English

Hadassah's Israel Through BG's Eyes
Led by Aileen Bormel
Accompanied by Barbara 'BG' Goldstein
May 8-18, 2023

Tour Rates & Dates:

There are no Departure Dates available for this Package.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card). Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

REGISTER NOW - DISCOUNTED SPACE IS LIMITED:
Full Cost is $5,230, but register by February 15th to
SAVE $600pp!!
 
Now $4,630/person (land only, double occupancy)
Discount applied during registration process.  Click "BOOK" button above.

Tour Overview:

What is hope and what is Zionism? What does it mean to carry a yearning of 2,000 years and finally, to be able to walk on the streets of united Jerusalem? - Barbara (BG) Goldstein

Read BG's story as told by the Jerusalem Post

INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR:

7 nights David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
1 night Dan Carmel, Haifa
Stories and programs through BG's eyes throughout
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned motor coach with an expert English-speaking guide
Breakfast daily
2 lunches at HMO Mt. Scopus & Ein Kerem campuses
Welcome dinner at Piccolino
"Dinner in Red" honoring BG
Dinner at the Begin Center
Shabbat dinner with Young Judaea students
Dinner at Mamilla Hotel's Rooftop restaurant
Farewell dinner at a Jerusalem restaurant
VIP visits to Hadassah's Mt. Scopus & Ein Kerem campuses
Meeting with a Holocaust survivor
Shabbat cook and spiel with BG
Shabbat Jerusalem walking tour
Tree planting in the Golani Junction
Meeting with former Meir Shfeya grad Eitan at Kibbutz Malkia
Visit to B'nei Zion Hospital in Haifa
Visit to Hadassah's Meir Shfeya Youth Village
Tel Aviv graffiti tour
Airport transfers if arriving/departing with the main group
Entrance fees as per itinerary
Porterage
Bottled water on the bus
Whisper headsets
Jordanian border taxes & visa fee (permitting security permission)

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes & fuel surcharges
Tips to guide, driver and dining room personnel ($25 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Meals not listed above
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (group policy available)
Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing or vaccination

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Monday, May 8, 2023: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Tuesday, May 9, 2023: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• Shalom and Bruchim habaim—welcome to Israel! Our time in this incredible land has officially begun and our excitement mounts as we set off on the adventure ahead. Just beyond passport control, an Ayelet representative will meet us in the baggage claim area and assist us through customs. Welcome home!
• We ascend to Jerusalem, stopping atop Mt. Scopus for a special Shehecheyanu and a panoramic view of the City of Gold as we officially begin our time together in Israel.
• We check into our hotel and have a chance to refresh.
• This evening, we come together for our welcome dinner at Piccolino, adjacent to the lively Kikar HaMusica square, joined by BG and Hadassah friends, as we enjoy group introductions and an orientation about our amazing adventure ahead.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Wednesday, May 10, 2023: BEYOND MOSES: ACCOMPANYING BG TO THE PROMISED LAND

• Early breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we drive to the Allenby Bridge, where we cross over into neighboring Jordan.
• We drive south for a panoramic view from Mt. Nebo into Israel. It was from here that Moses gazed into the promised land. Moses was not allowed to complete the journey that we'll now take easily, thankful for our ability to return to Jerusalem.
• We mark our ascent with a short ceremony ("The sons returned to their homeland").
• We see the famed Madaba Map, the Holy Land mosaic. This is the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land, including Jerusalem, dating back to the 6th century.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: We return to Israel and continue to the Mount of Olives. We join together and say “Shehecheyanu” as we celebrate our return to the City of Gold on the Mount of Olives. This is the final resting place of many notables, including Hadassah's visionary founder Henrietta Szold. We pay our respects at her gravesite, then discuss the deep connection between Henrietta Szold and BG and the line that runs through both of their lives.
• We enjoy lunch together atop nearby Mt. Scopus, then experience dynamic education and inspiration with a visit to Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) Mt. Scopus campus. While here, we will meet with the medical staff and leadership featuring exclusive VIP access as only one can do when part of a Hadassah tour.
• We'll gather for a lively “Dinner in Red” tonight at our hotel in honor of BG. Bring a red jacket (or dress, or tie) in honor of BG's signature look!

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Thursday, May 11, 2023: JERUSALEM NOW AND FOREVER

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a moment of reflection at the Western Wall. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem is eternal!
• We head underground for a tour of the Western Wall tunnels. If you haven't been in a few years, you will be amazed at the ongoing excavations that continue to make new discoveries under the plaza.
• Back above ground, we continue with a walking tour through history in the Jewish Quarter.
• A Border Removed: We walk along the 1967 seamline that divided Jerusalem to better understand the miracle of the united Jerusalem we know today.
• Next, we travel to just outside Bethlehem and visit Rachel's tomb.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: Later this afternoon, we visit the Begin Center, a museum commemorating the life and work of former Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, followed by dinner on the lovely terrace. We'll hear BG's memories of Begin.
• With Shavuot approaching, it is time for us to decide once and for all, who does it best - NY cheesecake vs. Israeli cheesecake? May the best recipe win!

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Friday, May 12, 2023: MODERN HISTORY AND SHABBAT PREPARATIONS

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we meet with Holocaust survivor and education advocate Rina Quint at Yad Vashem to hear her story. While there, we will participate in a memorial service in the Valley of the Lost Communities.
• We stop atop Mt. Herzl, where we visit the new Remembrance Hall built to honor those who gave their lives fighting for Israel. We walk through the military cemetery, to hear and share important stories about the life and work of Israel's past leaders, including Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, in addition to hearing about the many lesser-known heroes of Israel's wars buried here.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: In 2013, BG was selected for the honor of lighting the torch at Israel's Yom Ha'Atzmaut ceremony here at Mt. Herzl. From her humble beginnings in New Jersey, the impact BG has had on Israel through her work at Hadassah has been extraordinary! (BG at the ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETtWZMneW70)
• Cook and Spiel with BG: In preparation for Shabbat, BG teaches us (and our hotel chef!) her traditional recipes for Shabbat dinner, including chopped liver and kneidlach. Each recipe invokes a story and we will savor it all together.
• At Shabbat dinner, we are joined by energetic Young Judaea students and staff who recently made the journey to Poland with BG. We will also be accompanied by an IDF Hazzan for this special evening as well.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Saturday, May 13, 2023: SHABBAT SHALOM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Free morning to relax and enjoy the calm of Shabbat in Jerusalem or choose to join our guide for a walking tour nearby (topic TBD).
• This afternoon, we gather with a cup of coffee (or tea) and share our own personal stories with BG and some special guests.
• We conclude Shabbat with Havdalah, joined by Young Judaea Year Course students; a lovely moment filled with energy, song and dance!
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: BG ‘s participation at Havdalah has helped set the right mood for many groups over the years. She'll guide us as we transition from Shabbat to prepare for the week ahead, just as she has done for thousands of Hadassah visitors!
• Free evening for exploration and dinner on own. Our group host will assist with dinner reservations.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Sunday May 14, 2023: HADASSAH HISTORY IN THE NORTH

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We depart Jerusalem and travel north along the Jordan Valley. At “Tirtza”, a joint Project of KKL and Hadassah on a water reservoir, we understand the innovation that Israel has brought to the scarcest resource in the region.
• We continue to the Golani Junction, a key intersection in the north with a storied past. Here, along with BG, we will plant trees in honor of our time together and in recognition of the work of Hadassah in Israel.
• Next, we visit the post-Aliyah home of Irma “Rama” Levy Lindheim, Hadassah's 2nd President, in Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek. We hear her story, including her dedication to creating greater interest in Judaism and Zionism. She designed family-based educational programs, a project on which she worked until her death.
• Next, we meet with Eitan at Kibbutz Malkia on the northern border. Eitan is a graduate of Meir Shfeya and in charge of security in the kibbutz. We'll see firsthand the impact of Meir Shfeya and Hadassah on his life. We'll also meet and hear directly from members of the IDF army unit protecting the area.
• We continue towards the coast, where we take in the sweeping panoramic view of the Haifa Bay from atop Mt. Carmel overlooking the Bahai Gardens.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: The State of Israel is the greatest gift to Jewish people in 2,000 years and Hadassah helped build it. Hadassah had a major part in building the Haifa Port and the first hospital in Haifa, B'nei Zion. We will visit B'nei Zion and hear the stories of its creation.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel, then set out for a free evening to discover Haifa and enjoy dinner on own.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 8: Monday, May 15, 2023: THE YOUTH VILLAGE THAT COULD…AND DID!

• Early this morning, we check out of our hotel and travel to Hadassah's Meir Shfeya Youth Village, where we join the students for hands-on work on the farm, then enjoy breakfast together. While here, we will enjoy an insider's tour of the village, their working farm and the winery and meet and interact with both youth and staff, while learning about BG's impact on the village and the students.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: Each student here has a story to tell. We will meet former resident Ilan from Netanya to hear his story, an inspirational one that fills us with pride regarding the impact Hadassah has here.
• Our next stop is in Zichron Yaakov, where we stroll through the streets and browse the shops of this charming European-style village. We also visit the Nili Spy Museum in town.
• We continue south and explore the amazing Agam Museum to view the kinetic artworks of the legendary Yaacov Agam. His work has been described as a “visual symphony” of images based on Jewish-Kabbalistic iconography.
• We reach Jerusalem and check into our hotel again.
• This evening, we enjoy dinner at Rooftop Restaurant atop the Mamilla Hotel, followed by free time to shop and explore on the promenade.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Tuesday May 16, 2023: CHAGALL WINDOWS AT THE CENTER OF THE VISIT TO HMO

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we experience dynamic education and inspiration with a visit to Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) Ein Kerem campus. While here, we enjoy VIP meetings with the medical staff and leadership and visit the Round Building to hear about plans for future expansion/renovation.
• We enjoy lunch with VIP guests at HMO.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: This afternoon we are in for a treat, visiting the Abbell Synagogue, home of the Chagall windows led by BG!
• Free time this afternoon to relax and refresh.
• Dinner on own tonight. Our host is available to help with pre-booking reservations.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Wednesday, May 17, 2023: TEL AVIV AND DEPARTURE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We travel to Tel Aviv to visit the reimagined ANU: Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Diaspora museum). The focus of our visit will be on strong Jewish women leaders throughout the history of the State of Israel.
• Next, we follow the Independence Trail through the Rothschild District, discovering the architectural, cultural and intellectual foundations of this great city along the way.
• THROUGH BG'S EYES: Should it re-open in time (currently under renovation), we'll visit Independence Hall, site of the signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948. It remains a potent symbol of Zionism and the re-birth of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people.
• Lunch on own in the nearby Sarona Market.
• This afternoon, we set out on a guided graffiti tour through South Tel Aviv, where the colorful and edgy street art brings the fringe into the forefront.
• We gather tonight for a festive farewell dinner at a gourmet restaurant, as we recount all we have experienced and celebrate one final time together the accomplishments of BG and Hadassah in shaping the Israel of today!
• We transfer to the airport for our overnight flights back to the United States.

Day 11: Thursday, May 18, 2023: FAREWELL

• We arrive back in the United States this morning and look forward to our next Hadassah adventure!


THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*Itinerary subject to change