| Family Bar/Bat Mitzvah - |
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Typical Summer Itinerary
June 29 - July 13 July 06 - July 20 July 27 - August 10 August 03 - 17 August 17 - 31
Call us now for prices 905-886-5610 or 1-800-294-1663 Day 1: Sunday-July 1,8,29 and Aug
5,19, 2007 Meet at the Airport, say farewell to friends who have come to say
good-bye, board our flight to Tel Aviv and – Israel -here we come! Day 2: Monday Welcome to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. Our representative and guide will meet you, help you through
customs and transfer you on a deluxe, air conditioned tour bus to the Golden
City of Jerusalem, the ancient and modern capital of Israel. We’ll pause to
participate in a "Shehechiyanu" ceremony on the way to our
downtown luxurious hotel. We’ll relax and absorb the sunshine and
excitement of being in our land of
Israel. Later today, during our scrumptious welcome dinner at the
Inbal Hotel, we will be briefed on the program. In the evening, stroll through
Ben-Yehuda Promenade, with its sidewalk cafes, street artists and local
handicrafts. D Day 3: Tuesday This morning enter the gates of the Old City into the Jewish Quarter and
walk along the Cardo, the
colonnaded main street of Byzantine Jerusalem, for a timely, guided,
introduction to the history of Israel and region. Inside the Davidson
Center you’ll see a fantastic computer imaging presentation of the
Temple, continue to the Southern Wall Excavations, and of course, the Kotel – the Western
Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, the “Hafirot Hakotel"
(the new Wall excavations). See the stores under the
Robinson Arch. Get first hand information on all the new developments in the
area, including the bulge created by the illegal excavations of the Islamic
authorities. We will visit the Burnt
House and the Herodian Mansions, a completely excavated residential quarter from 2000 years ago! Continue
to the Rabbinical Tunnel under the Temple Mount, another
monumental achievement of the ancient Israelites who inhabited Jerusalem thousands
of years ago. We proceed into the Time
Elevator, a multi-media attraction which takes you on a
three-dimensional, simulated ride through the last 2000 years of Jerusalem’s
history. If time permits, we’ll visit the City
of David and learn about Jerusalem’s water supply in ancient
times. Evening: Middle Eastern dinner
at Olive & Fish Restaurant.
Overnight: Jerusalem, deluxe Hotel. BD Day 4: Wednesday Today we will cover the New City of Jerusalem beginning with the Scale Model of Jerusalem, which shows the city during the
Herodian period (Second Temple). Continue to the new Yad Vashem the
holocaust memorial for a lecture followed by a tour of the museum, Children=s
Memorial, walk along the Avenue of the Righteous and Dead Communities Valley.
After a special "Izkor" (memorial service), we proceed to visit Har
(Mount) Herzle
the military cemetery where Theodore Herzle and most of Israel's great
statesmen are buried. In Ein Karem we visit the Hadassa Hospital’s synagogue to
view the magnificent Chagall Windows. After a stop for lunch we
continue to the fun part of the day – a neighbourhood game with Ross Culinar. Evening: Dinner in a
restaurant(depending on the hotel we stay in).
Overnight in Jerusalem. BD Day 5: Thursday We begin our day with a tree planting ceremony which
symbolises our small contribution to making the landscape of Israel green and
fertile. On the way we will stop at the Scrolls of Fire
monument before continuing to the ancient cities of Beit Govrin
and Tel Maresha for another day of family experience and
fun. Participate in a real archaeological dig at Beit
Govrin -- almost half a day of learning about regional archaeology digging and
history. Visit the new site of
the Arefuge
caves@ where Jewish warriors lived and hid, observe
ancient olive oil manufacturing facilities; learn more about our forefathers.
We drive west to Latrun to visit the Armed Forces Museum.
This strategic building was the site of many critical battles to control the
main road to Jerusalem, including the War of Independence.) We follow the footsteps of the Israeli
soldiers who liberated and reunited Jerusalem. The children are certain to
climb onto the tanks and present you with many photo opportunities. Afterwards, during our visit to astonishing Mini
Israel, we’ll see fantastic mini-replicas of all the major building and
sites in Israel, Before dinner there
will be a meeting and rehearsal with the Rabbi for the families,
and individually with the Bar/Bat Mitzvah children (to ensure their comfort
with the Rabbi). Dinner in
a restaurant. Overnight:
Jerusalem. BD Day 6: Friday Today we begin at Ammunition Hill to learn about the
battle (1967) that resulted in the unification of Jerusalem. Continue to see “Otef Yerushalayim the
defence wall surrounding Jerusalem to protect the city from the entry of
unwanted elements. We will learn about
the effects of this wall on the daily life of Jews and Arabs. Next we’ll drive by the Supreme Court
and the Knesset (Parliament) to the Israel Museum, which
holds a unique collection of Jewish artefacts and historical treasures that can
only be collected in Israel. Early
return to the hotel. Before sunset we
go to the Western Wall to participate in the Friday evening prayers
and watch the procession of Yeshiva students dancing their way to the Kotel to
greet the Sabbath. A traditional Shabbat dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Jerusalem. BD Day 7: Shabbat A free day to participate in one of the many Shabbat services, visit
sites in Jerusalem or visit relatives.
Bathe in the swimming pool and rest before the tour continues. Overnight: Jerusalem. B Day 8: Sunday – Dead
Sea (Guests may join the tour today for two days which include the Bar/Bat
Mitzvah ceremony. The itinerary of this
day depends upon the political situation and could change.) Early this morning
we bid farewell to Jerusalem as we begin another day of family excitement with
our Desert Experience! We’ll ride through the Southern part of
the Judean desert on special vehicles – camels!
Meet the Bedouins (desert people), and see the breathtaking
desert with its beautiful rock formations and endless shapes. At the "Hanokdim
Farm” we’ll experience Bedouin style hospitality, feasting a "Chafla"
Lunch, literally having a taste of their customs and culture. If the
situation allows we will go through the Northern Route and visit Qumran, where
the Dead Sea Scrolls were found then visit Ein Gedi for a hike to the
falls. In the late afternoon we stretch out, relax and "float"
in the Dead Sea. Use the
famous black mud. (They say it’s good for what ails you!) Enjoy the great facilities of the beautiful
Crowne Plaza Hotel, dinner and overnight on the shore of the Dead Sea near
Masada BLD Day 9: Monday: July
9,16, August 6,13,27 Ceremony at Masada and enroute to Tiberias We arise in the early morning. After breakfast, ascend Masada, via the new cable car, to the last
stronghold of the Zealots, those who refused to surrender to the Roman
conquerors? Masada was declared by the UN as one of one hundred “World Heritage
Sites”. We join our Spiritual leader
for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service atop the cliff, overlooking the
Dead Sea and the mountains of Moab, in our pre booked spot which ensures full
enjoyment of the ceremony. After the service, walk around Herod the Great’s
Palace, view the synagogue, bath house and newly excavated areas. (New signs
describe the different exhibits.)
Descend the summit by cable car to board our bus for a visit to the Ein
Gedi nature reserve. Continue
to the Galilee via the Jordan Valley.
Stop at Beit Alfa to visit one of the oldest synagogues
ever excavated. Then to Tiberias to our deluxe hotel. Dinner. BD Day 10: Tuesday – Galilee/Golan Today, we visit Kibbutz Kinneret – the first Kibbutz and
the burial place of many of the founding fathers of the modern state. Visit Kfar Haruv the kibbutz
overlooking the Seal of Galilee to see how exposed it was to the Syrian armies
before the 1967 war. Continue to the
ancient Talmudic town of Ktzrin, which has been uncovered and
partially restored, the Capital city of the Golan. We visit a winery, continue touring the Golan Heights, and ascend
Har Ben Tal at the
Israel/Syrian border at Kuneitra for a view of Kuneitra and
beyond the border into Syria. We visit an Army Base,
have a chance to climb on tanks and speak to the soldiers who defend the
northern border of Israel and observe the life of a real combat
unit. More fun; we embark on a Jeep
Tour of the Golan Heights. Dinner will be served at the hotel or a restaurant. BD Day 11: Wednesday – Northern
Galilee/Tiberias We start at the ancient, sacred city of Safed: Walk around and explore the galleries in this artists
colony and explore the historic, small synagogues. We continue our day with a blast at Kibbutz
Ayelet Hashachar. Everyone gets a
chance to test their target shooting skills. Continue to Mitzpe
Gadot (the “Mourtafa”) for a breath-taking view of the Hula Valley. We
explore the northernmost part of Israel.
Drive to the Jordan River for Kayak, rafting and canoeing downstream; test your skills on
the Omega (another pleasant surprise). In the evening we dine at Decks
an Israeli grill restaurant on the shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee),
where your taste buds will be tantalized by organically grown vegetables,
tender meat and fresh fish. After
dinner, a boat rides on the Sea of Galilee and another evening of
surprises and family fun. Overnight at
the hotel in Tiberias. Day 12: Thursday The day begins at Mitzpe Hoshaya where the kids will have
a chance to experience Donkey riding and participate in cheese making and bread
baking. On the way south we visit a Druze
Village and continue to Park Alona – Mei Kedem where we take our shoes off and step into
the tunnel that supplies fresh water to the
ancient city of Caesarea. We’ll
stop at Caesarea to explore the astounding Roman Amphitheatre,
Hippodrome and the new Multi Media show.
We will be able to “speak” to King Herod and many of the rulers of that
period and others who shaped the history 2000 years ago. Continue along the coastal road to our
deluxe hotel in Tel Aviv. Tonight we
will have our festive Bar/Bat Mitzvah dinner at the deluxe Carlton Hotel
in Tel Aviv! Bar Mitzvah
children will be presented with a special certificate from the Government of
Israel. Another special evening of good time and family fun Overnight
Tel Aviv. BD Day 13: Friday After visiting the Old City of Jaffa, we drive south from
Tel Aviv to Machon Ayalon to visit the pre-state underground
ammunition factory. After a short lunch
break we visit the Carmel Market shopping district, to mingle
with the crowd and become part of this bustling life style. We proceed to Beit
Hatefutsoth – the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora for a special family
adventure. The children will have a special
role in discovering “The routes of the Roots”.
We proceed to Independence Hall. Feel the excitement of Ben Gurion where, in May 1948 he declared
the establishment of the state of Israel. Continue to Nachlat Benyamin which
was transformed into an outdoor arts and crafts market – the place to be and be
seen on Friday afternoon. You can
stroll along the beautiful promenade along the beach and enjoy the invigorating
pace of Tel Aviv. Traditional
Shabbat Dinner at the hotel. BD Day 14: Shabbat Free in Tel Aviv to enjoy the sun and beach; visit relatives and relax.
We will keep one day room per family, for you convenience until
departure. In the evening we have our farewell
dinner. BD Day 15: Sunday July 15, 22, and Aug. 12,19, and Sep. 2 Our return flight back to North America. As bookings are made months prior to departure it may be
necessary to make minor changes before the final itinerary is published. The information meeting held prior to
departure will provide further details. All efforts are made to use the
restaurants mentioned in the itinerary.
However changes may have to be made at the last minute subject to number
of participants and availability, on location. Time Table: Please note that the
itinerary or even accommodations could change according to conditions. 1. Registration |
B - Breakfast