Wednesday, 21 December – Depart USA

Thursday, 22 December – Going up into the Land

• Morning arrival in Israel to be met and assisted by your ITC representative (today’s program depends on arrival time).
• 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.
• Try your hand at shepherding at Neot Kedumim.  Discover a biblical skill, which is a great leadership, family and team building activity.
• Lunch at Neot Kedumim
• Travel to Jerusalem through the gorge of Shaar Hagai, known as Bab El Wad during Israel’s War of Independence.
• Shehekhiyanu/Welcome ceremony overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem. 
• Check-in to the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem. 
• Welcome dinner and orientation at Medita Restaurant.
• Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Friday, 23 December – The Old City of Jerusalem:  An Ancient Jewish Legacy

• B’nai Mitzvah ceremony at the Masorati Kotel to connect a Jewish past with a Jewish future.
• 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 Southern Wall Excavations.
• Walk through the Western Wall Tunnels to discover underground Jerusalem.
• Tour of the Jewish Quarter including the Cardo, Broad Wall and Rooftops, followed by free time to shop and explore on own.
• Lunch on own

Friday/Shabbat evening options

• Light Shabbat and Channukah candles at hotel.
• Join hundreds of other Jews from around the world to Greet the Sabbath at the Western Wall.  Option to pray together as a congregation at the “Masorati Kotel“, where men and women can stand together.
• OR:  Attend Friday night services at a local Jerusalem synagogue.
• Festive Shabbat Dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

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

• Shabbat morning services at a local Conservative/Masorati synagogue.
• Shabbat Lunch at the Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism.
• 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 Susan Werk
• 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: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Sunday, 25 December  – 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 with Susan Werk
• Lunch on own.
• Meaningful visit to Mt. Herzl Cemetery to discover chapters in the history of Israel while visiting the graves of Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir, Theordore Herzl and Hannah Senesch.
• Tasting tour of the bustling Machane Yehuda Market to discover Jerusalem’s many flavors from East and West, followed by free time to explore on your own.
• Dinner on own, if still hungry
• Free evening
• Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Monday, 26 December – Masada and the Dead Sea: Freedom Fighters or Fanatics?

• Set out early ascend Masada by cable car to tour the ruins of King Herod’s palace and the last outpost of Jewish independence.  Discussion: Which Jewish Legacy – Masada or Yavne?  Who were our ancesters? What decision did they 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.
• Travel to Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev Highlands.
• Check in to the Ramon Inn in Mitzpe Ramon.
• Dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Ramon Inn, Mitzpe Ramon

Tuesday, 27 December – Negev Highlands: Primeval Desert Beauty

• Learn about the natural history of the region at the multimedia Makhtesh Ramon Visitors Center dedicated to fallen Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.
• Jeep tour to explore Makhtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater) and discover magnificant desert landscapes and a fascinating window into the earth’s past.
• Enjoy a camel ride and Bedouin hospitality at Khan Hashayrot.
• Lunch in a Bedouin tent at Khan Hashayarot.
• Hear the story of the development town Mitzpe Ramon on a tour led by local resident Eyal Alexander.
• Dinner at hotel
• Overnight:  Ramon Inn, Mitzpe Ramon

Wednesday, 28 December – Natural Beauty and Pionnering Vision

• Walk in the beautiful white canyon of Ein Avdat in the Zin Valley.
• Look out at the majestic Zin Cliffs from Ben Gurion’s Gravesite.
• Packed lunch for picnic in Sde Boker.
• Tour of David Ben Gurion’s House (Israel’s first prime minister) on Kibbutz Sde Boker to learn about his vision for developing the Negev.
• Travel to Tel Aviv
• Tour the alleys of Old Jaffa, the ancient port city once known as Zion Gate.
• Shekhiyanu-Welcome ceremony on top of Tel Jaffa overlooking modern Tel Aviv.
• Check-in to the Dan Panorama Hotel on Tel Aviv‘s Mediterranean Coast.
• Free evening
• Dinner on own
• Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv

Thursday, 29 December – Innovation: Start Nation from the Beginning

• Hear about the establishment of Tel Aviv standing at the Founders’ Monument on Rothschild Boulevard.  Then see the Bauhaus architecture for which central Tel Aviv was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Visit the new Israel Innovation Center, located in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, to learn though its interactive exhibit about new advancements by Israeli Start-Ups in fields such as science, technology, medicine, aero-space and more.
• Lunch on own
• Discover Tel Aviv’s remarkable street art on a graffiti tour of the hip Florentine neighborhood – The Soho of Israel.
• Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

 

Friday, 30 December – Tel Aviv:  History and Taste of Lively Local Life

• Visit the Palmach Museum in Ramat Aviv to learn about the elite  underground organization which played a critical role in the founding of the State of Israel.
• Hear about the establishment of Tel Aviv standing at the Founders’ Monument on Rothschild Boulevard.  Then see the Bauhaus architecture for which central Tel Aviv was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Lunch on your own and free time to explore the Nachalat Binyamin crafts fair. While there checkout the nearby Carmel Market and bohemian Sheinkin Street – All Three of these Tel Aviv icons meet at the “Magen David Junction”.Lunch on own and free time to explore the Nachalat Binyamin Crafts Fair. While there checkout the nearby Carmel Market and bohemian Sheinkin Street – All three of these Tel Aviv icons meet at the “Magen David Junction”.
• Free time to relax and prepare for Shabbat.
• Shabbat evening services – To be determined with Rabbi Lucas.
• Festive Shabbat Dinner at hotel Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv

Saturday, 31 December – And on the Seventh Day in Tel Aviv

• Shabbat morning services at Neve Schechter, a Masorati (Conservative) congregation in Tel Aviv’s historic Neve Tzedek neighborhood.
• Walking tour of the picturesque historical Neve Tzeddek neighborhood that 25 years after its founding would give birth to the new city of Tel Aviv.
• Traditional Shabbat lunch at hotel
• Visit the “Aliyah Bet” Memorial in London Square to hear the story of the illegal immigration operations which rescued Jewish refugees before the founding of the State of Israel.
• Free time to walk along the beach side Promenade and see the people of Tel Aviv enjoying Shabbat afternoon, including Israeli folkdancing.
• Havdallah with Susan Werk
• Farewell dinner at Maganda Restaurant in Tel Aviv’s old Yemenite Quarter.
• New Year’s Eve in Tel Aviv – To be determined. 
• Overnight:  Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv

Sunday, 1 January 2023 – Departure with Lasting Memories

• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for flight to U.S.
• Arrive in USA.
• Begin planning your next Israel trip with Susan Werk and ITC Tours!

All of this is Included in Your Tour

• Deluxe accommodation, as per your itinerary
• Touring and entrance fees, as per your itinerary
• Meeting & assistance by your Israel Tours representative within the arrivals terminal at Ben Gurion Airport
• One of Israel’s finest English-speaking licensed tour educators (guides), to be with you for the duration of the tour and give insight into this beautiful, spiritual land  
• Deluxe air-conditioned, comfortable modern motor coach, featuring large panoramic windows, reclining seats, and foot rests
• Professional, safety conscious bus driver
• Professional Israel Tours education director, to ensure an extraordinary Israel experience
• Professional  Israel Tours tour manager
• Snack and 1 small bottle of mineral water upon arrival in Israel
• Hostess at Jerusalem hotel, based on a minimum of 25 travelers 
• Porterage at airport and hotels

Meals 

Breakfast each day at the hotel

• Dec 22- Lunch at Neot Kedumim

Dec 22 -dinner  at Medita

• Dec 23- Shabbat dinner at hotel
• Dec 24- Shabbat lunch at Fuchsberg Center
• Dec 26- Swim and lunch at Spa  Hotel in Dead Sea
• Dec 26 –Dinner at Hotel
• Dec 27-Camel Ride and Beduine Lunch
• Dec 27 –Dinner at Hotel
• Dec 30- Shabbat dinner at hotel
• Dec 31- Shabbat lunch at hotel
• Jan 1- Farewell dinner at Maganda 

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