DAY ONE: SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2010
DEPARTURE

• Depart U.S.A.

  Overnight: Flight

Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Special program with Na'amat, the Israeli Women's organization.
• Walking tour through the trendy area where the colorful Carmel Market, Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall, and Shenkin Street meet in downtown Tel Aviv.
• Depart for Northern Israel.
• Stop at Kibbutz Maagan Michael for a visit to the experimental Desalinization Complex, which, if successful, can change the nature of desalinization plants throughout the world.
• Guided visit to Zichron Ya'acov, one of the first communities established by the early Zionist pioneers, for glimpse at the “2000 year Jewish Urge to Return” to the Land of Israel.
• Drive through the kibbutz guesthouse.
• Check into the guesthouse.

Overnight: Kibbutz Guesthouse, Sea of Galilee

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Guided visit through the Christian Holy Sites around the Sea of Galilee, including:
• A visit to the Mount of Beatitudes, traditional site of Jesus' ‘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' teachings and the remains of a 2nd century synagogue.
• Drive to the Upper Galilee.
• Visit the Banias at the base of the Golan Heights, also known as Caesarea Philipi, the site where Jesus revealed Peter's leadership role among the disciples.
• Lunch at leisure.
• The Balance of Power on Israel's Northern Border: Dialogue with Colonel (Res) Kobi Marom, former Northern Brigade Commander.
• Explore Israel's security situation on 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.
• Home hospitality with Golan Heights Druze residents, in the Golan Village of Bukata.
• Return to the guesthouse.
• Dinner at the guesthouse.
• My Home, This Land, inter-ethnic dialogue with Galilean Israeli Arabs and Jews.

Overnight: Kibbutz Guesthouse, Sea of Galilee

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Drive through the Jordan Rift Valley and stop at one of the settlements on the way to look at the innovative agricultural advances made in horticulture and the growing of crops.
• Ascend to Jerusalem via the Eastern Gate and an overview of Jerusalem from atop the Mount of Olives upon entering the city and optionally,  walk down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemene in the Kidron Valley.
• Enter the Old City via the Lion's - St. Stephens Gate.
• Walk along the Via Dolorosa to the home of Sheikh Abdul Aziz Buchari for an insight into the world of Sufi Islam and co-existence, with light lunch.
• Guided visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and then to the Garden Tomb, traditionally believed to be the site of Jesus's crucifixion and burial, according to Roman Catholic and Protestant beliefs, respectively.
• Check into the hotel and free time and dinner on your own in Jerusalem.
• Optional Bakery Tour as bakers prepare the traditional Challah Bread for the Sabbath, OR meet with Rabbi Ron Kronish and other members of the Inter-religious Coordinating Council (IRCC) in Israel, for a discussion of the sensitivities of having the city as a focus of diverse faiths.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Defining an Indigenous People in the Land of Israel?: dialogue with scholar Paul Liptz of the Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew Union College.
• 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:
  • 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 to 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 Kotel (Western Wall).
  • Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount.
• Experience the sites, smells, and tastes of Jerusalem while walking through the Machaneh Yehuda Market, with lunch on your own.
• Jerusalem Sabbath Eve- 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.
• Free time for rest and relaxation or to wander around Jerusalem.
• Visit to the Western Wall as Jews welcome in the Sabbath.
• Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Early breakfast at the hotel.
• Drive to the Dead Sea.
• Ascend the cable car 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.
• Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulphur springs at a Dead Sea Resort Hotel and float in the Dead Sea, including lunch at the hotel.
• 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.
• 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.
• Return to Jerusalem.
• Evening at leisure to stroll through the Ben Yehuda and Nachalat Shiva Pedestrian Mall, joining the many Israelis out on the town.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The Memory of the Holocaust and the Concept of Jewish Peoplehood, 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
• Lunch at leisure.
• Visit the NCJW Research Institute for Innovation in Education at the Hebrew University for a special program with academic staff of the HIPPY project - Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-School Youngsters
  (With the possibility to set up meetings with additional academics upon request.)
• Free afternoon to explore Jerusalem.
• Evening: special reception at the Israel Museum, including guest dignitaries from the Municipality and Government.

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Where it all Began, Guided visit through the City of David's new excavations, which have redefined the origins of Jerusalem.
• Late check out from the hotel.
• Concluding program followed by a Festive Farewell dinner.
• Transfer to the airport.

Overnight: Jerusalem