Day 1: Sunday, October 29, 2023: DEPARTURE

• We depart Newark this afternoon on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Monday, October 30, 2023: WELCOME TO ISRAEL TOURING TEL AVIV

• We land in Israel and are welcomed by an Ayelet staff member for assistance through customs and to meet our guide and driver.
• We transfer to Tel Aviv, where we begin by exploring Neve Tzedek, Independence Trail, and the Israeli Innovation Center.
• Our discovery of Tel Aviv continues with a tour of ANU: Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Diaspora Museum), recently renovated and featuring interactive audio-visual exhibits that bring life and color to the vibrant history of the Jewish people outside the land of Israel following the destruction of the Second Temple.
• We check into our hotel and have time to relax and refresh.
• This evening, we join for a welcome dinner in Jaffa with members of the “Parents Circle Family Forum,” a grassroots organization of Palestinians and Israelis who have lost family due to the conflict.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Tuesday, October 31, 2023: ALONG THE COAST TO THE GALILEE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We travel north along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, the Roman regional capital. Here, we view the ancient theater, stroll through the hippodrome and Roman theater and stand in awe at Herod's palace and harbor.
• We stop for a panoramic view of Haifa and the beautiful Bahai Gardens.
• Next, we visit Akko, including the Underground Prisoners Museum and the Crusader City, then stop in Maalot to visit a joint Jewish-Arab ice cream venture.
• This evening, we arrive in the Galilee, where we check into our kibbutz and enjoy dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 4: Wednesday, November 1, 2023: KABBALISTIC SAFED

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• This morning, we enjoy a short hike in the Tel Dan Nature Reserve.
• We continue to Kibbutz Malkia located along the Israel-Lebanon border, where we meet Eitan and the IDF unit and kibbutz security personnel to learn about the steps they take to protect a small frontier community.
• We proceed to the mystical city of Safed, center of Kabbalah study and practice, where we visit the Ha'ari and Caro synagogues and have time to shop among the many artist studios and galleries and candle factory.
• Our final stop today is at Hula Lake, the best spot for bird watching in Israel. The area is home to thousands of storks, cranes, pelicans and flamingos. For those who are interested, there will be a chance for golf carting through the preserve.
• This evening, we enjoy dinner together at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 5: Thursday, November 2, 2023: THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• This morning, we set out on an adventurous jeep tour through the Golan Heights, riding along ancient Roman roads, passing through Syrian ruins and admiring the stark beauty of this windswept plateau. We ascend to the top of Mount Bental, a former Israeli bunker overlooking the ruins of Quneitra and the Valley of Tears. As the full vista comes into view, we reach a deeper understanding of both the past and present complexities facing Israel in a hostile Middle East.
• This afternoon, we participate in a hands-on chocolate workshop, learning from the experts in a fun and delicious way as we make our own confections at the De Karina Chocolate Factory.
• Afterward, we enjoy Druze home hospitality and lunch while learning about this unique culture.
• We complete our day with a hike along the Hermon Stream (Banias).
• This evening, we enjoy dinner together at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 6: Friday, November 3, 2023: MASADA AND ARRIVAL TO JERUSALEM

• Early breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• We depart early this morning and travel through the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea basin, stopping along the way for a camel ride.
• Upon arrival, we ascend the imposing mountain of Masada by cable car to view the remains of King Herod's fortress, including the synagogue, walls and bathhouse, as we learn about the Jewish Zealots' fateful last stand against the Roman forces.
• This afternoon, we ascend to Jerusalem and stop atop Mt. Scopus for our first view of the city and a special Shehecheyanu blessing.
• We check into our hotel with time to freshen up before Shabbat dinner together.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Saturday, November 4, 2023: SHABBAT IN THE OLD CITY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Free morning for Shabbat services or to relax at our hotel.
• This afternoon, we set out on a guided tour of the Old City. From above the rooftops, we walk the ramparts, giving us a birds-eye view into the different living quarters. While in the Old City, we also visit the Jewish quarter, the Arab shuk and the Christian quarter, where we stroll along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• As day turns to night, we join together for Havdalah at our hotel, followed by a meeting with representatives of the Israel Democracy Institute.
• Before dinner on own, we pay a visit to the Jerusalem LGBTQ+ house.
• Later this evening, we meet for the Tower of David Night Spectacular, a sound and light show that transforms the walls of David's Citadel into the living story of Jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 8: Sunday, November 5, 2023: CONNECTING TO JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we consider the importance of a Jewish state as we visit Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust. Here, we view the many moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations.
• We continue to Mt. Herzl to visit the graves of Israel's founders and the new National Memorial Center in the military cemetery.
• Finally, we travel to Gesher to join a panel on Religious-Secular relations in Israel.
• We enjoy dinner on our own in Jerusalem tonight.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Monday, November 6, 2023: JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at Neot Kedumim, Israel's biblical gardens, to plant trees, connecting us to the land physically and emotionally.
• We continue with a tour of Ayalon Institute, the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role during the Independence War.
• Next, we stop at the Yakov Agam Museum, built by the world-renowned artist himself, focusing on kinetic artwork.
• Our last stop of the day is Latrun, Israel's Armored Corps Memorial.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Tuesday, November 7, 2023: JERUSALEM AND DEPART ISRAEL!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we return to the Old City and head underground for a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, for an opportunity to discover the many layers of Jerusalem's history, passing through grand building projects from ancient Rome through the modern day.
• We continue to explore the ruins of Herod's Temple Mount building project at the Davidson Center.
• Next, we visit Ir David, the City of David, where the stories of the Biblical King David come to life through the palace excavations, underground passageways and monumental fortifications.
• Back in the Old City, we spend more time exploring Jewish Quarter.
• We join together one last time to enjoy a farewell lunch, followed by a free afternoon for last minute shopping and packing.
• This evening, we transfer to airport for flight back home, landing tomorrow morning.


OR JOIN OUR
POST-TOUR TO PETRA

Day 10: Tuesday, November 7, 2023: EXTENSION BEGINSSA

• Those who are continuing the tour will transfer to the airport for our short flight to Eilat.
• Upon arrival, we check into our hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
• We come together to enjoy dinner at our hotel this evening.

Overnight in Eilat

Day 11: Wednesday, November 8, 2023: PETRA - THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we cross the border into Jordan and begin our full day tour of Petra, the Red Rose City. We explore the Nabatean City (as seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), then walk through the Siq and view the ancient temples. We also discover the famous Treasury, the Roman Theater, and more at this Eighth Wonder of the World.
• We enjoy lunch together this afternoon.
• On our way back to the border, we pass Wadi Rum, a desert wilderness with sandstone mountains and natural arches.
• We return to our hotel in Eilat with time to refresh before dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Eilat

Day 12: Thursday, November 9, 2023: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Morning at leisure, followed by check out of our hotel.
• This afternoon we transfer to the airport for our flight back to Tel Aviv, connecting with our flight back to the United States, landing later today.