Our congregational trip to Israel next fall is in the planning stages. We already have some great interest and are hoping to get even more. Seeing Israel with your temple family is an amazing way to experience the Holy Land. Being able to share as one or more of our young people become Bar/Bat Mitzvah only makes the experience more powerful.
Once again Doron Harel will be our tour guide. But Doron is more than a tour guide. He is an educator, a passionate teacher and a dear friend. And, this year, my wife Raina- who headed Hillel’s Birthright program for three years- is planning the itinerary with Doron. That translates to a TSTI Israel Experience like no other.
If you have any interest in possibly joining us please let Sunny know in the temple office.
Here’s what the current draft itinerary looks like.
TSTI Trip to Israel December 21st2016- January 1st 2017
Wednesday December 21st
3:55pm Departure from EWR United flight 84
Thursday December 22nd
• 9:25am Arrival,
• Airport assist
• Ellah Valley David Vs Goliath
• Beit Guvrin Archaeological dig
• Lunch En Route (own)
• Kfar Hanokdim- Camel/Donkey ride, Bedouin Hospitality
• Dinner at Kfar Hanokdim in the Bedouin Tent
Overnight: Kfar Hanokdin or Crown Plaza Dead Sea
Friday December 23rd
• Masada -if staying at Kfar Hanokdim we climb (walk!) via Ramp
• Dead Sea Swim-if staying at Crown Plaza Hotel we start with morning swim and continue to Masada.
• Drive to JLM –via Ein Gedi, Qumran (no stops only explanation)
• Mt Scopus Shehecheyanu
• Machane Yehuda tour
• Lunch at the market (own)
• Check in Hotel
• Shabbat at the Kotel??
Dinner at the Hotel
Overnight: Dan Panorama JLM
Shabbat December 24th
• Morning Bnei/Bnot Mitzvah at HUC (need Reservations ASAP)!!!
• Lunch at the Hotel
• Israel Museum
• Geo-Political Tour of JLM
• Evening schmoose at Ben Yehuda road or Mamila
Dinner on own
Overnight: Dan Panorama JLM
Sunday December 25th Old City Day
• City of David
• Davidson Archaeological Park
• Western Wall
• Western wall Tunnels
Lunch (own)
• Jewish Quarter
• Time for shopping at the Cardo or old city Bazar
• Optional-Temple Mount
Dinner on own
Overnight: Dan Panorama JLM
Monday December 26th
• Yad Vashem
• Mt Herzl
• Tzedek Project at local orphanage
• Optional visit to Neve Shalom
Dinner on own
Overnight: Dan Panorama
Tuesday December 27th
Check out hotel
• Kasser El Yahud- where the Israelites crossed the Jordan river and Jesus was baptized
• Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu Bio Tour- Organic farm and a functioning Kibbutz including lunch at the Kibbutz Dining Room
• Kinneret Cemetery
Dinner at Hotel
Overnight: Kfar Blum
Wednesday December 28th
• Tel Dan- short hike and biblical archaeological dig
• Jeep ride on the Golan Heights or ATV (Tomcar) driving through Anti-tank trenches, farming area and nearby the Syrian Border (not to close)
• Mt Bental –overlooking Syria and the 1973 Yom Kippur story
• Visit an Army Base
• Boutique Winery??
Dinner at the Hotel
Overnight: Kfar Blum
Thursday December 29th
• Check out Kfar Blum
• Safed
• Kfar Kedem biblical village-Donkey riding, pita making etc including Lunch
• Caesarea
• Dinner on own
Overnight: Dan Panorama TLV
Friday December 30th
• Leket project
• Independence Hall
• Rotchild Blvd
• Nachalat Binyamin Art and craft
• Carmel Market
• Shabbat Service with a local community- Kiryat Ono, TLV, or near Gaza with a local community (Rabbi Student Yael Karrie) for that we will need to coordinate a long time in advance and add more money for dinner/catering logistics. Not impossible, just logistics
Dinner (Included)- with the local community or back at the hotel.
Overnight: Dan Panorama TLV
Shabbat December 31st
• Ayalon Institute- (Bullet Factory)
• Jaffa
Lunch on own
• Neve Tzedek
Optional-time off to schmooze with the Israelis on Shabbat around:
• Hatachana (old train station)
• TLV port
Late check out- half of the rooms so it will not cost too much
• Farewell dinner (included)
11pm Departure- United flight 91
Sunday January 1st, 2017
Early morning arrival to NJ