I'm a Sabra-Israeli, descendent to a 'Sephardic' North-African Jewish family. My childhood memories are rich with warmth and loud sounds coming from the kitchen, the yard's chickens and the world stretching between the two. Oriental flavors, colorful head-scarfs and strong Impressions of assertive, talkative hands of aunties and grandmas sitting together on the floor. Rolling ancient legends and parables, as their hands constantly moving, rolling the Couscous semolina grains.

 

When people ask me why I became a tour guide, I tell them the seed was planted in my name. My original name is Mor, but early in my childhood, my parents wished to add spirituality into our lives and added Yah (Jah, the holy letters from the name of God) to end my name. Since then I’ve been named Moria, the name of the Holy mountain of God. Mori(ya) has an additional meaning in Hebrew, it means a mentor. Just so, my new name gave me my meaning: a mentor in the Holy Land.