Amy and Larry Schechtman Israel Trip Fall 2024

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport - Your VIP agent will be waiting to greet you at the sleeve of the plane. After assisting with arrival procedures and collecting your baggage, you will be taken to meet your driver.

• VIP Transfer to your hotel in Jerusalem

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - Every morning you'll enjoy a delicious Israeli buffet breakfast.

• Enjoy a day of leisure to explore and enjoy Jerusalem on your own

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin with a VIP City of David Tour - Visit the City of David where King David captured a well fortified city with its own water source for the new kind of national state that he envisaged. Walk through water in Hezekiah’s Tunnel, part of the ancient City of David built around the Gihon spring, which is on the side of the cliff overlooking the Kidron Valley. Continue through the newly excavated Pilgrim’s Way- walk like our ancestors did from the City of David through a tunnel to the Davidson Center in the Old City.

• Old City Tasting Tour - Walk through the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City seeing the historical and religious sites. See some off-the-beaten track sites in the winding alleyways and enjoy some Jerusalem delicacies. We will have a “taste of history” that interweaves stories and anecdotes, historical information, and, of course, combines the senses of smell, taste, and sound.

• Jewish Quarter - The Jewish Quarter is best known for the Western Wall, but there’s a lot more to see and do here. See archaeological finds from the First and Second Temple periods, Roman ruins, vibrant synagogues, and learning institutions, all jostling for space in these busy stone streets.

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Optional: Tower of David Museum - Night Spectacular VIP Experience - Amidst the archaeological remains in the David Citadel courtyard, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through virtual reality images. The Night Spectacular uses trompe l'oeil technology – the stones of the walls and structures fade into the scenes and the viewers are part of a multi-sensory experience.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Visit the museum at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust - Tour this memorial to the darkest moment in the world and Jewish history, its children’s memorial, and exquisite gardens. Yad Vashem is an unforgettable place of tribute and remembrance. You'll be guided by a member of the Yad Vashem staff.

• Machane Yehuda Market Tasting Tour - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. Immerse yourself in the world of Middle Eastern cuisine as you indulge in a tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market. Learn about the market's rich history, and meet the vendors who bring this place to life, as you experience the vibrant energy unique to this iconic culinary destination.

• Metzilot Mazon - The Jerusalem Food Rescuers aims to create a more just and sustainable urban food system with less waste. Working with the wholesale market, they divert surplus produce that would have otherwise gone to waste and support communities that don’t have equitable access to food. Learn about food preservation techniques in different traditions throughout history, and explore the roll of preservation as a necessary tool. Taste a variety of treats from the pantry.

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Visit the unique collections and expansive grounds of the Israel Museum, the country’s national museum - Linger over the renowned international and Israeli art, the world’s most complete Judaica collections and the charming Billy Rose Sculpture Garden. You can also visit the Shrine of the Book, home to the exceptional archaeological finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other rare ancient manuscripts.

• Tour Abu Ghosh and lunch on your own - Abu Ghosh is an Israeli-Arab town in the Jerusalem hills that is well known for its hummus, music festival, beautiful churches, and history of friendly relations with Jews and Zionism.

• Visit Ayalon Institute - This clandestine ammunition factory was built in 1945 by the Haganah. In just three weeks, preparations for the factory were completed and it was code-named the Ayalon Institute. Above ground, it appeared to be no more than a kibbutz. However, located eight meters below ground, this was the country's largest bullet factory. It has been said that the bullets manufactured at the Ayalon Institute played a crucial role in the success of the War of Independence.

• Continue north - And check in to hotel

• Dinner at hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Start your day with a beautiful view of the Hula Valley - Misgav-Am is the northernmost kibbutz in Israel, just meters from the Lebanon border. The kibbutz’s lookout point provides great panoramas of the Hula valley, the Hermon, even the Mediterranean Sea, and especially of the Lebanese side of the border.

• Light lunch on your own in Safed

• Tour Safed - Safed, pronounced Tzfat in Hebrew, sits at a higher altitude than any other city in Israel and has been known since the 16th century as a major center of Kabbala, Jewish mysticism. Tzfat's mystical aura adds to its special status as one of Israel’s four holy cities, along with Jerusalem, Tiberias and Hebron. The old synagogues, narrow alleyways and artists’ studios add to the hilltop city’s unmistakable charm.

• Druze Cooking Workshop and Dinner - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy a dinner of the foods you create. Learn about Druze culture and history from your hosts and from the food you eat.

• Return to hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin your day with a short hike at the Banias National Park - Take a refreshing walk around the Banias, one of Israel’s most beautiful nature reserves. The Banias Spring feeds into the Jordan River, the reserve’s large waterfall tumbles down a 33-foot precipice year-round, and a nearby cave houses remains of a temple to the Greek god Pan. In the wars of 1948 and 1967, when the Golan was held by Syria, the site housed a Syrian officers’ club.

• Take a geo-political jeep tour of the Golan with an expert - While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria from Mt. Bental to get a better understanding of the geography and strategic role this region has for the State of Israel. Your local guide touches on the nuances of living so close to the Syrian border and what that has meant for Israel as it relates to security and humanitarian issues.

• Wine tasting and light lunch at Tel Winery - Tel Winery is a woman-owned micro boutique winery, offering intimate tours led by the passionate and knowledgeable Lital. All wines are single varietal, made exclusively from Northern Golan grapes and feature high acidity and fruits flavors which provide for a refreshing sip.

• Ein Keshatot (Umm al-Kanatir) - Ein Keshatot is is one of about 30 Jewish villages that existed in the Golan during the Talmudic Period, which was period of great growth in the area. The synagogue building was constructed in the 6th century CE (approximately 500 years after the destruction of the Second Temple), and was the center of local communal life. It served as a place for prayer, reading of the Torah, and various public activities.

• Return to hotel - And dinner at hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Travel to Rosh Hanikra ("Head of the Grottos"), with the stunning chalk-white cliffs at Israel’s northernmost coastal border - Enjoy the view of the Mediterranean coastline stretched out before you, then take the cable car down beneath the cliffs to the grottos below and tour the system of underground marine caves eroded by pounding waves over thousands of years.

• Akko historical tour - Tour Akko, the ancient port city built and influenced by the Crusaders, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and the British. Akko's shuk (market place) is right in the center of the Old City and is a fun and vibrant bazaar full of fresh produce, cheap eats, spices, and souvenirs. Akko also has several of the best hummus spots in all of Israel which are a “must-taste.”

• Light lunch on your own in Akko

• Caesarea National Park - On the Mediterranean coast, Caesarea National Park is one of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. Here, amazing ancient harbor ruins, beautiful beaches, and magnificent modern residences sit side-by-side. The city was initially built by King Herod in the 1st century BC, who dreamt of a major seaport to connect the Province of Judea with Rome. For this purpose, the king's men designed an entirely artificial harbor that was in use for about a millennium. Caesarea became a central city in Roman and Byzantine times as can be seen from the massive archeological remains on site. View the spectacular Roman amphitheater, still used today as a performance venue, as well as the hippodrome that held 20,000 spectators for chariot races.

• Continue to Tel Aviv - Check in to hotel

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Enjoy a day of leisure to explore and enjoy Tel Aviv on your own

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Visit ANU Museum of the Jewish People - You’re invited to join a fascinating journey that portrays the story of the Jewish people through the generations and up to the present time. In June 2021, after ten years of planning and construction, this museum, the largest Jewish museum in the world, opened its doors. It represents all parts of the Jewish people and highlights the creative works and cultural riches of a variety of communities throughout different periods of history. This story is about all of us and each and every one of us is part of it.

• Lunch on your own in Jaffa Flea Market - Wind your way through the Flea Market which features everything from antiques to hip new clothing and design stores, cafes, restaurants, and bars.

• Tour Old Jaffa - Jaffa is one of the most ancient port cities in Israel and the Mediterranean basin. Today, Jaffa is a mixed city, where Jews and Arabs live alongside each other. Tel Aviv, Jaffa's younger sister, was established centuries later, in the year 1909. Though the two were united into one municipality in 1949, each part has retained its unique feel and atmosphere. Jaffa has been regenerated in recent years with the old narrow streets and courtyards becoming a highly popular part of Tel Aviv’s urban tapestry.

• Neve Tzedek - Neve Tzedek is the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa and is now one of the most beautiful and desirable locations in Tel Aviv. It was built in 1887 by dignitaries of the old Jewish community of Jaffa. Looking to head out of the ever-growing and over-crowded Jaffa, they built, what was considered back then, modern and comfortable housing.. In recent years, the neighborhood was restored and has become a trendy fun beautiful part of the city and a good place to try some Israeli Gelato!

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• White City Tour - Tel Aviv has more Bauhaus buildings that any other city in the world, so many that it is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The buildings were designed by Bauhaus architects who immigrated to Israel from Europe in the 1930s and were influenced by the work of Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. Some 4000 Bauhaus buildings were built in the 1930s – a development which turned the city center into a quasi "open air Bauhaus museum" and earned Tel Aviv the nickname “White City.”

• Kuchinate - Travel to colorful Kuchinate: African Refugee Women’s Cooperative, for a coffee ceremony and to hear the story of this incredible social start-up. Meet founders Diddy Mymin Kahn and Sister Aziza, who have turned the lives of refugee women around by empowering them to find their voices and regain their dignity after very difficult life circumstances.

• Levinsky Market Tasting Tour - The Levinsky Market specializes in spices and Mediterranean delicacies. It is, in many ways, the best market in Tel Aviv, known for its variety, freshness, and special atmosphere. Whether you are looking for a rare Indian spice or some good quality saffron - this is the place. Shops offer a cornucopia of excellent cheeses, smoked fish, wines, and other delicacies. Tour the market and have "tastings" throughout.

• Graffiti Tour - Explore Florentine through an urban graffiti tour. Who are the people going out at night and changing the face of the neighborhood? What stories do these images and words tell us about the people living here? What is unique about graffiti in Israel and in Tel Aviv specifically? We will walk through Florentine, the neighborhood of Tel Aviv best-known for graffiti art, to answer these questions and many more during this dynamic and inquisitive tour.

• Dinner on your own - We will be happy to make recommendations and reservations for you!

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Travel south and visit Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain from the east to explore Masada, scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago. The new museum at the Visitor Center reveals the secrets of the daily life of the rebels, the story of the excavations, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.

• Swim & Lunch at Herods Dead Sea - Israel’s Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, a stunning, other-worldly landscape of shimmering blue water ringed by bare, orange and yellow hills. The waters of the Dead Sea hold a potent solution of minerals and salts that have strong healing properties. Together with its ethereal beauty, these health-giving minerals make the Dead Sea’s beaches and spas popular vacation spots for Israelis and tourists alike. At one of the local hotels, have lunch and 'float' in the Dead Sea.

• Wine Tasting in Neot Smadar - Kibbutz Neot Smadar was established in 1989 by a group of friends interested in creating a learning community that focuses on cooperation and creativity in daily life. As individuals in a dynamic community, they explore what it means to live together as co-learners and relationships. Their interest in relationships extends to the environment through organic farming, desert architecture, water recycling, The Art Center, winery, and more.

• Continue to hotel - Check in to hotel and dinner at hotel

• Six Senses Shaharut - Six Senses Hotel, which opened in August 2021, is the most highly anticipated hotel project in Israel's history.. Set in the stunning Arava desert, the facility itself mirrors the splendor of the surroundings.

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Time to relax or enjoy suggested activities (can be offered through the hotel):

• Option 1: Timna Park - Discover beautiful geological formations and the ruins of ancient copper mines in Timna Valley.

• Option 2: Short Hikes in the Area

• Option 3: Bike Tours in the Area

• Dinner at hotel

• Six Senses Shaharut - Six Senses Hotel, which opened in August 2021, is the most highly anticipated hotel project in Israel's history.. Set in the stunning Arava desert, the facility itself mirrors the splendor of the surroundings.

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Time to relax or enjoy suggested activities (can be offered through the hotel):

• Option 1: Timna Park - Discover beautiful geological formations and the ruins of ancient copper mines in Timna Valley.

• Option 2: Short Hikes in the Area

• Option 3: Bike Tours in the Area

• Dinner at hotel

• Six Senses Shaharut - Six Senses Hotel, which opened in August 2021, is the most highly anticipated hotel project in Israel's history.. Set in the stunning Arava desert, the facility itself mirrors the splendor of the surroundings.

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Transfer to Arava Border Crossing - You will be greeted by your Jordanian tour guide and driver on the Jordanian side and begin your journey in Jordan.

• Travel (about 1 hour) to Wadi Rum - In Wadi Rum you shall pass the famous “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” on your way to the Visitors Centre, where you will have a short stop. Here you will board a local open 4 X 4 Vehicle escorted by a Bedouin guide to take you out into the desert for 3 hours. You will visit the Lawrence Spring, the Famous Ghazaly Gorge with its ancient Rock inscriptions. Lunch Break at a Bedouin Camp. At the end of the tour, check in at the camp site

• Optional: Star Gazing - Wadi Rum

• Wadi Rum

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Visit Petra, Jordan's jewel, the capital city of the Nabateans - Petra is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face of the rose red stones of the Wadi Mousa Mountains by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Despite successive attempts by the Seleucid king Antigonus, the Roman emperor Pompey and Herod the Great to bring Petra under the control of their respective empires, Petra remained largely in Nabataean hands until around 100AD, when the Romans took over. Upon arrival, walk through the Siq - the only access to this city. Enjoy lunch (included).

• Check in to hotel - And dinner at hotel

• Petra Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Time permitting: Travel north to Amman - On to Amman where you will spend half a day exploring this city including the beautiful Roman ruins in the neighbourhood of Jerash.

• Transfer to Queen Aliya airport - Departure to the U.S.