11 Day - Israel - A Land Of Many Faiths - A Jewish, Christian and Muslim Interfaith Tour | Tours to Israel
 Tuesday. Depart USA to Israel arriving Tel Aviv the next day. Your international flight will include meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey. FLIGHT
Wednesday. 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 colourful 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. Evening at leisure. (D) JERUSALEM
Thursday. Breakfast at the hotel. Jerusalem: A Home for Three Religions - Dialogue with a prominent speaker. Guided visit through the Old City of Jerusalem, including sites holy to Jews, Muslims, and Christians: the Western Wall, Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Herodian Mansions from Jerusalem of 2000 years ago.
The Davidson Archaeological Park with a special visit to the Davidson Center to view the new presentation of "Life During the Time of the Temple," followed by a guided visit to the Southern Wall Excavations. The Western Wall. Harem-a-Sharif - The Temple Mount. The Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and other Christian sites. Dialogue or Monologues in the Holy Land: Special program at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies. Return to the hotel for rest and relaxation.
Free time and dinner on your own. (B) JERUSALEM
Friday. Breakfast at the hotel. Optional Friday morning Muslim services. Overview of Jerusalem from atop the Mount of Olives. Walk down the Mount of Olives through the Garden of Gethsemane, visiting the Churches of the Ascension, Dominus Flevit and the Church of All Nations. Religion, Diplomacy and the Israel-Arab Conflict: Special seminar in conjunction with Rabbi Ron Kronish of the ICCI and the Hebrew University. 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. Conclude with an in-depth study seminar on the ramifications of current developments. Free time for personal exploration as Jerusalemites prepare for the Sabbath. Welcome in the Sabbath at a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem. Shabbat dinner at the hotel. (B, D) JERUSALEM
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Optional Sabbath morning Jewish Services. One Mountain, Three Religions: An interdenominational search through the traditional burial site of King David, the room of the Last Supper and a mosque, all in one building. Jerusalem and My Life: Dialogue with Sheikh Abdul Aziz Buchari. Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City. Free evening in Jerusalem. (B) JERUSALEM
Sunday. 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, and a concluding Memorial Service. Mifgash - Many Voices, One Prayer: A joint prayer gathering - Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Explore Christian East Jerusalem through visits with Christian personalities and institutions with Daniel Rossing, Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish - Christian Relations. Free evening and dinner at leisure. (B) JERUSALEM
Monday. Breakfast at the hotel. Descend to the Dead Sea Basin. Visit Qumran, explore the area where the Dead Sea sect established a community, see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and view the interactive audiovisual program, followed by a discussion of the role of the Dead Sea Scrolls in interfaith dialogue. 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. At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden: A Jew's Search for Hope with Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land - Dialogue with journalist and author Yossi Klein HaLevi of the Shalem Center. (B) JERUSALEM
Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and depart for Northern Israel. Stop at Kasr el Yahud, traditional site of Jesus's original baptism in the Jordan River and home to numerous monasteries. Drive through the Jordan Valley. 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. Experience a baptism in the Jordan River at the Yardenit Baptismal site. Visit the Kinneret Cemetery and hear about the dreams of the early Zionist pioneers. Drive to Kibbutz Nof Ginosar and check into the guesthouse. Dinner at the guesthouse with Jewish, Muslim and Christian Clergy from the Galilee. (B, D) SEA OF GALILEE
Wednesday. Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse. Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and the Biblical settlement of Dan, followed by a guided visit to ongoing excavations. 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. Dialogue with leaders of the Golan Residents' Committee to hear first hand about their perspectives on peace negotiations with Syria. Explore Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artist colony, including: Guided visits to the Ari, Caro and Abuhav Synagogues with their great stories and mystical messages. A dialogue with an artist inspired by Kabbalistic messages. A stroll through the quaint art galleries and shop in the artist colony. Return to the guesthouse for rest and relaxation. Dinner at the guesthouse. (B, D) SEA OF GALILEE
Thursday. Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse. Visit the Jesus Boat a 2,000 year old fishing boat similar to those used by the Apostles. Guided visit through the Christian holy sites around the Sea of Galilee. This includes: A visit to the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of Jesus's 'Sermon on the Mount', overlooking the Sea of Galilee. A visit to Tabgha, traditional site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, and the site of a modern church built on the remains of a Fourth Century church. A visit to Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the site of Jesus's teachings and the remains of a 2nd century synagogue. Discover Nazareth and walk through the colorful marketplace to visit the Church of the Annunciation of Christ. Mifgash - Interfaith Youth Dialogue at the Leo Baeck School in Haifa. Visit the Baka El Garbia Islamic College for a special seminar on Islam and the modern world. 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 to Tel Aviv. Check into the Hotel. Free time to explore Tel Aviv. Festive farewell dinner in Tel Aviv. (B, D) TEL AVIV
Friday. Breakfast at 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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