11 Day - Israel and Her Neighbors-A Journey through the Reality of the Middle East | Tours to Israel
 Sunday. Depart USA , New York to Israel arriving Tel Aviv the next day. Your international flight will include meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey. FLIGHT
Monday. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities.
Drive through Tel Aviv, known as the "city that never sleeps" and pass by centers of culture and recreation such as the Habima Theater, sprawling beaches, Dizengoff Street and Rabin Square.
Check into the hotel in Tel Aviv.
Festive welcome dinner and dialogue on with General (res) Shlomo Gazit, former director of IDF military intelligence and fellow at the Jaffe Strategic Center for Strategic Studies at the Tel Aviv University on Israel's strategic position in the Middle East. Free time in Tel Aviv with the opportunity to:
Meander through the Old City of Jaffa, stroll down Rothschild Boulevard with its many cafes and bars, experience the Tel Aviv Port with its restaurants and clubs, explore the newly gentrified Neve Zedek Neighborhood, and saunter down the Tel Aviv Beach Promenade. (D) TEL AVIV
Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Visit to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948.
Visit the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall with its restored buildings and sidewalk artists. Continue onto the colorful Carmel Market, and then go to Shenkin, one of Israel's most avant-garde streets with lunch on your own.
Israel and the World Terror Phenomenon: Special seminar at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism with Boaz Ganor of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
Drive along the Trans-Israel Highway for a close up view of the 'Security Barrier' along the seam zone between Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Participate in a seminar on Arab-Jewish coexistence at the Givat Haviva Seminar Center.
Visit a Druse village in the Carmel Mountains for a window into the unique world of the Israeli Druse community.
Drive to Haifa.
Free time and dinner on your own in Haifa. (B) HAIFA
Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Guided visit to the Bahai Gardens and Shrine, the holiest site of the Bahai religion, located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, followed by a dialogue with a member of the Bahai community.
VIP visit to the Technion, Israel's premier technological university for a dialogue on some of Israel's newest technological developments.
Drive up the coast to the Lebanese Border at Rosh Hanikra.
Descend via cable car at Rosh Hanikra to explore the natural grottos in the cliff.
Meet with representatives of the IDF and UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) to discuss the delicate relationship between forces in the area.
Drive along Israel's Northern border to the Upper Galilee.
Drive to Kibbutz Kfar Blum and check into the Pastoral Hotel.
Dinner at the kibbutz hotel. (B, D) GALILEE
Thursday. Breakfast at the kibbutz hotel.
Nature and Water in the Middle East: Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and the Biblical settlement of Dan with a special focus on the role of water in the Middle East for the past 100 years.
Explore Israel's security situation on the Golan Heights while overlooking the Hula Valley from former Syrian fortifications. Cross the Golan Plateau to the border with Syria and observe the abandoned city of Kuneitra and the United Nations outpost located nearby.
Israel, Syria and My Home in the Golan: Dialogue with a resident of the Golan Heights in Katzrin.
Lebanon, Israel and a View into the Future: A study tour along the Israeli-Lebanese border, concluding at Kibbutz Misgav Am with Colonel Kobi Marom, former divisional commander of the Central Sector.
Return to the kibbutz.
Dinner at the hotel.
Living on the Border: Kibbutz Ideology and Israeli Reality in the 21st Century - Meet with second-generation kibbutz member Dubi Ben Ari. (B, D) GALILEE
Friday. Breakfast at the Kibbutz hotel. LaDa'at: The Hidden Secrets of Safed. Explore Safed, where mysticism and reality intermingle on every corner. Meander through the alleyways of Safed, using the writings of the mystics and contemporary Israeli pioneers to guide you on a journey, combining the visions of yesterday with the challenges of today. Take a stroll through the quaint art galleries and shop in the artist colony of Safed. Visit Beit Shean National Park, one of the largest archaeological sites in Israel with its Biblical Tel and ongoing excavations, exposing the vast Roman-Byzantine City. Drive through the Jordan Valley, exploring the complexities of the Israeli - Jordanian border and the Seam Zone Barrier. Welcome to Jerusalem. Enter the vibrant and colorful 3,000 year old city of Jerusalem and experience the convergence of the old and the new. Stop at Mount Scopus to recite the traditional "shehechiyanu" blessing upon entering Jerusalem. Check into the hotel. Optional Kabbalat Shabbat services at a local Reform synagogue. Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel. (B, D) JERUSALEM
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional Shabbat Services.
Free Shabbat in Jerusalem with the following optional visits:
The Museum of the History of Jerusalem at David's Citadel - walk through the history of Jerusalem from the time of Abraham 4,000 years ago to the end of the British Mandate over Palestine. The Israel Museum - one of the most creative and innovative museums in the world with a wide and eclectic collection, ranging from Judaica and archaeology to Renaissance and contemporary Israeli art, concluding with a visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls of the Shrine of the Book and the newly restored Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem. The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens - a beautifully landscaped habitat with a special focus on preserving Biblical fauna, geared for all ages (2-80). The Old City Ramparts - a walk along the ancient walls of the city. Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City. Free Evening in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall or on Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony. (B) JERUSALEM
Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel.
The Labyrinth of Israeli Politics: Dialogue with Prof. Reuven Hazan of the Political Science Department at Hebrew University.
Guided walk through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem with visits to some of the sites excavated over the past 30 years. These sites include: The Cardo - a Byzantine street that is now the oldest shopping arcade in the world. Hurva Square - the central square of the Jewish Quarter. Guided visit through the 2,000 year-old Herodian Mansions in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Guided visit to the Davidson Archaeological Park with a special visit to the Davidson Center to view the new three-dimensional computer generated presentation of "Life During the Time of the Temple," followed by a guided visit to the Southern Wall Excavations. The Kotel (Western Wall). Visit the Western Wall Tunnel - the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount. Lunch on own. LaDa'at: The Arab - Israeli Conflict -An in depth program designed to bring to life the current issues on the Israeli - Arab diplomatic agenda, facilitated by your Da'at tour educator. My Home in the Land of Israel: Dialogue with a resident of a settlement in Gush Etzion. My Home in Palestine: Dialogue with a Palestinian. (B) JERUSALEM
Monday. Breakfast at the hotel.
The Memory of the Holocaust in Contemporary Israeli Society: Dialogue with Holocaust scholar, Dr. Rachel Korazim. Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, which includes: The Avenue of the Righteous, the new Historical Museum, the Children's Memorial, the Valley of the Communities and a concluding Memorial Service. Lunch on own en route. Visit Mt. Herzl and its new center dedicated to the life and achievements of the founder of Political Zionism, Theodore Herzl, followed by a visit to his grave and the graves of other national leaders such as Yitzhak Rabin. Take part in a VIP tour of the Knesset and meet with Knesset members from various parties to discuss current political agendas. Free evening. Enjoy dinner on your own in Jerusalem, at a choice of a wide array of restaurants. (B) JERUSALEM
Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Mifgash - Jews and Non Jews: Where do we Stand? - Study program with Israeli Reform Rabbis.
Mifgash - The Geopolitics of Jerusalem: Travel through the city of Jerusalem, exploring some of the political and diplomatic complexities of recent years. Sites and topics include Har Homa, Gilo and the new 'Security Fence' in the Jerusalem area with an in-depth study seminar on the ramifications of current developments led by Rabbis for Human Rights. LaDa'at: Israel's Security - An in-depth seminar looking at Israel's security history and needs, utilizing maps, analysis and film footage as a background for understanding the complexities of Israel's geopolitical standing. Concluding discussion. Free time for last minute packing and shopping. Festive Farewell Dinner. (B, D) JERUSALEM
Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out of the hotel.
Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport.
Departure flight to the USA, arriving the same day. Your international flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey. (B) FLIGHT
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