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Keneseth Israel's
Multi-Generational Tour to Israel
Led by Rabbi Benjamin David
& Cantor Amy Levy
June 24 - July 4, 2023

Tour Rates & Dates:

Start DatePlan Option/Hotel DetailTour Package*Tour Package (check)*Tour Package w/ Airfare*Click to
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Jun 24, 2023
Keneseth Israel's
Multi-Generational Tour to Israel
Led by Rabbi Benjamin David
& Cantor Amy Levy
June 24 - July 4, 2023
[+ Hotel Details]
$4,094$3,975Sold Out
Jun 24, 2023
Keneseth Israel's
Multi-Generational Tour to Israel
with Greece extension
Led by Rabbi Benjamin David
& Cantor Amy Levy
June 24 - July 9, 2023
[+ Hotel Details]
$6,046$5,870Sold Out
*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.
Discount for check payment available 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.

MAIN TOUR GROUP FLIGHTS (FROM NEWARK)

LY26 24 JUN EWR-TLV 11:50PM-5:15PM +1
LY25 04JUL TLV-EWR 1:00AM-5:45AM

Tour Overview:

Download a PDF version:

Our Israel experience is designed to provide a fun, interactive, hands-on Israel adventure for participants of every age. Generations bond together as we experience the magic of Israel. Heritage & history come to life as we explore and celebrate in this amazing land! Then, continue with us to Greece for an extension to remember as we explore Jewish and general history in Athens, Thessaloniki and beyond!

OUR ISRAEL TOUR INCLUDES:

2 nights Tal Hotel by the Beach, Tel Aviv (or similar)
2 nights Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, Galilee (or similar)
4 nights Dan Panorama, Jerusalem (or similar)
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach with an expert English speaking guide
Breakfast daily
Dead Sea lunch and swim
Welcome dinner at a Tel Aviv restaurant
2 kibbutz dinners
Shabbat dinner at our Jerusalem hotel
Farewell dinner at a Jerusalem restaurant
Taglit Innovation Center experience
Visit to Yemin Orde boarding school for at-risk youth
Golan Heights jeep tour
Chocolate workshop
Kayaking on the Jordan River
Safed candle making workshop
Machane Yehuda tasting tour
Old City walking tour
Yemin Moshe scanveger hunt
Tower of David Sound & Light show
Chesed painting project or ziplining
Entrance fees per itinerary
Airport transfers if arriving/departing with the main group
Porterage
Bottled water (2 bottles per person, per day on the bus)
Whisper headsets

OUR GREECE EXTENSION INCLUDES:

1 additional night Dan Panorama, Jerusalem
1 night Holiday Inn, Thessaloniki, Greece
4 nights Titania Hotel, Athens, Greece
Flight from Tel Aviv to Thessaloniki (estimate only)
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach with expert English speaking guides & Jewish history experts
Breakfast daily
2 dinners with traditional Greek music
Shabbat dinner in Athens
Farewell dinner
Scenic train ride from Thessaloniki to Athens
Island hopping cruise with lunch
Entrance fees per itinerary
Porterage

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges
Border taxes or visa fees
Tips to guides, drivers and dining room personnel ($25 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: Saturday, June 24, 2023: OUR JOURNEY BEGINS

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

Day 2: Sunday, June 25, 2023: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• Bruchim Habaim - welcome to Israel! Our time in this incredible land has officially started and our excitement mounts as we set off on the adventure ahead. Upon arrival, we are met by an Ayelet Tours representative and assisted through customs and baggage claim.
• We begin in Old Jaffa, where we enjoy a brief welcome ceremony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Enjoy time to wander through the cobblestone alleyways to admire the art galleries and visit the ancient port while taking in the views of the sea.
• We check into our hotel in Tel Aviv and refresh before joining together for our welcome dinner at a local restaurant this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Monday, June 26, 2023: TOURING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at Independence Hall, where David Ben Gurion declared Israel's independence in 1948.
• Next, we visit the cutting-edge Taglit Innovation Center, where we catch a glimpse of Israel's high-tech advances in the fields of science, medicine, security and space, then meet with one of Israel's up and coming entrepreneurs.
• We continue into the “White City” a UNESCO World Heritage site, to see one of the largest concentrations of Bauhaus-style architecture in the world.
• Our guide leads us through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood and on to the Tachana, the newly renovated train station filled with shops and cafes. Stay for dinner or visit the Sarona Market for a world-class dining experience on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 4: Tuesday, June 27, 2023: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart Tel Aviv and travel north along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, where we explore the seaside relics from ancient times, including the Roman theater and the aqueduct.
• Next, we visit Yemin Orde, a boarding school for at-risk youth from Ethiopian and former Soviet countries. The school is run by two Ethiopian graduates who will tell us the story of how Israel handles the challenge of kids from dysfunctional backgrounds.
• We enjoy lunch on own in Haifa.
• Next, we drive to the top of Mt. Carmel for a panoramic overlook of the city and the beautiful Bahai Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site, adorning the descent to the sea.
• We continue to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and have time to refresh before dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 5: Wednesday, June 28, 2023: THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We begin our day with a hike in the beautiful Tel Dan Nature Reserve, source of the Jordan River and site of ancient archeological finds.
• Next, we set out on an exciting 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.
• Lunch on own en route.
• This afternoon, we try our hand at chocolate making and learn from the experts during a delicious experience at DeKarina Chocolate Factory.
• Our final adventure today is kayaking down the Jordan River with a calm current suitable for all ages and a great chance to cool off.
• We return to our kibbutz for dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 6: Thursday, June 29, 2023: SAFED TO JERUSALEM

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning, we visit the mystical city of Safed, where we view the beautiful ancient synagogues and stroll along the cobblestone streets in the artist's quarter. We also participate in a candle making workshop.
• We continue to Beit Shean, a major city of the Decapolis. We stroll down the colonnaded streets and marvel at the beautiful mosaics, the ruined temples and the immense theater that make it one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. We also stop to see the intricate mosaics at Beit Alpha.
• We ascend to Jerusalem, stopping at the Haas Promenade to say the “Shehecheyanu” with challah and wine as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• We check into our hotel and have time to refresh before an evening at leisure and dinner on own. We suggest a visit to Ben Yehuda Street or the Mamilla pedestrian mall.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Friday, June 30, 2023: MODERN JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust, where we view the many moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations (younger children may visit the Biblical Zoo).
• At Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem's military cemetery, we hear stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this young nation and pay our respects at the gravesites of some of Israel's most prominent leaders, including Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
• We continue to the famed Machane Yehuda, where we take in the sights, smells and sounds of the bustling marketplace and try a variety of Israeli delicacies on our tasting tour as the locals busily purchase their goods for the coming Sabbath
• As the sun begins to set, we join together to welcome Shabbat at the Kotel with the people of Jerusalem, followed by Shabbat dinner at our hotel. Option to attend Kabbalat Shabbat at the Tachana (First Station) on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 8: Saturday, July 1, 2023: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we attend Shabbat services at Hebrew Union College (HUC), followed by lunch on own.
• This afternoon, we head to the Old City for a walking tour of the different quarters. We enter the Ottoman walls via the Jaffa Gate and stroll through colorful and exotic vendors of the Arab shuk. We continue into the Jewish quarter, filled with synagogues, shops and history and pass by the ancient Broad Wall. Our path takes us into the Christian quarter to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was crucified, through the bustling alleys of Via Dolorosa and into the Muslim quarter.
• Later this afternoon, we set out on an exciting scavenger hunt through Yemin Moshe, a great way to get to know the neighborhood.
• Following dinner on own, we attend 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 9: Sunday, July 2, 2023: FUN IN THE DEAD SEA BASIN

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we depart early and travel south to the Dead Sea basin. 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.
• We descend the mountain and head to the beach for lunch and 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 return to Jerusalem for an evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Monday, July 3, 2023: REACHING OUT

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Today, we travel to Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim to meet with children from the youth village and participate in a chesed painting project.
OR
• We travel to Gush Etzion to take a ride on Israel's largest zipline at Deer Land Park.
• Enjoy free time this afternoon for last-minute shopping and exploration on own.
• This evening, we join together for a festive farewell dinner, as we recall all that we have experienced together on this journey.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States, landing tomorrow morning. OR…

JOIN OUR EXTENSION TO
GREECE
July 3 - 9, 2023

Jewish history in Greece may date back as far as the Babylonian Exile, and certainly to the time of Alexander the Great. As is often the case, our people's history there is a complicated one, with times of prosperity mixed with tragedy, ultimately overshadowed by the Holocaust. Join our Greece extension, as we explore the past, enjoy the beauty and sites of Greece & encounter the Jewish communities of today.

Day 10: Monday, July 3, 2023: FULL NIGHT JERUSALEM

• Full night in Jerusalem for Greece post-tour participants.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 11: Tuesday, July 4, 2023: GREECE EXTENSION BEGINS

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Early this morning, we transfer to the airport and fly to Thessaloniki (Salonica), Greece's second largest city (flight cost is NOT included in the land tour and will be offered as a separate add on). Known as “Madre de Israel” and “Little Jerusalem”, this was once home to the largest Jewish community of Greece as well as the largest Sephardic community in Europe.
• Our adventure begins with an introduction by our tour leader with a lens on Athens' history as the birthplace of democracy and as a home to a Jewish community that dates back to at least the 1st century.
• Today, choose to take part in a walking tour:
o Street Art - the buildings along the streets of Salonica are covered in beautiful artwork
o Upper City, Ano Poli (must be able to walk 2.5 miles roundtrip) - a maze of narrow, winding streets lined with traditional houses, quaint alfresco tavernas and historic monuments
• We check into our hotel and refresh, then we enjoy dinner with live traditional Greek music in the Ladadika neighborhood.

Overnight in Thessaloniki

Day 12: Wednesday, July 5, 2023: DISCOVERING THESSALONIKI

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• For more than twenty centuries, Thessaloniki was the shelter for the persecuted Jews of Europe. Uprooted throughout their long history from their historical centers of diaspora, they were transplanted to this city, creating a large and vibrant Jewish community, indisputably one of the most important ones in the world, especially from 1492-1943. This was the golden era of Jewish life here. For 500 years, the Jews comprised the largest ethnic population in this multicultural city of Christians, Muslims and Jews. By the end of the 19th century, the city was at least 50 percent Jewish and the ports were closed on Shabbat.
• Today, we will learn the finer details of the city's Jewish history. We start with a visit to the only pre-war synagogue and learn how it survived WWII. We will also visit the Jewish Museum, Eleftherias Square, the Holocaust Memorial along with the site of the newly approved Holocaust Memorial Museum of Greece.
• We continue with a stop at the Rotunda, the Ottoman Hammam and several other important buildings and monuments, including the symbol of the city, the White Tower.
• This afternoon/evening we enjoy a scenic train ride (5 -6 hours) to Athens! Upon arrival, we check into our hotel.

Overnight in Athens

Day 13: Thursday, July 6, 2023: ISLAND HOPPING - AEGINA, HYDRA & POROS

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we transfer to the Piraeus port to catch our ferry to Aegina Island, an attractive and tranquil resort. There is evidence of two synagogues on the island of Aegina. The first was discovered in 1829 and of the second synagogue only a mosaic floor, survives with an inscription in Greek which reads “I, Theodoros the High Priest of this Synagogue, built this Synagogue from its foundations”. This mosaic floor may be viewed in the yard of the Archeological Museum of Aegina. We will have the chance to walk to the museum and view the mosaic.
• We island hop to Hydra, known for is fine architecture, many shops, pebbly beaches and captivating character. Enjoy time to shop and wander the pedestrian streets where cars are nowhere to be found.
• Our final stop today is on the quiet, tranquil island of Poros. While Poros may be a small island, it is filled with history, beaches and sites to excite all visitors, including the famous clock tower, the holy monastery and the Temple of Poseidon.
• We return to Athens and after a chance to refresh, we experience Greek hospitality (philoxenia) including dinner, live music and traditional dance at a taverna in the Plaka!

Overnight in Athens
Day 14: Friday, July 7, 2023: JEWISH ATHENS/ANCIENT ATHENS

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we visit the Jewish Museum of Greece, established by Nicholas Stavroulakis in 1977 to preserve the material culture of Greek Jews. Art and artifacts from Jewish communities through the ages, as well as documentation of the Holocaust makes this museum a cultural treasure.
• Next, we hop back on the bus for a tour of the city center's historical sites, then visit the two remaining synagogues both on the same street facing each other in the area of Thission, near the city center. The older one is the Romaniote, built in 1904 and called Etz Hayyim. It is the smaller of the two and is now used only during High Holidays. The ground floor houses the community's offices in rooms originally intended for a Jewish school. Across the street is the newer and larger Beth Shalom Sephardic Synagogue, built in 1935 and being used on a regular basis today. Its exterior is in white marble with neoclassical elements, while the spacious interior bears little resemblance to the Greek tradition regarding synagogue design. We also visit the Holocaust memorial.
• After lunch, we step back in time as we climb Acropolis hill and learn the history, including visits to the Propylaea, the Erectheion, the Temple of Athina Nike and the Parthenon.
• We join for Kabbalat Shabbat services this evening with the Jewish community of Athens, followed by Shabbat dinner in a private room at our hotel.

Overnight in Athens

Day 15: Saturday, July 8, 2023: SHABBAT IN ATHENS

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy a free morning for services or to just relax and enjoy Athens.
• Optional afternoon excursion, including a visit for lunch on own in Chalkida (Chalcis), possibly the oldest Jewish settlement in Europe dating back to the destruction of the 1st Temple in the 6th century BCE.
• This evening, we enjoy a festive farewell dinner together in a nearby restaurant as we recount all we have experienced on this wonderful journey!

Overnight in Athens

Day 16: Sunday, July 9, 2023: FAREWELL

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We transfer to the airport for our flight back to the United States, landing later today.

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*Itinerary subject to change