K.A.M Isaiah Israel Led by Rabbi Frederick Reeves 10 day / 9 night 15 People (8 rooms) ​ ​ ​ Draft # 3 Tour Overview Have you been to Israel more than once or twice but you still feel you want to learn and see more of Israel? If the answer is YES, then this is just the trip for you! Join Rabbi Frederick Reeves and Puzzle Israel on an in depth journey of Israel, one ​ ​ which will allow you to really get to know the REAL ISRAEL with all of its layers. This tailor-made itinerary offers a special opportunity to “walk the bible,” to encounter history where it actually happened. We will study together, and then we will be inspired to live outside the books, encounter new ideas and challenge ourselves to find their own link within the chain of Jewish continuity. This tour is a unique opportunity for an immersive experience through study, informal encounters with Israelis, exposure to the local culture, language, and environment. Join us! Day 1 - Thursday, Feb 8, 2018 Bruchim Habaim - welcome to Israel (airport transportation) *Depending on your arrival time we will add activities to this day ● Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, on ?at ?Via flight ?Airline ● Meet with a Puzzle Israel representative who will be waiting for you at the Arrival Hall ● Start your journey and drive to Tel Aviv and check in to your hotel and relax from the long journey ● Welcome dinner and raise a toast for Lechaim, “cheers” (included) ​ Accommodation: Center Chic Hotel OR Market house jaffa ​ ​ ​ Day 2- Friday, Feb 9, 2018 Biblical theme of the day - Biblical life style, Jacob and the 12 tribes (guide + van) ​ ​ Shabbat enters at ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Start your journey and drive to Neot Kedumim, a Biblical ​ ​ ​ Landscape Reserve, recreating the physical setting of the Bible in all its depth and detail allows visitors to see life as it was lived by our ancestors 3,000 years ago ● Next, visit Benjamin's Tomb - Benjamin was the youngest of the ​ ​ sons of Jacob, and head of one of the 12 Tribes of Israel. This tribe was located in the center of Israel, between Judah and Ephraim. According to one of the traditions, the tomb is located near the city of Kfar-Saba ● Lunch in a local restaurant (included) ​ ● Visit Tel Megiddo National Park. Here you will find the amazing ​ ​ ruins of an ancient hilltop settlement, dated back to 7000 BCE! Throughout history, Megiddo had a great significance because of its strategic location overlooking the vast Jezreel valley from the west, and is the site where many battles took place in ancient times ● Drive to Haifa, arrive at your hotel, check in and relax from the long journey ● Enjoy a community welcome Shabbat service and dinner - raise a toast for Lechaim, “cheers” (included) ​ Accommodations: Bay Club Hotel / Carmel Forest Spa Resort (for extra $390 per person ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ for the entire stay) (D) ​ Day 3– Saturday, Feb 10 2018 The northern coastline and Haifa (guide + van) Biblical theme of the day - the Prophet Elijah, King Herod / the history of Acre Shabbat exits at ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Visit Elijah's cave located at the base of Mt. Carmel. Elijah's cave is one of the most ​ ​ sacred caves in the Holy Land. According to the tradition of all faiths (Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze) it was one of the places where Prophet Elijah lived and hid while operating in the area of Mount Carmel ● Choose one of the following options: ○ Opt #1 - Hike up the mountain side (a short hike with stairs) to the north western ​ point of Mt. Carmel. During this short hike, enjoy the nature with the ocean view and learn about the story of Masada in the Carmel plan, where the Jews during WW2 devised a plan to protect the land in case the British were defeated by the Germans and took hold of the Middle East and oil sources ○ Opt #2 - Take the cable cart up the mountain side to the north ​ western point of Mt. Carmel ● Optional - Continue to Louis Promenade for a special lookout over Haifa city and the ​ ​ ​ northern coastline ● Drive along the Carmel Mt. ridge towards the Druze town of Usifya-Daliyat El Carmel and visit the remains of the 5th century period synagogue that belonged to the Jewish community at the time (the name of the village was Chisfiah). At the site, you can see the beautiful remains of the mosaic of the Wheel of Fortune with ‘Shalom Al Israel’ inscribed ● Visit the Muchraka monastery and enjoy the spectacular lookout of the northern Bay of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Haifa, and the vast Jezreel Valley at your feet from the rooftop of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the small Carmelite order church. The site commemorates the biblical story of the victory of the Prophet Elijah over the Baal Prophets. ● Enjoy an authentic Druze lunch, a special cultural experience in the largest Druze community in Israel, Daliyat El Carmel. Meet Nora, our Druze host, a female entrepreneur, a member of the Druze minority, and a great cook who opened her own restaurant called Nura’s Kitchen! Try some of the local cuisine, influenced by Lebanese ​ ​ and Galilee kitchens (included) ​ ● If time allows: Visit the renowned site of the ancient Jewish town Beit Shearim, located ​ ​ ​ on top of a hill in the Lower Western Galilee. The ancient town is laden with tombs and ​ sarcophagi. Enjoy touring the area and hearing the history buried under each stone ● Dinner at a local restaurant (included) ​ ● Drive back to Haifa ● Join together with Rabbi Reeves at the hotel and study in preparation for tomorrow Accommodations: Bay Club Hotel / Carmel Forest Spa Resort (B,L,D) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Day 4 – Sunday, Feb 11 ,2018 The fascinating Jezreel Valley - from the days of Judges and King Saul to the establishment of the State of Israel (guide + van) Biblical theme of the day - Judges period, King Saul, King Ahab ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Visit Tel Yizreel, a major Biblical city, and during the 9th Century BC, it was the northern ​ ​ capital of the Israel Kingdom ● Visit Well of Harod Park and learn about the story of Gideon in ​ ​ the Book of Judges who was said to have dismissed 22,000 potential warriors who were "fearful and afraid" and then chose 300 men to fight with him according to how they drank water from the Well of Harod. Also learn about Yehoshua Hankin, a Zionist ​ ​ activist buried alongside his wife in the Kibbutz and who was responsible for most of the major land purchases of the Zionist Organization in Ottoman Palestine and Mandatory Palestine ● For lunch, enjoy a Puzzle Israel style picnic (included) ​ ● Choose one of the following afternoon activities: ○ Opt #1 - Head to Mt Gilboa and hike the Bible Trail. Enjoy a wonderful viewpoint ​ ​ ​ ​ from Shaul Mount, where King Saul, Israel’s first king led the Battle of Gilboa against ​ ​ ​ ​ the Philistines. The battle ended when King Saul fell on his own sword and Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchishua were killed ○ Opt #2 - Visit Mt.Tabor, the mountain shaped almost like a ​ ​ ​ ​ half-sphere, reaches a height of 575 meters. Its location on an important road junction and its height gave Mt. Tabor a strategic value and wars were conducted in its area in different periods in history. It was the site where the battle between Barak, under the leadership of the Israelite judge Deborah, and the army of Jabin commanded by Sisera, took place in the mid 12th century BCE ● Dinner at a local restaurant (included) ​ ● Drive to your accommodation and check in and relax after a long day ● Join together with Rabbi Reeves at the hotel and study in preparation for tomorrow Accommodations: Ein Harod Country suites and Guest house (stay in country lodge or ​ ​ upgrade to Iris suite for extra $190 per person for the entire stay - there are only 6 Iiris suites) (B,L,D) ​ Day 5- Monday, Feb 12, 2018 Exploring the Galilee and Golan Heights (guide + van) Biblical theme of the day - Joshua, King Solomon, King David ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Start your day with a visit to Tel Hazor – a UNESCO World ​ ​ Heritage Site, was one of the most important cities in the ancient Near East due to its location on one of the region’s main trade routes. Its biblical history is rich: it was first conquered by Joshua, and later became a main city of King Solomon. It is also believed to have been the site of King Ahab’s winter palace. Archaeological excavations have produced fascinating finds, including a restored Canaanite palace bearing signs of a huge fire attributed to Joshua’s conquest, a gate and walls from King Solomon’s time and the Israelite water system that was one of the engineering marvels of its day. ● Enjoy an easy stroll in one of the origins of the Jordan River at the famous Dan National Park. We will walk along the clear and ​ ​ beautiful Dan stream, followed by a visit to the historical part of the national park. Admire the magnificent ruins that were discovered in the ancient city of Dan (the northernmost city of the Kingdom of Israel and belonging to the tribe of Dan). At this site, a special discovery was made in 1993: Tel Dan Stele is a broken stele (inscribed stone) that consists of several fragments making up part of a triumphal inscription in Aramaic, boasting Hazael of Aram-Damascus, an important regional figure in the late 9th century BCE victories over the king of Israel and his ally the king of the "House of David," the first time the name David had been found outside of the Bible.