MyIsraeliGuide

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Please find below a variety of testimonials from past participants in my tours. For privacy reasons some family names are unpublished but I will be happy to share further details on request. You can read more testimonials on my TripAdvisor page (where I have been awarded a prestigious Certificate of Excellence) and my Facebook page.

The Rt Hon Ian Austin MP
Having been to Israel multiple times in the past, I was looking to go a bit off the beaten path and learn in depth about the early development of Tel Aviv and through it, the beginnings of modern Israel. Samuel readily tailored a tour to match exactly what I was looking for and also to fit in with my schedule between other appointments. He was a brilliant guide and I learnt so much about Israel’s development, the growth of Tel Aviv and patterns of migration. He was happy to offer different narratives when exploring complex and controversial topics in this historical period, and to have open discussion about contemporary challenges. I would certainly recommend Samuel for anyone looking for a tour that is perfectly matched to your interests, no matter how specific, and in general for anyone looking for a memorable and enjoyable experience in Israel.

 

Amol Rajan, then Editor of The Independent newspaper, UK, now BBC Media Editor
Samuel Green was an erudite, patient, charming and hugely fun guide to the parts of Israel that my wife and I visited. We met him in the southern tip of Tel Aviv, and were immediately impressed by his knowledge of every nook and corner that we visited. His technique combines stories about each of the places you visit with a keen grasp of the relevant facts. This means you leave sites with both an understanding of their historical significance and some of the characters who brought them to life.

It was in Jerusalem, however, that Samuel’s experience and expertise went from being invaluable to really memorable. All the qualities that you want from a guide were on display, of course, from intimate knowledge of the key attractions, to short cuts, special little places hidden from the tourist trail, and total fluency in the language. But we also got plenty of friendly advice on the best places to suit our own particular interests, from pomegranate juice and hummus to ties and scarves. And at no point throughout our time together did we ever have a sense – which I certainly have had in other parts of the world – that he was fleecing us or trying to extract something we didn’t want to give. On top of all that, it may be worth mentioning that he was very punctual.

In all, I would recommend Samuel Green in the strongest possible terms as a guide, and indeed go even further to say that if you are going to Israel, you would be mad not to give him a call.

 

Hugo Bieber, Chief Executive of UK Israel Business (former the UK-Israel Chamber of Commerce)
We commissioned Samuel to guide corporate VIP guests of UK Israel Business around Jerusalem and received first class feedback from our guests. I wouldn’t hesitate to engage with Samuel again and look forward to next time.

 

Professor Rebecca Stein, University of Pennsylvania
Sam was our tour guide in Israel, as well as a tour coordinator in Jordan and Turkey, as part of a 2 week MBA course to the Middle East. As the faculty on the trip, I found him a pleasure to work with. He has outstanding communication skills and a calm, positive attitude that helped run the program smoothly. We were a group of 30 and he managed to relate to each one of us, answering questions, helping with logistics and being a go-to problem solver. He was also and exceptional guide of the religious sites and tourism attractions. I was especially impressed with his sensitivity to the students of various religions (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheists) during our tour of Jerusalem and then during a day in the Galilee. Sam was also up for sharing tips on restaurants and clubs and even bar hopped with the students in Tel Aviv while I, thankfully, slept in the hotel. Overall, he is a great person to have on your team if you are introducing a group to the region. 

Professor Mark Cohen, Vanderbilt University
Samuel was not only a knowledgeable tour guide, he has a great sense of humor and kept students engaged and interested in everything from ancient to modern history, politics, religion, economics, and business  – just what you would hope in a first class Israeli tour guide. I recommend him without hesitation! 

Dr. Guy Ziv, American University’s School of Service (SIS)
My graduate students were very pleased with Samuel’s tour of Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, and Tel Aviv. He kept the students entertained by peppering his comments with amusing stories, anecdotes, and a few eye-rolling (yet enjoyable) puns. Samuel’s depth of knowledge is impressive. In leading us through the various points of interest in the oldest part of Tel Aviv, Samuel was able to connect biblical events, Greek legends, and Napoleon’s siege of Jaffa to what we were seeing. I recommend him highly to anyone and any group that is interested in learning about this remarkable city.

 

Oded Porath, Leader of the Wharton Business School Israel trek
Even though it’s been almost a month since we finished the Wharton Israel Trek, I keep on getting emails and calls from the trekkers about the wonderful time they had on the trek. I know I thanked you several times now, but now that the survey results are in, it seems that a large part of the reason these people are thanking me is you 🙂

People have told us that you were the best tour guide they ever had; the biggest compliment came from one of the participants, when she told me that she’s planning to send her parents to Israel, and to make sure you show them around.

You were great, and I’m already booking you for next year’s trek 🙂

 

Noa Elan, Leader of the Berkley Haas Business School Israel trek
When working with Samuel on the trip’s agenda, I was impressed by his dedication to tailor a trip that will meet our group’s unique characteristics.

Samuel delivered the content in the most interesting, interactive and unique way, keeping our attendees present and attentive to his explanations. The history of Israel can be long, confusing and hard to relate to, especially when many of the participants have never heard about these stories prior to the trip. Samuel’s unique guiding style led our group to be constantly engaged with the material and remember the stories long after we left the country.

Samuel is very good at walking the line between being an expert on a subject matter and being friendly and personal. In between giving commentary on the landscape seen from the bus, preparing for the next landmark on the agenda and ensuring we have lunch waiting for us when we get off the bus, Samuel made sure to connect with our attendees on a personal level. By the end of the trip, all our attendees felt like Samuel was “one of the crew” and expressed hope to meet again in the future.

Samuel is a very personable man. Friendly and professional, he has good interpersonal skills that lead him to work well with the partners and suppliers throughout the trip. Building rapport while expecting high output, Samuel led our group to have a great experience with the bus driver, hotel staff and restaurants management throughout the trip.

In closing, the experience with Samuel during our trip surpassed all my expectations. Samuel’s unique personality, quality of delivery and willingness to “jump in” to our group’s culture made our trip unforgettable. I believe he would be a tremendous asset to any group visiting Israel.

 

Vice Mayor Alex Lewy, City of Hallandale Beach, FL, USA
Samuel Green is one of the most educated, accommodating and well rounded tour guides I have come across. He has the energy to go as far and as long as any group wants to go while always customizing the tour to exactly the pace and intensity the group wants. I had the pleasure of a full day in Jerusalem with Mr. Green and was thoroughly impressed. From Mount Olives, the Old City, Jewish and Arab Quarters, he knew all the ins and outs and took us to great locals only spots. He is definitely someone I would recommend and will go back to in the future.

Keith Sonderling, USA
Planning a week-long for guests of a destination wedding from America with participants varying between ten to fifty each day (ranging from seasoned Israeli travellers, first-timers, Jews and Christians, all with different requests and expectations of their tours)—should be nearly impossible. There is only one tour-guide with the skill, knowledge, and most importantly the patience to create and execute on an itinerary for truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and his name is Samuel Green.

I cannot stress enough that Samuel is one of the most interesting, unbelievably smart, caring, and knowledgeable professional guides I and others in our group ever encountered. Sam quickly adjusted to the varying interests, questions, and demands of almost fifty people.

Each day Samuel spent the entire time with the group. He was respectful if people wanted to speak or be left alone to explore themselves. Samuel helped us pick places to eat, that would accommodate the varying sizes of our groups, and give us a taste of the local cuisine and culture. During the tours, Samuel made personal connections with each of us. When we look back at our wedding week, Samuel’s tour was an integral part of the most special times in our lives.

There is simply no one else to consider if you want a first-class, educational, memorable, and moving Israeli experience.

 

Sarah Goldberg, Tel Aviv
Samuel led a tour for about 20 members of my family in Caesarea. For someone else, this could have been a challenging group – it was blazing hot and the participants ranged in age from 8 to 78, with a good smattering of not easily impressed teenagers, some Israelis who had been to Caesarea many times and some in Israel for the first time. Sam kept us all more than interested, he kept us totally enthralled, with fascinating information about the historical context for some, and games for others. He paid such good attention to the specific needs of our group, and because of this everyone had a great time and thought I was brilliant for finding him. I couldn’t recommend Samuel more highly and will definitely book him again next time my family is in town.

 

Jeroen Terpstra, the Netherlands
Samuel has been a wonderful guide for exploring the fascinating country of Israel.

Through Sam I have been able to explore the diversity of this country to the fullest. From finding the best hummus places in town to discovering an ancient crussader castle, from getting to know the friendly inhabitants of Israel to an introduction to the ecclectic Mizrachi folk music, Samuel made this possible through his vast knowledge of country, language and culture.

In short I warmly recommend using his services in case you want to discover this fascinating country.

 

Teddy Fischer, Tel Aviv
Samuel took a small group of my family and friends on a day trip to Jerusalem. He quickly understood the needs and interests of our varied group and delivered an entertaining and educational day. He created a plan and was well prepared yet remained flexible as the day progressed. Somehow he managed to take us to three (in one meal!) local hole-in-the-wall style eating establishments and introduced us to new tastes and characters that we never would have been able to find on our own. His British humor, dry wit, and positive energy kept us entertained throughout the whole day. I would highly recommend Samuel for any group – large or small, knowledgeable or newbies.

 

Miriam Fischer, USA
Samuel was a pleasure to tour with. He asked in advance what our group was looking to see and to learn and planned the trip completely around us. He did incredibly-we could not have planned a better day. Samuel knew a great deal about each place which either he or we chose to see and at each one added an exciting side story or piece of information. Samuel also took us to gems we could never have found on our own-secret pastry shops, an unknown synagogue and more. He was funny, thoughtful and completely in tune with our group. I will hire Samuel next time I’m in Israel and will recommend him to family and friends

 

Casey, USA
I can’t thank you enough for making our experience out in Israel so unforgettable. You really are an amazing guide… I don’t think I’ve ever walked away from a travel experience feeling as much in touch with the culture and history as I did flying back from your home. I’ll always be indebted to you for the trip.

 

Caylee, Tel Aviv
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Tzippori with Samuel who made it an interesting, fun and engaging experience. During the trip he conveyed a great deal of information while still making the trip a fun and enjoyable experience intertwined with the many layers of history that make Tzippori the fascinating place it is. Throughout the tour Samuel offers a passionate yet balanced and nuanced perspective of historical occurrences and I would strongly recommend taking a tour with Samual to anyone interested in getting a deeper understanding of this deeply layered and complex country.

 

Various participants from the Berkley Haas Business School Israel Trek, 2014
Samuel shares a wealth of information in an engaging and humorous way. We experienced other guides on our trip and Samuel blew them all out of the water.

Samuel is as entertaining as he is professional. His guidance throughout my week in Israel will be forever etched in my memory.

One of the wittiest, most informative, and flexible guides I’ve seen. I’ve travelled to over 40 countries and usually cringe at having a tour guide. Samuel is a huge exception. He understands the pace and interest of the group and joins in on the fun himself. He becomes your friend, not just your guide. And you remember all the important details with pleasure.

Samuel made my trip to Israel unforgettable. He delivered the history and modern-day insights with wit, intrigue and exciting detail. He quickly became an important member of our group. Thanks Samuel!

Samuel applies the perfect blend of comedy, sincerity, and seriousness to a highly complex region. Whether discussing the history, culture, politics, or conflict, Sam combines excitement with entertainment and learning, making him the perfect tour guide. I will recommend Sam to anyone I know traveling to Israel!

What a find!! Sam is one-of-a-kind. I’ve never come across a more engaging, committed and singularly entertaining guide. Great storyteller. He’s got such a gift for this!

Samuel is the most naturally gifted guide I’ve ever encountered. He is a wealth of information on all things Israel, and is just generally a joy to be around. Thanks for guiding us Samuel!

I can’t praise Samuel enough for his tour guiding abilities. Israel is an amazing country and Samuel is able to fully explain and tell engaging stories about every facet of Israel’s eclectic past with wit, patience and friendliness.

Samuel’s guiding was a multi-media extravaganza in which he expertly blended his knowledge with humor, music, group participation, readings, and many other engaging communication forms that allowed me to absorb a lot of information in the short time we had in the country. Samuel was great at reading the group and tailoring his message to background, interest, and energy level.

Samuel is one part walking encyclopedia, one part storyteller, one part stand-up comedian. Anyone immune to his passion for the history and culture of the region would have to be catatonic.

Samuel is a fantastic guide, with a inimitable sense of humour and remarkable storyteller. I would go back to Israel just to listen to his stories again and again and again!

So so amazing. No words can express how much I enjoyed Samuel! He is so witty and so knowledgeable. His quick sense of humor and clear passion for the country made all of his talks extremely interesting and memorable. He also had an amazing way of bringing in local Israeli people in ways that really added to our trip. For example, he randomly came across a family at Masada and they invited us to watch their son’s bar mitzvah ceremony on the mountain top! I would absolutely recommend Samuel to everyone going to Israel. I could not have imagined the trip without him.

Samuel is an amazing tour guide. He really cares about each and every person and puts so much effort into targeting his tours to the specific audience. He is very personable and an amazing storyteller. Whether it’s archeology, ancient or modern history, religion, or culture – he knows it all and has very fun, creative, and engaging ways of communicating his knowledge and making you learn. Thank you!

Samuel provided the perfect mix of knowledge and humor. He was an absolute pleasure to be around and I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Israel.

Samuel was incredible. His stories, humour, warmth and deep knowledge made this a trip to remember!

 

You can read more testimonials on my Facebook page or my TripAdvisor page.

 

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