On March 18th, Tom Doyle led a group from the Dallas Bible Church headed by Pastor Hal Habecker to the City of Ariel. The group landed in Israel the day before and spent the evening at the Eshel Hashomron Hotel. They began their journey to Israel where Biblical prophecy meets modern reality: the City of Ariel. Although many of the participants were first-time visitors to Israel, this wasn’t Tom’s first trip to Ariel. His previous visit at the end of 2010 resonated with him and his group, and he knew what he wanted to see.
As with his previous trip, the visit with Irena and Kuba Vadislavsky at the Ariel Holocaust and Heroism Memorial made a powerful impression. For many in the group this was their first encounter with Holocaust survivors. Both their personal stories and their unyielding commitment to educating the masses about what really happened are enriching experiences which cannot be matched.
Of course, a visit to Ariel embodies not only the challenges to the Jewish people but also the successes of Israel’s pioneers. The group thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Ariel Regional Center for the Performing Arts, the Ariel Industrial Park, Ariel’s Sheltered Workshop and Ariel University Center. These experiences brought our guests in personal contact with so much of what is going on in Israel today. It was the perfect starting point for a meaningful stay in the Land of Israel.