Temple Sinai of Stamford (mf)

Temple Sinai of Stamford (mf) | Tours to Israel

Thursday. Depart the USA on board LY flight#008 from JFK at 9:20PM, arrving to Tel Aviv at 2:40PM the next day. Your international flight includes meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey. FLIGHT

Friday. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. 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. Shabbat services at Beit Daniel or on the beach. Festive Welcome Shabbat Dinner and orientation. (D) TEL AVIV

Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Shabbat morning services. Lunch on your own. Visit the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot, for an eye opening tour of a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate. Visit the Old City of Jaffa and stroll through the renovated artists' colony and the ancient port. Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Mediterranean. Enjoy a middle-eastern style dinner with a Yemenite touch at Maganda with a varied selection of salads and grilled meats, located in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv. (B,D) TEL AVIV

Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and depart Tel Aviv via the coastal plain. Guided visit to Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Period; visit the Herodian Theater and new excavations along the Mediterranean shore concluding with the new interactive audio-visual program 'The Stars of Caesarea,' located in the 900-year-old crusader city built on the same site. 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 with lunch on own. Descend via cable car at Rosh Hanikra to explore the natural grottos in the cliff, or LaDa'at Zippori - Enter into the world of the great Rabbis, codifiers of the Mishna, using their writings and life stories to unlock the secrets of rabbinic Judaism, while exploring the well developed excavations and reconstructions at Zippori. Drive across the Upper Galilee and check into your kibbutz guesthouse. Dinner at the hotel. (B,D) GALILEE

Monday. Breakfast at the hotel. Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and the Biblical settlement of Dan. 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. Lunch on your own in Katzrin. Visit the award winning Golan Winery, located in Katzrin on the Golan Heights, which launched its first wines in 1984, which were recognized as Israel's first world-class wines, with wine tasting; the kids will see how olive oil is produced at the Golan Olive Press. LaDa'at Families in Safed - Using stories and synagogues, mystics and alleyways, take part in a family exploration of Safed, where yesterday becomes tomorrow and the treasure's never too far away. Return to the guesthouse for dinner. (B,D) GALILEE

Tuesday. " Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and depart the kibbutz. Visit the Hula Nature Reserve and the Ophoria Interactive Experience, connecting birds, water and the Zionist endeavor. Plant a tree at the JNF Forest near the Golani Junction. Visit the Kinneret Cemetery and delve into the dreams and hopes of early Zionist pioneers and contemporary Israelis while visiting the graves of poets Rachel and Naomi Shemer. Lunch on your own. 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. Drive through the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. 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 Mount Scopus to say the traditional "shehechiyanu" blessing, recited upon entering Jerusalem. Check into the hotel. Dinner on your own. (B) JERUSALEM

Wednesday. 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, including: The Avenue of the Righteous The new Historical Museum The Children's Memorial The Valley of the Communities A concluding Memorial Service Lunch on 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. LaDa'at Machaneh Yehuda - Explore the colorful and ethnically rich Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem while participating in an experiential family scavenger hunt. Enjoy a free night out in Jerusalem with dinner on own. (B) JERUSALEM

Thursday. Breakfast at the hotel. Descend to the Dead Sea Basin. Short hike to Nahal David the freshwater spring at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a lush oasis in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Ascend the 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 defence and its current significance in modern Israel. Lunch on your own. Experience the weightlessness of the Dead Sea as you float in its waters, with lunch on your own. Return to Jerusalem. Evening at leisure. (B) JERUSALEM

Friday. Breakfast at the hotel. Guided walk 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: Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount. 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 Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world's oldest shopping arcade. The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter. Guided visit through the 2,000-year old Herodian Mansions. Lunch on your own on the vibrant Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony of Jerusalem, followed by free time to enjoy the erev Shabbat atmosphere. Prepare for Shabbat and then drive to Modi'in to welcome in Shabbat with Congregation Yozma. Return to Jerusalem for a 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, 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 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) The Old City Ramparts for a walk along the ancient walls of the city. Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City. Farewell dinner. Transfer to the airport.

Sunday. Depart on board LY#001 at 01:00AM, arriving JFK international airport at 5:55AM the same day.