Flipbook - Congregation B'nai Israel

CONGREGATION B’NAI ISRAEL OF BOCA RATON • FAMILY TRIP TO ISRAEL • LED BY RABBI RONY KELLER
December 22, 2018-January 2, 2019
THE
ISRAEL
TRIP
CONGREGATION B’NAI ISRAEL OF BOCA RATON
come be inspired
telling the story
of Israel and the
Jewish World.
TOLL FREE 888-811-2812 | Search on arzaworld.com for more details

call: 888.811.2812 visit: arzaworld.com

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
DECEMBER 22, 2018-JANUARY 2, 2019
FROM $4,189 LAND ONLY
INCLUDES
•Optional flights to and from Tel Aviv as listed in the air section of this program
(Taxes and fuel charges are included and are subject to change by the Airline).
•9 nights' accommodation at select hotels + late check-out on last day
•8 days of touring in a luxury, air-conditioned bus with licensed, English
speaking tour educator + walk tour on Shabbat
•1 group transfer and assistance from/to the airport
•All site entrance fees and program fees as per itinerary
•Youth counselor on Yad Vashem day
•Meals: daily breakfast, 2 lunches and 5 dinners
•Portage at the airport and hotels

DAY ONE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2018
DEPARTURE
•10:45 p.m. Depart Miami International airport on El Al airlines
flight #18.
Overnight: Flight
DAY TWO SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2018
ARRIVAL
•5:30 p.m. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport.
•Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival
formalities
•Enter the city of Tel Aviv, known as the “city that never sleeps,”
with its centers of culture, recreation and national history, great
beaches and fine stores.
•Check into the hotel.
•Welcome dinner and opening to the program at Maganda in Tel
Aviv's Yemenite Quarter, with a varied menu of traditional salads
and grilled meats.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY THREE MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2018
TEL AVIV: THE FIRST HEBREW CITY
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Stroll down Rothschild Boulevard to view examples of the
intriguing Bauhaus-style architecture from the 1930s; the local
proliferation of the style won Tel Aviv recognition as a UNESCO
World Heritage site and the nickname of ‘the White City.”
•Visit Independence Hall, where David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the
State of Israel on May 14th, 1948.
•Visit the Old City of Jaffa, ascend from the old port through the
renovated alleyways to the Jaffa Overlook for an introduction
to Tel Aviv at the place where it all began and walk through the
famous Jaffa Flea Market - “Shuk Hapishpishim”.
•Lunch on own.
•Urban Culture Tours of Tel Aviv, Combining Street Art, Language
& Graffiti: Join a local resident, to explore the urban culture of the
city.
•From the Templers to the Hipsters: Guided tour to the newly
renovated Templers town of Sarona, now a hip and vibrant
fashion and culinary center, including a visit to the Historic Olive
Mill and Press House.
•Enjoy dinner on own, perhaps at the Sarona Market. Through the
smells, flavors and tastes of this renovated historical Templers
town, explore the range of cuisine from local street food to fine
dining by world renowned Israeli chefs.
Overnight: Tel Aviv

DAY FOUR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2018
ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Israeli Society @ 2018: Dialogue with scholar Paul Liptz of Tel Aviv
University and the Hebrew Union College.
•Check out of the hotel.
•Start Up Nation: Explore the world of renowned Israeli inventions
and creations at the State of Mind Innovation Center, followed by
a dialogue with an up and coming startup entrepreneur.
•Visit the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall, with its bi-weekly
crafts fair and eateries. Alongside is the colorful Carmel open-air
market and across the way Sheinkin Street, with its hip cafés and
funky chic shopping; lunch on own.
•Depart Tel Aviv and drive up the coast to Caesarea, one of the
Land of Israel's most important cities in the Roman Period.
Visit the Herodian Theater and the excavations along the
Mediterranean shore, concluding with a visit to the ruined 900-
year-old Crusader town.
•Drive to the Eastern Galilee and walk to the Arbel Cliffs for a
beautiful overlook of the mountains and the Sea of Galilee.
•Drive east to the Upper Galilee and check into the kibbutz hotel.
•Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee
DAY FIVE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018
NATURE AND SECURITY ON THE GOLAN
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, located on the largest
tributary of the Jordan River, and explore the ruins of the great
Biblical city of Dan.
•Take a Jeep tour off-road up the Golan Heights in the footsteps
of Israeli soldiers and their battles in the Six-Day War. Enjoy the
beautiful natural scenery and gain an insight into the strategic
complexity of the Golan.
•Lunch on own en route.
•The panoramic views from Bental (overlooking the abandoned
Syrian town of Kuneitra) give sharp insights into Israel's security
situation on the Golan Heights, and the enormous challenges it
faced in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and the new threat from the
north, ISIS.
Option 1
•Wine Tasting at a local winery on the Golan Heights.
Option 2
•Enjoy the culinary delight of a chocolate workshop at the De
Karina Chocolate Factory on Kibbutz Ein Zivan.
All
•Make a stop at the Neot Mordechai Shoe Factory store.
•Enjoy dinner at the Dag al ha-Dan Fish Restaurant, located in a
pastoral setting along the Dan Stream.
Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee

“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

DAY SIX THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018
SPIRITUALITY IN THE NORTH
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Check out of the hotel.
•Explore Tsfat, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years
and a contemporary artists' colony, including:
•Guided visit to the Ari, Caro or Abuhav Synagogues, each with its
great stories and mystical messages.
•A stroll through the quaint Artists' Colony, shop in the galleries
and crafts shops and engage in dialogues with local artisans
inspired by the messages of Kabbalah.
•Lunch on own.
•Drive along the Trans-Israel Highway for a close-up view of the
‘Security Barrier' along the seam zone between Israel and the
Palestinian Territories.
•Tikkun Olam hands-on experience with Leket, a volunteer
organization that provides food for the needy by collecting excess
produce from farms and food distribution companies.
•Welcome to Jerusalem: Enter the vibrant and colorful ancient city
of Jerusalem, and experience the convergence of the old and the
new.
•Stop at Mount Scopus for an overlook of the Old and New City of
Jerusalem and to recite the traditional “shehechiyanu” blessing.
•Check into the hotel.
•Dinner on own, perhaps on vibrant Emek Refaim Street, in
Jerusalem's German Colony.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY SEVEN FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018
HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY IN JERUSALEM
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Proceed to the Old City and enter via Dung Gate.
•Stop at the Kotel (Western Wall) and then walk through the
Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the
Western Wall alongside the Temple Mount.
•Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter for visits to
archaeological treasures and other highlights, among them:
•A walk along the Rooftops of the Old City for a behind-thescenes
look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how
they live alongside each other.
•The Cardo, the main street of Jerusalem in the 6th
•King Hezekiah's First Temple-period “Broad Wall”.
•Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter.
•Lunch on own in the Jewish Quarter.
•Free time in the Arab bazaar.
•Return to the hotel and time to prepare for Shabbat.
•Kabbalat Shabbat services at Kehillat Zur Hadassah, followed by
home hospitality Shabbat dinner with congregants or festive
Shabbat dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY EIGHT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019
SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Chavruta morning service overlooking the Old City.
•Lunch on own.
•The Visions of the New City- discover the fabulous story of
Jerusalem's expansion beyond the Old City as you wander from
the Sir Moses Montefiore Windmill through the winding alleys of
Yemin Moshe and Mishkenot Shaananim.
•Shabbat Walk through unexpected paths to Zion, with a visit to
the Temple Mount Overlook and King David's Tomb.
•Chance to wander in the Arab bazaar.
•Ben Kodesh Lechol: Havdallah overlooking the Old City.
•Stroll along the Ben-Yehuda Street and Nachalat Shiva pedestrian
malls, joining the many Israelis out on the town, with dinner on own.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY NINE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2019
MEMORIES FOR THE FUTURE
•Breakfast at the hotel.
Adults:
•Visit the Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to
the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including:
•The Avenue of the Righteous
•The new Historical Museum
•The Children's Memorial
Children under age 10:
•Visit Ein Yael, an interactive, living museum, located on a 2,000-
year-old archaeological site with the option of taking part in
weaving, ceramics, painting and other crafts typical of life in
ancient times, OR visit the Biblical Zoo, a beautifully landscaped
habitat with a special focus on preserving Biblical fauna, geared to
children of all ages (2-80).
All:
•Take a multi-cultural tasting journey through the hustle and
bustle of Jerusalem's Machaneh Yehudah open-air market: Enjoy
the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of this vibrant area where
Jerusalemites shops.
•Tree planting at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, including birdwatching,
bird-banding and an insight into the urban wildlife of
Jerusalem.
Adults :
•Challenges and Triumphs of Religious Pluralism and Social Justice
in Israel: Dialogue with Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of the
Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC).
Children:
•Through a unique multimedia expedition - I Am Jerusalem - take
a journey to the past, present and future of Jerusalem. Learn why
Jerusalem is so important to Judaism, Islam and Christianity as
you take a virtual ride through the streets, alleys, markets and
attractions of the Old and New Cities.
•Last minute preparations for the b'nai mitzvah ceremony.
All:
•Dinner on own, perhaps at the Old Train Station Plaza, with its
fashionable restaurants featuring local and international cuisine.
On certain evenings one can enjoy street musicians, Israeli
dancing and other attractions.
Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY TEN MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2018
PASSAGES IN TIME
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Return to the Old City for the B'nai Mitzvah ceremony at Azeret
Yisrael, the Pluralistic section of the Western Wall.
•Depart Jerusalem with packed lunches to take part in an
archaeological dig at the Beit Guvrin Caves; prepare to get your
hands dirty uncovering pottery from the Hellenistic period,
2,300 years ago, followed by a crawl through the Maresha Cave
Labyrinth (crawling is optional). Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park
was recently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
•Return to Jerusalem and travel through the Valley of Elah, the site
of the Biblical battle between David and Goliath.
•Free time in the Mamilla pedestrian arcade, a very contemporary
shopping area with a whiff of the past, located outside the Jaffa
Gate of the Old City; dinner on own.
•The Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum: The walls of
the Citadel serve as a stage for a night-time show - a celebration
of sight and sound - that depicts the story of Jerusalem.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY ELEVEN TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2019
MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA
•Breakfast at the hotel.
•Drive to the Dead Sea Basin.
•Short hike to Nahal David, the freshwater spring and waterfalls in
the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where David hid from King Saul.
•Ascend by cable-car to Masada, Herod's mountain palace and
the site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman
Legionnaires. Discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewish defence
and its current significance in modern Israel.
•Lunch on own at Masada.
•Experience the weightlessness of the Dead Sea as you float in its
waters.
•Return to Jerusalem, driving by Qumran, the area where the Dead
Sea Sect established a community, and the caves where the Dead
Sea Scrolls were found.
•Time for last minute packing.
•Late check-out from the hotel and proceed to the festive farewell
dinner.
•Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to check in for the departure flight
to the USA.
•12:50 a.m. Depart on El Al flight #17.
Overnight: Flight
DAY TWELVE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019
ARRIVAL
•7:55 a.m. Arrival in Miami.

“The flowering, not the fruit. The
way, not the distance covered.”
Meir Shalev
LEARN MORE
CLICK HERE
REGISTER
CLICK HERE

“One’s destination is
never a place, but a new
way of seeing things.”
Henry Miller

trips to the
jewish world*
* Custom-crafted trips for individuals and groups to the Jewish World are available upon request.
arzaworld.com 888-811-2812

arzaworld.com 888-811-2812