About Us

What We Do
Authentic Israel, a part of the Tlalim Group, is a premier Israeli tour operator. Our staff works hand-in-hand with community groups, individual families, and travel agents to develop custom Israel tours.
(more: Trip Planning Process)

About the Tlalim Group
Authentic Israel is part of the Tlalim Group, an Israeli company that has been involved in tourism, education, and creative projects since 1974. In addition to organizing touring programs for families and groups around the world, Tlalim operates educational tours for Israeli school children and special events for Israeli companies and non-profits. The Tlalim Group is also a leader in high technology interactive media through our relationship with Orpan as well as through the Cinema City project. Finally, the Tlalim Group operates a school for nature photograhy in Israel.

Meet Our Staff
The Authentic Israel office staff and guides comes from a diverse background, and we bring unique skills to our work. Get to know us...

Adrian Simons
Managing Director (Israel)
Born in England, Adrian moved to Israel in 1990 after graduating with a degree in Jewish Education Studies at London University. After briefly working for the Jewish Agency, Adrian moved to Tlalim where he has served for the past 20 years as Managing Director for Incoming Tourism. Adrian lives in the town of Modi'in in Israel along with his wife and five children. 
 
Avi Green
Managing Director (North America)
Born in Jerusalem and raised in Philadelphia, Avi graduated with a masters degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and subsequetly worked in Jordan on an Arab-Israeli economic cooperation initiative funded by USAID. Returning to the States, Avi co-founded the Israel Outdoors project in 2001 after years of hiking and biking Israel's countryside. Avi is the North American Managing Director for Authentic Israel, based in Washington, DC.

Roi Porat
Operations Director (Israel)
Born and raised in Rishon L'Tzion, Roi served in special forces in the IDF for seven years and completed his service as an officer. Roi started his professional career as a guide for Authentic Israel and subsequently received a degree from Tel Aviv University in business administration. He still lives in Rishon L'Tzion with his wife who is expecting soon!

Sara Polon
Trip Development Manager (North America)
Born and raised in the Washington, DC area, Sara has been regularly traveling to (and sometimes living in) Israel since the age of twelve. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied American History and Middle Eastern studies. Sara works with clients of all background to develop custom Israel tours. In addition to her passion for Israel, Sara has moonlighted as a standup comic.

Ian Dirnfeld
Operations Manager (Israel)
Born in Canada, Ian grew up in a contemporary Jewish home where Zionism and Judaism were inextricably linked. Emigrating in 2000, Ian has since been working in the field of tourism & customer relations, first for El Al, and now at Authentic Israel. Recently married, Ian lives in Tel Aviv with his wife.

Aaron Lipkin
Operations Manager (Israel)
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Aaron has been working in the field of informal education for the last ten years working with American youth and students. Aaron is now responsible for organizing all Taglit-Birthright Israel trips on behalf of Israel Outdoors, an Authentic Israel project. Aaron currently lives in the town of Ofra with his wife and four children.

Nicole Barda
Program Manager (North America)
Born and raised in Potomac, Maryland, Nicole studied at the University of Haifa in Israel. After returning from Israel, Nicole worked for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington as well as the Jewish Claims Conference in New York City. Nicole returned to her hometown of greater Washington, DC in 2005 to serve as the North American program coordinator for Israel Outdoors. Most importantly, Nicole is a recent mother. Congratulations Nicole!

Alisha Hess Haber
Program Coordinator (North America)
Born and raised in New York City, Alisha is a graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she studied City & Regional Planning. In addition to various internships in the field of transportation planning and several months volunteering on a kibbutz, she has previously helped organize tours to Israel from the Missions Department of the United Jewish Communities. Alisha spent a year living and learning in Jerusalem prior to moving to Washington, D.C., and is now is responsible for coordinating registration for BBYO's Passport to Israel summer teen tour program.

Batya Lebinger
Program Coordinator (North America)
Batya was born and raised in the New York area.  She studied Elementary Education at the University of Pennsylvania.  After a stint as a kindergarten public school teacher, she joined Authentic Israel as the official "Jack of All Trades".  She works on a variety of different projects, but most importantly, you can always count on her to bring the cookies!

Ika Chipman
Guides & Educational Coordinator (Israel)
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ika has been working in the field of informal education for the last nine years. Starting out as a tour guide, Ika has guided groups of local Israeli youth, recent immigrants, and groups from around the world. More recently, Ika joined the Authentic Israel office staff where he is responsible for managing guides and itinerary development. Ika currently lives in the village of Lapid with his wife and three children.

Henry Jakubowicz
European Sales & Operations Manager (Israel)
Born and raised in Germany, Henry managed the Jewish Community Center of Cologne, Germany before making Aliyah in 1995. After completing his army service in the spokesman's department, Henry studied at Haifa University and then entered the field of educational tourism, first as a guide and currently as a sales & operations manager for European clients. Henry currently lives in Tel Aviv where he is an avid fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Elinor Garame
Operator - Youth Groups & Schools (Israel)
Elinor was born, raised, and continues to reside in the Nes Tziona area of Israel. After spending time in the army and in America, Elinor followed her heart back to Israel. Elinor like to trave, dance...and work with youth from around the world who are visiting Israel!

Robyn Babay
Operator - Family Tours (Israel)
Born in South Africa, Robyn worked in tourism since 1988, moving to Sydney, Australia in 1995 for 9 years. Robyn made Aliyah in February 2004 and started working at Authentic Israel soon after. Robyn lives in Ra'anana with her husband and two children (with another on the way!).

Tsachi Eden
Operator - Community Groups (Israel)
Born in Kfar Saba, Israel. Tsachi has lived alternately in the United Kingdom and the United States. While in England, Tsachi completed a degree in tavel and tourism before returning to Israel where he currently resides with his wife in Ra'anana.

Hagai Shoham
Operator - Youth Groups & Schools (Israel)
Born in Netanya, Israel, Hagai grew up studiying at a Bnai Akiva yeshiva high school and then served in the IDF's Nahal Brigade as a medic. Hagai completed a BA in emergency medicine in Israel. He currently lives in Moshav Hemed in the center of the country where he is married with three daughters. Hagai has been working with youth groups and student groups since 1998. He enjoys playing the guitar, mountain bike riding, and sharing the magic of Israel with young people.

Oshrit Fallach
Operator - Taglit-Birthright Israel Groups (Israel)
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Oshrit has been working with Taglit-Birthright Israel groups since 2005 as well as managing several other projects. Oshrit currently lives in Ramat Pinkas.

 Ofer Akrish
Operator - Taglit-Birthright Israel Groups (Israel)
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ofer spent five years in the army as an intelligence officer before completing a degree program at the Jezreal Valley College. Ofer enjoys travelling and has been working with Taglit-Birthright Israel groups since 2007.

Matan Safran
Special Projects (Israel)
Matan grew up in Karmei Yossef and served in special forces in the IDF. He has worked at Authentic Israel since 2004 and is currently working part-time while studying full-time at the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herziliya where he also resides. In his free time, Matan also works as a freelance photographer specializing in aerial photography.

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Authentic Israel Trip Guides

Sara Zeltzer
Trip Guide (Israel)
One of the most energetic guides in Israel, Sara is a true red-head, loves being outdoors, and has a tendency to fall in love with her groups. She studies biology in the Tel Aviv University.

Nataly Zeevi
Trip Guide (Israel)
Born in Tel Aviv, Nataly began her love for nature at Sde Boker high school in the Negev Desert. Nataly served in the IDF as a tour guide and since then has been alternatively guiding trips in Israel and traveling the world -- crossing the Himalayas from India to Tibet, riding horses throughout Mongolia, trekking in China, etc. These days she is still guiding and also studying cheesmaking with dreams of making her own dairy goat farm.

Amir Klar
Trip Guide (Israel)
Born and raised in the center of Israel, Amir has served in the IDF radio station (Galatz). After travels and work in over 30 countries, He graduated with a degree in education, Arabic and regional studies and worked as a guide in the SPNI (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel). An aficionado of languages and travels, Amir combines these two with his dedication to education, working for the last 6 years as a tour guide, and recently as a K12 Arabic teacher. Amir currently lives in kibbutz Lotem in the Lower Galilee in northern Israel.

Efrat Sharoni
Trip Guide (Israel)
Efrat was born in Haifa and raised on Moshav Sde Ilan in the Lower Galilee.  Her flair for theatrics was given the chance to blossom when she served as an officer in IDF’s Performing Arts Troup.  She earned her B.A. from Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva in Biology and Ecology and is currently studying towards her M.A. in Judaic Science and Land of Israel Studies at the Schechter Institute. A tour guide for the last 8 years, Efrat currently lives in Ramat Gan outside of Tel Aviv.

Avner Sofer
Trip Guide (Israel)
Avner grew up in Haifa and served in the IDF for six years as an intelligence officer (and continues to serve in the reserves). His central interests are hiking, geology the history of Israel, and the story of the Jewish people. Avner began his career working as a ranger for the Nature Reserve Authority in the Mount Carmel region for ten years. In 1988, Avner began work as a tour guide in Israel and has since expanded to guiding in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Jordan, Uzbekistan and others. He currently lives in a small village in the Galilee called Alon HaGalil.

Yaacov Shabbat
Trip Guide (Israel)
Yaacov was born and raised in Jerusalem. In addition to being a tour guide for 12 years he has a passion for photography, which he studied at Hadassah College.  After spending 4 years living in Montreal, Canada, Yaacov now lives with his wife and two sons in Maale Adumim, right outside of Jerusalem.

Janina (Nina) Grunhaus
Trip Guide (Israel)
Nina was born in Costa Rica and made Aliah in 1989. Since moving to Israel she has completed a B.A. in General History from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Nina loves to travel, and decided to share her love of travel and of Israel with others as a guide. She has been a tour guide for the last ten years and currently lives in Haifa.
 
Yoni Ben-Tzedef
Trip Guide (Israel)
Yoni is a life-long Jerusalemite.  He did his army service first in the Armored Corps, where he was a tank commander, and he finished his military working in the Army Spokesman’s office.  An avid lover in adventure sports, Yoni has been guiding for 9 years. He recently completed his B.A. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Archaeology and Bible Studies, and is currently beginning an M.A. combining the two in Biblical Archaeology.  When he is not guiding or adventure sporting, Yoni is a avid reader of anything he can get his hands on.

Nurit Hertz
Trip Guide (Israel)
Nurit was born and raised on Kibbutz Yavneh on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. She spent her IDF service as an official tour guide and soon after moved to Sde Boker in the Negev Desert. Nurit has also traveled the word, trekking throughout the Indian Himalaya, the Tibetan plateau as well as China and Mongolia. Nurit now works primarily as a trip guide, living in Jerusalem and studying body-mind therapy, a kind of physical psychotherapy.

Yinon Kahalani
Trip Guide (Israel)
Yinon grew up on Moshav Sde Ilan in the Galilee and currently resides in the village of Zichron Yaacov in the Carmel Mountains. Yinon has been guiding trips for seven years after leaving a career as a private investigator. A guitarist and a natural traveler, Yinon's favorite place for vacations is the Far East. He studied psychology in the Tel Aviv University and utilized his knowledge in various ways that served national security and the IDF.

Adele Bassin
Trip Guide (Israel)
Adele was born in South Africa from where she made Aliyah to Israel. Before becoming a guide, Adele studied psychology and has worked in the legal field in Israel. But like many other guides, she decided that she had enough working indoors and prefers to be outside and working with people.

Arie Salomon
Trip Guide (Israel)
Born & raised in Haifa, Arie combined his IDF service as a tank driver and as a Bnai Akiva youth group leader on Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu where he also met his wife. Following the army, Arie completed a BA in Jewish History and an MA in Land of Israel studies at Bar-Illan University. Apart from guiding groups, Arie teaches high school and trains new tour guides. He lives in Efrat with his wife and five sons!