12 Day - Israel - One Big Movie Set-Movies and the International Film Festival | Tours to Israel
 Wednesday. 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
Thursday. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Ascend to Jerusalem through the Judean Hills.
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 the Haas Promenade to recite the traditional "shehechiyanu" blessing upon entering Jerusalem. Check into the hotel. Festive welcome dinner. Participate in the opening screening of the Jerusalem Film Festival. (B) JERUSALEM
Friday. Breakfast at the hotel. Jerusalem as a Movie Set: Dialogue with a leading Israeli director. Guided walk through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem for visits to some of the sites excavated over the past 30 years, which 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 your own. International Jerusalem Film Festival Screening II. LaDa'at - Jerusalem Erev Shabbat: Experience the unique atmosphere as Jerusalemites hurriedly prepare for Shabbat as you drive through the city, exploring the numerous traditions Jews have brought with them from the world over. Kabbalat Shabbat services at a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem. Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel. (B, D) JERUSALEM
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Optional Shabbat Services. Free Shabbat in Jerusalem with optional visits to: 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 to all ages (2-80). The Old City Ramparts - walk along the ancient walls of the city. Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City. International Jerusalem Film Festival Screening III. 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. 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, and a concluding Memorial Service. Film as a Key to Memory: Seminar on film and the Holocaust at Yad Vashem. "In the Footsteps of Medurat Hashevet" - Campfire Field seminar exploring the complexities and challenges involved in filming this 2004 movie, including dialogues with actors and viewing examples from the film. Free evening and dinner at leisure. (B) JERUSALEM
Monday. Breakfast at the hotel. Is there "Jewish" in Israeli Movies? A special program at the Maaleh Film School in Jerusalem. LaDa'at - The Geopolitics of Jerusalem: Travel through the city of Jerusalem, exploring some of the political and diplomatic complexities of recent years, including Har Homa, Gilo and the new 'Security Fence' in the Jerusalem area with an in-depth study seminar on the ramifications of current developments. Mifgash - Pluralism in Israel: Special seminar with Amy Kronish and Paula Weiman Kellman. The International Film Scene and Israel: Dialogue with an internationally acclaimed film personality attending the International Jerusalem Film Festival. Dinner on your own. International Jerusalem Film Festival Screening IV. (B) JERUSALEM
Tuesday. Descend to the Dead Sea Basin. Ascend via cable car or walk up the snake path to Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewish defense and its current significance in modern Israel. Experience the weightlessness of the Dead Sea as you float in its waters with lunch on own. Return to Jerusalem. VIP reception with attendees of the Jerusalem International Film Festival. Free time in Jerusalem with dinner on your own. (B) JERUSALEM
Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and depart Jerusalem. Visit the 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. LaDa'at - Kinneret Cemetery: Enter the world of the early Zionist pioneers, their hopes and dreams, their trials and tribulations and the vision of their ultimate success through visits to the graves of great Zionist personalities such as Rachel the Poet, Ber Borochov and Noami Shemer.
Check into the Mizpe Hayamim Spa in Rosh Pina. Free time to enjoy the Spa.
Dinner at the Spa. Viewing of the movie Beaufort about Israel's withdrawal form Southern Lebanon in 2000, followed by a discussion with Col. (Res.) Kobi Marom, the last Divisional Commander of the Beaufort outpost before the withdrawal. (B, D) ROSH PINA
Thursday. Breakfast at the spa hotel. Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and the Biblical settlement of Dan. Explore Israel's security situation in 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. Explore Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artist colony. Enjoy guided visits to the Ari, Caro and Abuhav Synagogues with their great stories and mystical messages. Dialogue with an Artist inspired by Kabbalistic messages. Drive to Tel Aviv. 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. 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. Dinner on own. (B) TEL AVIV
Friday. Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948. Israeli Society Through Film: Concluding field seminar including scenes from of Israeli films followed by a walking tour through the streets of Tel Aviv for an understanding of how Israeli film reflects day to day life. Guided walk through Tel Aviv's magnificent Bauhaus architectural area, known as the 'White City' and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a leading Tel Aviv architect. Visit the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall, with its restored buildings and sidewalk artists. Continue onto the colorful Carmel Market and then to Shenkin, one of Israel's most avant-garde streets. Walking tour through the colorful re-gentrified Neve Zedek, one of Tel Aviv's cultural centers with many small boutiques and galleries as well as the Suzanne Delal Dance and Theater Center. Optional Kabbalat Shabbat services at a local synagogue. Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel. Free evening in Tel Aviv with an 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, and saunter down the Tel Aviv Beach Promenade. (B, D) TEL AVIV
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Optional Shabbat services. Free day in Tel Aviv with an opportunity to: Take in the grand art collection at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, window shop on the avante garde Shenkin Street, meander through the Old City of Jaffa, explore the Neve Zedek Neighborhood, visit some of Tel Aviv's legendary Art Galleries, enjoy the Ganei Yehoshua Park on the Yarkon River, crash the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, and walk the popular route from the promenade on the beach to the Ganei Yehoshua Park on the river. Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah on the beach. Festive farewell dinner. (B, D) TEL AVIV
Sunday. 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 will include meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey. (B) FLIGHT
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