B’nai Israel of Galveston

• Departure from the United States.

• Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport, with assistance by a Makor Educational Journeys representative.
• Proceed to Tel Aviv.
• Meet as a group in the lobby at 11:00 am.
• Visit Neot Kdumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve, is a living museum of Israel’s “green archaeology” and an expression of the heritage tied to the Land and the People of Israel.
• Return to Tel Aviv.
• Check in to the hotel.
• Megilla reading at Beit Ruth Daniel.
• Dinner in a Jaffa restaurant.
• Optional night walking tour in Old Jaffa.

• Breakfast at the hotel + assembling mishloachei manot (Purim baskets).
• Meet with a representative of the Jaffa Institute at their food distribution center for a short tour of the center, followed by distributing your mishloachei manot to people in need.
• Guided walk along Rothschild Blvd, beginning at the Habima Theater, then along the entire boulevard to Neve Zedek for an exploration of the Tel Aviv story – and through that, the story of the Jewish return to Israel. Pass some of the original houses of Tel Aviv and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, concluding in Neve Zedek, one of Tel Aviv’s precursors.
• Stroll through the Nachalat Binyamin market, a place that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art.  Lunch on your own in Nachalat Binyamin with time for shopping and browsing.
• Proceed to Holon for the traditional Purim parade Adloyada.
• Return to Tel Aviv.
• Rest of the afternoon and evening on own with time for shopping.
• Optional evening outing to one of Tel Aviv’s live music venues.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The “Other” in Israeli Poetry, in the Jaffa home of Rachel Korazim.
• Gallery tour with artist Shirel Horovitz, to explore the ever-changing volcano of form, shape, and color that is the Tel Aviv contemporary art scene, a scene that is intertwined with the history of the city.
• Leisure time and lunch on own.
• Travel to Rehovot.
• Guided visit to the Ayalon Institute in Rehovot, a pre-state clandestine munitions factory, for a glimpse at the ingenuity and creativity of Israel’s pre-state armed forces.
• Proceed to Jerusalem and the Haas Promenade that overlooks the city, for an introduction to Jerusalem – 3000 years ago and today.
• Check in to the hotel.
• Dinner at Olive& Fish in a private room, hosted by Rabbi Matt Cohen.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet with Uri Regev.
• Guided visit of the Old City, beginning at Jaffa Gate. Walk along rooftops for a glimpse at the multi-ethnic weave of the city, followed by a guided visit through the Jewish Quarter: including the Cardo, Hurva Square and the Herodian Mansions/Burnt House, and concluding at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park – Davidson Center.
• City of David tour.
• Lunch on own in the Old City.
• During a hilltop tour of Jerusalem, view some of the residential neighborhoods that, after the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, became part of the “security belt.” Drive along the Jerusalem Envelope Seam Zone Barrier for a discussion of Jerusalem geopolitics.
• Dinner on own.
• The Jerusalem Night Spectacular: The walls of David’s Citadel serve as a stage for a celebration of sight and sound as the story of Jerusalem unfolds through images that use trompe l’oeil technology – the stones of the walls and structures fade into the scenes and the screened images envelop the viewers, whisking them off to a one-of-a-kind multi-sensory experience.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
  • First Timers – Guided visit through the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations, the Holocaust History Museum and the Children’s Memorial
  • Returnees – Guided visit in the Holocaust Art Museum and Archives
  • Conclude with a special ceremony in the Valley of the Communities
• On Fridays at Mahane Yehuda there is a sense that Shabbat is in the air, adding urgency to the shopping frenzy as shoppers look for the nicest and freshest to honor the Sabbath. Here, visitors see, smell and taste foods of all colors, sizes and shapes and experience the human tapestry that makes Jerusalem so special.
• Lunch and the rest of the afternoon on own to browse and shop in Jerusalem.
• Kabbalat Shabbat at at Kehillat Har-El.
• Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning at leisure or to attend services.
• Lunch at the hotel.
• Shabbat afternoon possibilities:
  • Walk to Mount Zion, the Hill of Three Religions, with poetry and Midrash.
  • Israel Museum – Visit the model of Jerusalem during the days of the Second Temple and the Dead Sea Scrolls, followed by an opportunity to visit the Jewish Life and Living, Archaeology, Israeli Art and Design exhibits and much more.
  • The Poet and the Windmill – Guided walk through Yemin Moshe using the Poetry of Yehudah Amichai as a guide.
  • The German Colony of Jerusalem – Walk through the German Colony, built by the German Templars in the late 1800’s, with their unique buildings and stories that have become part of Jerusalem’s lore.
• Havdallah.
• Dinner on own.
• Head underneath the Old City’s chaotic maze of buildings to the Western Wall Tunnel, Herod the Great’s extension of the retaining wall, built 2,000 years ago to support the massive compound where the Temple stood.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Proceed to the Dead Sea.
• Ascend Masada via cable car for a guided visit through the site and an exploration of the symbolism and questions that arise from the Masada story and their implications for Jewish life today.
• Ride the cable car down and continue to Ein Bokek for an opportunity to float in the Dead Sea and swim in the hotel pool, followed by lunch at the hotel.
• Continue north by way of the Great Rift Valley.
• Visit the well-preserved synagogue at Capernaum (Kfar Nahum), which was also one of the places where Jesus, Peter and the Apostles lived and preached.
• Check in to the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Guided tour through the magical, mystical city of Safed: walk the narrow alleyways; peek into ancient synagogues; visit the Artist Colony and colorful outdoor market; hear the stories of the 16^th-century rabbis of Safed who breathed new life into the Jewish people after the expulsion from Spain in 1492 and who are credited by many with igniting the first flames of passion for a return to the Land of Israel.
• Activity at Livnot U’lehibanot: Spirit and Art workshop. The group will explore different ideas of art and create some of their own. The art session is facilitated by active local artists.
• Time for shopping in the Artists’ Quarter.
• Travel to the Arab Muslim village of Deir el Asad to taste the authentic cuisine of the Galilee, prepared and served in the home of village resident and chef Kamla, with the help of her sister Rim.
• Walk along Shvil Hapisga (Peak Trail), an easy circular trail near the peak of Mount Meron, with lookouts over the Golan, Galilee, Hula Valley, and Lebanon, and a discussion of the current situation on the Israel’s northern borders.
• Return to the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Visit Sindyanna of Galilee, a feminist Arab-Jewish NPO that works to create social change through producing high-quality olive oil and other premium food products while enhancing Arab-Jewish cooperation, promoting Fair Trade, creating economic opportunities for Arab women, and assisting local growers and producers.
• Guided visit through ancient Tzippori to explore this once-thriving city, where Jews and non-Jews lived side by side and where the Mishna was codified some 1700 years ago.
• Travel to Zichron Ya’akov.
• Lunch on own.
• Zichron Ya’akov’s Wine Road, “Derekh HaYayin” has been recreated to bring back to life the character of the Moshava’s early days.
• Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure in Zichron: stroll past the reconstructed building facades using traditional elements such as wood windows, tiled roofs, stone posts and old-fashioned street lamps.
• Check in to day-use rooms at Sadot Hotel.
• Farewell dinnerat Jem’s beer factory in Modiin.
• Depart for Ben Gurion Airport for return flight home/back to Sadot Hotel for those staying overnight.

• Return flight to the United States.

*Program is subject to change, pending confirmations.