Eisenberg Family Trip- October 2024

Activities:

• VIP Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - Your VIP fast track assistant will 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.

• Transfer to Tel Aviv and check into the hotel - Take time to relax and explore the area of the hotel.

• Shabbat Dinner at the hotel

• Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Beach time! - Join the Shabbat crowd for Tel Aviv's favorite weekend pastime.

• Order lunch at the beach or eat at one of the beach cafes - Not included

• Late afternoon 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 can make recommendations and reservations.

• Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Walking tour of 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.

• Stop a Hamalabiya for a taste of this Middleast treat - Malabi is a sweet cold treat flavored with rosewater and topped with cinnamon, nuts, coconut, sweet syrup, and other flavors of your choice. Malabi is a classic Middle-Eastern dish that has become one of Israel's popular street foods.

• Continue to the Carmel Market for a Tasting Tour - Continue to Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel), the largest market in Tel Aviv. Touring the market reveals the taste of the ages of Tel-Aviv in the youthful atmosphere of the city's central market. The Polish, the Persian, and the Yemeni... in this case, it is not the start of a joke, but the fascinating culinary traditions that mix in this place. The established market that was founded over 90 years ago, can now reveal its secrets, stories, and legends to you. (The tasting tour replaces lunch)

• Walk the Independence Trail - A walk along The Independence Trail, established in 2018 as a tribute to Israel's 70th anniversary, is a fascinating journey of Tel Aviv's foundation and the sites pivotal to the birth of Israel. Walk the paths of pioneers, witness architectural styles that tell the story of the city's development, and delve into Israel's struggle and triumph stories. The trail offers a profound insight into the nation's remarkable history.

• Dinner suggestion-Ha'Achim Restaurant - At the beginning of the 2023 Hamas-Israel War the owner of Ha'Achim restaurant applied for an received a temporary Kashrut certificate so that they could cook and deliver food the Israel's IDF soldiers! The restaurant offers a spin on middle eastern cuisine by modernizing classic dishes. (Not included, reservations can be made)

• Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Depart Tel Aviv for Caesarea National Park - On the Mediterranean coast, Caesarea National Park is one of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. Explore the 2,000-year-old Roman theater, Crusader harbor and 12th-century ramparts. 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. 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.

• Contine to Havat Rom - Visit Havat Rom, a magical organic farm, located on a mountain with a beautiful view of Meron Mountain. This is an agricultural organic farm where ancient knowledge informs the use of modern tools to find a balance between the forces of humans and nature. Meet the goats and enjoy a meal from their fresh produce and excellent cheese.

• Drive to Hagoshrim and check into the hotel

• Pool time at the hotel

• Dinner at the hotel

• Hagoshrim Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Start the day at the Banias Nature Reserve - Go on a refreshing walk around the Banias (in Hebrew: Hermon Stream), one of Israel’s most beautiful nature reserves, and an essential source of water for the Jordan River. This hike is part of the Israel National Trail which traverses the country from North to South and has become a symbolic trek for nature and Israel lovers. Take a tranquil walk along the Suspended Trail, a boardwalk cantilevered out over the rushing crystal-clear waters. View the 10m Banias Waterfall - with its sheer, thundering drop into a deep pool surrounded by lush greenery vegetation.

• Take a Golan Heights Jeep Tour - Take a geo-political tour of the Golan Heights 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.

• 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.

• Ride through the spectacular Hula Valley on bikes or golf carts. - The Hula Valley is part of the northern Syrian African Rift Valley which stretches as far south as Mozambique in Africa. Each migration season, over 500 million birds travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small water birds, cormorants, herons, pelicans, raptors, storks, and cranes.

• Dinner at the hotel

• Hagoshrim Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Drive to Tzfat and tour the city - Tzfat sits at a higher altitude than any other city in Israel and has been known since the 16th century as a major center of Kabbalah, 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.

• Drive to Maghar for a Druze Cooking workhsop - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy a lunch of the foods you learned to cook. Get to know your hosts and their culture and history. You'll leave with new recipes and new friends.

• Drive to Jerusalem

• Stop for a scenic overlook of Jerusalem - From the Haas Promenade take in a wide view of Jerusalem's Old and New Cities and the surrounding Judean Desert as far as the eye can see. See Jerusalem's complex geography, strategic setting, and beauty. Begin the conversation about Jerusalem's centrality to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Check into the hotel

• Dinner on your own - Enjoy Street Food or we can make restaurant recommendations and reservations.

• Herbert Samuel Jerusalem Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Tower of David Museum - Visit the newly renovated and stunning Tower of David Museum which has pioneered the use of new and interactive digital technologies, games and apps that add a new dimension to understanding the site itself and Jerusalem as a whole.

• Tour Jerusalem’s Old City and meet the people and places that make this place so unique - In the Jewish Quarter, uncover the layers of Jewish history from the time of the First Temple until the present day. In the Christian Quarter, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and, if interested and if conditions permit, visit one of the holiest Muslim sites, the Temple Mount. Throughout the tour explore the complexity of a city that is holy to the three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Lunch will be an 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.

• Meet the Jerusalem Scribe - Kalman Gavriel Delmoor is a traditional Scribe with a modern lens. Through his unique perspectives and expertise in the ancient craft, Kalman brings the Torah to life in his art. Discover the fusion of artwork and tradition below. Meet Kalman, see him work, and learn about his mission.

• Dinner at Hatzot restaurant - Hatzot is a part of Jerusalem’s history. Two brothers, Abraham and Michael Ajami founded this landmark family restaurant in 1970. Legend has it that Meurav Yerushalmi - the favorite Israeli mixed grill dish - was born at Hatzot Restaurant.

• Herbert Samuel Jerusalem Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Start the day at 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.

• Stop for a quick lunch along the way - Not included

• Drive to Beit Guvrin for a 'Dig for a Day' - For a real hands-on and exciting experience head to Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park, in the heart of The Land of Thousands of Caves, and become an archeologist for the day. Take part in the digs at the vast spaces beneath the houses, these caves served as storerooms, olive presses, water cisterns, and later on as safe havens during the time of the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans. Don't miss out on a visit to the amazing Bell Caves in Tel Maresha as well as the impressive Roman amphitheater in Beit Guvrin. This activity is fun for all ages.

• Return to the hotel and relax and prepare for Shabbat

• Optional- Kabalat Shabbat at a local synagogue

• Shabbat Dinner at the hotel or home hospitality

• Herbert Samuel Jerusalem Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Depart the hotel and drive to the Dead Sea area

• Begin at Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain by cable car to explore Masada, a natural fortress combining natural beauty and deep meaning. Explore the impressive excavations that reveal secrets of daily life in the fortress, hear about the scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.

• Continue to Lunch & Swim at the Vert Dead Sea Hotel - 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 'swim' in the Dead Sea.

• Optional-Dead Sea Boat Ride - Embark on an exclusive boat ride on the Dead Sea and sail to see a captivating 'salt-chimneys forest'. During this unique experience you will enjoy the wondrous muds, salt pearls, salt diamonds, water springs streaming to the sea and sink holes filled with sweet water. Learn about the ecosystem and the environmental issues connected to the Dead Sea.

• Return to Jerusalem

• Evening on your own

• Herbert Samuel Jerusalem Hotel

Activities:

• Herbert Samuel Jerusalem Hotel

• Yad Vashem - 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.

• Visit the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo - The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places in Jerusalem. The vast grounds and beautiful landscape along with the wide selection of animals make this a MUST SEE for kids and adults.

• Lunch at Cafe Shalva - A Meal at café Shalva - Shalva is a Jerusalem-based organization that provides services to individuals with special needs, from infancy to adulthood, empowering their families, and promoting social inclusion. Graduates of Shalva work at the café, and the café’s profits go back to the center to support its programs.

• Free time to explore and shop

• Farwell dinner- we'll make suggestions and recommendations - Not included

• Transfer to the airport