Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Ely’s wealth of experience includes two decades as a senior professional on behalf of the Canadian Jewish community, having developed and managed the National Youth Department of the Canadian Zionist Federation. In 1988 he made Aliya and established his home in Jerusalem with Edna and their three children.
During these intensive years at CZF, Ely created and managed a wide variety of new Israel tours, trained and supervised dozens of energetic young staff who took their first steps in the field of informal Jewish education, and delivered seminars to participants and parents across Canada.
It was in 2001, together with his wife and partner Edna, that he founded Routes Travel, the logical and exciting continuation of his life-long project. Building on his reputation as one of the leading quality-oriented Israel travel professionals, he was able to conclude ground-breaking agreements with both clients and suppliers.
The excellent feedback resulting from these pioneering efforts provided a game-changing catalyst in a field theretofore dominated by public-sector organizations, resulting in rapid company growth over a few short years.
Today Routes Travel is to be found at the forefront of the Israel customized travel industry – an organization merging youthful exuberance, seasoned experience and unparalleled commitment to clients. Ely looks forward to continuing to oversee the development of Routes while enjoying quality time with Edna, their children and grand-children.
