English

Temple Beth Shalom
Tour to Israel
Led by Rabbi Jay Perlman
December 22, 2022 - January 1, 2023

Tour Rates & Dates:

This package is currently unavailable. Please check back later or call Ayelet Tours, Ltd. for more information.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card). Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

GROUP FLIGHT OPTION:

$1,355 (check)/$$1,395 (credit)
LY16 22DEC BOS-TLV 8:15pm-1:05pm
LY15 1 JAN TLV-BOS 12:55am-5:30am
Avaialable during registration process.

Tour Overview:

Download a PDF version:

Traveling together in Israel is an opportunity to connect – with those living in Israel, with the land itself, and with each other. As a traveling community, we will bond through our shared experiences, from the fun and adventurous to the historical and spiritual.

ON OUR 9-NIGHT JOURNEY WE WILL:
  • Discover Jerusalem from past to present, with visits to the Old City, Yad Vashem and the famed Hadassah Hospital
  • Celebrate Shabbat and Hanukkah with members of a Jerusalem congregation
  • Ascend Masada by cable car to view the remains of King Herod's fortress and celebrate those becoming B. Mitzvah
  • Float in the healing salty waters of the Dead Sea
  • Experience the mysticism of Safed, center of Kabbalah study and practice, including visits to ancient synagogues and a glass blowing workshop
  • Travel through the Golan Heights on an exciting jeep tour
  • Hike in the beautiful natural surroundings of Tel Dan Nature Reserve
  • • Tour the Neot Kedumim Biblical Gardens and partake in a special shepherds program

INCLUDED:
  • 4 nights at the Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem
  • 2 nights at the Kfar Blum Kibbutz, Galilee
  • 2 nights plus late check out at the Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
  • All touring and sightseeing per an agreed upon itinerary in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide.
  • Breakfast daily
  • 2 Lunches: Lunch at HUC and Lunch & Swim at the Dead Sea
  • 5 Dinners: Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem, 2 Kibbutz Dinners, Shabbat dinner in Tel Aviv, and Farewell Dinner
  • Group transfers and airport assistance upon arrival and departure
  • Entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Porterage

NOT INCLUDED:
  • Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges (contact Ayelet Tours for flights)
  • Tips to guides, driver, and dining room waiters ($20 per person, per day; pre-collected) (For more information on Ayelet’s tipping policies, click here)
  • Any meals not listed above
  • Any items of a personal nature
  • Any costs associated with testing or related to proof of Covid/vaccine status. Currently proof of traveler health insurance and vaccination are required to enter Israel.
  • Travel insurance (group policy available)

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Thursday, December 22, 2022: DEPARTURE

• Depart Boston on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Friday, December 23, 2022: WELCOME TO ISRAEL

• Arrival Israel, Ben Gurion Airport.
• Upon arrival we are met and assisted through customs.
• As we enter Jerusalem, we begin with a spectacular view of the Old City at the Haas Promenade, for a special “Shehecheyanu” ceremony as we overlook the City of Gold.
• We check into our hotel and gather in the lobby to light the sixth candle of Hannukah together.
• Shabbat services at Mevasarett L’Zion with home hospitality dinner.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Saturday, December 24, 2022: JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning we can choose to enjoy leisurely time at Liberty Park playing sports or enjoying a morning walking tour of the Yemin Moshe neighborhood with our guides.
• Later this morning we meet at HUC and enjoy a guided tour of the campus with two students. We enjoy lunch in a private room.
• This afternoon we take a walking tour of the Old City, where we walk through the Jewish Quarter, including the Roman Cardo marketplace, the Arab Market “shuk,” and the Christian Quarter.
• Tonight, we celebrate Havdalah together and light the seventh Hannukah candle.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Sunday, December 25, 2022: JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Make a moving visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust, where we view the many moving exhibitions with a museum guide, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations (Parallel Track is available for children: Biblical Zoo OR the Archeological dig. Separate bus to depart from Yad Vashem. Parent(s) must chaperone).
• Visit the Mt. Herzl Museum, where we learn about the life and work of the Zionist visionary.
• Continue to Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem’s military cemetery, where we visit the gravesites of Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, and Yizhak Rabin.
• We continue to the Hadassah Hospital, where we view the amazing Chagall Windows.
• We end our day with a visit to the Western Wall Tunnels, where we discover the archeological wonders that remained untouched for centuries
• Before dinner (on own) this evening, we gather in the lobby to light the eighth candle of Hannukah together.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Monday, December 26, 2022: DEAD SEA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Travel to Masada, former site of King Herod’s palace, and the place of the Jewish Zealot’s last stand against the approaching Roman armies. Before we celebrate our B’nai Mitzvah atop Masada, we take a tour of this historic mountain.
• Continue to the Dead Sea, where we have time to enjoy lunch and the mud baths and an unsinkable swim in the salty waters.
• Next, we explore Ein Gedi, where we take a short hike to the hidden waterfalls in this desert oasis.
• Return to Jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Tuesday, December 27, 2022: THE GALILEE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning we drive north toward the Galilee.
• We begin with a visit to Beit Shean, where we stop to see the ancient Roman ruins.
• Continue to Beit Alpha, were we see the mosaics in the synagogue.
• We then proceed to Safed, center of Kabbalah study and practice, where we visit the Ha’ari and Caro synagogues and have time to shop among the many artist studios and galleries. We also have the opportunity to participate in a glass blowing workshop.
• Dinner at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 7: Wednesday, December 28, 2022: NORTHERN ADVENTURES

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We begin the day with a jeep ride up to the Golan Heights, where we pass former Syrian bunkers and stop atop Har Bental for panoramic views stretching far into neighboring Syria.
• We then make a delicious stop at the DeKarina Chocolate Factory for a tour.
• This afternoon, we enjoy an enjoyable hike through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, passing among streams, rivers, and lush trees.
• Dinner at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 8: Thursday, December 29, 2022: THE ROAD TO TEL AVIV

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• We begin our day travelling down the coast with a stop to admire Mt. Carmel, where we also take in the panoramic views of the port city of Haifa and admire the beautiful Bahai Temple and Persian Gardens.
• Meet with Federation's Boston-Haifa Partnership representatives.
• After our meeting, we continue to Caesarea, where we view a multimedia presentation and the amazing Roman ruins, including the Roman Theater and the aqueduct.
• Arrive Tel Aviv and check into our hotel.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 9: Friday, December 30, 2022: TOURING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at the Ayalon Institute, where we discover the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel’s fight for Independence.
• We then continue to Neot Kedumim Biblical Gardens, for a special program about shepherds and sheep herding including participating and a “shepherds Snack”.
• We return to Tel Aviv and explore the open-air market of Nachalat Binyamin.
• Shabbat dinner in a private room at our hotel.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 10: Saturday, December 31, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Join us for Shabbat services at Beit Daniel.
• Afternoon at leisure.
• Tonight, we celebrate Havdalah together as a group.
• Farewell dinner in Jaffa before driving to the airport for our late-night flight home.

Day 11: Sunday, January 1, 2023: WELCOME HOME!

• Arrive home in the United States.

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!!
*Itinerary subject to change