Temple Beth Sholom of Santa Ana (ag) | Tours to Israel
Sunday. Depart the USA to Israel onboard Continental Airlines flight # 90 departing Los Angeles 12:35PM arriving Tel Aviv at 4:10PM the next day. Your flight includes meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey.
Monday. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities.
Transfer to Tel Aviv.
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.
Lighting of 1st Chanukah candle
Welcome dinner at the hotel. (D) TEL AVIV
Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart Tel Aviv.
Visit the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot, for an eye opening tour of a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate.
Return to Tel Aviv.
Visit to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948.
Lunch on your own.
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.
Visit the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall, with its restored buildings and sidewalk artists, and continue onto Shenkin, one of Israel's most avante-garde streets.
Visit the Old City of Jaffa and stroll through the renovated artists' colony and the ancient port.
Follow the story of Israel's pre-state elite fighting force, the Palmach, while walking through a state of the art multimedia experience that allows a glimpse into the lives of extraordinary people at Beit Hapalmach.
Lighting of 2nd Chanukah candle
Dinner on your own. (B) TEL AVIV
Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart Tel Aviv and drive along the Trans-Israel Highway for a close up view of the 'Security Barrier' along the seamzone between Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Guided visit to Zichron Ya'acov, one of the first communities established by the early Zionist pioneers, including a walk along the colorful Pedestrian Mall.
Visit a Druse village in the Carmel Mountains for a window into the unique world of the Israeli Druse community, with home hospitality, followed by lunch.
Visit the Zippori National Park, known for its magnificent mosaic collection and central role in Jewish life after the destruction of the Temple.
Visit Ein Camonim dairy farm for a unique farm experience followed by dinner and lighting of 3rd Chanukah candle.
Drive north to the Upper Galilee and check into the kibbutz guesthouse. (B,D) GALILEE
Thursday. Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse.
Explore Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artists' colony, including:
Guided visits to the Ari, Caro and Abuhav Synagogues with their great stories and mystical messages.
A stroll through the quaint Art Galleries and shop in the artists' colony.
Meet with an artist who's work is influenced by the Kabbalah;
Visit the Katzrin Talmudic Village and tour the archaeological remains of a reconstructed synagogue and homes from a thriving community dating from the Talmudic era.
Lunch on your own in Katzrin, the 'Capital of the Golan'.
Jeep tour climbing to the Golan Heights in the footsteps of IDF soldiers and their battles in the Six Day War, to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and gain an insight into the strategic complexity of the Golan.
Return to the Kibbutz.
Lighting of 4th Chanukah candle
Dinner at the Kibbutz. (B,D) Galilee
Friday. Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse.
Check out of the guesthouse and depart the kibbutz.
Stop briefly the Kibbutz Naot Mordechai at the Naot/Teva Sandal factory store.
Drive to Tiberias, located on the shores of the Kinneret, one of the four holy Jewish cities in Israel and where Rachel the Poetess is buried.
Visit the archaeological excavations at Beit Shean, one of the largest Roman-Byzantine cities uncovered in Israel.
Lunch on your own en route.
Drive through the Jordan Rift Valley.
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.
Check into the hotel with time to shower.
Lighting of 5th Chanukah candle and Kabbalat Shabbat at the Birkat Shalom Synagogue at Kibbutz Gezer for an interactive Jewish Exploration Experience in conjunction with Pinat Shorashim, using all the senses and much more, followed by dinner.
Return to Jerusalem. (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, for a 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 Old City Ramparts for a walk along the ancient walls of the city.
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 children of all ages (2-80)
Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City.
Lighting of 6th Chanukah candle
Stroll through the Ben Yehuda and Nachalat Shiva Pedestrian Mall, joining the many Israelis out on the town.
Dinner on your own. (B) JERUSALEM
Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel.
LaDa'at Exploring the Bible: City of David - Using biblical texts relive the stories of Abraham and Malkizedek, David and Batsheva, King Solomon and others, while exploring one of the most exciting biblical sites in Israel today.
Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, for guided visits to some of the sites excavated over the past 30 years, including:
Guided visit to the Davidson Archaeological Park with a special visit to the Davidson Center and to the Southern Wall Excavations.
The Kotel (Western Wall).
The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world's oldest shopping arcade.
The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter.
The Herodian Mansions.
Meet with Rabbi David Wilfond, Director of Outreach and Recruitment at the Hebrew Union College, followed by Lighting of 7th Chanukah candle.
Tour the HUC campus.
Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount.
Dinner on your own.(B) JERUSALEM
Monday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Drive 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.
Ascend Masada by cable car to visit Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Explore the many archaeological remains from the Roman and Byzantine Eras.
Lunch on your own.
Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulphur springs at the Mineral Beach and float in the Dead Sea.
Return to Jerusalem and dinner on your own.
Lighting of 8th Chanukah candle. (B) JERUSALEM
Tuesday. 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, including:
The Avenue of the Righteous
The new Historical Museum
The Children's Memorial
A concluding Memorial Service
Lunch on your own.
Visit Mt. Herzl, including the 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 Yitzhak Rabin and other leaders of the nation.
Time at leisure
OR
LaDa'at Judean Hills Wine Route - Visit the award winning Flam Winery on Moshav Ginaton, a family winery that produces, hand-crafted Israeli wines, with wine tasting, followed by a visit to the spice farm. (With additional cost)
Dinner on your own. (B) JERISALEM
Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
'Hands on Tzedekah' project at the Yad Sara medical supply volunteer center.
Take part in an active dig at the Beit Guvrin Caves and prepare to get your hands dirty as you uncover pottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, followed by a crawl through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth.
Lunch on your own en route.
Return to Jerusalem and rest of the day at leisure.
Dinner and evening at leisure. (B) JERUSALEM
Thursday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out of the hotel (4 rooms available for late checkout).
Free day to explore Jerusalem or just relax.
Farewell dinner at ZAZA restaurant.
Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport.
Depart onboard CO flight #91 at 11:40P. (B,D) FLIGHT
Friday. Arrive Newark Airport at 4:45AM. Connect to Contnental Airlines flight # 1002 departing at 6:50AM arriving Los Angeles at 9:38AM.
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