English

Hadassah Family Tour to Israel
Led by Jill Sapperstein
December 22, 2022 - January 1, 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.

Book by October 15, 2022 and SAVE $600 per person!

Tour Overview:

THIS AMAZING TOUR INCLUDES:

4 nights Leonardo Plaza, Jerusalem
2 nights Kibbutz Hagoshrim Guesthouse, Galilee
2 nights David Intercontinental, Tel Aviv
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
Breakfast daily
Bedouin lunch
Shabbat welcome dinner
B'nai Mitzvah celebration dinner
2 kibbutz dinners
Shabbat dinner in Tel Aviv
Farewell dinner
Hanukkah candle lighting
Optional B'nai Mitzvah celebration
Tree planting
Tower of David Sound & Light show
Tour of Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital
Old City walking tour
Camel ride
Golan Heights jeep tour
Chocolate workshop
Hummus making competition
Surrey ride in Hula Valley Nature Reserve
Visit to Hadassah's Meir Shfeya Youth Village
Beit Guvrin archaeological expedition
Airport transfers if arriving/departing with the main group
Entrance fees per itinerary
Bottled water (2 bottles per person, per day on the bus)
Whisper headsets

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges
Border taxes or visa fees
Tips to guide, driver and dining room personnel ($20 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Meals not listed above
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (recommended - group policy available)
Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing or vaccination

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Thursday, December 22, 2022: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Friday, December 23, 2022: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel and are met and assisted by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• We travel to Neot Kedumim to plant trees, connecting us physically and spiritually to the land of Israel.
• We stop en route for lunch on own.
• We ascend to Jerusalem, stopping atop Mt. Scopus to say the “Shehecheyanu” as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel and refresh before Hanukkah candle lighting.
• As the sun sets, we welcome Shabbat at the Kotel with the people of Jerusalem, followed by private Shabbat welcome dinner at our hotel.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Saturday, December 24, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Free morning to attend Shabbat services on own or just relax.
• This afternoon, we set out on a scavenger hunt in the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, a great way to get to know the area.
• As day turns to night, we join for Havdalah at our hotel, marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week. We also partake in Hanukkah candle lighting.
• Dinner on own this evening.
• Lights, Camera Action! Following dinner, we delight in 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 4: Sunday, December 25, 2022: ISRAEL THEN AND NOW

• Breakfast at our hotel joined by a journalist who will speak about the current state of Israel.
• We begin our day at Yad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Here, we explore some of the newly found materials relating to places, people, and events connected to the Holocaust, including:
o Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations
o Exhibit of children's drawings
o Children's memorial
• We complete our visit at Yad Vashem with a group memorial service at the Valley of the Lost Communities. (Small children and parents will visit the Biblical Zoo instead).
• Following time for lunch on own, we visit Ir David, the City of David, where we wander through the archaeological excavations dating back to the time of King David, including Hezekiah's water tunnel.
• Later this afternoon, we visit Ammunition Hill, the official museum symbolizing the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem. Its new multi-media film will help us better understand the events and battles of 1967.
• We return to our hotel for Hanukkah candle lighting, followed by dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Monday, December 26, 2022: JERUSALEM AND THE BAR/BAT MITZVAH

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital for a tour of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower, featuring the most modern hospital facilities in the region. We meet with staff and patients and take an in-depth look at this cutting-edge medical facility and how it has adapted to ever-changing needs.
• Optional: We host a B'nai Mitzvah ceremony at Hadassah Ein Kerem at the Abbell Synagogue, home of the beautiful Chagall windows. Mazel tov!
• Lunch on own.
• Next, we travel to Beit Guvrin, for a hands-on archaeological dig, allowing us the opportunity to unearth remnants from Israel's ancient past. Those who wish can participate in cave crawling through the underground tunnel.
• We join together for Hanukkah candle lighting, followed by a celebratory group dinner at Montefiore in honor of our B'nai Mitzvah.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Tuesday, December 27, 2022: THE DEAD SEA BASIN

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We depart early and travel south to the Dead Sea basin, stopping for a camel ride along the way.
• 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' last stand against the Roman forces.
• We descend the mountain stop for lunch at Taj Mahal, then head to the beach for an unsinkable swim in the luxuriating, salty and mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, where we can cover ourselves in silky, healing mud and float at the lowest place on Earth.
• We travel through the Jordan Valley to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and refresh before dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 7: Wednesday, December 28, 2022: NORTHERN ADVENTURES

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• Today, we set out on an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights to Mitzpe Gadot to take in the amazing views and see the memorial to those soldiers who lost their lives capturing this crucial spot from Syrian forces in 1967. We continue in our jeeps to the top of Har Bental for views stretching far into Syria.
• Next, we enjoy a chocolate workshop, learning from the experts in a fun and delicious way at the DeKarina Chocolate Factory.
• Lunch on own nearby.
• This afternoon, we visit the Hula Valley Nature Reserve and enjoy a surrey ride through the bucolic scenery.
• Our final adventure today is at Dubrovin Farms, where we participate in a lively hummus making competition.
• We return to our kibbutz for dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee
Day 8: Thursday, December 29, 2022: THE ROAD TO TEL AVIV

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning, we travel to the mystical city of Safed, where we stroll through the cobblestone streets to view the ancient synagogues and shop in the artist's quarter.
• We drive west to Haifa and to the top of Mt. Carmel for panoramic views overlooking the beautiful Bahai Gardens.
• We stop for lunch on own en route.
• Later this afternoon, we visit Hadassah's Meir Shfeya Youth Village, where we interact with the students and staff and visit the village, including their working farm and winery.
• We continue to Tel Aviv to check into our hotel and refresh before setting out for an evening at leisure to explore and enjoy dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 9: Friday, December 30, 2022: TOURING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we visit the Ayalon Institute and discover the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence.
• We return to Tel Aviv, where the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the city on own.
• This evening, we enjoy Shabbat dinner in our hotel's main dining room.

Overnight in Tel Aviv
Day 10: Saturday, December 31, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy a free morning in Tel Aviv for last-minute shopping, exploring and lunch on own.
• This afternoon, we follow Independence Trail on a walking tour through the Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood, where the city was originally developed.
• Next, we set out on a walking tour of Old Jaffa, strolling through the winding streets to view the art galleries and take in the views of the sea while learning about this historically important port.
• This evening, we check out of our hotel and enjoy a festive farewell dinner at Goshen, recalling all that we have experienced together on this journey.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flights back to the United States.

Day 11: Monday, January 1, 2023: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning. Happy New Year!


THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*Itinerary subject to change