About Amir
In Jewish tradition, a person’s name is deeply connected to their identity. Amir in Arabic means “prince,” while Katz means “priest.” In many ways, my life has been a journey of balancing those two meanings with humility and grace.
My story begins with family. My father was a war veteran who fought during Israel’s near defeat in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. My mother was the daughter of a wine importer and merchant. While the good life in America was available to me, it never felt like home. At the age of fourteen, I left and began searching for something deeper.
My travels first brought me to boarding school, where my Jewish faith made me feel like an outsider for the first time. Later, I moved west to the Rocky Mountains, then wandered across South America through jungles and deserts. For years I searched for direction, identity, and belonging.
During one journey in Guatemala, I contracted malaria and suffered a near-fatal fall from a remote waterfall deep in the jungle. I was rescued and cared for by travelers much like myself. In that moment of vulnerability and recovery, I felt a profound connection with fellow Hebrews traveling through the region. I followed them back to my father’s homeland — Israel.
In Israel, I began again. I worked, studied, and slowly rooted myself in the land. Yet the spirit of travel within me was still alive. I moved to Egypt to study Arabic and later spent a year living in Turkey with my future wife, Devra.
When I returned to Israel for the second time, a chance meeting with a group of tour guides changed the course of my life. Inspired by their work, I dedicated two years of study to becoming a professional guide myself.
The country that had welcomed me now gave me the opportunity to welcome others.
Today, guiding travelers through Israel and the Middle East is more than a profession — it is an honor. I strive to uphold the ancient traditions of hospitality that define this region: a welcoming table, open conversation, and a tent whose entrance is always open to guests.
I hope you will visit. I hope you will explore. And most of all, I hope you allow yourself to go a little further, dive a little deeper, and travel Beyond.
