Sunday, July 5th 2026 – Depart USA on overnight flight

Monday, July 6th 2026 – Going Up into the Land

• Afternoon arrival in Israel to be met and assisted by your ITW representative (today’s program depends on arrival time).
• Tour Old Jaffa, the ancient port city once known as Zion Gate, from which Jonah tried to flee and where Solomon brought the Cedars of Lebanon on the way to Jerusalem.  Today, paintings and sculptures have been installed in its ancient alleys.
• Shehekhiyanu/Welcome ceremony on top of Tel Jaffa overlooking modern Tel Aviv.
• Check-in to the Carlton Hotel on Tel Aviv‘s Mediterranean Coast.
• Welcome dinner and orientation at Goshen Restuarant.
• Overnight:  Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv

Tuesday, July 7th 2026– The Hebrew City and the Jewish State 

• Visit the Palmach Museum in Ramat Aviv to learn about the elite underground organization which played a critical role in founding the State of Israel.
• Stroll down Rothschild Boulevard to hear about David Ben Gurion declaring the new State of Israel outside Independence Hall and the establishment of Tel Aviv standing at the nearby Founders’ Monument, then see the Bauhaus architecture for which central Tel Aviv was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Lunch on own and free time to explore the Nachalat Binyamin Crafts Fair. While there, check out the nearby Carmel Market and bohemian Sheinkin Street – All three of these Tel Aviv icons meet at the “Magen David Junction”.
• Travel to Rehovot for a guided tour of the Ayalon Institute – An underground bullet factory used by Jewish forces before the founding of the State of Israel.
• Free time to swim in the Mediterranean Sea and enjoy beachside promenade.
• Free evening – Information will be provided about local culture and entertainment venues.
• Dinner on own
• Overnight:  Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv

Wednesday, July 8th 2026 –Roman Caesarea and Mystical Tzfat

• Check out of hotel.
• Travel north along the Mediterranean Coast.
• Visit the ruins of Caesarea, including its Roman Theater, Amphitheater, Hippodrome and Promontory Palace, then ponder a rabbinic debate over Jews attending gladiator games.
• Lunch on own
• Tour mystical Tzfat’s old synagogues and picturesque alleyways. Tzfat was the cradle of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in the 16^th century.  Judaism’s Friday night service, Kabbalat Shabbat, and the hymn Lecha Dodi originated in Tzfat a that time.
• Drive to the Sea of Galilee region.
• Check–in to the Ramot Resort Hotel on Moshav Ramot overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
• Dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Ramot Resort Hotel, Sea of Galilee

Thursday, July 9th 2026 – The Sources of the Jordan River and the Strategic Golan Heights

• Visit Banias, Discover Israel’s mightiest waterfall and the thrill of the Hanging Trail at the Hermon Stream Nature Reserve, a treasure trove of historical wonders
• Raft or Kayak down the Jordan River – A great way to cool off on a hot day!
• Lunch on own
• Jeep tour of the Golan Heights for a perspective on Israel’s complex geopolitics as we visit bunkers where the Syrian army “looked down” at Israel.  Then look out at the border region from strategic Mt. Bental.

Please choose one of the following two “touring and tasting” options.  Both located on nearby Kibbutz Ein Zivan (Possibility of splitting the group):

• Chocolate making workshop at the De Karina Chocolate Factory.

OR:  

• Guided tour of the boutique Bahat Winery including wine tasting.
• Barbeque dinner with young Israeli soldiers who are giving some of the best years of their lives to the defense of Israel.
• Overnight:  Ramot Resort Hotel, Sea of Galilee

Friday, July 10th 2026 – Across Israel: Ancient, Modern and Distinctly Jewish

• See the ancient synagogue of Hamat Tiberias and discover why a wheel of the zodiac appears on its 1,500 year old mosaic floor.
• Continue south through the Jordan Valley and ascend to Jerusalem.
• Shehekhiyanu/Welcome ceremony overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
• Lunch on own
• Explore the bustling Machane Yehuda Market and take in a slice of local life as you rub elbows with Jerusalemites shopping for Shabbat.
• Check-in to Inbal Hotel in 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 6:00 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:  Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

 Saturday, July 11th 2026  – And on the Seventh Day… in Jerusalem 

• Shabbat morning services at a the synagogue of your choice (Recommendations and directions will be provied).
• Shabbat Lunch at hotel.
• Free time to relax and enjoy hotel pool.
• Late afternoon walking tour to the historic Montefiore Windmill to discover the first neighbourhood built outside the walls of the Old City.
• AND/OR:  Walking tour to First Temple period burial site at Ketef Hinnom – Where archaeologists discovered the oldest biblical text ever found.
• Havdalah with Rabbi Dorsch
• 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: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Sunday, July 12th 2026 – The Old City of Jerusalem – An Ancient Jewish Legacy

• Discover the archaeological story of the Western Wall and episodes from rabbinic texts while standing where Jewish pilgrims walked 2,000 years ago at Robinson’s Arch and the Southern Wall Excavations.
• Walk through the the Western Wall Tunnels to discover underground Jerusalem.
• Lunch on own in Jewish Quarter.
• Guided tour of Jewish Quarter including the Cardo, Broad Wall and Rooftops followed by free time to shop and explore on own.
• Explore the City of David using the Bible and archaeology to make Jerusalem’s stones tell the story of the city’s ancient past.  
• Wade through Hezekiah’s Tunnel – A still flowing ancient water system that saved the city of Jerusalem 2,700 years ago (dry option available).
• Dinner on own in Jerusalem’s Mamilla Quarter.
• Watch the Night Spectacular – Sound and light show at the Tower of David.
• Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Monday, July 13th 2026 – Masada and the Dead Sea: Freedom Fighters or Fanatics?

• Set out across the Judean Desert and ascend Masada by cable car to tour the ruins of Herod’s palace and the last outpost of Jewish independence.                          
• Optional Bar – Bat Mitzvah Ceremony in the ancient synagogue  
• Discussion: Which Jewish Legacy – Masada or Yavne?
• 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 bath in waterfalls and hear how David hid there from King Saul.
• Stop off at “Abraham’s Tent” for a Camel ride and biblical dinner.
• Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Tuesday, July 14th 2026  – Holocaust, Remembrance and Continuity 

• Visit Yad Lakashish – A unique employment and Tzedakah project serving Jerusalem’s elderly citizens and stop off its store where shopping is a mitzvah.
• Guided tour of Yad Vashem Israel’s national Holocaust memorial and museum, including the Holocaust History 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.  Zoo visit not included in the tour price).
• Lunch on own
• See the world renown Chagall Windows at Hadassah Hospital.
• Experience the life story of Theodore Herzl, the ‘father of modern Zionism’ at the multimedia Herzl Museum, followed by a meaningful visit the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery with a special emphasis on the personal stories of soldiers who fell in the Swords of Iron/Ocotber 7^th War.
• Free evening
• Dinner on own
• Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Wednesday, July 15th 2026– Underground Adventure and Departure

• Visit to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book and the Model of Jerusalem in the first century. Recommendation:  Stay at the Israel Museum to explore additional exhibitions, such as Modern Israeli Art, Synagogue Interiors in the Judaica Section or the Archaeology Wing.
• Lunch on own
• Remainder of afternoon free to explore on own and get in last minute shopping.
• Late check out
• Farewell dinner at Ima Restaurant
• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport – See you again soon!

Thursday, July 16th 2026 – Arrive in U.S.A.

• Begin planning your next Israel trip with Rabbi Dorsch and ITW Tours!

Trip Highlights

·  Old Jaffa – Explore the ancient port city where history meets modern artistic charm.

·  Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard – Walk through the heart of Tel Aviv, where Israel’s independence was declared.

·  Caesarea’s Roman Ruins – Witness the grandeur of Herod’s coastal city, with its amphitheater and stunning Mediterranean views.

·  Tzfat’s Mystical Alleys – Discover the birthplace of Kabbalah and wander through picturesque synagogues.

·  Golan Heights Jeep Tour – Gain insight into Israel’s complex geopolitics from strategic viewpoints.

·  Shabbat at the Western Wall – Experience an unforgettable Friday evening with Jews from around the world.

·  City of David & Hezekiah’s Tunnel – Walk through biblical history with a hands-on archaeological experience.

·  Masada & the Dead Sea – Ascend Masada’s fortress and float in the healing waters of the Dead Sea.

·  Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum – Reflect on Jewish history at Israel’s national Holocaust memorial.

·  Mount Herzl Military Cemetery – Honor Israeli heroes with an insightful, meaningful visit.

·  Israel Museum & Dead Sea Scrolls – See the world’s oldest biblical texts and an ancient model of Jerusalem.

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