Day 1: Tuesday, November 28, 2023: DEPARTURE

• We depart at 8:00PM on our non-stop El Al flight from Boston to Israel.

Day 2: Wednesday, November 29, 2023: BRUCHIM HABAIM - WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel at 1:00PM and are met at the airport by our Ayelet Tours guide to begin our drive to the Galilee.
• On our way, we stop at Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region, to see the amazing aqueduct, beautiful mosaics, the remarkably restored ancient theater and the excavations of the crusaders' city.
• We check in to our kibbutz in the Galilee and have time to refresh before we enjoy dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 3: Thursday, November 30, 2023: THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH

• Enjoy breakfast at our kibbutz.
• Next, we venture to the mystical city of Safed, birthplace of Kabbalah and home to legends, myths, and miracles. We 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.
• Next, we set out on an exciting jeep tour through the Galilee and experience the transcendent beauty and history of this ancient region.
• We continue with a visit to the Pelter Winery for a tour and tasting of their local wines.
• We return to our kibbutz and enjoy dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 4: Friday, December 1, 2023: EXPLORING HAIFA

• Enjoy breakfast at our kibbutz before we check out and depart to drive down the coast to Haifa.
• We venture to the top of 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.
• 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.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel in Haifa and have time to refresh before we participate in Kabbalat Shabbat services and enjoy Shabbat dinner together with our sister congregation, Or Chadash.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 5: Saturday, December 2, 2023: 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, December 3, 2023: ISRAEL'S HUMAN MOSAIC

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we 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.
• Next, we 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.
• We 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.
• After lunch, we tour the National Maritime Museum, a museum searching through Israel's connection with the sea and the Ma'apilim.
• Dinner on our own in Haifa.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 7: Monday, December 4, 2023: THE WHITE CITY OF TEL AVIV

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart from Haifa and drive south along the Mediterranean shoreline 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.
• We check into our hotel and enjoy dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 8: Tuesday, December 5, 2023: ISRAEL'S TECHNICOLOR TAPESTRY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We set out to 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.
• This afternoon, we join Scholar Rachel Korazim at her Jaffa home exploring themes in Israeli poetry. Possible topics include: 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, December 6, 2023: THE CITY OF PEACE

• Breakfast and then check out of our hotel.
• We depart Tel Aviv and drive to Jerusalem. Upon arrival, 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.
• Next, 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. During our visit, we 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.
• Later, we check into our hotel and prepare for the day's final excursion.
• We head out again for a chef-led tour 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 our dinner together with our purchases.
• The day is completed with a viewing of the beautiful street portrait art on the area's closed stall shutters.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Thursday, December 7, 2023: MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart Jerusalem and drive towards the Dead Sea basin. Upon our arrival, we ascend Masada 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.
• We descend the mountain and head to the beach, where we have lunch together and 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.
• We pass by Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered by a local shepherd, then return to our hotel in Jerusalem, where we light the first Hanukkah candle together.
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 11: Friday, December 8, 2023: PULSE OF A NATION

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• Our first stop today is at 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, we 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.
• We return to our hotel to light the second Hanukkah candle and have a chance to freshen up.
• Tonight, we participate in Kabbalat Shabbat Services at HaTachana, the rejuvenated Jerusalem train station built in 1892, an urban meeting place where all walks of life come together, followed by Shabbat dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 12: Saturday, December 9, 2023: 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. We 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.
• We 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, we light the third Hanukkah candle together.
• We enjoy our farewell dinner together this evening, recalling all that we have experienced togther on our journey through Israel.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 13: Sunday, December 10, 2023: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our flight home, arriving later today.