ITINERARY
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[accordion_item caption=”Sunday: Departure”]
We book your departure to schedule your arrival into Israel for Monday.
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[accordion_item caption=”Monday: Arrival in Israel”]
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, or if in Israel already, make your way to your choice of hotel.
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[accordion_item caption=”Tuesday: Jerusalem Old & New”]
We will start the day with a magnificent view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives, then drive to the Old City and tour the Jewish Quarter. We will join the centuries- old chain of prayers at the Kotel – the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. After lunch we will visit the Yad Vashem historical museum to learn about the Holocaust. We will end the day with a driven tour to some of the city’s highlights.
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[accordion_item caption=”Wednesday: What can I do for my country?”]
We will start the day with Project Leket, picking fruit for the poor, then we will visit the bullet factory at Machon Ayalon – clandestine operation for creating bullets under the British noses before the establishment of Israel. After lunch we will visit the Weitzman Institute, the cutting edge of science.
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[accordion_item caption=”Thursday: Following the Biblical Route”]
We will drive via Beit El and Ofra to Shiloh, where the Mishkan stood from the days of Joshua. There we will hike to the Tel and see a movie that will bring its history to life, and visit a special needs educational center. From here we will drive to the Binyamin visitor center for an interactive game, a movie about the area and learn about the wine production old and new including wine-tasting. As we return to Jerusalem you may return to the hotel or be left off by Mahane Yehuda.
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[accordion_item caption=”Friday: To the City Built From Sand”]
Today we will drive to Tel Aviv and visit Independence Hall where the State was declared. We will walk around “little Tel Aviv,” see the unique Bauhaus-style buildings, the first house in the city, and mosaic walls depicting the city’s history. Then we will enjoy free time at the Nahalat Binyamin arts and crafts fair. Return to Jerusalem.
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[accordion_item caption=”Saturday: Shabbat Shalom! – !שבת שלום”][/accordion_item]
[accordion_item caption=”Sunday: To the Desert”]
Drive through the Maale Adumim road to the Judean Desert. We will hike to the waterfalls of the Ein Gedi oasis and hopefully see some yael – mountain goats. From there we will drive to Massada, a special isolated fortress built by King Herod the great builder, and learn about one of the most dramatic events in Jewish history. After lunch we will experience a swim (or rather float) in the special healthy water of the Dead Sea. Driving via the Arava we will arrive towards dinner in Eilat.
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[accordion_item caption=”Monday: Leisure Day with Options to Explore Eilat or Petra”]
Enjoy the hotel premises or scout the town – Today is a day of leisure. The tour offers a day trip, including a driven tour of Eilat, the Underwater Observatory, for a chance to meet fish face to face, and an optional jeep ride or optional scuba diving (if a diver, bring along documents). You may also arrange in advance for a tour to Petra, Jordan. Overnight in Eilat.
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[accordion_item caption=”Tuesday: Desert Dreams”]
Leave Eilat, late start. Our day will start at the magnificent Timna Reserve, where ancient mines and natural beauty combine. Lunch at Yotvetah and enjoy some famous local ice cream. Drive via the Negev Desert to the Ramon crater, the world’s largest Makhtesh. In Mitzpe Ramon we will find out how one decides to build a city on the rim of the largest Makhtesh in the world. What is needed to make this work? Enjoy a tour of an ecological soap factory. Overnight in the Ramon Inn.
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[accordion_item caption=”Wednesday: Settlers in the Desert”]
Leaving Mitzpe Ramon, we will visit the Nabatean City of Avdat, located on the spice route. We will have chance to see a movie, smell some spices and walk through the ruins. We will continue to Kibbutz Sde Boker to visit Ben Gurion’s hut and learn about his vision of making the desert flourish. From here we will continue to the Hazerim air force museum and learn the history of modern day Israel amongst the planes, including the Entebbe raid plane. Return to Jerusalem.
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[accordion_item caption=”Thursday: Roots of our Fathers”]
We will start the day at Rachel’s Tomb and try to understand why she is buried along the way and not in the family plot, and how women feel connected to this place. We will drive past the Har Choma neighborhood and see the outskirts of Bethlehem. We will visit the Herodion, King Herod’s burial site, then visit Sde Bar Farm to hear their special story. From here we will drive via Tekoa – the first mixed community in Israel, and continue to Hevron. After a lunch break we will have time to learn about and pray in the Cave of Machpela and hear about Hevron. Enjoy Gush Etzion and visit a winery on the return to Jerusalem.
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[accordion_item caption=”Friday: Day of Leisure in the Holy City!”]
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[accordion_item caption=”Saturday: Shabbat Shalom and Evening Departure, L’heitraot!”] [/accordion_item]
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