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Complementary comprehensive guide for tenants with locations of services (from the site of the best falafel to post office hours) and a host of nearby off-the-beaten track attractions that include ** Hamei Yoav sulfur spa ** the pristine Nitzanim beach ** Saturday noon concerts in a Turkish Khan ** a Roman-glass jewelry factory. (WORD copy on request) Bakery, riding stable, fitness gym and arts & crafts classes in the village. Public pool with option of season membership nearby. Within a 20 min. drive -- the Med, bowling, movies & museums, theaters & concert halls (Ashdod/Ashkelon), Israeli folk dancing, quaint bistros/cafes and more. Commuter train to TA/Haifa 13 minutes from house. Note: A car is a necessity.
APPRAISALS OF PAST TENANTS:
* POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2001 by SHARI FERDMAN, inspire@creativeways.org, Los Angeles, CA:
We stayed here this past summer, from June to September 2001. It is a wonderful place. It felt very safe, and was about 40 minutes to either Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and a ten minute drive to beautiful beach Nitzanim. It's a 15 minute drive to a complete and lovely shopping mall.
Daniella and Rafi are extremely accommodating, friendly and truly helpful hosts. We found the village residents very pleasant. The local grapes are the best I ever tasted! The nearby town Kiryat Malachi, although run-down a bit--is surprisingly relaxed and people are very warm and friendly once you scratch below the rough surface.
This is the first time we stayed in Israel in a place other than Jerusalem. It was a refreshing and welcome change. We highly recommend Daniella and Rafi's cottage. We hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did.
* POSTED ON OCTOBER 1st, 2002 by PHILLIP GINSBERG, phil.ginsberg@stokeslaw.com, Seattle, WA:
My son and I stayed at the Ashkenazy's in July 2002 while doing volunteer work in Kiryat Malachi as part of Partnership 2000. We highly recommend the facility. The house itself is in good condition with all the amenities. Even more valuable is the guidance and assistance provided by the landlords. They are knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects and both are bilingual. My son and I are pleased to have two such good friends in Israel. Please feel free to contact me for further information.
* POSTED ON OCTOBER 19th, 2002 by MYRA DROZDOFF, sabra1037.hotmail.com, Miami, FL:
My husband and I were lucky enough to find this rustic cottage on the Internet. We’re retirees and arrived in the late summer. Being new immigrants we had to get down to the business and ‘becoming Israeli’. That experience is what made us realize that Daniella and Rafi were not only accommodating and friendly hosts, running a comfortable vacation and tourist cottage, but they have become the greatest friends new olim could ever hope for. Without their help translating and deciphering official documents, trying to cut through red tape and finding the proper people and offices we needed and countless tips and gestures that eased our initial adjustment, we might be heading back to Florida instead of going to our new apartment…
During the past two months, from the day of our arrival on a Friday afternoon – when Daniella graciously invited us to Shabbat dinner with their sons who were home for the weekend from the army, to the help we are still receiving these last days before moving to our own home in Rechovot, we were fortunate to have found comfortable lodgings with all amenities nearby, but more importantly, we found lifelong friends. If you are thinking of just a vacation or making aliyah, staying at the Ashkenazy’s will be an experience you’ll treasure the rest of your lives.
* POSTED ON JULY 21, 2005 by DENISE NEVO, Assistant Professor, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada:
My husband Natan and I are very privileged to have spent the month of June 2005 in Daniella and Rafi Ashkenazy’s 'little house'' in Kfar Warburg. We've been regular visitors of Israel for many years, but when Natan and I planned our trip to Israel this time, we agreed that our son and daughter-in-law – research scientists at the Weizmann Institute who would be adjusting to a new baby – our first grandchild, needed time alone without house guests, and this time we should rent a place of our own. They found and inspected the cottage – situated a half hour drive from their apartment in Rechovot, and following their positive report, we booked the house for the month of June. Arriving late Friday afternoon, only after stopping in Rechovot for a first glimpse of our 6-day old grandson, did we head for the village in the dark. Rafi and Daniella, who live next door, were waiting up for us. Exhausted, we quickly went to sleep. The next morning – come daylight, we were awed by our surroundings. Our 'little house' and the Ashkenazy's 'big house' stood in the middle of a spectacular piece of land with huge trees and millions of flowers of many colours – dotted with beautiful marble sculptures, the work of Rafi’s late father.
The interior of the house – which has recently been renovated, is extremely clean and functional. Rafi had told our son that 'all we would need to bring were our toothbrushes' and indeed, we didn't need much else… There was even a computer with high-speed internet connection in the house, which allowed me to keep in touch with the university, back home, and with my friends, and our younger son in Canada.
In addition, knowing we would be arriving on the Sabbath when supermarkets are closed, Daniella had graciously offered to pick up some groceries for us. I sent her my shopping list and found everything in the fridge when we arrived.
But mostly, what made our stay in Kfar Warburg so pleasant is the new friendship we found with Daniella and Rafi. They often came over to visit us and invited us over for special fruit drinks and delicious cakes…hallmarked by good conversation. One Friday evening, the four of us stayed out in the garden, chatting until quite late – despite the chill in the air and the mosquitoes. They are both very knowledgeable in many areas, and not only about Israel, and we never ran out of topics to discuss. I miss these conversations, especially Rafi’s sense of humour and sense of quick repartee!
When Natan and I first decided to rent the cottage, we thought this would be a one-time affair – prompted by the arrival of a newborn, but after the overwhelmingly positive experience we had at the Ashkenazy’s little house in Kfar Warburg, we would very much like to come back and stay there again – if only to see Daniella and Rafi again and spend more lovely evenings together. We already have many family members and friends in Israel, but we now have two additional friends.
* POSTED ON JULY 23, 2005 by ALLEN RESCHER AND KAREN DESANTIS, Ashland, Oregon:
Rafi and Daniella were gracious and friendly hosts during our three-week stay at their cottage in Kefar Warburg in July 2005. With their help we had no trouble finding our way to the beach and to points of interest. We were able to get whatever supplies we needed either at the local market or at the supermarket in a nearby town. The cottage is spacious, comfortable and quiet, and we appreciated use of the TV, computer and phone.
* POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 by BETH AND JAKE JACOBSON, Kansas City, USA:
Our three and a half week stay this August at the Ashkenazy's moshav was lovely. The cottage had all the amenities to make our visit comfortable. From the full kitchen, bbq grill, beach towels, cable TV to the convenience of a computer and internet access...this rental was perfect for us. Daniella created a tremendous Information Book full of useful suggestions on local restaurant fare, shops, and services in the area. We found it to be quite helpful on more than one occasion. Daniella and Rafi are wonderful, warm hosts whose love for Israel is apparent the moment you meet them.
* POSTED ON APRIL 17, 2006, by DEAN POWERS, Seattle, Washington, USA:
I rented the Ashkenazy’s cottage between October 2005 - February 2006 with the intention of combining an extended sojourn in Israel together with maintaining my computer-based business.
It was a great place to work from. Excellent internet connectivity with a fully equipped PC. Easy to connect a laptop to the internet. I found it very nice to work outside on the patio while enjoying the rural atmosphere of the moshav.
The cottage was fully equipped with everything needed for a short or extended stay, and it was nice not to have to worry about having to buy anything.
All in all, it’s an extremely quiet location with good access to a beautiful part of the country. Also close to the beach, movies, and shopping centers.
POSTED ON NOVEMBER 2006 by DARRELL ASPLUND, Vancouver, Washington, USA:
I moved into the ‘Ashkenazy House’ on June 1st. 2006, after spending my first week in Israel in Jerusalem, as I have in the past. It was a pleasant change. The farming community of Kefar Warburg was a most welcome sight to encounter. Pleasant. Congenial.
Daniella and Rafi Ashkenazy treated me more like family than as a renter,
something I most certainly didn't expect when I arrived. During my three month stay, they were gracious and helpful hosts – more like friends than landlords.
As for their aging German Shepherd Mimi, she provided her own form of pleasant company, especially if one feeds her a treat of one kind or another…
The house is clean and inviting. High speed Internet and telephone availability
was a very nice amenity. During the summer months the air conditioning unit is a blessing for those who visit from less warm parts of the world, such as myself. This is such an interesting and picturesque part of Israel, I only regret thatI didn't have more time to explore.
I left on September 9th with much regret and I miss the hospitality I received and the friendship I found at the Ashkenazy’s, and plan to return, again – hopefully soon.
For anyone contemplating staying in Israel for a month or more, I highly recommend that you stay with Daniella and Rafi! It undoubtedly will be a wonderful, memorable experience!
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Air Conditioning
No Smoking
