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See the Sights I Eat, Travel, Enjoy

Photo: Oz Ohayon

Where to eat Kosher and delicious: Dolphin Yam

The Bible Lands Museum I Photo: courtesy of the museum

Last year, 57 years since it first opened its doors, Dolphin Yam, one of Jerusalem’s most beloved fish and meat restaurants, became kosher. At the head of the new menu and kitchen is chef Oren Yerushalmi who has succeeded in creating beautiful dishes with precise flavors, including such starters as soft-boiled egg with crunchy brioche, ceviche and sashimi dishes, smoked eggplant carpaccio, and artichoke ravioli. Dolphin Yam prides itself on its expertise on all things fish, and the selection of dishes is truly impressive, from sea bass, salmon and trout to red mullet, sole, sea bream and more (grilled, cooked in the oven or fried). Meat dishes include 300gr premium entrecote (aged 40 days) with top-notch chimichurri, marinated chicken breast, lamb kebab, long-cooked asado, hamburger, and more. The wine and alcohol menu is rich and varied, as is the desserts' section – we recommend the wonderful vanilla ice cream with cherry tomato jam, halvah angel hair and tahini – an absolute delicacy. seadolphin.co.il

of the infinite wonders to be found in the National Library of Israel. But even before you dive into the wealth of its content, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the beauty of the structure’s architecture, made to resemble the outline of an open book. The building extends across 46,000sqm and 11 floors of halls and galleries, including a huge three-story reading hall that spirals around a central open space. There are 200,000 books on Israel, Judaica, Islam, the Middle East (the third largest collection in the world), the humanities, and music, available for consultation, and an archive management robot can find you any book in about 20 minutes. The music collection, the world’s biggest collection of Israeli, Jewish, and ethnographic music, has been completely digitalized. Founded in Jerusalem in 1892, the library preserves the national memory of the Jewish People and is constantly updated with new items and publications. On cold rainy days, this is the perfect place to spend a whole day reading, visiting the grounds (we recommend joining a guided tour), and having coffee and pastries in the library café. There are

also many children's activities, such as plays and story-time afternoons, and during Hanukkah, many more activities are set to take place. nli.org.il Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations The Bible Lands Museum The Bible Lands Museum lies at a 10-minutes’ walk from the National Library. It possesses a unique collection of archeological artifacts and antiquities from the lands of the ancient Near East – the lands of the Bible: Sumer, Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Canaan, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The museum’s guided tours open a window into the lives of the tribes and peoples living in these regions all those centuries ago, their religions, rituals, and ways of life. There are hundreds of artifacts on display, including ancient tools, gold jewelry, gemstones, sculptures, and more, and the museum also regularly organizes thematic exhibitions such as on the history of the development of writing, as well as training courses, experiential activities, and cultural events. blmj.org

18 ATMOSPHERE DECEMBER 2025