DAY ONE:  Sunday, June 20, 2010
DEPARTURE

• Depart Los Angeles onboard Continental Airlines flight #1703 at 8:35AM, arriving in Newark at 5:00PM, with connecting service onboard CO flight #90 at 10:50PM, arriving in Tel Aviv the next day.

OR

• Depart Phoenix onboard Continental Airlines flight #1434 at 10:55AM, arriving in Newark at 7:00PM, with connecting service onboard CO flight #90 at 10:50PM, arriving in Tel Aviv the next day.

Overnight: Flight

• Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport at 4:15PM.
• Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities.
• Ascend to Jerusalem through the Judean Hills.
• Upon entering Jerusalem stop at the Haas Promenade to say the traditional shehechiyanu blessing, recited upon entering Jerusalem.
• The Hills around Jerusalem: Drive around Jerusalem while viewing the city from many of its overlooks and promenades.
• Check into your hotel and time to relax.
• Welcome dinner and orientation to the program.

Overnight:  Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The Reform Jewish World A glimpse at the critical role the Reform Movement is playing in countries around the world with representatives of the Reform Movement at Merkaz Shimshon; kids will have a separate program with the guide.
• 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:
  • Walk along the Rooftops of the Old City for a behind the scenes look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how they live together.
  • 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 Burnt House, a remnant of a Jewish community from 2,000 years ago
  • Lunch at leisure.
  • The Kotel (Western Wall).
  • 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,
    OR
    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, including a special seminar at the with archaeologist in charge, Eli Shukrun and wade through the 2,600 year old Hezekiah's Water Tunnel in the Kidron Valley.
• Free Evening in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall or on Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony, with dinner on your own.

Overnight:  Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Hands on experience at Yad LaKashish, a multifaceted sheltered workshop for senior citizens and people with disabilities, a 5-star tzadakah project.
• Drive to the Jerusalem Hills and visit the Armed Forces Memorial at Latrun, a pivotal point on the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem road and the site of many fierce battles for control of the road to Jerusalem from Biblical times through the War of Independence.
• Adults: Visit the award winning Ella Winery at Kibbutz Netiv Halamed Hey, established by a Napa Valley vineyard owner in order to create a true-blue Israeli winery, which has succeeded beyond expectation, with wine tasting.
• Youth: Special program with youth from Kibbutz Netiv HaLamed Heh.
• Lunch on your own en route.
• 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.
• Return to Jerusalem and evening at leisure.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Early breakfast at the hotel.
• Drive south to the Dead Sea basin.
• 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.
• Possible b'nai mitzvah ceremony atop of Masada.
• Short hike for an overview above the the freshwater spring at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a lush oasis in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea.
• Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulphur springs at a Dead Sea Resort Hotel and float in the Dead Sea, including a celebration lunch at the hotel.
• Return to Jerusalem and dinner at leisure.
• Evening: optional outing to the spectacular Sound & Light Show at David's Citadel

Overnight: Jerusalem

• 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: 
  • First timers:
    • The Avenue of the Righteous
    • The new Historical Museum
    • The Children's Memorial
    • The Holocaust Toy Exhibit
    • The Valley of the Communities
  • Returnees:
    • The Learning Center
    • The Exhibitions Pavilion
    • The Sculpture Garden
  • A concluding Memorial Service
  • LaDa'at  Yad Vashem for Kids - Special children/youth program at the Yad Vashem complex the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, including guided visits to the Holocaust Toy Exhibit, the Children's Memorial and the Sculpture Garden
• LaDa'at  Machaneh Yehuda - Explore the colorful and ethnically rich Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem while participating in an experiential family scavenger hunt, with lunch on your own.
• 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.
• Shabbat Services at one of the following:
  Kol Haneshema in Baka, Har El in Nachlaot, Kehillat Mevasseret in Mevasseret Zion, or The Western Wall (Kotel)
• Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• 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.
• Free Evening in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall or on Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Depart Jerusalem and drive via the Jordan Rift 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.
• Swim in the warm waters and natural springs at the Gan Hashlosha Nature Reserve (Sachne) situated at the foot of Mt. Gilboa.
• Lunch on your own.
• Visit the Kinneret Cemetery and hear about the dreams of the early Zionist pioneers.
• Drive via Tiberias, a bustling city located on the shores of the Kinneret, one of the four holy Jewish cities in Israel and where Maimonedes is buried.
• 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.
• Drive to the Upper Galilee and check into the kibbutz guesthouse.
• Dinner at the guesthouse.

Overnight:  Kibbutz Guesthouse, Upper Galilee

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Explore Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artists' colony, including:
  • Guided visits to the Ari and Abuhav Synagogues with their great stories and mystical messages.
  • A stroll through the quaint Art Galleries and shop in the artists' colony.
  • A dialogue with an Artist inspired by Kabbalistic messages; special scavenger hunt for kids….
• Return to the Upper Galilee and ride the Manara cable car to ascend the Manara Cliff overlooking the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights.
• Lunch on your own.
• 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 the ongoing excavations.
• Enjoy Rafting or Kayaking on the Jordan River.
• Dinner at the kibbutz guesthouse.
• Where Is My Kibbutz Going?  Dialogue with kibbutz members on the ever-changing nature of kibbutz life today.

Overnight:  Kibbutz Guesthouse, Upper Galilee

• Breakfast at the guesthouse.
• Optional visit to the Na'ot Mordechai Sandal factory store.
• Depart the Upper Galilee and visit the innovative Zippori National Park, site of Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi's codification of the Mishna and a renowned mosaic collection.
• Israeli Arabs or Palestinian Israelis, the Arab Minority and the Jewish Majority in Israel,  Participate in a seminar on the challenges of Arab-Jewish coexistence,  at the Givat Haviva seminar center including a visit to the Arab village of Barta'a and the Jewish town of Katzir, with an overlook of the Seam Zone Barrier.
• Lunch on your own.
• Drive via Herzliya, the sister city to San Bernardino and then drive through “the city that never sleeps,” surveying the city's cultural and business centers. Stop at Rabin Square and visit the memorial elected to the memory of Yitzhak Rabin.
• Check into the hotel on the Mediterranean
• Early dinner on your own.
• Visit the Old City of Jaffa and stroll through the renovated artists' colony and ancient port.
• Not By Bread Alone, attend a performance at the NaLagaat (Please Touch)Theater,  with its unique theater company composed of hearing and visually impaired Israelis.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot, for an eye opening tour of a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate,
  OR
  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 (subject to confirmation).
• Visit to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948.
• Walking tour through the trendy area where the colorful Carmel Market and Shenkin Street meet in downtown Tel Aviv, with lunch on your own.
• Option 1:
  • Free afternoon, OR
• Option 2:
  • Explore two thousand years of rich Jewish culture and community at Beth Hatefutsoth, the Museum of the Jewish People, located on the campus of Tel Aviv University, OR
• Option 3:
  • Guided walk through Tel Aviv's magnificent Bauhaus architectural area, known as the ‘White City' and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site,  OR visit the recently renovated Rubin House, the former residence and studio of one of Israel's pioneering modern artists, Reuven Rubin and delve into his special world of modern Israeli art, including a wide array of interactive presentations.
• Dinner at leisure.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Arrive in Newark at 4:45AM, with connecting service onboard:
  • CO flight #1535 at 6:50AM, arriving in Phoenix at 9:03AM.
  • CO flight #1402 at 8:30AM, arriving in Los Angeles at 11:24AM.

Group Tours to Israel