Temple Beth Abraham's fun, hands-on adventure in Israel Led by Rabbi David Holtz August 14-26, 2018 - Ayelet Tours - Israel Tours - Jewish Heritage Tours - Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tours

Day 1: Tuesday, August 14, 2018: DEPARTURE

• We depart the United States on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Wednesday, August 15, 2018: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel this morning, and are met by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• We begin our tour at Independence Hall, the site of the signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948.
• Lunch on own along Rothschild Blvd.
• We continue with a co-existence walking tour with a Jewish and Arab guide leading us side by side through Old Jaffa. We'll also see the Jaffa “flea” market, currently undergoing a major renaissance.
• After time to check-in, relax and refresh, we enjoy a lovely and festive welcome dinner together.
• Spend the remainder of the evening at leisure discovering Tel Aviv on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Thursday, August 16, 2018: FOUNDATIONS OF THE STATE

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit the Palmach Museum, where we "join up" with the paramilitary forces from Israel's pre-statehood days OR Choose to instead visit the nearby Rabin Center, where the spiraling exhibits lead us through the history of the modern state and broader world history, through the prism of the life of one of Israel's most beloved leaders, Yitzhak Rabin.
• We continue on an ethnic tasting tour through Tel Aviv's famous Levinsky Market, where we will find unique foods, along with stories from Mediterranean Jews who have been in these quaint shops for a century or more.
• We continue with a visit to the Ayalon Institute, where we discover the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence.
• This evening we enjoy Dinner in the Dark - an extra sensory experience, followed by a performance of Not By Bread Alone, featuring the NaLagaat theater troupe, whose actors are both visually and hearing impaired.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 4: Friday, August 17, 2018: TRAVELING SOUTH

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Today, we see the new cutting-edge Taglit Innovation Center for a glimpse into Israel's hi-tech advances in the fields of science, medicine, security and space. We visit the interactive exhibition and continue with a meeting with one of Israel's leading entrepreneurs.
• We depart Tel Aviv and begin traveling south. Our first stop is at the Eshkol Protected School, where we witness the bravery and hope of the children and teachers, and view the buildings that are used for both learning and shelter.
• Our next stop is at the “Salad Trail”, where we will participate in a unique hands-on agricultural tour, and witness how Israeli innovation is literally making the desert bloom with crops grown out of some of the most inhospitable sands imaginable. We will pick and taste fruits and vegetables straight from the kibbutz's self-picking farm, and encounter flying strawberries, tiny orange orchards, racing pigeons and herbal gardens. We have a light lunch at the site.
• This afternoon, we meet artist Yaron Bob at his workshop. Struck by the terror of shell attacks, Yaron decided to transform something horrible into something beautiful - and so began his artwork, known as “Rockets to Roses”.
• We continue to Mitzpe Ramon. As the sun begins to set, we enjoy a sunset rim hike along the Ramon Crater, and take in its amazing beauty.
• We check in to our hotel.
• We join together for Kabbalat Shabbat services, followed by Shabbat dinner together.

Overnight in Mitzpe Ramon

Day 5: Saturday, August 18, 2018: DESERT BEAUTY

• We arise early for a sunrise jeep tour inside the Ramon Crater, watching as it basks majestically in the first light of day.
• Return to our hotel for breakfast and free time.
• We stop at the oasis of Ein Avdat for a nature walk along the canyon bed, see the fresh water pools, the beautiful natural surroundings and tour the archeological site.
• Continue to Sde Boker, former home and resting place of David Ben Gurion. We pay our respects at his gravesite and visit his hut.
• This afternoon, we enjoy an authentic biblical desert experience, including a camel ride.
• We return to our hotel for dinner together this evening.

Overnight in Mitzpe Ramon

Day 6: Sunday, August 19, 2018: MASADA & THE DEAD SEA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart for King Herod's fortress and castle atop Masada, ascending by cable car. Visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, and bathhouses, while learning about the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman forces.
• Lunch (on own) at base of Masada.
• We head to the beach to enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in the healing salty waters of the Dead Sea.
• Later this afternoon, we travel north to the Galilee to check in to our kibbutz and enjoy dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 7: Monday, August 20, 2018: EXPLORING THE GOLAN

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• Today, we visit Mitzpe Shalom, also known as the Peace Lookout, located next to Kibbutz Kfar Haruv. Here, we see the most spectacular view from Israel's southern Golan, looking down upon the Galilee and the Kinneret below. From here, the strategic importance of the Golan is immediately clear.
• From atop the military outpost at Har Bental, we take in the views reaching far into neighboring Syria.
• We continue our day with a hike at the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, one of the sources of the Jordan River and a biblical archeological site.
• We participate in a refreshing rafting adventure down the river.
• We return to our kibbutz for a relaxing evening and dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 8: Tuesday, August 21, 2018: THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning, we visit the mystical city of Safed, where we stroll through the cobblestone alleyways, view the ancient synagogues and admire the crafts in the artist's colony.
• We depart the Galilee and begin traveling south to Caesarea to see the ancient theater and the aqueduct.
• We ascend to Jerusalem, stopping at the Haas Promenade upon arrival to say the “Shehecheyanu”, as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time.
• We check in to our hotel and enjoy a free evening and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Wednesday, August 22, 2018: STEPPING INTO HISTORY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at Ammunition Hill, site of the fierce battle that took place during the Six-Day War, where we can view the bunkers that were used and hear first hand testimonies from the soldiers that defended the country.
• We tour the Western Wall tunnels, where we discover the archaeological wonders that once remained untouched for centuries.
• Time for lunch on own at Abu Shukri.
• We encounter the Old City from a new perspective on The Three Faiths Tour of Jerusalem with Hanna Bendkowsky. We spend the afternoon seeing the incredible patchwork of religious life in one of the most interesting and complex cities in the world. Along the way, we visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Stations of the Cross, and the Kotel (Western Wall). We'll meet with leaders from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in the Old City along the way.
• Free time for shopping along the Cardo in the Jewish Quarter.
• Spend the evening at leisure discovering Jerusalem and enjoying dinner on own.
• Optional (Cost included): This evening, we head to Machane Yehuda where we have time for dinner on own, followed by a late night graffiti art tour.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Thursday, August 23, 2018: DIGGING DEEP & BUILDING BRIDGES

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin at Emek Tzurim, a live archaeological site, where we have the opportunity for a hands-on dig. Join us in uncovering the glorious past of the Temple Mount. Sift through rubble that originated in ancient buildings from the Temple Period and learn about findings from archaeologists.
• Outside the Old City walls, we visit the city's foundations at Ir David (City of David), where we wander through the carefully preserved archaeological excavations dating back to the time of King David.
• We travel to the Gush Etzion region, where we enjoy home hospitality as we meet with members of the Gush Etzion settler community.
• We next meet with Ali Abu Awaad and Shaul Yudelman, founders of the Roots/Shorashim Project, a grassroots project focused on dialogue and reconciliation of Palestinians and settlers.
• Return to Jerusalem for dinner on own.
• Later this evening, we walk to the Tower of David for the spectacular Sound and Light Show.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 11: Friday, August 24, 2018: HONORING THE PAST, LOOKING AHEAD

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin today by meeting Anat Hoffman of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC). We learn about the struggles for equality, pluralism and social justice in Israel, and take part in their Olim (immigrant) program.
• We head to Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem's military cemetery, to pay our respects at the gravesites of Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. We also have the chance to see the newly unveiled Remembrance Hall that commemorates the lives of more than 23,000 fallen soldiers killed defending the State of Israel.
• Take a short walk to the Herzl Museum, where we learn about the life and work of the great Zionist visionary, Theodore Herzl.
• We continue with an eye-opening experience at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust. Here, we see several moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations.
• Time to refresh.
• As the sun begins to set, we join together at Progressive Har El synagogue for Kabbalat Shabbat services, followed by home hospitality Shabbat dinner hosted by members of the community.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 12: Saturday, August 25, 2018: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Morning free for services on own.
• We enjoy a guided “rooftop” tour of Jerusalem's Old City for a totally different perspective, including an excellent birds-eye view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the roof of the Austrian Hospice in the heart of the Old City. Before departing the hospice, we stop by the café for a relaxing drink in the garden.
• Spend the remainder of the day at leisure, enjoying Jerusalem during the calmness of Shabbat.
• We check out of our hotel and enjoy a festive farewell dinner at Modern, the restaurant at the Israel Museum, as we recall all that we have experienced together on this journey.
• Transfer to the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 13: Sunday, August 26, 2018: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!
*itinerary subject to change

BOOK THIS TOUR

Temple Beth Abraham's
fun, hands-on adventure in Israel
Led by Rabbi David Holtz
August 14-26, 2018

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