He was born in Haifa, before the birth of the State of Israel.
He was a soldier in the Israeli Army and, in 1967, fought in The Six-Day War.
Even though he calls New Orleans home, Dov Glazer, D.D.S., has an international calling – to bring locals to Israel and show them the splendor of its world-class vineyards, restaurants and culture.
“Israel is where it’s all at,” Glazer said. “People long to go because it’s their roots. People love New Orleans history, and it’s only about 300-years-old. Israel is more than 3,000-years-old. If there is an epicenter of the world’s religions, Israel is it. People long to experience the Holy Land.”
Glazer, a local dentist, nationally recognized clinical hypnotist, photographer and entrepreneur whose latest patent for UAppoint, an online appointment scheduling service, has Quicken, Yahoo and Google vying for the rights, started his boutique tour business as a result of helping his daughter.
“Suzy was organizing trips to Cuba for the Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans and asked Dad for help,” Glazer said. “I learned all about tour logistics, securing permits, how to find the best tour guides and tour operators, the whole process. But my passion was not in Cuba. It was in Israel.”
When Glazer was invited by the Israeli Minister of Tourism to attend a recent convention, he made powerful connections with El Al Airlines and Ophir, one of the largest tour companies in the country, and conducted multiple site inspections.
“The trip I’m organizing is not your average type of trip,” he said. “I know Israel, I speak the language and I know the culture. I have high expectations for comfort, the hotels I book are luxury hotels and the food and wine selected are from the top restaurants and wineries.”
Enviable attractions for the first “Wine, Dine And Tour Your Holy Land” tour from Oct. 10-17, 2015, may include: Haifa, the Baha’i hanging gardens, Nazareth, Cana (where Jesus transformed water into wine at a wedding feast, and where you can renew your wedding vows), Mount Carmel, a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes (the location of the Sermon on the Mount), Capernaum (where you’ll find the ancient synagogue where Jesus preached), the Golan Heights, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, the Mount of Olives (mentioned in the Holy Scriptures), Mount Zion (where you’ll see the Tomb of King David and where The Last Supper took place) Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, Masada, The Dead Sea, Yad Vashem (the Holocaust memorial museum), the Western Wall Tunnels and The Wailing Wall.
The itinerary also takes you to spice markets, an olive oil mill, cheese farms, meet and greets with prominent chefs and visits to wineries including the Carmel Wine and Culture Center, Saslove Winery in Kibbutz Eyal, the Chateau Golan Winery and the Kosher Yatir Winery in Tel Arad.
The price doesn’t include airfare, but the otherwise all-inclusive package does include assistance with travel arrangements, luxury hotel accommodations for 7 nights, 8 days of sightseeing with expert government licensed English speaking tour guides, air conditioned motor coaches with beverages and Wi-Fi, breakfast buffets, box lunches and 8 diners at upscale restaurants including 3 courses and wine, entrance fees to all cultural destinations and gratuities.
At $2,900 per person for 8 days of travel, it doesn’t seem possible, but Glazer said his latest entrepreneurial exercise isn’t about making money.
“It’s personal,” he said. “It’s not merely a business. It’s much more than a business. It’s my personal mission to help people expose themselves to the rich experiences of travelling through Israel.”
Glazer said he’d consider his agenda a big success if he can cover all expenses and make a little profit.
As a practicing dentist for 39 years, Glazer created UAppoint and a wireless digital dental X-ray that he sold to Sirona Dental Systems, Inc., the world's largest dental equipment provider. As an expert clinical hypnotist, Glazer helps patients with anxiety, depression and smoking cessation. Glazer said through “hybrid hypnosis,” he uses a combination of nitrous oxide with hypnosis. “It induces a state of calmness and conscious sedation where patients are more accepting of positive suggestions,” he said. “Once you stop breathing the gas, the effects are eliminated but the benefits remain with you.”
It’s safe to say Glazer knows a little about lucrative enterprise, and even with his competitive per person rate for “Wine, Dine And Tour Your Holy Land,” he’s hoping to grow his fledgling tour LLC to offer one tour a month for up to 50 travelers with the help of the special rates, discounts, vouchers and reimbursements he’ll obtain from providers for bringing in volume and frequency.
It’s hard for Glazer to hide his enthusiasm for his homeland, but he said his tours to Israel are not about proselytizing.
“Christians, Jews and Atheists are all welcome,” he said. “Christians have a mental affinity to go to the Holy Land. It’s where Christ was born, where he had his mission, where he walked on water on the Sea of Galilee, where he was crucified and where he rose and came back.”
“New Orleans and Israel are both seaports,” Glazer said. “They have a different terrain but they are both on the same latitude. Israel used to be a forsaken land, but today it’s vibrant with a diverse group of highly educated people who live and work there.”
As of now, Glazer’s marketing plan includes reaching out to his friends and dental patients and showcasing a video he shot and produced about Israel on his website. He’s also trying to debunk the “myth” that Israel is not safe to travel in.
“The media tends to focus on a small part of the reality of life in Israel,” Glazer said. “It’s not a true reflection. It’s more dangerous to be in New Orleans than in Israel. And just like here, you know where you should go, where it’s safe. It’s the same in Israel. I book tours that are geared for extraordinary adventures, and safe ones.”
Glazer said he anticipates his hospitality success will be measured in smiles, referrals and repeat business.
“I hope our guests come back feeling awed by the experience and inspire their friends to see the magnificence of Israel.”
Space is limited.
Dov Glazer, D.D.S.
Wine, Dine And Tour Your Holy Land
(504) 335-7191
www.Glazers.net
Israel2015@Glazers.net
