Sunday, 18 June – Depart USA

Monday, 19 June – Going up into the Land

• Arrive in Israel to be met and assisted by your ITC representative (today’s program depends on arrival time).
• Shehehiyanu / Welcome ceremony overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
• Tasting tour of the bustling Machane Yehuda Market to discover Jewish delicacies from East and West.
• Lunch on own, if still hungry.
• Option to continue to explore the adjacent Nachlaot neighborhoods to discover a world of Jewish history, culture and folklore in central Jerusalem.
• Check-in to the Prima Kings Hotel in Jerusalem.
• Welcome dinner and orientation at hotel.
• Overnight: Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Tuesday, 20 June – The Old City of Jerusalem:  An Ancient Jewish Legacy

• Discover the archaeological story of the Western Wall and episodes of Jewish life in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago at Robinson’s Arch and the Southern Wall Excavations.
• Visit to the traditional prayer area of the Western Wall.
• Walk through the Western Wall Tunnels to discover underground Jerusalem.
• Lunch on own
• Tour of Jewish Quarter including the Herodian Mansions, Cardo, Broad Wall and Rooftops followed by free time to shop and explore on own.
• Briefing on Religious Pluralism in Israel and the Masorti (Conservative) Movement by Rabbi Andy Sacks, Deputy Director of the Masorti Movement.
• Free evening
• Dinner on own
• Recommendation for the evening: Visit the First Station Compound, Jerusalem’s restored Ottoman railway station turned restaurant – cafe area.
• Overnight:  Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Wednesday, 21 June – Masada and the Dead Sea: Freedom Fighters or Fanatics?

• Set out across the Judean Desert and ascend Masada (9AM) by cable car to tour the ruins of Herod’s palace and the last outpost of Jewish independence.  Discussion: Which Jewish Legacy – Masada or Yavne? Which decision did our ancestors make?
• Swim in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, at a local resort.  The resort also has a fresh water pool and spa facilities.  Massage and spa treatments available by prior reservation at own expense.
• Lunch at Dead Sea resort.
• Time permitting:  Walk in Ein Gedi Nature Reserve opportunity to bathe in waterfalls and hear how David hid there from King Saul.
• Stop off at “Abraham’s Tent” (Genesis Land) for a Camel ride and biblical dinner before returning to Jerusalem.
• Overnight:  Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Thursday, 22 June – Holocaust, Remembrance and Continuity 

• Visit the mixed bilingual Arab-Jewish Hand in Hand School, which is helping to foster better understanding between Jews and Arabs.
• OR:  Visit a TALI School in Jerusalem to learn about pluralistic Masorti Jewish education in the Israeli school system.  (The above school visits are subject to availability).
• Guided tour of Yad Vashem Israel’s national Holocaust memorial and museum, including the Historical Museum and Children’s Memorial. (Children under age 10 are not permitted in Yad Vashem’s historical museum).
• Alternate program for younger children: Visit Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo, where you’ll see animals which lived in Israel during biblical times. (Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Lunch on own.
• At the multimedia Herzl Museum, experience the story of Theodore Herzl, followed by a meaningful visit to Mt. Herzl Cemetery to find chapters in the history of Israel at the graves of Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir, Theodore Herzl, Hannah Senesch and Mike Levine.
• Free time to enjoy hotel pool.
• Free evening
• Dinner on own
• Overnight:  Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Friday, 23 June – Underground Adventure

• Travel to the Judean Lowlands.  En route cross the biblical Elah Valley, where David and Goliath fought.
• Dig up Israel’s past at a real, hands on archaeological excavation in a cave in Beit Guvrin National Park.
• Picnic lunch (packed lunch from Holy Bagel or similar)
• Discover a magnificent underground world in the Avshalom Stalactite Cave.
• Return to Jerusalem.
• Free time to relax and prepare for Shabbat.

Friday evening/Kabbalat Shabbat options:

• Join hundreds of other Jews from around the world to Greet the Sabbath at the Western Wall. Option to join the new egalitarian Kabbalat Shabbat minyan run by the Masorti Movement at the Masorti Kotel, where men and women can pray together (begins at 6:30 pm).
• OR:  Attend the “Israeli Kabbalat Shabbat” service at the First Station Compound (begins at 5:00 pm).
• OR:  Attend Friday night services at a local Jerusalem synagogue.
• Festive Shabbat Dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Saturday, 24 June – And on the Seventh Day… in Jerusalem

• Shabbat morning services at local synagogues/minyanim (options and walking maps to be provided).
• Shabbat Lunch at hotel

Shabbat afternoon options:

• Free time to relax and enjoy hotel pool.
• Late afternoon walking tour to the historic Montefiore Windmill to discover the first neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City.
• Havdalah with Rabbi Berkowitz.
• Free evening.
• Dinner on own.
• Recommendation for the evening: Visit the First Station Compound, Jerusalem’s restored Ottoman railway station turned restaurant – cafe area.
• Overnight:  Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Sunday, 25 June – Modern Pioneers:  An Ecological Light unto the Nations

• Travel north through the Jordan Valley.
• Visit Bio-Bee on Kibbutz Sde Eliahu, world leaders in organic agriculture to hear how they are using very effectively biological pest control, rather than toxic pesticides to protect their crops.

• Lunch at Kibbutz Sde Eliahu.
• Visit the Kinneret Cemetery, final of resting place of early Zionist pioneers, to discover the songs and the poetry of Naomi Shemer and Rachel the Poetess.

• Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
• Check–in to the Nof Ginosar Hotel, Tiberias.
• Dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Nof Ginosar Hotel, Tiberias

 

Monday, 26 June – Sources of the Jordan and Israel’s Finest

• Walk in the lush Tel Dan Nature Reserve to discover biblical intrigue, play in its refreshing wading pools and see one of the oldest arches in the world.
• Lunch on own.
• Tour the Golan Heights for a special perspective on the region’s complex geopolitics as we ‘look down’ at Israel the way the Syrian army once did and then look into Syria from the peak of strategic Mt. Bental.

Please choose one of the following two touring and tasting options on Kibbutz Ein Zivan (possibility of splitting group).

• Chocolate making workshop at the De Karina Chocolate Factory.
• Taste wines and liqueurs at the boutique Bahat Winery.
• BBQ dinner with Israeli young soldiers. Meet the Israeli army’s human side.
• Overnight:  Nof Ginosar, Tiberias

Tuesday, 27 June – Cradles of Jewish Life in the Galilee

• Explore mystical Tzfat, cradle of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in the 16^th century.  Visit its old synagogues and picturesque alleyways. Then discover the origins of our Friday night service in the city where Lecha Dodi was written.
• Lunch on own
• Explore the ruins of Tzippori, the city where Rabbi Judah Hanasi sealed the Mishna.  Discover remarkable ancient mosaic pavements, including Mona Lisa of the Galilee, Orpheus, who looks like King David (?) and the Nile Flood Festival.  Then ponder why a 1,500 years old synagogue floor features a wheel of the zodiac.
• Travel to Tel Aviv
• Check-in to the Metropolitan Hotel on Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean Coast.
• Free time to swim in the Mediterranean Sea and enjoy the Beach.
• Free evening
• Dinner on own
• Overnight:  Metropolitan Hotel, Tel Aviv

Wednesday, 28 June – Exploring Greater Tel Aviv and Departure

• Guided tour of the Ayalon Institute – An underground bullet factory in Rehovot used by Jewish forces before the founding of the State of Israel.
• Family scavenger hunt in Tel Aviv’s historic Neve Tzedek neighborhood.
• Tour the alleys of Old Jaffa, the ancient port city once known as the Gate of Zion.  Concluding discussion on top of ancient Tel Jaffa overlooking modern Tel Aviv.
• Lunch on own
• Remainder of afternoon free to explore on own, enjoy hotel pool and get in last minute shopping.
• Late check out
• Farewell Dinner at Goshen Restaurant.
• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport – See you again soon!
• Overnight at Metropolitan Tel Aviv for travelers on Eilat-Petra extension.

Thursday, 29 June – Arrive in USA

• Begin planning your next Israel trip with Rabbi Berkowitz and ITC Tours!

Eilat-Petra Extension on next page

Optional Eilat/Petra Extension

June 30 – July 3, 2023

Thursday, 29 June – Eilat on the Red Sea

• Morning airport transfer for domestic flight to Eilat.
• Descend into a Red Sea coral reef at Eilat’s Underwater Observatory where you look out the window at the surrounding marine life.  Continue exploring Eilat’s remarkable undersea world at the obesrvatory’s aquarium.
• Lunch on own
• Check-in to Dan Panorama Hotel, Eilat
• Dinner on own
• Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Eilat

Friday, 30 June – The Wonders of Petra

• Early departure for Petra to explore the amazing red sandstone structures carved by the ancient Nabateans.  Enter Jordan at the Arava Crossing and travel to Petra by bus (approx. 2.5 hours). Tour its Treasury (“Khaznieh”), Roman theatre, impressive caves and rock formations of this Nabatean City. Buffet lunch included.
• Return to Eilat.
• Shabbat dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Eilat

Shabbat/Saturday, 1 July – A Day of Rest

• Day at leisure
• Lunch and dinner on own
• Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Eilat

Sunday, 2 July – Red Sea Delight

• Red Sea Sail – Board a luxury touring yacht at the Eilat marina for a leisurely cruise and lunch on the Red Sea. Snorkeling equipment is available for a closer look with the most exquisite coral reefs and tropical fish to be found in the world.
• Evening domestic flight to Ben Gurion Airport.
• Check-in for U.S. flight at Ben Gurion Airport Terminal 3.

Monday, 3 June – Arrive in U.S.A.

• Begin planning next Israel trip with Rabbi Mark and Linda Zimmerman and ITC Tours.

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