Great Neck Women’s Journey to Israel

• Depart NY for Tel Aviv.

• Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport and meet your guide.
• Drive to the Upper Galilee to Kibbutz Kfar Blum, for a luxurious stay at the kibbutz movement’s flagship guest hotel.
• Check in to the hotel.
• Festive welcome dinner at the kibbutz.
• Welcome to Israel, trip orientation and opening ceremony.

• Optional early morning Torah Yoga.
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning hike at the Tel Dan Nature Reserve and walk along one of Tel Dan’s ancient trails, weaving around the waters of the Dan River and nearby bubbling brooks, enjoying the tall treetops, exploring a few of the extraordinary archaeological sites from the time of Abraham through the period of the First Temple.
• Drive to the magical, mystery city of Tsfat and explore the alleyways, art galleries, ancient synagogues and stories that have made Tsfat the city of secrets.
• More secrets revealed with a Tsfat Mikvah Experience.
• Lunch on your own in Tsfat.
• Ascend to the top of Bental on the Golan Heights for a view into Syria and a short security seminar and update on the latest developments. Possible meeting with a female intelligence officer in the IDF.
• Visit the award-winning Odem Winery for wine tasting and a tour of the winery.
• Dinner at the kibbutz hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Begin the journey to Jerusalem.
• Stop at the Kinneret Cemetery to visit the graves of Zionist pioneer and poet laureate Rachel (There are the Golan Hills…) and modern Israel’s Naomi Shemer (Jerusalem of Gold) for a glimpse at the power of the poem in contemporary Israeli life.
• Drive into the Carmel Mountains.
• Visit the Druze town of Daliat an opportunity to explore the Druze market and have lunch on own at one of the local eateries.
• Continue south to Caesarea, with its excavated Roman Theatre, Hippodrome and Bath House, including a walk on the shores of the Mediterranean to the renovated Crusader city with its cafes and galleries.
• Ascend to Jerusalem with a stop at the Tayelet for an overview of the city and an opportunity to recite the traditional Shehecheyanu blessing upon arrival in Jerusalem.
• Dinner on your own at the Tachana, the refurbished Turkish Railroad Station.
• Free evening in Jerusalem.

• Optional early morning Torah Yoga.
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Guided walk through the Old City of Jerusalem with a chance to explore the Jewish, Christian, Armenian, and Muslim Quarters. See the archaeological remains that date back 3,000 years to the days of the First Temple, including the Nea Church, the Biblical, Hasmonean, and Roman remains in the open Cardo and the Broad Wall.
• Western Wall Tunnel Tour
• Lunch on own in the Old City.
• Drive just south of Jerusalem to Kever Rachel in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), where our mother, Rachel, is buried. Rabbi Tara will share prayers, texts, and insights into the life and impact of Rachel Imaynu.
• Dinner with Rabbi Chen Zfoni, who will join in conversation on the subject “The Birth of Israeli Judaism.”
• Optional: Late night visit to a Jerusalem Challah Bakery.

• Optional early morning Torah Yoga.
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust.
• Hike in the Jerusalem Hills, followed by lunch on own at one of the wineries that celebrates the return to wine making after a several thousand year pause.
• Visit Machane Yehudah and buy food on own for Seudah Shlishit on Shabbat (each participant to choose item(s) that have meaning for them).
• Return to the hotel for free time and a chance to get ready for Shabbat.
• Meet Rabbi Bill Berk, who will help create a transition to Shabbat, teaching The Magic of Jerusalem’s Shabbat Culture.
• Kabbalat Shabbat, followed by Shabbat dinner at the home of Rabbi Bill and Batya Berk.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• “Trail to Tefilah”—walking meditation, reflection, singing, silence, Torah learning—all in preparation for morning prayer at the Azarat Yisrael Plaza next to the Kotel.
• Shabbat morning prayers and Torah reading.
• Shabbat lunch at the hotel.
• Free time to enjoy Shabbat afternoon.
• Shabbat afternoon walking tour (possibilities include):
• Agnon in Jerusalem—Walk the streets of Central Jerusalem, using the writings of Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israel’s first Nobel Laureate as a guide, exploring the Jerusalem of over 100 years ago, its differences and similarities to today.
• 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.
• Jerusalem: A City of Many Traditions—Tour of Zion, walk along the ramparts and free time in the Old City Market—the Shuk.
• Seudah Shlishit—a time for singing and a third Shabbat meal on the balcony of the Feldman’s Jerusalem home, using the food bought in the market.
• Night time program by Rabbi Tara and Rabbi Chen Zfoni, Understanding Each Other Across the American/Israeli Divide.

• Optional early morning Torah Yoga.
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Guided walking tour of the ancient City of David, including the story of the women who helped shape ancient Judaism.
• Lunch on own in the Old City.
• The View from Inside the Government, possible meeting with a member of Knesset (the determination will be made once the new government is sworn in).
• Drive to the ultra-Orthodox town of Modiin Elite and visit Citybook, a company employing educated ultra-Orthodox women living in local settlements.
• Free evening and dinner on your own.
• Optional: Night visit to Shuk Machane Yehudah, one of the most famous markets in the Middle East, with a bustling night scene capturing the attention of Jerusalem’s younger crowd.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Drive to Ein Karem for a walking tour of beautiful Ein Karem, with its rich history dating back thousands of years and including its most famous son, John the Baptist.
• Drive to the northern Negev for a special program with Jewish and Arab Israeli women in conjunction with Aleick Isaacs and Siach Shalom.
• Drive to Tel Aviv and check in to the hotel.
• Free evening and dinner on own.
• Optional evening walks to Rothschild Blvd., Neve Tzedek, the Tachana, old Jaffa, and the promenade along the beach.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Encountering Israel’s Toughest Issue: The Settlements. Spend the day in and around Gush Etzion and meet settlers and Palestinians for a chance to hear firsthand the dreams and the frustrations of those caught in the middle of one of the most challenging conflicts in the world.  Meet Rabbinit Hadassah Froman from Tekoa, who has been intimately involved in the effort to bring Muslims and Jews together around spiritual and religious issues, as well as being a pioneer in Jewish/Muslim peacemaking.  Speak with settlers from Efrat.  Meet Ali Abu Awwad and Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, who work in an organization called Shorashim (Roots) and are involved in front line co-existence work.
• Return to Tel Aviv for rest, free time, and then a chance to process the day with Rabbi Tara.
• Dinner and evening on own in Tel Aviv.

• Optional early morning Torah Yoga.
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit the Maskit Design House and meet with director and designer, Sharon Tal, who has rejuvenated the legendary fashion house founded by Ruth Dayan.
• Visit the home of scholar Rachel Korazim for a glimpse at Israel and Israeli society through the poetry and prose of some of Israel’s greatest writers.
• Lunch on own at Sarona Market.
• Time to shop and prepare for the return to the U.S.
• Sharing Impressions, Sharing Dreams, a concluding dinner.
• Depart to Ben Gurion Airport for return flight home.

• Arrive back in the United States.

*Program is subject to change, pending confirmations.