Noam Savion
I am an Israeli educator and licensed tour guide. Since 2005, I have had the privilege of introducing visitors from around the world to Israel through its rich history, diverse cultures, people and landscapes.
I was born in France to a family of Moroccan and Tunisian Jewish heritage and grew up between Europe and the Middle East. My father immigrated to Israel as a teenager, while my mother was raised in southern France. When I was ten, my family settled in Jerusalem, where I grew up immersed in the city's extraordinary diversity of communities, religions and narratives. This multicultural upbringing continues to shape the way I see and guide others through Israel.
I spent a year at Kibbutz Hannaton in the Galilee as part of Shnat Sherut, a year of voluntary service, working in agriculture and experiencing communal life. Following my service as a paramedic, I returned to kibbutz life at Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava Valley. These formative experiences deepened my connection to Israel – its land, its society and diverse communities and ways of life that shape it.
I studied Middle Eastern Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and later earned a B.A. in Humanities from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Extensive travel around the world further deepened my curiosity about cultures, landscapes and the many ways people understand their own histories and identities.
Over the past two decades, I have guided diplomatic delegations, journalists, interfaith groups, Christian pilgrims, Jewish leadership missions and private travelers. A significant part of my professional work has been with the North American Jewish community. I have accompanied Jewish Federation missions and leadership delegations, working and engaging with philanthropists, donors, senior and emerging community leaders, rabbis, public intellectuals and professionals from major Jewish foundations and nonprofit organizations. These encounters have given me a deep understanding of the relationship between Israel and North American Jewry, as well as the different questions, perspectives and expectations that people bring to their encounters with Israel.
Alongside my work as a tour guide and educator, I continue to serve as a paramedic reservist.
My ongoing service and firsthand experiences since the war began on October 7, 2023, have given me a direct and personal perspective on the realities facing Israeli society during this extraordinary period.
I see my role as more than simply guiding tours. I strive to be an educator and cultural interpreter, helping people engage with Israel's history, religions, politics and contemporary realities while making room for curiosity, dialogue and different perspectives.
I live in Jerusalem with my wife and our two daughters.
