Haifa, Israel's third largest city and northern capital is the heart of it all! Situated in a broad natural bay between the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and the inspiring Carmel Mountain, the city's terraced landscape offers a rich variety of breathtaking panoramas, giving the observer the sensation of being on a heavenly peninsula. To the Northeast, across the sparkling waters of the harbor sits the medieval walled fortress city of Acre. Directly North, if the weather is good, beacon the heights of Rosh Hanikra, the white cliff, checkpoint on the Israel-Lebanon border. Further East towers the snow capped peak of Mount Hermon. Haifa is home to 250,000 inhabitants, members of five different religions, living side by side in harmony, peace and mutual respect. A rich tapestry of contrasts and colors, varying cultures, and ethnic groups makes up the fabric of life in Haifa. Secular, Religious and Ultra-Orthodox Jews live side by side with Christians, Moslems, Bahai and Druze. Wadi Nisnas, with its colorful shouk and bustling streets is an authentic Middle Eastern neighborhood. Nearby, the Orthodox Geula Street, recalls the sights and sounds of an East European community. Close at hand, reside the carefully anicured Persian gardens and the glittering gold dome of the Bahai Shrine, World Center of the Bahai faith.