ABOUT 

About Amir Katz

Founder of My Israel Wine Tours, Beyond Israel Tours, and Shalom Carmel

Amir Katz is more than a guide — he is a storyteller rooted in the land where faith, history, and culture converge. A Boston native who has lived in Israel for over 15 years, Amir carries forward both a personal and ancestral mission: to make sense of the most complex region on Earth and to transform its struggles into stories of wisdom, resilience, and dialogue.

The inspiration behind Shalom Carmel rises daily behind his home — the holy Mount Carmel. It was here, according to tradition, that the prophet Elijah stood against the priests of Ba’al, turning conflict into a defining conversation that shaped faith for generations. That same spirit guides Amir’s work: taking the tension, history, and contradictions of this land and transforming them into moments of clarity and connection.

As a 4th-generation sommelier and certified Israeli tour guide, Amir blends culture, history, and hospitality into everything he offers. For more than 12 years, he has led both small and large groups — walking tours through Israel’s cities, full winery and vineyard experiences, and now symposiums and lectures under Shalom Carmel. His approach combines intellectual depth with sensory experience: the taste of a wine, the view of a vineyard, the echo of ancient words.

Credentials & Passions

  • Certified Sommelier & Wine Guide

  • Certified Israeli Tour Guide

  • M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies (Ben Gurion University)

  • Fluent in six languages (English, Hebrew, Spanish, and more)

The Man Behind the Mission

Beyond his professional expertise, Amir is an American expat, Israeli immigrant, identical twin, Toastmaster, and devoted father. His love for Israel and its people is not abstract — it is lived, spoken, and poured into every glass of wine and every story he shares.

When you sit with Amir, whether in a lecture hall, a vineyard, or a private home, you don’t just hear history.
You step into the conversation of Carmel itself — where faith, memory, and culture come alive.