Goldstein Family – Israel Trip | June 2023

Activities:

• 11:30 p.m. Arrival at Ben Gurion airport on flight LY 106 - 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.

• Transfer to Jerusalem

• Jerusalem (on your own)

Activities:

• Explore Jerusalem on your own in the morning

• Machane Yehuda Market Tasting Tour - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this 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.

• After dinner, continue to Tower of David Museum - 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 (on your own)

Activities:

• Tour Old City, Jerusalem - Since the 19th century, Jerusalem's Old City has traditionally been divided into four quarters; Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian. Walk through narrow alleys, and meet people and places to get a better understanding of the complexity of a city that is holy to these three major religions

• Walk through the Southern Wall Archaeological Gardens at Davidson Center - 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.

• Visit The Chain of Generations Center - Take part in an interactive experience and learn about the Jewish journey from exile to statehood.

• Visit the Western Wall - We take the time to reflect at the Western Wall – Ha Kotel Ha’Ma’aravi or simply HaKotel. Over generations, Jews came to pray here, as it was the closest they could come to the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. When you see the Wall, you aren't just seeing it with your eyes - there is so much more. There are thousands of years and the weight of millions of Jews there. Your eyes may just see giant bricks and people praying, but your heart sees infinitely more. What does being here mean to each of us individually and as part of the Jewish people?

• Dinner on your own

• Jerusalem (on your own)

Activities:

• Travel to the Dead Sea Region

• On our way to Masada, we will discuss about Qumran - A fascinating site of great significance. In 1947 two Bedouin shepherds accidentally came across a clay jar in a cave near Khirbet Qumran that contained seven parchment scrolls. There is vast evidence that the manuscripts discovered in the Qumran caves belonged to the library of the occupants of the site in this period -a small hermit community referred to as the Dead Sea Sect. Today the scrolls reside in a specially constructed site for exhibiting the scrolls -the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

• Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain from the east (via cable car) 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.

• Lunch en route

• Dead Sea Resort for swim and lunch - 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.

• Camel ride and biblical dinner in Genesis Land - Genesis Land is situated in the heart of the Judean desert, on the way to the Dead Sea, in the land where the Patriarchs lived. A magical place, it enables visitors to experience life as it was in biblical times. Ride by camel to desert hospitality in the style of Abraham and Sarah and enjoy a delicious desert meal.

• Return to Jerusalem

• Jerusalem (on your own)

Activities:

• Mount of Olives - The Mount of Olives offers a panoramic lookout over the city. There are countless Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions about Mt. Olives, including that from here the Messiah will come, and from here the dead will be resurrected in the vision of the End of Days. Enjoy a beautiful lookout of the Holy Basin, the old and new city of Jerusalem.

• Temple Mount Sifting Project - Get your hands dirty sifting for real treasures from the First and Second Temple periods. The project provides anyone the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sift through and discover ancient artifacts and connect to Jerusalem’s extensive heritage.

• Lunch on own at the Israel Museum Cafés or restaurants

• Israel museum - 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.

• Stop briefly next to the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, and view the Knesset Menorah. - It was given by the British government as a token of good will and friendship. Executed in massive bronze, the menorah's 29 panels are relief representations of the highlights in Jewish history.
  Hear about the Israeli system of parliament.

• Supreme Court of Israel - While driving by the Supreme Court, we will learn about the Israeli Judicial system. Israel's legal system is a combination of Jewish, Turkish, and British law adapted and molded to suit modern Israeli realities. Built by the Rothschild Foundation, the Supreme Court building, with its striking design, is a fitting home for the judicial branch of government which oversees Israel's democracy.

• Visit Ammunition Hill - A visit to Ammunition Hill reminds us of the fierce fighting and high death toll exacted in the Six Day War. The site serves as a memorial to those who fell in the battle for Jerusalem.

• Jerusalem (on your own)

Activities:

• Travel to Tel Aviv

• Visit Latrun - One of the fiercest and most important battles of the War of Independence was the fight for the fortress of Latrun, which commanded the main road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

• 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.

• Lunch on own and free time at Nachalat Binyamin - Nachalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts fair takes place every Tuesday and Friday in Tel Aviv. Each day artists display and sell their crafts surrounded by a beautiful, historical buildings, many in the process of being preserved.

• Graffiti Tour - Enjoy a creative Graffiti workshop 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.

• Early dinner at Neve Tzedek - This is the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa and currently one of the most beautiful and desired locations in Tel Aviv. It was built by some of the dignitaries of the old Jewish community of Jaffa in 1887. 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, after a period of neglect, the neighborhood was restored and has become a trendy fun beautiful part of the city and a good place to try some Israeli Gelato!

• Tel Aviv (on your own)

Activities:

• Explore Tel Aviv on your own

• Tel Aviv (on your own)

Activities:

• Dialogue in The Dark - A sensory experience for those who've already seen it all. Get to know the world and other people without the benefit of your sense of sight. Swap roles with your sight-impaired guide – and discover your other, dormant senses. Hearing, touch, smell, and taste – when sight no longer dominates your senses, how do you perceive your environment? You'll find your daily routines seem utterly different in the pitch-dark exhibition. Under the care of your sight-impaired guide, a walk in the park, the noisy city, and a boating excursion become real adventures. At the end of the tour, you'll reach a café where you'll be served by blind waiters. There, you can discuss your experiences with others. Dialogue in the Dark is based on social creativity. It sets the stage for real and meaningful human interaction. Dialogue in the Dark is not an exhibition about blindness; rather, it's about human non-visual awareness. Dialogue in the Dark challenges our prejudices.
  
  Dialogue in The Dark is an exhibition that tries to take as its starting point the non-visual perceptions of blind people in order to discover the unseen within and all around us.

• Lunch on own at the 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.

• Peres Center for Peace and Innovation - The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation is a leading non-profit and non-governmental organization focused on developing and implementing unique and cutting-edge programs. The center presents the incredible story of Israel, the "innovation nation", and showcases the diverse fields and people behind Israeli innovation.

• Continue to 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, but the two were united into one municipality in 1949, yet each part kept 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.

• Dinner at The Old Man and the Sea

• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport

Activities:

• Departure on flight LY 5, 1:05 a.m.

• Farewell - Safe Travels! We hope to host you again in our beautiful country!