Accessible Multicultural Trip- May 2023

Activities:

• Meet your guide and fellow travelers and start out on your special journey.

• Independence Trail - Spend the morning getting to know the history of Tel Aviv through the Independence Trail which follows Tel Aviv’s heritage sites beginning at the intersection of tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Street, home to Tel Aviv’s first kiosk and ends across the street at Independence Hall, where on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion read aloud the Declaration of Independence as Israel was declared an independent Jewish state. Become familiar with Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus architecture and Zionist history.

• Have a quick lunch of some of Israel Street Food- pita required!

• Caesarea National Park - Drive to the coastal Caesarea which reveals the wonders of the past that were built by one of the greatest builders of the ancient world, Herod. Caesarea’s antiquities park houses unique building from various periods, bearing silent witness to the upheavals that have visited Caesarea and the region over the past 2,300 years.

• Scenic Overlook - Proceed north and stop for a panoramic lookout over the Kinneret, the Galilee and the Golan Heights.

• Check into hotel

• Welcome dinner at the hotel

• Galilee: Nof Ginosar Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Yigal Allon Center - the ancient boat and the Magdala Stone - See the 2,000-year-old boat excavated on the shores of Sea of Galilee. Radiocarbon dating shows that the boat dates back to 100 BC to 100 AD. This is both the time and place in which Jesus operated and in which in the Jewish tradition, the Battle of Migdal, part of the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans took place. At the exhibition you'll also see the 2,000 years old Magdala Stone bearing depictions of Jewish symbols and the Second Temple that stood in Jerusalem from 516 BCE to 70 CE.

• Visit to the Mount of Beatitudes - Mount of Beatitudes is a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. A Catholic Church was built 1930's by the well-known "Architect of the Holy Land" Antonio Barluzzi, using the local dark basalt stone. Its octagonal walls commemorate the Eight Beatitudes, each graced with the first words of one of the eight verses of the Sermon on the Mount. The church is surrounded by a marvelous garden, that allows the visitors a quiet place to contemplate and pray.

• Lunch break on route - (meal not included)

• Magical afternoon at the Hula Valley - Take a ride on a golf cart through the Hula Valley, an important resting place for migrating birds and many species of rare fish and plants creating a wonderland of flora and fauna. Allows you an extra-close observation of birds and other animals in their natural habitat at Agamon Hula.

• Dinner on own in Tiberias or Agmon Food court

• Galilee: Nof Ginosar Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast and check-out from the hotel

• Drive to Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu

• Bio Bee Tour - Bio Bee Sde Eliyahu is the pioneer of organic farming in Israel. While visiting the fields we not only learn about the benefits of organic farming but also about biological pest control. The Kibbutz established the first biological pest control company in Israel and is a world leader in the field of biological pest control and bumblebees for pollination.

• Lunch at the Kibbutz dining room - (meal included)

• Visit to Qasr el Yahud - According to tradition, Qasr el Yahud (Arabic: Tower of the Jews) is where the People of Israel crossed to enter the Land of Israel. This is also believed to be the baptismal site on the Jordan river, marking Jesus’ spiritual birth. Numerous miraculous stories has taken place here such as where the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven. It was regarded as a sacred body of water, prominent in the scripts - it is mentioned 167 times in the Bible, more than any river, stream, lake, or sea in the Tanach (Old Testament). Today Qasr el Yahud is an integral part of any pilgrimage tour, and twice a year, mass baptisms are arranged on this site.

• Drive to Jerusalem through the Jordan Valley

• Next, head to Machane Yehuda Market - In the heart of the city sits a bustling multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. A tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market is an adventure for your taste buds! Enjoy the hustle and bustle with all the rich fragrances, colors, and sounds this iconic Jerusalem market offers. (The tastings will replace a meal)

• Check-in to the hotel

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin your day at the Jaffa Gate - Enter the Old City of Jerusalem through the Jaffa Gate. Walk through the Christian quarter and see some of the important sites in Christianity.

• Jewish Quarter - Explore the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. Visit the Byzantine Cardo, and the artifacts uncovered during archaeological excavations exposing two thousand years of Jewish history in the Old City till present day. Proceed to the Kotel, (The Western Wall), sacred because it is the last remnant of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans. Feel the stones that have witnessed so much in the history of the Jews. Place your special and personal prayer in the cracks of the stones.

• Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - The church is situated on the hill called Golgotha or Calvary and contains the last five Stations of the Cross, including the traditional sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Several Christian denominations claim ownership to various parts of this site so holy to Christendom. (please note: some parts in the church are not accessible)

• Lunch on your own in the Old City - (meal not included)

• Take time to reflect at the Western Wall - Proceed to the Kotel (The Western Wall), sacred because it is one of the last remnants of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans. Feel the stones that have witnessed so much in the history of the Jews. Place your special and personal prayer in the cracks of the stones.

• Tour of the Davidson Center and the Archeological Garden - Walk through the Southern Wall Archaeological Gardens. Get a glimpse of the glory of the Second Temple, the heart of the ancient Jewish kingdom, and the devastation that followed. Visit the Davidson Visitors' Center and enjoy a modern and interactive virtual presentation. The museum presents a taste of the archaeology of Jerusalem from different eras - covering the First Temple, Second Temple, Byzantine, Islamic, and the Crusades periods.

• Return to the hotel and enjoy a free evening

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Drive to the Dead Sea region, the lowest place on earth

• Tour Masada - Ascend the mountain by cable car. Masada is a rugged natural fortress, of majestic beauty, in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is built as a palace complex, by Herod the Great, King of Judaea, (reigned 37 – 4 B.C.). Became a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, and the last stand of Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman army, in 73 A.D.

• Dead Sea - lunch and swim - Continue to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. Have time to enjoy and relax on the beach and pool area at one of the hotels on the shore of the sea. Attempt flotation in a sea that is 33% salt and keeps you buoyant. (Lunch at the hotel included)

• Return to Jerusalem

• Cafe Shalva - group dinner - Shalva is a Jerusalem based organization that provides services to children with special needs and their families. Graduates of Shalva work at the café, and the café’s profits go back to the center to support its programs. (meal included)

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel & check-out

• Yad Vashem - Private tour of the museum at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust. Tour this memorial to the darkest moment in world and Jewish history, its children’s memorial, and exquisite gardens. Yad Vashem is an unforgettable place of tribute and remembrance

• The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum - This is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and is ranked among the world’s leading art and archaeology museums. The Museum houses encyclopedic collections, including works dating from prehistory to the present day, in its Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Jewish Art and Life Wings, and features the most extensive holdings of biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world. The guided tour will focus on the Shrine of the Book exhibition and the Second Temple model.

• Farewell lunch at a local restaurant

• Proceed to Ben Gurion airport - Depart home or continue for an extension.

• We look forward to hosting you again in our beautiful country!