The Israel Trip

Home , Mamilla, Mamilla Mall, Masada, Shuafat

CONGREGATION TEMPLE ISRAEL GOES TO ISRAEL • LED BY RABBIS AMY FEDER AND MICHAEL ALPER

AEL GOES SR 1 3 , 2 0 1 9 T I 3 - O E e r I L b S P m R e A M v E o E L T N

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TOLL FREE 888-811-2812 | Search on arzaworld.com for more details

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Your Tour Educator

Every journey we offer is accompanied by a Tour Educator (TE) who brings your itinerary to life. Some of our TE’s have decades of firsthand experience leading people to particular places.

Your TE will provide you with an authentic understanding of the locations you will visit, will introduce you to the locals, and will share his/her enthusiasm and passion for the local culture. The result is a journey that transforms your understanding of a place, connecting you to the people and places you encounter in a way that is palpable and unforgettable.

Our TE's are like no other: intelligent, knowledgeable, engaging and fun. They will become an indispensable part of your experience and some might just become lifetime friends. OUR TRIP

NOVEMBER 3-13, 2019

FROM $3,879 LAND ONLY

HIGHLIGHTS

A journey of inspiration, education and connection

Experience Israel from ancient history to high-tech innovation

Go beyond the headlines: explore the challenges and triumphs of the nation

Feel the holiness of Jerusalem, the energy of Tel Aviv, the serenity of the North

Authentic Israel: from floating in the Dead Sea to a jeep tour on the Golan Heights

Living Judaism: study with leading scholar, Bnai Mtizvah celebration on Masada

Savor the flavor of Israel: great food and wine tours

See Israel in style with outstanding tour educator and superb service

DAY ONE  SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2019 DAY THREE  TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019 ON THE WAY TO ISRAEL DIVERSITY IN THE FIRST HEBREW CITY 5:25 p.m. Depart St. Louis on United Airlines flight #4368. Breakfast at an Israeli hotel is an experience in itself. Start the day 8:25 p.m. Arrive at Newark International Airport. with a bounteous buffet. 11:05 p.m. Depart on United Airlines flight #90. Beginnings: Modern Tel Aviv grew out of ancient Jaffa. Gaze out over the Mediterranean Sea, learn why Jaffa, mentioned in the Overnight: Flight biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, is so historically important DAY TWO  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2019 and see how its Old City reflects the present as well as the past. ARRIVAL LaDa'at Ethnic Tasting Tour: Eat, drink, and be educated at the Levinsky Market, a shrine for food lovers, chefs, and food tourism. 4:20 p.m. Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. Our This multi-cultural tasting tour will double up as a delicious lunch. representative will be on hand to assist with all formalities and Da'at Encounters Out of East Africa: Meet African women seeking ensure your journey has the smoothest of starts. refuge in Tel Aviv and see how they are working toward a Meet your tour educator who will accompany you on this journey brighter future by creating beautiful crochet products. Kuchinate of education and inspiration. (meaning crocket in Tigrinya) is a collective that empowers and Check into the hotel. provides support to women asylum-seekers, many of whom Israel 101 - Our Thoughts, Our Journey: Enjoy a welcome dinner suffered great hardships while fleeing to Israel: and orientation for your trip by Rabbi Alper and Rabbi Feder and OR your tour educator. Start-Up Nation: Delve into the world of renowned Israeli Overnight: Tel Aviv inventions and creations at the State of Mind Innovation Center and meet with an up-and-coming start-up entrepreneur. From Hebrew City to Hebrew State: Walk along the newly-opened Independence Trail and embark on a remarkable journey that begins with the founding of Tel Aviv in 1909 and ends with the establishment of Israel in 1948. Return to the hotel. Dinner (not included in package). Overnight: Tel Aviv DAY FOUR  WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 DAY FIVE  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019 A MOSAIC OF ISRAELI SOCIETY SERENITY AND SECURITY IN THE GOLAN Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out. Breakfast at the hotel. Head northwards and back in time to Caesarea, one of the Lands Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, located on the largest of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Period. Learn tributary of the Jordan River, and examine the ruins of the great about life 2,000 years ago with its ancient amphitheaters, palaces, biblical city of Dan. and bathhouses. Northern Borders, Northern Battles: We'll gaze across the Golan Lunch (not included in package), en route. and into Syria from the top of Mount Bental and gain powerful Guided visit to Beit She'arim, site of a 1,800-year-old Jewish insights into Israel's geopolitical and security situation. Analyze necropolis and the graves of some of the most important the current challenges Israel faces on its northern border, codifiers of Jewish tradition declared a UNESCO site. examine the impact of the tragic civil war in Syria, and hunker Drive to Kfar Tikvah (Village of Hope) and enjoy wine tasting down in bunkers from the vital battles that took place here at the Tulip Winery. This unique and innovating wine producer during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. employs people with special needs and combines love and fine Lunch (not included in package), en route. wine for all. Enter Tsfat. The combination of mysticism and art and beautiful Drive to the Upper Galilee and check into the hotel. mountain air makes Israel's highest city other-worldly: Dinner at the hotel. Visit the Arisynagogue and share in the inspiration and innovation that moved Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Holy Ari) and his Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee fellow mystics. In Tsfat they developed the Kabbalah, the esoteric insights of Judaism and created Kabbalat Shabbat, the prayers sung on Friday evenings to welcome the arrival of the Sabbath. Stroll the cobbled streets and alleyways to the Artists' Colony with its galleries, stores, and studios. Meet with artist Sheva Chaya in her studio, for an interactive window into the world of Kabbalah, glass blowing, and questions of identity and Judaism. Return to the Kibbutz hotel for dinner. Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee DAY SIX  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 OR THE BEAUTY OF NATURE IN THE VALLEY Kabbalat Shabbat services at Azarat Israel, the pluralistic section of the Kotel (Western Wall). Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out. Shabbat dinner at the hotel. Head to the Hula Lake (Agamon HaHula) for bike-riding, golf- Return to the hotel. carting, nature walks, and bird-watching. Kinneret Cemetery: The area around the Kinneret was a Overnight: Jerusalem stronghold for early Zionist experiments in communal living and collective agriculture. We'll visit the graves of some of the DAY SEVEN  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2019 iconic figures in pioneering Zionist culture buried at the Kinneret HEAVENLY & EARTHLY JERUSALEM Cemetery including Rachel the Poetess, the Zionist Marxist Breakfast at the hotel. philosopher Ber Borochov, and Naomi Shemer, the “first lady of LaDa'at Hebrew Writers: Guided walk through the streets of Israeli song,” and discuss communal life in Israel then and now. Jerusalem, using the writings of Jerusalem's poets and authors, Lunch (not included in package), en route. such as Yehuda Amichai, Y. Agnon, and others. As we drive south through the Jordan Valley, we'll discuss the A Mountain Holy to Many: Experience the overlapping religions strategic and political situation in this area and consider how and the complexity of inter-religious relations at Mt. Zion. The site Israeli control over it is viewed by some as vital to national security is venerated by Christians as the location of Jesus's Last Supper but by others as an impediment to any future agreement with the but was once a mosque while, in a room directly below, Jews pray Palestinians. at the place where King David is believed to have been buried. A First Look at the Holy City: Over the centuries, many have Lunch (not included in package), en route. been moved and awed by their first sight of Jerusalem. We'll Explore the wonderfully creative Israel Museum, with its eclectic stop at Mount Scopus for a stunning overview of the city and collection, ranging from archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls to celebrate our arrival with a special ceremony and the traditional Jewish life and art, European art, contemporary Israeli art, and the “shehechiyanu” blessing of thanksgiving. open-air model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. Check into the hotel. Ben Kodesh Lechol: Havdallah overlooking the Old City. Kabbalat Shabbat services at Kehillat Mevasseret in Mevasseret Free time to explore downtown Jerusalem, including the Ben Zion, led by Rabbi Alona Nir-Keren. Yehuda pedestrian mall and the Nahalat Shiva neighborhood, Home hospitality/Communal Shabbat dinner with local with dinner (not included in package). congregants. Overnight: Jerusalem DAY EIGHT  SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2019 Lights! Action! Jerusalem! Watch the Night Spectacular at the JERUSALEM OF GOLD, OF COPPER, AND OF LIGHT Tower of David Museum. The walls of the Citadel serve as the stage for this cinematic celebration of sight and sound depicting Breakfast at the hotel. the story of Jerusalem. Proceed to the Old City and begin with an exploration of the excavations at the City of David, the very core of ancient Overnight: Jerusalem Jerusalem; walk through the recently opened Second Temple- period tunnel under the walls of the Old City, emerging in the DAY NINE  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2019 Jerusalem Archaeological Park to view Robinson's Arch and the INTO THE DESERT: MASADA & THE DEAD SEA Southern Wall steps where Jewish pilgrims entered the Temple Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before setting out to the Mount 2,000 years ago. Dead Sea. Stop at the Kotel to experience the special atmosphere of this As Low as It Goes: Drive to the Dead Sea Basin, 1412 feet below holy spot and then walk through the Western Wall Tunnel, the sea level and the lowest place on earth, and experience the underground continuation of the Western Wall alongside the breathtaking views of the desert and landscape. Temple Mount. The Last Stand: A cable car will take you to the top of Masada Lunch (not included in package) in the Jewish Quarter. with its extraordinary views and fascinating archaeological A walking tour will take you to the heart of Jewish life, history, and remains. This UNESCO World Heritage site is where Jewish rebels holiness: Jerusalem's Old City and the Jewish Quarter. Among the are believed to have made their final attempt to resist Roman highlights will be: invaders (c 74 CE) before committing mass suicide. Learn about The Cardo, the main street of Roman-controlled Jerusalem and Masada's importance as a symbol of Jewish defense and discuss its spectacular Byzantine-era columns. its influence on modern Israel. King Hezekiah's “Broad Wall,” built to protect Jerusalem from B'nai Mitzvah ceremony atop of Masada (in case of rain the invasion 2,700 year ago. ceremony will take place at HUC). Hurva Square, the center of modern-day life in the Jewish Lunch (not included in package), en route. Quarter. The Sea of Salt: Float in the Dead Sea, which is nine times saltier Depart the Old City. than the ocean. Free time in the Mamilla Mall, an upscale shopping street and the only open-air mall in Jerusalem, located outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City. Dinner on own account. “Sabra, the Hebrew name for prickly pear cactus fruit, fruit of the nopale cactus, native to Mexico, now endemic in the Middle East.” From Wikipedia

En route to Jerusalem, we'll drive by Qumran, where a separatist were lost. It will include the opportunity to talk about family Jewish sect from the Second Temple period created an isolated members and loved ones who died during the Shoah. community and where the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the most Personal Reflections: At the end of our visit, we'll come together ancient and important religious manuscripts in existence, were to share feelings and thoughts and discuss what we have discovered. experienced and learned at Yad Vashem. Return to the hotel. Enjoy a multi-cultural tasting journey (doubling as lunch) Dinner (not included in package) in Jerusalem. through the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda open-air market: Enjoy the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of Overnight: Jerusalem this vibrant area. DAY TEN  TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 1 City, 2 States, 3 Religions, and 4 Quarters: Take a ride on JEWISH MEMORY, JEWISH RENEWAL Jerusalem's light rail, starting in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood, continuing through the Arab villages of Shuafat and Beit Hanina Breakfast at the hotel. and the ultra-Orthodox area of Ramot Eshkol, and ending at the Living as a Jew in the Modern World: Special study program at the Old City. Experience the mosaic and diversity of the Jerusalem Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, with a leading scholar. population and discuss the difference between East and VisitingYad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million West Jerusalem and the ongoing struggles between the city's Jewish victims of the Holocaust, is an essential emotional and different communities. educational experience. Your guided tour will include: Return to the hotel. TheAvenue of the Righteous, where trees symbolic of the Festive farewell dinner. renewal of life have been planted along with plaques honoring brave non-Jews who saved Jews during the Shoah. Overnight: Jerusalem TheHistorical Museum, a state-of-the-art interactive display reflecting decades of research and educational expertise. The DAY ELEVEN  WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 story of the Holocaust, with an emphasis on individual victims, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN is told through survivor testimonies, original artifacts, and Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out. personal possessions saved from the ghettos and camps. Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your return flight to the US. The Children's Memorial, where candles shine like stars in the 11:35 a.m. Depart on United Airlines flight #85. sky to commemorate the 1.5 million children lost during the 4:50 p.m. Arrive Newark International Airport. Holocaust. 8:25 p.m. Depart on United Airlines flight #4422. A Memorial Service where we will pay tribute to those who 10:10 p.m. Arrive St.Louis. “The flowering, not the fruit. The way, not the distance covered.” Meir Shalev

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