Friends of Rabbi Sam & Melinda Kieffer
Tour to Israel
October 31 - November 11, 2022


Tour Rates & Dates:

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*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.
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If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

Tour Overview:

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Traveling in Israel is an opportunity to encounter the wonders of this ancient land. We'll grow through our shared experiences, from the fun and adventurous, to the historical and spiritual, as we explore Israel together!

ON OUR JOURNEY WE WILL:
  • Connect with Israelis on a personal level, including a meeting with members of the Kieffer's extended family
  • Relax and enjoy the spa at Kedma Resort
  • Visit the remarkable Yad L'Kashish, known as the Lifeline for the Aged, an artisan workshop empowering elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents
  • Explore the famed Israel Museum and ANU Museum on docent led tours
  • Celebrate Shabbat with Jerusalem congregations
  • Savor the flavors of Israeli delicacies and sip wine at the Elah Valley Winery.
  • Tour the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation founded by late President Shimon Peres

INCLUDED:
  • 2 nights at the Herods Hotel, Tel Aviv
  • 5 nights at the Kings Hotel, Jerusalem
  • 2 nights at the Kedma Hotel, Sde Boker
  • All touring and sightseeing per an agreed upon itinerary in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide.
  • Breakfast daily
  • Shabbat lunch in Jerusalem
  • Light lunch at Elah Valley Winery
  • Dinners: Welcome dinner in Tel Aviv, Shabbat dinner and dinner in Jerusalem, and 2 dinners at Kedma Hotel

NOT INCLUDED:
  • Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges (contact Ayelet Tours for flights)
  • Tips to guides, driver, and dining room waiters ($20 per person, per day; pre-collected) (For more information on Ayelet’s tipping policies, click here)
  • Any meals not listed above
  • Any items of a personal nature
  • Any costs associated with testing or related to proof of Covid/vaccine status. Currently proof of traveler health insurance and vaccination are required to enter Israel.
  • Travel insurance (group policy available)


Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Monday, October 31, 2022: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Tuesday, November 1, 2022: ARRIVE ISRAEL

• Welcome to Israel! Our time in this incredible land has officially started and our excitement mounts as we set off on the adventure ahead. For those of us on the group arrival: just beyond passport control, an Ayelet representative will meet us in the baggage claim area and assist us through customs.
• We travel and check in to our hotel in Tel Aviv.
• This evening, we enjoy a delicious welcome dinner together at Maganda Restaurant.

Overnight at Herods in Tel Aviv (D)

Day 3: Wednesday, November 2, 2022: TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our resort.
• Today we meet with a docent for an overview tour of the amazing new ANU Museum, featuring interactive audio-visual exhibits that bring life and color to the vibrant history of the Jewish people. Following the tour, we return to the exhibits that most intrigued us.
• Next, tour the Israeli Innovation Center at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, founded by the late President Shimon Peres. The Center is a non-political, non-governmental organization focused on building a more prosperous Israel and a more peaceful Middle East, through innovation, technology, and cutting-edge coexistence programs.
• Remainder of the day at leisure for lunch on own and to enjoy the spa.
• We enjoy dinner on our own this evening.
• After dinner, we will meet for an Interactive Study Session on the Geography of Israel with Rabbi and Melinda Kieffer

Overnight in Tel Aviv at Herods

Day 4: Thursday, November 3, 2022: JERUSALEM

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We begin this morning with a visit to the Yvel Design Center, where we meet with an Ethiopian Artist.
• We continue towards Jerusalem, ascending Mount Scopus to say the Shehecheyanu looking out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• Take a walking tour through the Old City of Jerusalem and the Jewish Quarter and experience the center of Jewish life, history, and holiness.
• We check return to our hotel and enjoy an evening and dinner on own.
• Later tonight, attend the spectacular Sound and Light Show at the Tower of David Museum, where the walls of David’s Citadel are transformed into a fantastic visual representation of the living story of Jerusalem.

Overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel in Jerusalem

Day 5: Friday, November 4, 2022: JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit the remarkable Yad L’Kashish, known as The Lifeline for the Aged, an artisan workshop that empowers and supports hundreds of elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents. Hear stories from Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, South America, and Iran, many of whom survived the Holocaust, others who walked across the Sudan to save their families from war and famine.
• Next, participate in a tree planting at Yad Kennedy, an impressive monument atop Mount Aminadav, in memory of John Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. To enjoy the scenery, walk around the monument for a circular view of the Jerusalem and Hebron mountains. In the distance, you can see the city of Ashdod.
• Tonight, we meet in the hotel lobby for candle lighting together before we join for Kabbalat Shabbat services.
• We enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel in Jerusalem (D)

Day 6: Saturday, November 5, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning we join the Masorti Congregation for Shabbat Services.
• Shabbat lunch is included at our hotel today.
• This afternoon, we participate in a “"Challenges and Achievements of the Israel Masorti/Conservative Movement” meeting.
• Tonight, we gather for Havdalah before we enjoy an evening and dinner on own.

Overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel in Jerusalem (L)

Day 7: Sunday, November 6, 2022: JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We tour Qirbet Qayafa, the remains of Biblical Sherayim, the place from which King David left to fight Goliath.
• Enjoy a lunch in Elah Valley Winery.
• Remainder of afternoon at leisure.
• We enjoy dinner together in Tzidkiyahu a Jerusalem staple tonight.

Overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel in Jerusalem (L+D)

Day 8: Monday, November 7, 2022: JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Travel to Emek Tsurim to participate in their Ancient Jerusalem Sifting Project, where exciting artifacts and discoveries have been uncovered from ruble left over from the temple excavations.
• Set out on a guided tour of Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s outdoor marketplace, filled with foods of every variety. Together we’ll learn about Middle Eastern spices and taste various foods as we participate in the “Shuk Bites” lunch experience.
• We return to Jerusalem and enjoy dinner on own tonight.

Overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel in Jerusalem (L)

Day 9: Tuesday, November 8, 2022: MITZPE RAMON

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• At our first stop today, we meet with the Masorti congregation in Ashkelon where we meet with the congregants and learn about the Masorti (conservative) movement in Israel.
• Visit Yad Mordechai, founded in 1936 by Hashomer Hatzair and others from Poland, and renamed after Mordechai Anielewicz, the leader of the Jewish Fighting Organization which led the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
• Next, visit Hatzerim Air Force Base, to see the aviation Museum.
• Arrive in Sde Boker and check in to our hotel.
• Enjoy dinner together this evening.

Overnight at Kedma Hotel in Sde Boker (D)

Day 10: Wednesday, November 9, 2022: MITZPE RAMON

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today we visit Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev best known as the retirement home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.
• Remainder of the day at leisure to enjoy the spa.
• Tonight, we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight at Kedma Hotel in Sde Boker (D)

Day 11: Thursday, November 10, 2022: MITZPE RAMON

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Visit Beersheba, whose name means "seven wells," referencing the well of oath between Abram and Abimelech, the King of Grarr.
• Tour Abraham's Well International Visitors Center, a unique and exciting heritage site which tells the story of the life of the patriarch Abraham in interactive 3D presentations. Abraham hosted angels in his tent, he was the world's first peacemaker and was the spiritual father of the three monotheistic religions. Abraham's story encourages visitors to discuss faith, values, and history till today.
• Stroll along the Beersheba River Walk, a 900-acre riverfront district with green spaces, hiking trails, a 3,000-seat sports hall, a 15-acre boating lake filled with recycled waste-water, promenades, restaurants, cafés, galleries, boat rentals, a 12,000-seat amphitheater, playgrounds, and a bridge along the route of the city's Mekorot water pipes.
• Stop for an authentic Bedouin experience featuring a traditional tent lunch.
• This afternoon, we transfer to the airport for our flight back to the United States.

The Memories Last Forever!!
*Itinerary subject to change