our group.

Beyond that, the trip was extremely well organized, which is no small feat considering all of the variables involved.  And, I'm in awe of the patience you displayed with such a diverse group of personalities!

David, words cannot express how much you contributed to our extraordinary trip.  I would definitely recommend your services to any type of group visiting Israel as I can't imagine anyone enhancing the experience more than you did.

Sincerely,

Don Zamora
Rockaway, New Jersey, USA

October 2010

Dear David,

We just got home from visiting our kids in Las Vegas, and all everyone wanted to hear about was our trip to Israel.

It all starts with you!  We couldn’t stop talking about how exceptional  you were and how the “most outstanding” parts of the trip had more to do with feelings than any one place in particular.   

Because of  your enthusiasm and  your vast  well of knowledge in so many areas, we are filled with a love of and sense of belonging to Israel.  It’s a feeling we all agree that we’ve never had about any other country that we’ve visited.

Your ability to be flexible and “go with the flow” as you incorporated all of our quirks and desires into scheduling,  made each day pleasant and fulfilling.   We all wondered how it would be to spend so many hours for so many days with a “stranger,”  but your easy-going personality, sense of humor and extreme patience made it just wonderful.

We want to thank you for making this the trip of a lifetime and we’ll surely recommend you time and time again.  We wish you and yours the best and hope we will see you soon as we try to share this experience with our family.

Marsha and Jeff Levine
Florida

November 2009

Hi David,

Firstly, I have to say how much we (the whole group!) enjoyed your company
and your guidance. It was way beyond our expectations. Your knowledge,
your warmth, your ability to relate to people and to sense their mood put
everybody at ease. In no time you created an atmosphere of trust and
camaraderie and became one of us. As for Zeev and myself, we wanted to show
our friends Israel the way we know it and we couldn't have a better guide to
do just that - thank you.

Shoshana and Zeev Berger
Calgary, Canada

My husband and I were thrilled with the wonderful tour of Jerusalem we had with David Hyman. He is exceptionally knowledgeable and planned a comprehensive day for us. We were especially happy with the sites he chose and his fluent English made it very easy to understand. We highly recommend him to anyone touring in Israel.

Ellen and Bert Wertheim
September 2008

Dear David,

I just wanted to extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude for leading us American maniacs for 2 weeks in Israel. You were the source of such a great experience. Your wealth of knowledge, love, and respect for Israel was not only contagious but beautiful, moving and inspirational. Your patience and openness with everyone on the trip really facilitated the connection between us and our beautiful homeland.

Coming away from the trip, you left us with the idea that the journey is not over when we get home. You are right. Not only have I developed some life long sisters from this trip, the trip inspired me to step away from hectic life in New York City and look at the things in a different perspective. Not quite sure what that perspective is yet, but as you said this is a journey.
But it has made me think and feel in a different way from when I left not too long ago.

Thank you again for being who you are and thank you for showing me the Israeli landscape, the Israeli way of life, and I guess just the Israeli heart: which I look at as this way and idea of living for what you really love and what you care about.

I will always remember this trip, and Israel will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for being part of that.

Warm Regards,
Stephanie Yolish
Bus 27, Birthright Israel
August 2008

Jersey to Jerusalem was our UJA Federation community trip to Israel, the first of its kind and largest trip ever to go from our Federation. We were 350 people arriving in Israel in February 2007, months after the Second Lebanon War. By necessity, we had to plan this trip in the middle of a war, not knowing how and whether we would be able to make it happen. David Hyman, our community Shaliach at the time, worked with us to create an exciting and meaningful trip by any standard. He knew every possible site, obvious or subtle, and the logistics for getting eight buses in three directions for seven days. The trip was intimate, easy to handle, and exciting every minute of our time in Israel. We could not have done it without him.

Sanford Herrick, Gregory Meisel, Leslie Billet
Co-Chairs
Jersey To Jerusalem, Community Trip to Israel
UJA of Northern New Jersey
February 2007

As a professional mission planner, I have relied on David’s expertise and counsel in planning missions that range in size from 20 to 350. Not only does he know all the nuts and bolts about Israel, sightseeing and logistics, but he brings something extra to the table…
He knows people, and has a sense of what they will like, and how they will respond.
If you are looking for an Israel guide you’ll be happy you chose David.

Robert Miller
Director of Missions
UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey