English

Temple Kol Emeth's
40th Anniversary Trip to Israel
Led by Rabbi Larry Sernovitz
May 27 - June 7, 2023

Tour Rates & Dates:

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Tour Overview:

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Our journey will be hands-on, learning from ancient artifacts and new age discoveries.  A cultural, socio-historical, spiritual unearthing of Israel from inside out!

INCLUDED IN YOUR JOURNEY:

DELUXE HOTELS
2 nights Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv
2 nights Kibbutz Nof Ginosar Hotel, Galilee
1 night Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Dead Sea
4 nights Harmony Hotel, Jerusalem

DELUXE PLUS HOTELS
2 nights Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv
2 nights Kibbutz Nof Ginosar Hotel, Galilee
1 night Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Dead Sea
4 nights Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem

All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicled with an expert English-speaking guide
Breakfast daily
Light lunch at the Salad Trail
Lunch at a Dead Sea resort
Welcome dinner
3 kibbutz dinners
Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem
Farewell dinner
Old Jaffa co-existence tour
Meeting with Rony Rozen + Google visit
Visit to Kibbutz Malkia
Golan Heights jeep tour
Chocolate workshop or wine tasting
Eretz Beresheet Bedouin experience
B'nai Mitzvah celebration
Old City walking tour
Tower of David Sound & Light show
Beit Guvrin archaeological expedition
Eshkol meetings with locals + artist Yaron Bob
Volunteering at Pantry Packers
Airport transfers included if arriving/departing with the main group
Entrance fees per itinerary
Porterage
Bottled water (2 bottles per person, per day on the bus)

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
Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing or vaccination
Travel insurance (recommended - group policy available)

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Saturday, May 27, 2023: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Sunday, May 28, 2023: WELCOME TO 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.
• We transfer to Tel Aviv for a welcome ceremony on the beach, celebrating our arrival in Israel.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel with time to relax and refresh.
• This evening, we enjoy a welcome dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Monday, May 29, 2023: TEL AVIV PAST AND PRESENT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a visit to the newly renovated Independence Hall, where David Ben Gurion declared Israel a state in 1948.
• Next, we stroll through Neve Tzedek, one of Tel Aviv's oldest neighborhoods, where we see the artistic graffiti painted on the walls and buildings of the community and learn how this is an important form of expression.
• We begin our adventure in the ancient port of Old Jaffa, where a Jewish and Arab guide lead us side by side through the streets of this ancient city on a co-existence tour. We trace the dual historical narratives as we explore the possibility of creating a common future and shared society. Our tour includes a meeting at Ruth Daniel, the Progressive center in Jaffa.
• We complete our day at the bustling Carmel Market for a sensual immersion into the vibrant colors, smells and flavors that make up this bustling marketplace. We wander through the pyramids of spices, brightly colored exotic vegetables, platters of nuts and olives and delicious halva creations. Enjoy dinner here or nearby on own tonight.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 4: Tuesday, May 30, 2023: HIGH-TECH ISRAEL/NORTHERN ADVENTURES

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we meet with Rony Rozen, founder and CEO of the tech company PoccaDot, currently working at Google Israel, to hear her fascinating story, "From Manhattan to Tel Aviv."
• We depart Tel Aviv and travel north along the Mediterranean coast for a special visit to the HaMizgaga Museum of Archaeology and Glass, where we are given a demonstration by a renowned glass artist.
• We travel to Haifa for a falafel lunch on own in the Arab neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas.
• After lunch, we drive to the top of Mt. Carmel to take in the panoramic view overlooking the beautiful Bahai Gardens and northern coastline.
• We continue to Kibbutz Malkia located along the Israel-Lebanon border, where we meet with Eitan, the IDF unit and kibbutz security personnel to learn about the steps they take to protect a small frontier community.
• Our next stop is in Tzomet HaGoma to enjoy Buza Ice Cream, The Jewish and Arab co-owners have not only found meaningful friendship through their business, they have created "a corner of delicious sanity."
• Continue to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and have a chance to relax and refresh.
• This evening, we enjoy dinner together at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 5: Wednesday, May 31, 2023: NORTHERN BEAUTY

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We begin our day with an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights, passing former Syrian bunkers on the way to the top of Har Bental, where we take in the views of Syria and learn about the current geopolitical situation.
• While the children are learning to make chocolate at the DeKarina Chocolate Factory, the adults will have the option to visit the adjacent Pelter Winery for a tour and tasting.
• Lunch on own in the area.
• This afternoon, we travel to the mystical city of Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel and the center of Kabbalah. We wander through the cobblestone streets to view the ancient synagogues and admire the art galleries.
• We return to our kibbutz for a relaxing evening and dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee
Day 6: Thursday, June 1, 2023: THE DEAD SEA BASIN

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• Today, we travel from north to south and head for the Dead Sea basin.
• Our first stop is for a short hike to the hidden oasis of Ein Gedi, taking in the beautiful natural surroundings along the way.
• Next, 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.
• This afternoon, we descend the mountain and 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.
• After an afternoon of fun in the sun, we check into our desert kibbutz, freshen up and meet for dinner together.

Overnight at the Dead Sea

Day 7: Friday, June 2, 2023: THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM

• Leisurely morning for breakfast, time at the spa (book in advance) or to sleep in.
• In the late morning, we check out and travel to Eretz Beresheet for an authentic Bedouin experience, including a camel ride and a traditional Bedouin lunch.
• We ascend to Jerusalem and stop atop Mt. Scopus to say the Shehecheyanu as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• We check into our hotel and have time at leisure.
• As the sun sets, we join together for Kabbalat Shabbat at Kol Haneshama, followed by Shabbat dinner with members of the community.

Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 8: Saturday, June 3, 2023: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we join together for Shabbat services and to celebrate our B'nai Mitzvah at Robinson's Arch. Mazel tov!
• We enter the Ottoman walls of the Old City 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, where we pass by the ancient Broad Wall. Our path takes us into the Christian quarter to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, through the bustling alleys of Via Dolorosa and into the Muslim quarter.
• The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to relax at our hotel or a Shabbat afternoon study session with Rabbi Sernovitz.
• We join together for Havdallah, marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week, followed by dinner on own along Ben Yehuda Street.
• Following dinner, we meet for 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, June 4, 2023: DIGGING INTO ANCIENT ISRAEL

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we travel to Beit Guvrin and take part in a real, live archaeological expedition! Through our digging and sifting, we will uncover the ancient past, hidden for over 2,200 years, and turn their trash into our treasure.
• We eat our way through the Salad Trail on a very hands-and-mouths-on agricultural tour of this innovative farm growing delicacies in the desert sand. We will pick and taste fruits and vegetables in the hothouses, dodge hanging strawberries (in season), release homing pigeons and sample herbs in their gardens.
• We continue to Eshkol, near the Gaza Strip, where we meet with locals and learn about the difficulty of living in this border region. While here, we almost meet artist Yaron Bob at his workshop. Living in a community that has suffered numerous terror attacks, Yaron works to transform something horrible into something beautiful in a project he calls “Rockets to Roses.”
• We return to Jerusalem for a leisure evening and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 10: Monday, June 5, 2023: WE REMEMBER

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we participate in tikkun olam and engage in an unforgettable hands-on experience packing food staples included in monthly food baskets delivered to Israel's neediest families at Pantry Packers.
• Next, we tour 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. Our group will divide into two tracks; first timers and those who have visited before.
• We continue to the famed Machane Yehuda, where we take in the sights, smells and sounds of the bustling marketplace and try some of Israel's delicacies, including time for lunch on own.
• At Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem's military cemetery, we pay our respects at the gravesites of Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres and hear stories of some of the lesser-known heroes buried here.
• We return to the Old City and visit the Kotel (Western Wall) with time for personal reflection, followed by a chance to shop in the Cardo Market.
• After dinner on own, we head below ground for a tour of the Western Wall tunnels and an opportunity to discover the many layers of Jerusalem's history, passing through grand building projects from ancient Rome through - new discoveries continue to be made at the site!

Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 11: Tuesday, June 6, 2023: MODERN ISRAEL

• Breakfast, check out of our hotel and store our luggage.
• On our final day, we discover the modern side of Israel. We begin at the Supreme Court with Anat Hoffman of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) for an in-depth discussion of religious tension, issues of church and state currently confronting Israel and the struggles for equality, pluralism and social justice in Israel.
• We continue to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, where we meet with Knesset Member Rabbi Gilad Kariv (subject to final confirmation) of the IMPJ (Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism) to hear about the unique struggles of Liberal Judaism in today's Israel.
• Our final stop is at the Ayalon Institute, where we discover the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence.
• This evening, we join together for a delicious farewell dinner and a chance to reminisce about all we have seen an experienced on our journey.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 12: Wednesday, June 7, 2023: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.


The Memories Last Forever!!!
*Itinerary subject to change