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Congregation Beth Emeth's
Journey to Connect: ISRAEL
Celebrating 75 years
Led by Rabbi Yair Robinson
June 15 - 25, 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:

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Traveling together in Israel is an opportunity to connect - with the people of Israel, with the land itself, and with each other. We'll grow through our shared experiences, from the fun and adventurous, to the historical and spiritual, as we explore our homeland together and mark modern Israel's 75th year!

INCLUDED IN YOUR JOURNEY:

3 nights Tal Hotel by the Beach, Tel Aviv
2 nights Ruth Hotel, Safed
3 nights Dan Panorama, Jerusalem
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
Breakfast daily
Dead Sea lunch and swim
Shabbat welcome dinner
2 kibbutz dinners
Machane Yehuda chef-led tour + dinner
Shabbat dinner with members of Kehillat Har-El
Farewell dinner at a Jerusalem restaurant
Meeting with Rabbi Meir Azari at Miskenot Ruth Daniel
Jaffa co-existence tour
Visit to Leo Baeck Institute
Golan Heights jeep tour
Buza Ice Cream tasting
Wine tasting
Shorashim/Roots dialogue
Tower of David Sound & Light show
Volunteering at Pantry Packers
Old City walking tour
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

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
Optional Dinner in the Dark & Not by Bread Alone performance
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (recommended - group policy available)
Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing or vaccination

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Thursday, June 15, 2023: DEPARTURE

• We depart on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Friday, June 16, 2023: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• Shalom and Bruchim Habaim - welcome to Israel! Upon arrival, we are met by an Ayelet Tours representative who will assist us through customs and baggage claim. 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 special Shehecheyanu welcome ceremony on the beach, accompanied by a sweet taste of challah and wine (or grape juice) to celebrate our arrival in Israel.
• Time permitting (based on our flight arrival), we enjoy a stroll through the charming Nachalat Binyamin Craft Fair, a biweekly market featuring Israeli artisans and entertainers who bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life.
• We check into our hotel with time to relax and refresh.
• This evening, we gather together for Shabbat services, either at our hotel or on the beach, possibly joining the incredible Kabbalat Shabbat service with Beit Tefila Yisraeli at the Port of Tel Aviv.
• Our evening continues as we enjoy a Shabbat welcome dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Saturday, June 17, 2023: A TASTE OF TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a stroll along Independence Trail through the Rothschild District and discover the architectural, cultural and intellectual foundations of this great city, and pass by Independence Hall, where the state was officially founded 75 years ago.
• Next, we experience ANU: Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Diaspora Museum), recently renovated and featuring interactive audio-visual exhibits that bring life and color to the vibrant history of the Jewish people outside the land of Israel following the destruction of the Second Temple.
• The remainder of the day is at leisure to enjoy the beach, relax or take in one of Tel Aviv's other outstanding attractions, such as the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
• Tonight, see and taste for yourself the incredible culinary scene of Tel Aviv with dinner on own at one of the area's trendy restaurants (recommendations can be provided).

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 4: Sunday, June 18, 2023: MODERN CHALLENGES, ANCIENT CONNECTIONS

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we meet with Rabbi Meir Azari at Mishkenot Ruth Daniel in Jaffa to hear the story of this Progressive community and the challenges faced by Reform Jews in Israel today.
• We continue our visit to Old Jaffa, an ancient port city filled with a storied past, to wander through the cobblestone alleyways and admire the artist galleries, all framed by views of the sea.
• Next, we take part in a Jaffa co-existence tour, featuring both a Jewish and an Arab guide. We are led on an exploration of the mixed city of Jaffa, tracing the different historical narratives where Arabs and Jews live side by side.
• We stop for a snack at Abulafia Bakery, an old-style Arab Israeli bakery dating from 1879.
• Later this afternoon, we visit the Ayalon Institute in Rehovot and discover the secret underground ammunition factory ran by the Hagenah (predecessor to IDF) that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence.
• We return to our hotel to relax and refresh before dinner on own this evening.
• Optional: This evening, we set out for Dinner in the Dark, an experience that will tantalize all your senses, followed by a performance of Not by Bread Alone, at the Nalagaat Center, whose actors are both visually and hearing impaired (separate cost, transfers by taxi).

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 5: Monday, June 19, 2023: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We depart Tel Aviv and travel north along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea National Park, the Roman regional capital. Here, we view the ancient theater, stroll through the hippodrome and Roman theater and stand in awe at Herod's palace and harbor.
• We continue to mark Israel at 75 with a visit to the Atlit Detention Camp, where we hear the stories of brave refugees who were caught attempting clandestine immigration during the British Mandate.
• Next, we travel to Haifa to visit the Leo Baeck Institute to learn from their leadership about the innovative programming taking place here, as well as meet faculty and students throughout the afternoon.
• Later this afternoon, we travel to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and have time to relax and explore before dinner together tonight.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 6: Tuesday, June 20, 2023: THE MYSTICAL AND BEAUTFUL NORTH

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• Today, we visit the mystical city of Safed, where we wander through the cobblestone alleyways to view the ancient synagogues and shop in the artist's quarter. Beyond the mystical heritage of the city, a key 1948 battle took place here and our guide will share the history.
• Time for lunch on own in Safed.
• Next, we set out on 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 panoramic views leading into Syria.
• 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."
• We complete our day taking in the beautiful scenery and sunset at the Golan Heights Winery and enjoy a tour and wine tasting, sipping on some of the best the varietals the area has to offer.
• We return to our kibbutz for a relaxing evening and dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 7: Wednesday, June 21, 2023: THE ROAD TO (THE CITY OF) PEACE

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• We depart the Galilee this morning and begin traveling south. Our first stop is at Beit Alpha, where the tale of the synagogue's ancient mosaics comes to life in an audio-visual production.
• We continue south to Gush Etzion for a dialogue with Ali Abu Awwad and Rabbi Shaul Yudelman, the founders of the Shorashim/Roots program. Shorashim fosters a grassroots movement of understanding, non-violence and partnership between Israelis and Palestinians. Gush Etzion's story from 1948 to 1967 is a key part of the narrative of modern Israel.
• We ascend to Jerusalem and stop atop the Haas Promenade to say the “Shehecheyanu” as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time. Our guide points to key locations in the fights for Jerusalem in 1948 and 1967, from Ammunition Hill to Mt. Scopus.
• We check into our hotel and freshen up for the evening.
• After dinner on own, 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 8: Thursday, June 22, 2023: MODERN JERUSALEM

• 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.
• We continue to 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. Return visitors will instead visit the new and moving Memorial to the Fallen Soldiers at Mt. Herzl, Israel's military cemetery.
• This afternoon, after time for lunch on own, we tour the Israel Museum, the country's premiere cultural institution, featuring ancient archaeology, modern Israeli art and everything in between. We will walk through the Shrine of the Book, housing the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, pass through the replica of King Herod's Jerusalem and enjoy a taste of this amazing museum. Those wishing to extend their time at the museum are welcome to stay later (the museum is open until 9pm tonight!)
• This evening, a chef accompanies us to Machane Yehuda 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. After our introduction to the fundamentals of Israeli cuisine, we prepare dinner together with our purchases.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Friday, June 23, 2023: JERUSALEM THEN AND NOW

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at Ir David, the City of David, where we wander through the carefully preserved archaeological excavations dating back to the time of King David, including the new excavations leading us to Robinson's Arch.
• This afternoon, we enter the Old City for a walking tour through the different neighborhoods. We begin in the Jewish quarter with a chance for personal reflection at the Western Wall, continue through the Arab market (shuk), then stroll along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter.
• Next, we head underground to the Western Wall tunnels for an opportunity to discover the many layers of Jerusalem's history, passing through grand building projects from ancient Rome through the modern day.
• As the sun sets over Jerusalem, we join together for Kabbalat Shabbat services with Cantor Evan Cohen at Kehilat Har-El, followed by Shabbat dinner with members of the community.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Saturday, June 24, 2023: SHABBAT IN THE DESERT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart early this morning and travel south to the Dead Sea basin. Upon arrival, we ascend Masada by cable car or snake path to view the remains of King Herod's fortress, including the synagogue, walls and bathhouses, as we learn about the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman forces.
• We descend the mountain and head to beach to enjoy 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 continue on a short hike to the hidden waterfalls in the desert oasis of Ein Gedi.
• We return to Jerusalem, passing the Qumran caves, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered by a local shepherd.
• After time to refresh and finish packing, we check out of our hotel and gather for our festive farewell dinner, as we recall all that we have experienced together on this journey.
• After dinner, we transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 11: Sunday, June 25, 2023: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.


The Memories Last Forever!!
*itinerary subject to change