English

A Journey Across Israel
with Temple Beth Elohim and
Cantors Emeritus Jodi Sufrin and Roy Einhorn
October 25 - November 6, 2022

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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Experience Israel and explore its history and age-old traditions. Connect with Israel’s people and meet modern-day heroes who are working to bridge the gap between Israelis and Palestinians. Celebrate Israeli culture in this amazing adventure through Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa and savor the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in bustling markets and quaint cafés.

ON OUR 10-NIGHT TOUR WE WILL:
  • Participate in activities and get to know members of our sister congregation Or Chadash as we enjoy a Shabbat celebration together.
  • Perform a mitzvah with Yad L’Kashish, an artisan workshop known as the Lifeline for the Aged that empowers and supports hundreds of elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents.
  • Hear from an awarding-winning journalist as he shares a “Snapshot on Palestinian Society” and discusses the current Israeli/Arab situation.
  • Walk through Nachalat Binyamin, one of the oldest art fairs in Israel, where artisans showcase their art in every imaginable medium.

  • 5 nights Dan Carmel Hotel, Haifa, Israel
  • 2 nights Herods Hotel, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • 4 nights Mamila Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel
  • All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
  • Breakfast Daily
  • 2 Lunches: Druze Hospitality and Dead Sea lunch
  • 6 Dinners: Welcome Dinner, 2 Shabbat Dinners, Dinner in the Dark, Dinner at Machane Yehuda, and Farewell Dinner
  • Beit HaGefen Tour
  • Ein Hod artists' workshop
  • Jeep Tour in the Galilee
  • Pelter Winery
  • ANU Museum
  • Graffiti tour of Old Jaffa
  • Nalagaat Center "Dinner in the Dark" preformance
  • Transfer included if arriving/departing with the main group
  • Entrance Fees
  • Porterage

NOT INCLUDED:
  • Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges (contact Ayelet Tours for flights)
  • Border taxes or visa fees (Jordan visa fee is $69 paid in advance – border tax for Jordan of approx. $60 payable in USD at the border)
  • 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: Tuesday, October 25, 2022: DEPARTURE

• We depart on our connecting flight from Boston to Israel.

Overnight flight

Day 2: Wednesday, October 26, 2022: BRUCHIM HABAIM - WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel and are met at the airport by our Ayelet Tours guide to begin our drive to Haifa.
• On our way, we stop at Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. See the amazing aqueduct, beautiful mosaics, the remarkably restored ancient theater, and the excavations of the crusaders' city.
• Check in to our hotel in Haifa and have time to refresh before our welcome dinner this evening.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 3: Thursday, October 27, 2022: EXPLORING HAIFA

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• Venture to Mount Carmel in Haifa, where the panoramic overlook of the Bahai Temple and Persian Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, slopes beautifully downward toward the bay.
• Tour the Haifa Art Museum, one of the oldest and most established museums in the country.
• Lunch on own.
• This afternoon, visit Beit HaGefen, where we tour the Arab-Jewish Cultural Center and get an insider's look into the diverse community of Haifa, as well as the various projects, both musical and otherwise, that are in place to bring Arabs and Jews together.
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 4: Friday, October 28, 2022: ISRAEL’S HUMAN MOSAIC

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• Travel to Atlit, site of the British internment camp for thousands of Jewish refugees who were caught attempting to immigrate to Israel during the British Mandate period.
• Visit Ein Hod, an artist’s village located at the foot of Mount Carmel and enjoy a special workshop, where we create a piece of art under the auspices of a resident artist.
• Continue to a Druze village, where community representatives will offer us insight on their unique culture and how they fit into the Israeli mosaic. We enjoy lunch together here.
• Return to Haifa for an afternoon at leisure for shopping and other recreational activities as we prepare for Shabbat.
• Tonight, we participate in Shabbat Services and enjoy Shabbat dinner together with our sister congregation, Or Chadash.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 5: Saturday, October 29, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy today’s activities that have been planned by our sister congregation, Or Chadash.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 6: Sunday, October 30, 2022: THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our drive north with our first stop at Rosh Hanikra, where we discover the chalk cliff grottoes that have been carved out by the Mediterranean waters over time.
• Next, we travel to the mystical city of Safed, birthplace of Kabbalah and home to legends, myths, and miracles. Wander the cobblestone alleys, visit the ancient Caro or Ha’ari synagogues, hear stories of the great mystics and stroll through the enchanting artists’ quarter.
• Set out on an exciting jeep tour through the Galilee and experience the transcendent beauty and history of this ancient region.
• Visit the Pelter Winery for a tour and tasting of their local wines.
• Return to our hotel in Haifa. Enjoy dinner on your own.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 7: Monday, October 31, 2022: THE WHITE CITY OF TEL AVIV

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Depart from Haifa and drive down the coast to Tel Aviv, the exciting metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea.
• Tour 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 Exhibit focuses on the unique music, melodies, art and food of the different communities.
• Following lunch on own, we meet with Jerusalem Post Palestinian Affairs correspondent, Khaled Abu Toameh, for a lecture entitled “A Snapshot of Palestinian Society”
• On the way to our hotel, walk through Bialik Street to see the Bauhaus architecture and get a peek into the lives of some of Tel Aviv’s most significant residents of years gone by, including Nachum Gutman and Reuven Rubin.
• Check in to hotel and enjoy dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 8: Tuesday, November 1, 2022: ISRAEL’S TECHNICOLOR TAPESTRY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Begin the day with a stroll along Nachalat Binyamin, a charming biweekly market featuring Israeli artisans and entertainers who bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life.
• View impressive murals and breathtaking pieces of art on a graffiti tour through Old Jaffa, offering perspectives from both an Arab and Jewish guide.
• Lunch on own.
• Join Scholar Rachel Korazim at her Jaffa home exploring themes in Israeli poetry. Possible topics: Women in Israeli poetry, Israeli identity – Jewish identity, viewing the other and more.
• Enjoy a night out at 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.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 9: Wednesday, November 2, 2022: MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We depart Tel Aviv and drive towards the Dead Sea and Masada.
• Ascend by cable car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod, where the zealots of the first century made their last stand against the Romans, and view the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors, roman baths, and other archeological findings.
• Descend the mountain and head to the beach where we enjoy lunch together before having a chance to enjoy an unsinkable swim in the healing and salty waters of the Dead Sea. Cover yourself in the silky and mineral-rich mud and float at the lowest place on Earth.
• Travel through the Dead Sea Basin, passing by Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered by a local shepherd, as we begin our drive to Jerusalem.
• We stop at the Haas Promenade to recite a special Shehecheyanu blessing while overlooking the City of Gold. Here, we see an amphitheater dedicated to the grandparents of Cantor Jodi Sufrin, Mendel and Zelda Goldenberg.
• Check in to our hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Thursday, November 3, 2022: THE PULSE OF THE NATION

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, visit Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center and national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. An essential emotional and educational experience, this tour will include:
          o The Avenue of the Righteous, where trees symbolic of the renewal of life have been planted and plaques honoring brave non-Jews who saved Jews during the Shoah.
          o The Historical Museum, a state-of-the-art interactive display reflecting decades of research and educational expertise. The story of the Holocaust, with an emphasis on individual victims, is told through survivor testimonies, original artifacts, and personal possessions saved from the ghettos and camps.
          o The Children’s Memorial, where candles shine like stars in the sky to commemorate the 1.5 million children lost during the Holocaust.
          o A memorial service where we will pay tribute to those who were lost.
          o Personal reflections: At the end of our visit, we’ll come together to share feelings and thoughts and discuss what we have experienced and learned at Yad Vashem.
• After lunch, continue to Mount Herzl, where along the northern slopes stretches Israel’s national cemetery, the final resting place of significant figures such as prime ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin, presidents Chaim Herzog and Zalman Shazar, and other prominent Zionist leaders.
• At the nearby Herzl Museum, we will learn about the life of one of Israel’s most important historical leaders, Theodore Herzl, and gather fascinating insight into the history of Israel.
• Next, a chef leads us through the popular Machane Yehuda market for a sensual immersion, engaging with the vibrant colors, smells, and flavors that abound. Wander through this bustling marketplace with its 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.
• The day completes with a viewing of the beautiful street portrait art on the area’s closed stall shutters.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 11: Friday, November 4, 2022: THE CITY OF PEACE

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• 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.
• We continue our day exploring the power of Jewish ideas, texts and values during a hands-on music and art workshop with Rabbi Matt Berkowitz of Kol HaOt.
• The remainder of the afternoon is free for lunch on own, shopping, and other recreational activities as we prepare for Shabbat.
• Tonight, we participate in Shabbat Services at HaTachana, the rejuvenated Jerusalem train station built in 1892, an urban meeting place where all walks of life come together.
• Enjoy Shabbat dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 12: Saturday, November 5, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Take a deep dive into over 3,000 years of architectural history that makes the Old City of Jerusalem so special, with a focus on the art that different societies have brought to this vast city. Begin in the Armenian quarter where we see the gorgeous tiles, Mamluk stone arches and special crosses, then continue through the Jewish quarter where we stop at the Hurva Synagogue to view the beauty of this monumental building.
• Enjoy lunch on own in the Old City.
• Continue with a tour of the renovated Israel Museum, Israel’s premiere cultural institution, featuring ancient archaeology, modern Israeli art, and everything in between.
• This evening, enjoy a festive farewell dinner as we recall all that we have experienced together on this journey of discovery, history, cuisine, and art.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 13: Sunday, November 6, 2022: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

• Breakfast at hotel before check out.
• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our flight home, arriving the same day.

The Memories Last Forever!!
*itinerary subject to change