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Sunday |
DEPARTURE Depart the United States to Tel Aviv. |
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Monday |
WELCOME TO ISRAEL Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport where you are met and assisted by your guide. Drive to Jerusalem and stop at Mount Scopus for a spectacular view of the city and a traditional shehechiyanu blessing, and a l’chaim. Continue to the historic King David Hotel. In the evening, on your own, visit the Mamilla Mall where Jerusalemites shop and dine. Overnight in Jerusalem |
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Tuesday |
TOUR OF JERUSALEM Drive to Mt. Zion to visit King David's Tomb and the room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City through Zion's Gate and walk through the reconstructed Jewish Quarter with its four restored Sephardic synagogues. Browse the boutique-lined Cardo, once an ancient Byzantine bazaar. Visit the 2,000-year old Herodian Mansions and “Burnt House”. Tour the Second Temple excavations and walk through the Western Wall Tunnels. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Jerusalem |
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Wednesday |
TOUR OF JERUSALEM Participate in a special service at Yad Vashem, memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, and visit the Museum and Children's Memorial. On to Hadassah Medical Center to view the famed Chagall stained glass windows. Drive to Mt. Herzl, burial place of Israel's founding fathers and site of the city's military cemetery. Drive to Machne Yehudah Market and take part in a guided, fun-filled “Tourgame” adventure in a 19th century neighborhood. Evening meeting with Rabbi for Bar/Bat Mitzvah rehearsal. Overnight in Jerusalem |
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Thursday |
BAR/BAT MITZVAH IN JERUSALEM Morning Bar/Bat Mitzvah service at Robinson’s Arch. Drive to the Israel Museum and visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. Stroll through the outdoor Billy Rose Sculpture Garden and see the scale model of Jerusalem as it looked in Herod’s time. Stop at the Knesset, Israel’s House of Parliament, to see the bronze Menorah sculpture, symbol of the State of Israel. If time permits, walk to the German Colony, one of several built by the Temple Society in the Holy Land during the second half of the 19th century. Overnight in Jerusalem |
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Friday |
TOUR OF MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA Drive through the wilderness of the Judean Desert to the lowest spot on earth, the Dead Sea. Continue along the sea, past the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Arrive at Masada, the mountain fortress where the Jewish Zealots fought against mighty Rome. Ascend by cable car to the mountaintop. Tour Herod's palace, the Zealots’ synagogue, and the Roman bathhouses. Stop at the Dead Sea for an unforgettable "float" and lunch. Hike through the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve to the waterfall, and observe the wildlife and lush foliage in this oasis. Return to Jerusalem. In the evening, visit the Western Wall to welcome the Shabbat. Friday night dinner and overnight in Jerusalem |
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Saturday |
SHABBAT SHALOM! A WALKING TOUR OF THE OLD CITY Stroll through the 19th century neighborhood of Yemin Moshe to see Sir Moses Montefiore’s carriage. Walk to the Old City. Enter at Jaffa Gate and visit the Tower of David Citadel and Museum, which traces the history of Jerusalem. Explore the narrow alleyways of the Old City and the colorful shuk (Arab Market). Continue along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Walk the ramparts of the Old City. Afternoon at leisure. At night, return to the Tower of David Museum to see The Night Spectacular light show. Overnight in Jerusalem |
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Sunday |
TOUR OF THE GALILEE AND THE GOLAN Depart Jerusalem and drive along the seashore road to the Valley of Jezreel. Visit Beit Shearim catacombs, burial place of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, compiler of the Mishna. Stop at K’far Kedem, near the excavated Talmudic town of Tzippori, for a biblical experience and lunch. On to Tiberias, one of the four Holy Cities, with its lakeside promenade and hot springs. Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Take an exciting jeep ride through the rugged hills of the Golan Heights and stop at a former Syrian fortification to view the Hula Valley below. Arrive at the kibbutz to learn first-hand about this unique lifestyle. Dinner and overnight on a Kibbutz |
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Monday |
TOUR OF THE UPPER GALILEE Conditions permitting, go kayaking on the Jordan River. Continue through the mountains of the Upper Galilee to Safed, 16th century birthplace of the mystical "Kabbala" movement. Stroll the cobbled streets to explore the ancient synagogues and galleries of this quaint Artists' Colony. Drive to the picturesque Bay of Akko with its medieval port and Citadel. If time permits visit the sea grottoes of Rosh Hanikra. Continue along Haifa Bay. Ascend Mt. Carmel and drive along Rehov Panorama with its breathtaking views of Haifa Harbor. View the golden-domed Bahai Temple and the beautiful Persian Gardens surrounding it. Dinner and overnight in the Galilee |
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Tuesday |
TOUR OF MOUNT CARMEL, CAESAREA AND TEL AVIV Drive to Atlit, the port of illegal immigration into Palestine in 1947, with its British detention camp. Continue to the unique Druze villages for a home hospitality and lunch. Drive along the Mediterranean seashore to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the country. See King Herod's ancient port, the Roman amphitheater, the aqueduct and the fortifications of the Crusaders. Drive to Tel Aviv, Israel's center of culture and commerce, with beautiful Mediterranean beaches and outdoor cafes. The 100-year old “White City” was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Walk through Nachalat Binyamin to see artisans selling their crafts. Stop at the colorful Carmel market for a "taste" of Israel. Overnight in Tel Aviv |
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Wednesday |
TOUR OF BEIT GUVRIN AND TEL AVIV Drive south to explore the unusual Bell Caves and excavations of Beit Guvrin. Participate in a live archaeological dig where visitors young and old can "Dig Israel". Continue to Machon Ayalon, an underground ammunition factory that operated during the British Mandate. Return to Tel Aviv and visit Old Jaffa. Last minute shopping. Evening transfer to Ben Gurion Airport. |
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Thursday |
DEPARTURE Flight home. |