About Us
We are a David and Desiree (and Nuvik). We were married over 11 years ago in Canada and live in Haifa Israel.
To support ourselves here, in 2019 we launched Drink Offering and began creating digital tour program which became Taste & See TV. The show had us traversing every angle of Israel and the Bible lands, going off trail and seeking out the authentic Israel and Bible experience.
Now we are ready to take you along on an exciting adventure to make the little connections, and add the context, that allows you to grasp for yourself the amazing depth of the Bible and the land of Israel!
FAQ: TASTE & SEE TV
How do I subscribe and/or cancel?
To sign up, visit our Taste & See TV page by clicking the link in the heading, or going to www.drinkoffering.tv.
From there, click JOIN in the header, then follow the prompts as you select the plan that is right for you. To CANCEL, once logged in, select SETTINGS & PASSWORD and there you will see an option to Change Your Plan. Then you will see the option to Cancel your current plan. You can also use this option to change into the three month or one year subscriptions.
What do I get with a subscription?
As long as you are subscribed, you will have access to all the episodes listed. Currently, there are over 100 available to watch. You will also be able to watch the show on our Roku Channel: taste and see tv
What do you use as a basis for research?
We like going straight to the sources. For example, the Bible text is always the foundation, so research into cross references, original wording, idioms and culture. This always takes precedent over traditional narratives. We also use up to date books and research papers to round out the narrative, after we background check the author to ensure there is minimal bias in the information.
Why are your programs so different from others?
Many are unaware at how much Rabbinic and Church traditions have influenced the narrative around of Bible accounts. By stripping out the traditions and just using the Bible text and historical findings, we often end up with a very different picture then the one handed down to us through sentimentality.
This is designed to help you to identify the difference between historical fact and historical speculation. Also, because we respect the copyrights of others, we don't copy and paste other people's work and research. As a result, our programs are unique to us.
I joined a program that may be infringing on your programs, what should I do?
Taste & See TV and Drink Offering Tours can only survive if we protect our creative content. However, it is not unreasonable to think that someone has a similar storyline or angle as us (or us to them!).
We are also not overly concerned with people sharing our program material with others, so long as we are given credit as the source.
However, what is important to us, is that no one is attempting to profit (even with "tips" or "donations") from sharing our programs, or using our programs to promote their own business ventures. We have not approved anyone to collect money on our behalf or in exchange for presenting our programs via other mediums (like Zoom or Skype). This is a clear violation of the Terms and Conditions of our website.
If you have seen this type of infringement, please email us with the details.
FAQ: IN-PERSON TOURS
How do I sign up for a tour or get information/pricing?
Visit our TOUR PACKAGES page and click the REQUEST FORM. This allows you to give us some basic information to get started (your name, contact info, how many are in your group, the dates you are interested in, etc.). We will contact you to follow up on your request.
How are your day tour prices set?
Our prices are based on the standard rate for a guide in Israel, which is $300 for an 8 hour day. Therefore, we use that as our touchstone in setting our prices in order to keep our tours affordable for as many as possible.
Is it possible to customize a multi-day tour?
Yes, just visit our TOUR PACKAGES page and click any REQUEST FORM. This allows you to give us some basic information to get started (your name, contact info, how many are in your group, the dates you are interested in, general itinerary plan, etc.). We will contact you to get more information, or even set up a video conference meeting so we can help you plan.
Is tipping the guide or driver required?
While we wont say no to extra money, tipping is neither required or expected. The price you pay includes the payment to the guide and driver. It covers their fees, taxes and meal costs.
Why don't you hold a Watchtower Study on your multi-day tours?
When money (even tips) is exchanged for a tour program it becomes, by definition, a for-profit commercial enterprise. Therefore, while our programs will be spiritually encouraging and informative, there are certain spiritual activities in which we believe a commercial enterprise should not engage in.
While we encourage you to continue your personal spiritual routine, as a general rule, we don't organize group prayers or discussions of a daily scripture or text. In the same vane, because a Watchtower Study is part of a theocratic meeting program, it would be inappropriate for us to organize a formal discussion.
For those wanting to join a congregation meeting, the best option would be to request from your congregation elders access to JWStream. This way we can respect the separation of commercial and congregation, and also use the appropriate channels.
FAQ: OUR BUSINESS
What religion are you?
Because we talk about the Bible, it is a natural question to ask. Both of us are Jehovah's Witnesses in Israel and David is from a Jewish family and background. However, our goal with our programs is simply to make this amazing history come alive with great visuals and fun humor. This is why we work hard to keep doctrine and application out of the programs.
Why don't you offer your tours and programs for tips or donations?
1) There is substantial time, costs and financial risk to producing our tours and programs, from the production to business and licensing fees.
2) Because money is exchanged for a product or service, the government views us as a for-profit business, meaning they expect us to project and track income and issue invoices.
3) In reality, most people do not tip enough to cover the basic expenses.
Why are your programs not exclusive for Jehovah's Witnesses?
"A Christian who loves kindness ... realizes that it would be neither proper nor kind to start a business ...that targets fellow believers as the main customers. It would display greed, which Christians are warned against, to plan on making money hastily by exploiting fellow Christians."
- Live With Jehovah's Day In Mind, page 107
"We need to remember that the Christian congregation functions to help us spiritually, not to serve ...commercial pursuits. Business matters should always be kept separate from congregation activities."
- Watchtower 1997 3/15 pg22
Isn't this targeting Jehovah's Witnesses for money?
Unlike other Witness run tour companies, we do not advertise as "Strictly for JWs" or "By Witness for Witness". This is because exclusively giving a service or product based on someone's religion constitutes discrimination and is illegal.
For our multi-day tours, although all are welcome to join, we do note if certain itineraries are designed for specific religious groups. As this will affect the itinerary, presentation and atmosphere of the tour.