Hadassah Keepers of the Gate
Tour to Israel
Led by Linda Freedman Block & Roz Kantor
December 10 - 19, 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.

Tour Overview:

Keepers of the Gate ensure Hadassah's impact every day, in Israel, the United States and around the world. Join us for an insider's experience in Israel that only Hadassah can provide!

INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR:

4 total nights + late check out David Intercontinental, Tel Aviv
3 nights
Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned motor coach with an expert English-speaking guide
Guest speakers
Artist meetings
Hanukkah candle lighting
Lunch at Meir Shfeya Youth Village
Lunch with guests at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem
Welcome dinner at a Tel Aviv restaurant
Gala dinner at C2
Dinner in Jaffa
Shabbat dinner with Young Judaea students
Farewell dinner at a winery
Tel Aviv architecture and graffiti tours
Visits to Hadassah Medical Organizations (HMOs)
Old City walking tour
Optional Tower of David Sound & Light show
Chocolate workshop
Airport transfer upon arrival/departure with the main group
Entrance fees per itinerary
Porterage
Bottled water (2 bottles per person. per day on the bus)
Whisper headsets

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges
Border taxes and visa fees
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 insurane (recommended -
group policy available)
Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing and vaccintion



Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Sunday, December 10, 2023: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Monday, December 11, 2023: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive in Israel and are met by an Ayelet Tours representative. (Ayelet Tours can arrange for transportation and early check-in at hotel upon availability).
• Enjoy the day at leisure OR enjoy an optional tour of the Peres Center for Peace. Here, we learn about Shimon Peres and where we catch a glimpse into Israel's high-tech advances in the fields of science, medicine, security and space in the interactive exhibition, followed by a meeting with one of Israel's up and coming entrepreneurs.
• We gather for Hanukkah candle lighting and a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Tuesday, December 12, 2023: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin the day at Hadassah's Meir Shfeyah Youth Village, where we interact with the students and staff, including music classes, and a visit to the village, with the option to work alongside the youth on their working farm and winery. Lunch is included with our visit!
• This afternoon, we visit Atlit, a former detention compound for Jewish immigrants who arrived in Israel illegally during the British Mandate period.
• We return to Tel Aviv with time to freshen up.
• This evening, we enjoy Hanukkah candle lighting and a gala dinner at C2 overlooking Tel Aviv, including a guest speaker.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 4: Wednesday, December 13, 2023: TEL-AVIV ART AND FASHION

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we enjoy a stroll through Tel Aviv's White City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to see one of the largest concentrations of Bauhaus-style architecture in the world, followed by Neve Tzedek, one of Tel Aviv's oldest neighborhoods and where the colorful and edgy street art brings the fringe into the forefront.
• Next, we split into tracks:
o Fashion Track: Tel Aviv is globally recognized as a dynamic and thriving fashion center brimming with passion and creative energy. Israeli designers are creating bold new statements in shared spaces and ‘apartments-turned- studios' off the beaten-path of Tel Aviv's bustling streets. Together we visit one of the leading designers in their studio.
o Contemporary Art Track: Take an in-depth look into the Tel Aviv's contemporary
art scene. We will visit important galleries, artists' studios, unique art spaces and meet with an artist!
• Free time for lunch on own.
• This afternoon, we explore the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, followed by a graffiti tour through southern Tel Aviv to view the images created by young Israelis, illegal immigrants and protesters.
• This evening, our guide leads us through the ancient port city of Old Jaffa. Filled with storied history, we wander through the cobblestone alleyways and admire the artist galleries, all framed by views of the sea.
• We enjoy Hanukkah candle lighting and dinner together in Jaffa.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 5: Thursday, December 14, 2023: MODERN JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we ascend to Jerusalem and stop to say the Shehecheyanu as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• We begin our time in Jerusalem with a visit to Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) at Ein Kerem where we visit the Keepers Digital Display Boards and enjoy a reception in Panama Hall.
• We experience dynamic education and inspiration with a visit to HMO.
• While there, we enjoy VIP meetings with the medical staff and leadership. We visit the Round Building, the center of Covid-19 treatment, and hear about plans for future expansion/renovation.
• Time for lunch and shopping on own.
While here, we also visit the Abbell Synagogue with Barbara “BG” Goldstein, featuring the famed Chagall windows.
• This afternoon, we meet with a municipality representative on the String Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem (design of the bridge is similar to our Keeper's pin).
• We light the last Hanukkah candle this year together in Jerusalem.
• Evening and dinner on your own. Host will pre-book reservations.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Friday, December 15, 2023: JERUSALEM BEFORE SHABBAT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we break into two tracks:
o Geopolitical Track: We drive along the surrounding areas of North and East Jerusalem and stop at Nebi Samuel for a spectacular overview of the Jerusalem seamline and to delve into the geopolitical complexities surrounding Israel's capital.
o Western Wall Tunnels & the Davidson Center: Discover the wonders of ancient Jerusalem, beginning with a visit to the Davidson Center, the incredible archaeological excavation of the steps that led to the Second Temple and the destruction wrought by the Romans 2,000 years ago. Continue to the Western Wall tunnels extending along the base of the Temple Mount, including a visit to the newly discovered Roman Theater. We then have time for shopping and lunch on own in the Cardo in the Jewish Quarter.
• This evening, we welcome Shabbat at the Western Wall, followed by a private Shabbat dinner with guests from Young Judaea Year Course and Hadassah friends.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Saturday, December 16,2023: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning is at leisure to explore on own or to attend services at one of the local synagogues.
• This afternoon, we enter the Old City and stop at the Western Wall with time for reflection. We continue with a walking tour of the Old City, including the Jewish Quarter, Arab market (shuk), and into the Christian quarter to stroll along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• We complete our day with Havdalah overlooking Jerusalem, marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week.
• Optional: We walk to the Tower of David to watch the spectacular Sound and Light Show.
• Dinner on your own tonight.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 8: Sunday, December 17, 2031: MT. SCOPUS TO TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we meet at our hotel with artist and speaker Rachel Gera, designer of the Keeper of the Gate pin, for a discussion on her amazing art. We will learn what motivates and inspires her!
• Next, we visit the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, where we meet a member of the Knesset for political insight, followed by a guided tour.
• Following lunch on own, we explore the Mt. of Olives and pay our respects at the gravesite of Henrietta Szold, a great Zionist leader and founder of Hadassah.
• We complete our day at Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) at Mount Scopus, including greetings, a VIP update and tour of the new units.
• On the way back to Tel Aviv, we 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.
• This evening, we check into our hotel, followed by dinner on own (host to pre book reservations).

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 9: Monday, December 18, 2023: TEL AVIV FOOD AND JEWISH HISTORY!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we enjoy a chocolate workshop, a tasty way to conclude our time together!
• This afternoon, we join for a tour of newly remodeled ANU: Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Diaspora Museum), which dynamically tells the 4,000-year-old story of the Jewish people.
• Free time at the Sarona Market.
• This evening, we enjoy an early farewell dinner with a special guest speaker at a winery and reminisce about our adventure together through Israel.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flights back to the United States.

Day 10: Tuesday, December 19, 2023: WELCOME BACK!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.


THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*itinerary subject to change