About Me

Who is Bobby Weinmann, a.k.a. Bobby of Zion?

Starting at the conclusion (סוף מעשה במחשבה תחילה): In 2017, my wife and I made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel, fulfilling my lifelong dream. In 2025, I fulfilled my other longtime dream of becoming a tour guide in my new-old country. We live in Ma'ale Adumim, a suburb of Jerusalem in the tribal territory of Judah, in what the news calls the "West Bank".

I grew up in Cleveland, OH, USA before moving to Atlanta, GA to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). I received a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and worked for more than 25 years as a software developer.

I am what is called a ba'al teshuva (in the English-speaking Jewish world)  or hozer betshuva (in Israel), meaning someone who came to Orthodox Judaism later in life. While born Jewish, and attending a Reform synagogue as a teen, I was a spiritual seeker. My journey led me to investigate Christianity, Islam and the various streams of Judaism during high school and college, culminating in becoming Orthodox (or "observant") in college.

Living in Atlanta, the Bible Belt, I was exposed to many Christians looking to connect to the Jewish roots of Christianity and specifically to the worlds of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) and the period after, leading up to the time of the New Testament and the destruction of the Temple. One day, after we'd been living here a couple years, we went to lunch with some Catholics we knew from the Old Country (the US). They had been on a week-long Catholic tour and told us, "We never saw anything Jewish." I think this is a shame. This is why I decided to specialize in Jewish tours for Jews AND non-Jews.

What is my Mission?

In short, I want to help people understand and connect to who we are and what we're doing here.

Ancient history - Seeing where the great battles of the Bible and ancient history took place. Examining the evidence we have from archaeology and the testimony of outside sources.

Modern history - Seeing the rise of Zionism and exploring how an outnumbered and outgunned group of refugees became a Mideast power. Observing what's new in the "Start-up Nation" and learning how the country itself functions.

Jewish practice - Demonstrating how the Torah was practiced throughout history and today, including the reintroduction of ancient, lost practices like techelet and visiting the Temple Mount.

Jewish culture - Experiencing the effects of the symphony of Jewish cultures who have returned to the land - from Yemen and Ethiopia to France and even Brooklyn.