Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, Dr. David Gurevich has been ahead of the curve in seeing the potential of online events to provide a virtual space for guides. So, it seems only appropriate that we met over Zoom to unpack what he has learned from this experience, as well as to discuss his activism on behalf of tour guides struggling to obtain their unemployment benefits. In addition, we discussed the benefits and potential pitfalls of being a tour guide with an academic background and why it is that guides are so central to tourism. A graduate of Haifa University, Dr. Gurevich is an archaeologist who conducts research on Jerusalem, studies Second Temple Judaism and the history of the first archaeologists. He also studied Christianity and ritual murders! He has published numerous articles and spent a year at Harvard University as the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright fellowship. If you wish to contact him to learn more about the events that he hosts or to invite him to lecture, he can be reached at: www.israelincolor.com

In this episode, I sit down with Mordechai Abraham to discuss current political efforts to unite all tour guides under a new umbrella federation or united front. Mordechai talks about his dedication to the State of Israel and how he and those of his generation do not take it for granted, but rather see it as a precious gift. He recounts his personal experiences surrounding the founding of the State, the War of Independence, his father’s escape from Germany, the loss of loved ones in the Holocaust, as well as his time on Kibbutz and as a principal of a vocational school. From there, we analyze the current unprecedented difficulties that tour guides are facing due to the Covid crisis and the ongoing political struggle to receive government recognition and support. You can contact Mordechai at stone@shani.net or by clicking on this link to his Facebook Page.