Calgary Women’s Trip

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - Transfer from the airport and/or VIP arrival can be arranged.

• Opening dinner at restaurant

• Mendeli Street Hotel Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Drive to Jerusalem

• Begin your time in Jerusalem with a dramatic entrance into Jerusalem’s Old City - Walk the Pilgrims’ Road into the Davidson Center in front of the Kotel in a street where Jewish pilgrims walked 2,000 years ago. Tour the Archeological Garden.

• Tour of the Jewish Quarter - Included will be the Western Wall and the Kotel Tunnels Tour. The tunnels run along approximately 488 meters of the Western Wall, giving visitors a taste for the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during this biggest of all his immense building projects—the expansion of the Temple Mount.

• Have a lunch of Jerusalem’s best hummus using family recipes that go back generations

• Christian Quarter - Visit the Christian Quarter including the Twelve Stations of the Cross and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which houses Christ's tomb.

• Dinner on your own

• Brown Machne Yehuda Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Yad Vashem - Visit 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. You'll be guided by a member of the Yad Vashem staff.

• At Hadassah Hospital meet staff of the hospital and hear about their experiences on the front line of the pandemic. - Hospitals, always a universe of Co-existence, became even more so during the pandemic. Israel's health system was admired world wide for its exemplary and successful treatment of the situation.

• Bread baking and lunch

• Return to Jerusalem, dinner on your own

• Tower of David Sound and Light Show - 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.

• Brown Machne Yehuda Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Hiking and Krav Maga - Hike a portion of The Israel National Trail which traverses the length of Israel and was established as a National Trail in 1995. Along the trail you’ll be met by a Krav Maga expert who will teach you this Israeli art of self-defense.

• Al Yasmin Tahini - Visit Kamel Hashlamon's tehina and halva factory, Al Yasmin, in Abu Gosh for some of the best tahina in Israel. Kamel imported millstones crafted by a Syrian stonemason to create authentic, traditional tahina and halva.

• Lunch at Reshta Restaurant - Reshta chef restaurant in Ein Rafa village is set among green fields in front of the breathtaking view. Offering authentic Arabic food, Reshta restaurant is named after a traditional lentil and noodles dish, which is made by the restaurant’s chef, Ranam Barhom, out of local produce, grown in the fields surrounding the restaurant.

• Return to Jerusalem

• 'Shtisel' Tours - Encounters outside the box - A taste of the Ultra-Orthodox world-walk the streets of the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, get to know the people, the food, and feel the vibrations of this life. On a busy Thursday night, when people are preparing for Shabbat, gain a more complex appreciation for the people by listening to their music, visiting synagogues, various institutions, seeing unique leisure, fashion, and art this world encompasses, and, of course by eating freshly baked challah.

• Dinner on your own

• Brown Machne Yehuda Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Neot Kedumim - Neot Kedumim is the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel which is a unique endeavor to re-create the physical setting of the Bible in all its depth and detail. Neot Kedumim embodies the panorama and power of the landscapes that helped shape the values of the Bible and provided a rich vocabulary for expressing them.

• Lunch of homemade cheeses at Hanan Hagaban

• Sindayanna of the Galilee - Sindyanna of Galilee, a female-led non-profit that actively promotes the concepts of “business for peace” and Fair Trade in Israel. Sindyanna’s premium products are sold in the international marketplace according to Fair Trade principles with the profit being channeled back locally to Arab women’s education. Taste Olive oil and learn basket weaving.

• Drive north to Calgary's Partnership in Israel Region, the Upper Galilee - Hear about life in the area including a visit to a northern border terror tunnel.

• Tour of Kibbutz Manara

• Dinner with Partnership

• Drive to hotel and check in

• Pastoral Kfar Blum Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Short hike on the way to the Golan Heights

• Jeep ride in the Golan Heights with Captain (Reserve) Ilan Shulman - Ilan is a political analyst and 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.

• Lunch and wine-tasting at Assaf Winery - Assaf Winery a wonderful example of a family-owned fine winery built in the spirit of elevating the wine culture of Israel through unique Israeli wines.

• Drive to Tzfat - Discover Tzfat which 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. The old synagogues, narrow alleyways and artists’ studios add to the hilltop city’s unmistakable charm. You can wander around the artist quarter and find some beautiful galleries in artist row.

• Druze cooking workshop and dinner - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy the feast you create. Learn about Druze culture and history from your hosts and from the food you eat.

• Pastoral Kfar Blum Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Early morning magic visit to the Hula Valley - The Hula valley forms part of the northern Syrian African Rift Valley which stretches as far south as Mozambique in Africa. During every migration season over 500 million birds travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small waterfalls, cormorants, heron, pelicans, raptors, storks, and cranes.

• Drive to the ancient port city of Akko - Akko was built and influenced by the Crusaders, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and the British. This magnificent, medieval city was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

• Lunch at Uri Buri pending availability - For the past 20 years , the popular Uri Buri restaurant has been offering different kinds of delicately prepared fresh fish and seafood dishes served with more than 100 different kinds of fine Israeli wines.

• Try your hand at stone carving with local stone artist Saleem Amar

• Drive to Tel Aviv and check into your hotel - Dinner on your own

• Shabbat Dinner in a private home

• Mendeli Street Hotel Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• ANU Museum of the Jewish People - In June 2021, after ten years of planning and construction, the largest Jewish museum in the world opened its doors. 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. The Museum represents all parts of the Jewish people and highlights the creative works and cultural riches of a variety of communities in different periods of history. This story is about all of us and each and every one of us is part of it.

• Old Jaffa - Discover the ancient and modern situated side-by-side. Stroll through the alleyways of the Old City filled with artist studios as well as archeological discoveries. Head to the Jaffa Port which exists from Biblical times and is a fantastic place to find a mix of Israelis from all walks of life. Including visit to Yemenite heritage site.

• Lunch at Pu’a, a wonderful eclectic Flea Market favorite

• 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. At HaMalabia eat Malabi, the cool sweet dessert that tastes like the Middle East.

• Time for Shabbat rest

• Dinner on your own in Tel Aviv

• Mendeli Street Hotel Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Assif: Culinary Institute of Israel - Asif is a cultural center in Tel Aviv with a library, farm, gallery & café that encourages open discourse around local foodways and identity.

• Graffiti Tour - Enjoy a creative Graffiti tour in the trendy neighborhood of Florentin, and experience fun and artistic freedom. Discover new and daring Israeli Graffiti Artists that are gaining recognition around the world.

• Levinsky Market - Appetizers- A “Tasting Walk” through Shuk Levinsky, one of Israel’s most interesting markets with a focus on spices and specialty foods.

• Kikar Rabin (Rabin Square) - Renamed in honor of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in this square in 1995, Rabin Square is a public space at the heart of Tel Aviv. Ringed by trendy cafes, the square often hosts political rallies and demonstrations, parades, and public events.

• Dinner on your own - Reservations will be made at Ouzeria and Romano

• Mendeli Street Hotel Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Fashion tour - The tour addresses the relationship Israeli fashion has with the various aspects of living in Israel including identity questions, sub-groups in Israel, immigration to Israel, wars and cultural life and social entrepreneurship. Meet old and new fashion brands, designers who use ancient crafts and other professionals who use the best technology. We will walk, talk and shop.

• Tour will includ a stop at Maskit - Conceived in 1954 by Ruth Dayan, Maskit made contemporary luxury clothing utilizing traditional embroidery techniques from Hungarian, Yemenite, Bulgarian, Bedouin, Palestinian, Druze, Lebanese and Jewish artisans.
  
  The resulting works of art created more than jobs for immigrants; a brand was born. Maskit wasn’t just any brand, though: its designs were so luxurious and re ned that they were treasured by leading ladies (Audrey Hepburn was just one star who wore its famous desert coat) and their fashion-forward followers alike. Collaborations with Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Givenchy followed, as did a flagship store in New York City.

• Lunch at HaMiznon - Chef Eyal Shani has elevated the simple pita at Miznon with fresh gourmet cuisine stuffed in light and fluffy pitas. Try his signature roasted cauliflower as well.

• Free time in Tel Aviv

• Dinner at Ha'Achim - Haachim, located on Ibn Gvirol offers a spin on the middle eastern cuisine by modernizing classic dishes.

• Mendeli Street Hotel Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Gaga Workshop - Gaga is the movement language developed by Ohad Naharin, Artistic Director of the Bat Sheva Dance Company. Explore new ways to move through this intense experience.

• Spend time on the beach or riding bikes on the boardwalk

• Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - Visit Nachalat Binyamin, an open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market is comprised of over 100 stands representing specialty crafts and folk art in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, sand, glass, ceramics, and various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

• Final dinner- TBD

• Transfer to airport or post tour arrangements can be made