Congregation Beth Israel & Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church Interfaith Journey in Israel/The Holy Land

• Departure from the United States.

• Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport, with assistance by a Makor Educational Journeys representative.
• Proceed North along Coastal Highway
• Stop at the Caesarea Aqueduct on the shores of the Mediterranean, for a prayer of Thanksgiving upon arrival in the Holy Land.
• If the flight arrival is in the morning the following two sites are possible:
• Guided visit through the archaeological remains of Caesarea, a Roman city which figures significantly in both Christian and Jewish sources.
• Proceed to the Carmelite Monastery at Mukharka, the site where Elijah is believed to have defeated the false prophets of Ba’al.
• Continue to Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar.
• Check in to hotel, followed by dinner at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Begin the trip to the Holy Land with an opportunity for baptism in the waters of the Jordan River, at Yardenit, near where the Sea of Galilee enters the Jordan River.
• Drive along the Sea of Galilee to the northern shore.
• Guided visit through Capernaum, where Jesus taught during the days of the Second Temple and which still has remains of a 2^nd century synagogue and a later church, reflecting both the Jewish and Christian presence in the town.
• Continue to Tabgha, traditional site of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish, and conclude the visit around the Sea of Galilee with an overlook on to the Sea from atop the Mount of Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, with time for personal reflection and communal worship.
• Drive to Kafr Cana, recognized as the traditional site of the Miracle of the Wine, when Jesus went to a wedding of a poor couple and turned water into wine; visit the Catholic Church which commemorates the miracle.
• Conclude the day with a guided visit through Nazareth, including visits to the Church of the Annunciation and Jacob’s Well.
• Return to the hotel for rest, relaxation and dinner.
• Evening Sea of Galilee Boat Ride.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Guided visit through the Roman – Byzantine city of Scytopolis, also known as Beit Shean, from the battles of Saul and Jonathan in the Book of Samuel.
• Stop at Qasr el Yahud, viewed by many Christians as the site of Jesus’ baptism and by many Jews as the site where Joshua crossed the Jordan River.
• Continue through the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem.
• Stop at the Haas Promenade: From Abraham to Today: The Story of Jerusalem,introduction to the concept of “Jerusalem of Many Faiths.”   Interfaith service of Welcome and Gratitude, with Shehecheyanu prayer, traditionally recited upon entering Jerusalem, with bread and wine.
• Enter into the Old City via Jaffa Gate, for a short Rooftop Walk and orientation to the wonders of the Old City of Jerusalem.
• Check-in to hotel in Jerusalem.
• Go to Machane Yehuda open-air market, where, on Thursday night, shoppers are already beginning their grocery-shopping and preparations to honor the Sabbath.
• Dinner on own in Machane Yehuda.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Guided visit through the City of David, with Bible in hand, for a glimpse at daily life in Jerusalem from the days of the Bible through the end of the Second Temple, exploring Jerusalem’s textual and physical sources and some of its newest excavations.
• Continue to the Southern Wall Excavations and the Davidson Archaeological Park, with its archaeological remains that date back 3,000 years to the days of the First Temple.
• Continue to the Western Wall with time for personal meditation.
• Enter the Western Wall Tunnel complex for a guided walk along the 2,000 year-old street at the base of the Temple Mount.
• Ascend to the Jewish Quarter, beginning with lunch on your own and continuing for a guided visit through the Biblical and Hasmonean remains in the open Cardo, the Broad Wall, Herodian Quarter and the Hurva synagogue.
• Visit the Karaite (B’nai Mikra) Heritage Center’s presentation of comprehensive historical materials that show the contribution of the B’nai Mikra community, which adheres to recognition of the written Torah alone as its supreme authority in Jewish religious law and theology. (Time permitting)
• Return to the hotel.
• Kabbalat Shabbat (“Welcoming the Sabbath”) at a Jerusalem synagogue.
• Shabbat evening dinner at hotel

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning at leisure or time for prayer.
• Information will be provided on synagogues of different types
• Baptist Jerusalem Center or Seventh-Day Adventist Advent House
• Lunch on own.
• Proceed to Mount Zion, the Hill of Three Religions, for a guided walk with poetry, stories and texts.
• Room of the Last Supper: Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover Seder, the meal that would be called, “the Last Supper.”
• King David’s Tomb: a place of pilgrimage for Jews, Muslims, and Christians, which according to a medieval tradition, is where the Biblical warrior-king David is buried.
• Oskar Schindler’s grave: Oskar Schindler saved the lives of some 1,200 Jews by employing them in his enamelware and munitions factories in German-occupied Poland, Moravia and Bohemia during WWII. He is the only member of the Nazi party to be buried in Israel.
• Dormition Abbey: the location is identified in Christian tradition as the place where the Virgin Mary died — or “fell asleep,” as the name suggests.
• Overlook from Mt. Zion: between 1948 and 1967, when Jerusalem’s Old City was under Jordanian rule, the closest that Israelis could come to the Temple Mount was Mount Zion
• Optional Christian services (leadership to choose one place from a list to be provided)
• Havdalah (a brief service that marks the end of the Sabbath) overlooking the Old City walls.
• Dinner and evening on own.

Note:  For those who wish, a day-trip to Masada can be arranged at an additional cost

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Ascend to the top of the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif, the third holiest site in Islam, with the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, which is also the site of the First and Second Temples.
• Upon descending from the Mount, take part in a discussion led by Rabbi Kahn & Pastor Mackey using Genesis 22, Quranic stories of the Sacrifice of Abraham’s son, and Christian interpretations. The discussion will also include a look at how each faith sees its place in a political/religious context.
• Proceed to Bethlehem with a brief stop at Rachel’s Tomb.
• Drive to Bethlehem in the Palestinian Authority for a visit to the Church of the Nativity and the Manger, followed by an interfaith dialogue with Bethlehem Christian and Muslim Clergy, exploring the role of religions in geopolitical realities.
• Lunch on own en route.
• Visit the Walled Off Hotel and Banksy art exhibit, which faces the Bethlehem side of the wall.
• Guided walk along the Bethlehem-side of the graffiti painted wall that separates the Tomb of Rachel from Bethlehem to view the artistic protests against its existence.
• Return to Jerusalem.
• Religion in the Holy Land: The Role of Faith in Peace & Conflict, with interfaith educator, Marcie Lenk.
• Dinner and evening on own.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Ascend to the summit of the of Olives, which has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years, making it central in the Jewish tradition. Due to the hill’s association with events in the lives of both Jesus and Mary, the Mt. of Olives is a major site of Christian pilgrimage.
• Chapel of the Ascension, sacred to both Christians and Muslims as the place where Jesus ascended into heaven
• Church of Pater Noster, built on the site in Jerusalem where Jesus was thought to have taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. Enjoy a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem.
• Dominus Flevit, fashioned in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Christ
• The Garden of Gethsemane, which includes the Church of All Nations, standing on the Rock of Agony, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas.
• Note: The sites to be visited will be determined by the guide and the group leaders
• Enter the Old City via St. Stephens Gate (Lions Gate) and begin the visit to the Old City at the pools of Bethesda and St. Ann Church.
• Continue along the Via Dolorosa, beginning at the first station and following the 9 Stations of the Cross, leading up to the last stations in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, containing the last 5 Stations of the Cross, traditionally believed to be the site of Golgotha “the place of the skull,” where Jesus was crucified and buried.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The Memory of the Holocaust in Israeli Society Today, a presentation by Holocaust scholar Rachel Korazim, followed by a guided visit through Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
• Ecumenical worship in the Valley of the Communities
• Memories for the Future, visit the Leaders of the Nation section of the Mt. Herzl National cemetery, including the graves of Golda Meir, Haim Herzog and Yitzhak Rabin, and explore how their memories play a significant role in Israel today.
• Drive past the Israel government complex including the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) and the Supreme Court located on Givat Ram, Israel’s Hill of sovereignty.
• Visit the Israel Museum, for an opportunity to explore the myriad of exhibits, both classical and new, including a guided visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
• Return to the hotel, followed by leisure time and dinner on your own.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of hotel and drive to Tel Aviv.
• Begin the visit to Tel Aviv-Jaffa in the Jaffa Port, where Jonah set sail in the famous biblical story and visit the home of Simon the Tanner, whose story helped broaden the reach of early Christianity.
• Continue to Neve Zedek, one of the first Jewish neighborhoods built outside of Jaffa and today, a thriving neighborhood with cafes, galleries and wonderful stories of the past.
• Visit the Levinsky Balkan Market, for a lunch tasting tour and conversations with the shop owners.
• Walk along Rothschild Boulevard, where Tel Aviv began, exploring the old and new, including the UNESCO Bauhaus White City in what has become one of Israel’s central innovation tech hubs.
• Free time for personal exploration.
• Festive Farewell Dinner at a Tel Aviv restaurant, with final Wrap Up Conversation.
• Depart for Ben Gurion Airport for return flight home.

• Arrival to the U.S.A.

*Program is subject to change, pending confirmations.