Hadassah Israel Together Mothers, Daughters & Friends Led by Ellen Hershkin & Lisa Hershkin Roth October 24 - November 3, 2023 - Ayelet Tours - Israel Tours - Jewish Heritage Tours - Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tours

Day 1: Tuesday, October 24, 2023: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Wednesday, October 25, 2023: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• Shalom and Bruchim Habaim—welcome to Israel! Our time in this incredible land has officially begun. Just beyond passport control, an Ayelet representative will meet us and escort us to the bus (for group arrival only).
• We travel to Neot Kedumim to plant trees. This will be the first thing we do together with our trip partner connecting us physically and spiritually to the land of Israel.
• We ascend to Jerusalem, stopping atop Mt. Scopus to say the “Shehecheyanu” as we look out over the golden city of Jerusalem for the first time.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel and refresh, followed by our welcome dinner this evening at our favorite restaurant Piccolino.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Thursday, October 26, 2023: HMO, ARMY & TRADITION

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) Ein Kerem Campus for a tour of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower and the iconic Round Building, 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. We end our visit at the at the Abbell Synagogue, home of the Chagall windows.
• Lunch on our own.
• This afternoon, we experience the ultimate adventure at Caliber 3, including the chance to learn some of the Israeli methods for shooting and combat as well as Krav Maga. We learn from the experts about weapons handling, counter-terrorism tactics and the values that guide the Israeli Defense Forces (please wear closed toed shoes).
• Next, we visit the 9/11 Memorial, the only one of its kind outside the US.
• In preparation for Shabbat, we participate in a challah baking workshop, including time to bake, eat and talk.
• Dinner on our own in the Machane Yehuda market.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Friday, October 27, 2023: REMEMBER THE PAST EXPERIENCE TODAY & PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we visit 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 with a group memorial service at the Valley of the Lost Communities.
• Lunch on our own.
• This afternoon, we set out on a geopolitical bus tour with Res. Col. Danny Tirza who served in the Israeli intelligence community and retired from active duty at the rank of full colonel. After retiring from the military, he served as the Israeli prime minister's international media advisor. During our tour we will learn about the current security and border issues around Jerusalem as we view the widely discussed security fence that runs from Ramallah to Bethlehem.
• As the sun sets, we join to welcome Shabbat at the Kotel with the people of Jerusalem, followed by a Shabbat of a Lifetime Dinner and home hospitality.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Saturday, October 28, 2023: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy Shabbat morning at leisure relaxing or attending Shabbat services on your own.
• This afternoon, we gather for the great Zionist women walking tour. We'll hear the stories behind the streets and squares named after great women integral to Israeli history, including Levitov Zohara (the first female pilot in the IDF to perish in Jerusalem in 1948), Netiva Ben Yehuda (Israel military officer, warrior, and scholar of spoken Hebrew) and others.
• We return to our hotel for Havdalah joined by Young Judaea students, marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week.
• This evening, we join a painting workshop as we create with our family and friends Jerusalem as we feel it today after Shabbat.
• Dinner on our own tonight. Our host is available to help pre-book reservations.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Sunday, October 29, 2023: FROM ANCIENT JERUSALEM TO MODERN DAY CULINARY SURPRISES

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we explore the well-preserved archaeological wonder of Ir David, the City of David. The amazing new excavations that bring the Bible to life include the sophisticated water system that we will walk through.
• We enter the Old City and head underground for a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, where we discover the archaeological wonders that remained untouched for centuries.
• We continue with a walking tour through the Jewish quarter, including time to shop in the Cardo market.
• Lunch on our own.
• Next, we drive to the Agam Museum to view the kinetic artworks of the legendary Yaacov Agam, whose work has been described as a “visual symphony” of images based on Jewish-Kabbalistic iconography.
• We arrive in Tel Aviv this afternoon and participate in a cooking class with a chef titled “I Do not Believe it is Vegan”, culminating in a delicious dinner. Be ready to be surprised!
• We check into our hotel later this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 7: Monday, October 30, 2023: ESHKOL REGION

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we travel south to Moshav Netiv Ha'Asara and learn about the Path to Peace, a community-created mosaic along the border wall separating Israel from the Gaza Strip. We have an opportunity to add a piece to the mosaic and put our own imprint on this project of hope.
• Our next stop is in Sderot to meet with the children and community leaders in the Western Negev. We stop for a panoramic view into Gaza along the way.
• Next, visit the police station and view the rocket collection, followed by a stop at the Protected Playground.
• We continue to the "Salad Trail", where we 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 from the kibbutz's self-picking farm, encounter flying strawberries, tiny orange orchards, racing pigeons and herbal gardens. We complete our visit with a delicious lunch.
• Our final stop (time permitting) is at the workshop of artist Yaron Bob. 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 return to Tel Aviv for dinner on our own this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 8: Tuesday, October 31, 2023: YOUTH ALIYAH VILLAGE AND ART

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at Hadassah's Meir Shfeya Youth Village to learn more about this life-enriching project. Enroute, we will travel north on Route 6, where we will pass the security fence and hear about former president of Hillel, Avraham Infeld's importance to the safety and security of the people of Israel. At Meir Shfeyah, participants will join the students and see the farm, winery and music classes.
• We continue to Zichron Yaakov to stroll through the streets and browse the shops of this charming European-style village.
• Lunch on our own.
• This afternoon, we visit Ein Hod artist colony and take part in a glass workshop.
• Upon our return to Tel Aviv, we stroll through the Nachalat Binyamin open art market.
• Dinner on our own tonight. Our host is available to help pre-book reservations.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 9: Wednesday, November 1, 2023: DIGGING INTO THE PAST

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit the Ayalon Institute, where we discover the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence.
• 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.
• Lunch on our own.
• We continue with a tour of the newly designed ANU: Museum of the Jewish People, which tells the 4,000-year-old story of the Jewish people. We enjoy a special tour of the museum with a docent focusing on family in the Jewish tradition.
• This evening is at leisure for mothers, daughters and friends to relax, go shopping and enjoy a quiet dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 10: Thursday, November 2, 2023: MODERN TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we follow the Independence Trail on a walking tour through the Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood, from which the city originally developed.
• Next, we stroll through the Florentin neighborhood to see the artistic graffiti painted on the walls and buildings and learn how it is an important form of expression in the community.
• Our walking tour continues in Old Jaffa, meandering 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, 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: Friday, November 3, 2023: RETURN TO THE US

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*Itinerary subject to change

BOOK THIS TOUR

Hadassah Israel Together
Mothers, Daughters & Friends
Led by Ellen Hershkin & Lisa Hershkin Roth
October 24 - November 3, 2023

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