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Beth Am Family Friendly Adventure in Israel
Led by Rabbi Matthew Earne
June 16-28, 2019

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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Dear Beth Am Families:

What are you doing this summer? Please join me for an amazing trip to the land -- our land -- of Israel. No other place in the world reaffirms our values, our identities, and our history more so than the land of Israel. If you are looking for a summer that is both fun and meaningful, both spiritual and physically replenishing, and both cultured and relaxing, then this is the trip for you. Come with me to the place where so many of the why's we ask about our faith are answered. Together, as we walk, learn, play, and explore, the answers to the questions we pose will come to life. We will return closer to one another, more enriched, and filled with memories and entertaining stories to share with our friends at Beth Am. - Rabbi Earne

INCLUDED:

2 nights Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv
2 nights Gai Beach Hotel, Upper Galilee
6 nights Arthur Hotel Jerusalem, Jerusalem
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
Breakfast daily
9 dinners, including Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem
3 lunches, including Shabbat lunch in Jerusalem
Visit to the Taglit Innovation Center
Optional guided bike ride in Tel Aviv
Levinsky Market chef-led tour (with dinner noted above)
Kfar Kedem experience
Kayaking adventure
Jeep tour in the Golan Heights
Chocolate workshop or wine tasting
Hummus making competition
Shuk bites at Machane Yehuda
Scavenger hunt in Yemin Moshe
Camel ride
Sound and Light show at the Tower of David
Visit to Sha'ar HaNegev, San Diego's sister region
Tree planting
Beit Guvrin archaeological dig
Entrance fees
Transfer upon arrival and departure with main group
Porterage
Bottled water on bus

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges
Any border taxes or visas
Tips to guide, driver and dining room waiters ($18 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Basketball game (TBD, based on schedule)
Meals not listed above
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (highly recommended)

Tour Itinerary:

DAY 1: Sunday, June 16, 2019: DEPARTURE

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

DAY 2: Monday, June 17, 2019: BRUCHIM HABAIM!

• We arrive in Israel this afternoon and are met by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• We begin our tour with a visit to the Ayalon Institute, the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence. (Time permitting - or this visit will move to June 27 if flight arrives too late).
• Our next stop is in Old Jaffa, where we stroll through the cobblestone alleyways admiring the galleries and taking in the views of the sea.
• We stop for a welcome ceremony overlooking Tel Aviv from the Jaffa promenade, marking our arrival in Israel!
• We transfer to our hotel to check in, then enjoy a welcome dinner at a local gourmet restaurant.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 3: Tuesday, June 18, 2019: EXPLORING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we experience the Palmach Museum, where we “join up” with the paramilitary forces from Israel's pre-statehood days.
• Next, we visit the cutting-edge Taglit Innovation Center for a glimpse into Israel's high-tech advances in the fields of science, medicine, security and space. We visit the interactive exhibition and continue with a fascinating meeting with one of the Start-Up Nation's young entrepreneurs.
• Spend the remainder of the afternoon among the artists and entertainers that bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life at Nachalat Binyamin OR choose to enjoy a fun and informative guided bicycle ride through Tel Aviv.
• This evening, a chef leads us through the popular Levinsky Market, for a sensual immersion, engaging with the vibrant colors, smells and flavors that will be found in this bustling marketplace. We wander through the pyramids of spices, bright-colored exotic vegetables, nuts, olives, and delicious halva creations. Our chef will introduce us to the most characteristic ingredients of the local cuisine and to the Israeli food habits, while we prepare dinner together with our purchases.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 4: Wednesday, June 19, 2019: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart Tel Aviv and travel along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, the former Roman capital of the area, where we see the ancient theater and the seaside aqueduct.
• Next, we visit a Druze village for home hospitality lunch, including the a chance to learn about their unique culture.
• We stop at Kfar Kedem for the opportunity to learn about life as it was during the Mishnaic times. We'll learn to press olive oil as it was done centuries ago and taste fresh goat cheese among other treats.
• This afternoon, we enjoy an adventurous and fun kayaking trip down the Jordan River.
• We travel to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and enjoy dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 5: Thursday, June 20, 2019: NORTHERN BEAUTY

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We begin our day with a refreshing hike through the beautiful Tel Dan Nature Reserve, stopping to cool off the in the natural springs along the way.
• We set out on a jeep tour through the Golan Heights, passing old Syrian bunkers along the way to the top of Har Bental, where we take in the views stretching far into Syria. Our guide engages us in a compelling geopolitical discussion about the region and its strategic importance to the state of Israel.
• This afternoon, we participate in a chocolate workshop, learning from the experts at the DeKarina Chocolate Factory. Adults may choose to enjoy wine tasting at the Pelter Winery next door.
• Our adventure continues with an exciting hummus making competition at Dubrovin Farms.
• We return to our kibbutz for dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

DAY 6: Friday, June 21, 2019: SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• Today, we travel to the mystical city of Safed, focusing on the 15th century heroes who gave the Jewish people new hope, new songs, and who revived the dream of a Jewish return to our land. We explore the alleyways and the artist's quarter that frame the heart of Kaballah, Jewish mysticism.
• We ascend to Jerusalem. Upon our arrival, we stop at the Haas Promenade to recite a special “Shehecheyanu” blessing as we overlook the City of Gold.
• We stroll through the Nachlaot neighborhood, considered by many to be Jerusalem's most pluralistic community, mixing various streams of Orthodox Judaism with secular residents.
• We continue to the famous Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem's outdoor marketplace, filled with foods of every variety. Together we will take part in the shuk bites program, allowing us to enjoy a varied taste of the market in a fun and new way.
• As the sun begins to set, we walk along the Old City ramparts on the way to the Kotel to welcome Shabbat with the people of Jerusalem.
OR
• We walk to the “First Station”, formerly Jerusalem's main train station, now renovated and filled with shops, bars and more. On Friday evening in the summer, it plays host to a progressive, inclusive, outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat, and we will join in this uplifting service.
• We walk back to our hotel for Shabbat dinner together this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 7: Saturday, June 22, 2019: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Join Rabbi Earne for Shabbat services at a local congregation (optional) or choose to relax and take in the peaceful calm of Shabbat in Jerusalem.
• We join together for Shabbat lunch at the Fuchsberg Center, the Conservative movement's home in Jerusalem. Here, we meet Masorti leaders, including a meeting with the inimitable Rabbi Paul who tells the story of Masada (subject to health/availability).
• Next, we enjoy a fun-filled scavenger hunt through the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, the first built outside the Old City walls - a great way to get to know the area!
• As day turns to night, we join together for Havdallah marking the end of Shabbat and the start of a new week.
• Enjoy the evening and dinner on own on Ben Yehuda Street.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 8: Sunday, June 23, 2019: MODERN JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, 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. Option for kids (accompanied by a chaperone) to visit the nearby Biblical Zoo instead.
• Next, we have an inspiring visit to Yad L'Kashish, the Lifeline for the Aged. This is an artisan workshop which empowers and supports hundreds of elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents.
• At Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem's military cemetery, we pay our respects at the gravesites of Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, then walk to the multi-media Herzl Museum to “walk through” the life and work of the great Zionist visionary.
• Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to shop (or take in an Israeli basketball game - scheduled TBD).
• This evening, we enjoy a group dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Monday, June 24, 2019: REACHING OUT

• Breakfast and time to relax at our hotel.
• We return to our hotel for breakfast and time to relax.
• This afternoon, we set out to tour the Western Wall tunnels, where we discover archaeological wonders that once remained untouched for centuries.
• We continue to Ir David, the City of David and wander through the carefully preserved archaeological excavations dating back to the time of King David. We also walk through Hezekiah's tunnel (water or dry tunnel option - for water tunnel, bring water shoes).
• Next, we set out on a walking tour through history in the Old City, exploring the Jewish quarter, Arab market (shuk) and the Christian quarter, where we stroll along the Via Dolorosa and end at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Tonight, we enjoy a group dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Tuesday, June 25, 2019: MASADA & THE DEAD SEA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart early this morning and travel south to the Dead Sea basin.
• We ascend Masada by cable car or snake path to view the remains of King Herod's fortress, including the walls, synagogue and bathhouses, and learn about the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman forces.
• We descend the mountain and enjoy a short hike to the hidden waterfalls in the desert oasis of Ein Gedi.
• This afternoon, we head to the beach for an unsinkable swim in the healing, salty waters of the Dead Sea.
• Later this afternoon, we travel to Eretz Beresheet for an authentic Bedouin experience, including a camel ride.
• We return to Jerusalem for dinner on own, then walk to the Tower of David to see the spectacular Sound and Light show.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 11: Wednesday, June 26, 2019: SHA'AR HANEGEV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We travel south to San Diego's sister region, Sha'ar HaNegev to visit with residents, see the local shelter and learn about life on the Gaza border. Our visit will bring emotional support to the local community, living under consistently stressful conditions.
• Next, we visit a JNF bomb shelter to explore how security concerns have been integrated into the mindset of the region, as well as architectural design.
• We enjoy a banquet lunch at the Golden Goose Restaurant.
• This afternoon, we plant trees, connecting us physically and spiritually to the land of Israel.
• Following the powerful and emotionally moving day, we return to Jerusalem.
• This evening, we enjoy a group dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 12: Thursday, June 27, 2019: DIGGING ISRAEL

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a visit to Latrun, Israel's outdoor armed corps museum, where we explore the tanks and artillery used by the Israeli Defense Forces and enemy forces throughout the country's history. The site was crucial for controlling the road to Jerusalem, and our guide shares with us some of the stories of heroism that took place here.
• We travel to Beit Guvrin, where we participate in a fun hands-on archaeological dig, allowing us the opportunity to unearth remnants from Israel's ancient past.
• This evening, we check out of our hotel and join together for a festive farewell dinner at Eucalyptus Restaurant. Chef Moshe Basson is well known for using biblical herbs and spices to create a “slow food” experience here at Eucalyptus. We recount all that we have experienced together on our adventure.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 13: Friday, June 28, 2019: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.

About Rabbi Earne:

Rabbi Earne joined our community in 2006 as Assistant Rabbi, bringing tremendous energy and ruach to Beth Am. He earned his BA in Human Development and Family Bond at Cornell University, MA in Education from the University of Judaism. Rabbi Earne's rabbinic ordination was from New York's Jewish Theological Seminary. Now as Associate Rabbi, Rabbi Earne focuses on Israel, social action, and leads our centers for learning: Preschool, Jewish Learning Center, Sabra, Hebrew For Credit and Youth. To see Rabbi Earne in action with our children and families is to know that he's passionate about Judaism and instilling our traditions and values in our future generations. “It is clear that teaching our children is one of the most important roles we have as Jewish leaders and parents. Our commitment to the Jewish people is to educate and engage our youth, building their Jewish identities for our future community. It's a joy to help our children become more involved and grow - while they are making friends and having fun.” Rabbi Earne lives in Carmel Valley with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children, Jonah and Gabriella. They feel very fortunate to raise their family in the kind and nurturing community of Congregation Beth Am.

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*itinerary subject to change