ITC TOURS
B’NAI ISRAEL FAMILY TOUR IN ISRAEL with Rabbi Steven Moss
17 – 27 February 2011
(draft 5 Nov. 2009; subject to change)

Thursday, 17 February – Depart USA

Friday, 18 February – When You Come Into the Land (Deut. 26:1)

· Morning arrival in Israel (ideally), to be met and assisted at Ben Gurion Airport by your ITC representative (today’s program depends on arrival time)

· We begin our tour by going way back in time at Neot Kedumim, a biblical landscapes park

· Proceed to the first modern Hebrew city: Tel Aviv

· Explore the pathways, art galleries, and market stalls of Old Jaffa, once the gateway to Eretz Yisrael; review the biblical story of Jonah the Prophet on site

· Browse through unique craft items in Nachalat Binyamin’s colorful, open-air market and see modern Tel Aviv in action

· Hotel check-in

· Friday night services on the beach with Rabbi Moss

· Shabbat dinner at the hotel

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv

Shabbat, 19 February – Shabbat in Tel Aviv

· Enjoy a day and evening at leisure to explore Tel Aviv on one’s own, including free Israeli dancing on the beach; most art museums and galleries and open today

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv

Sunday, 20 February – Foundations of the Modern State

· At Independence Hall, relive Ben Gurion’s moving declaration of the State

· Enjoy an impressive presentation of the amazing achievements of the Palmach at the recently opened multi-media Palmach Museum (if available)

· Put down roots in Israeli soil as you plant a tree, in honor or in memory of a loved one

· At the Latrun IDF Armored Corps center, review (or climb on) the tanks and learn about battles fought there for the road to Jerusalem

· Evening: Enjoy a dairy dinner at Café Kappish, served by deaf waiters who will teach you sign language during your meal, followed by Na Laga’at, a unique play performed by actors who are both deaf and blind

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv

Monday, 21 February –The Mediterranean Coast

· See ancient history come to life at the multi-media center against the backdrop of ancient Caesaria. Excavations include an impressive amphitheatre and aqueduct

· Meet members of Israel’s Druze community in Ossafiya, shop in their colorful market, hear about their fierce patriotism, and enjoy their warm hospitality for lunch

· Explore the fascinating sarcophagi of Beit Shearim, where sages from the Mishna were once buried

· Take a panoramic bus tour of the sparkling port city of Haifa, including views of the Bahai Gardens

· Hotel check-in and dinner

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Haifa

Tuesday, 22 February– Galilee Communities

· Visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum in Haifa to learn the brave story of “illegal” immigration to this Land before the State of Israel was born

· Take the cable car to the mesmerizing ocean grottos of Rosh Hanikra, at Israel’s border with Lebanon

· Tour the synagogues, courtyards, and shops of the mystical city of Tzefat, including cheese-tasting at the gourmet Meiri Cheese Company, housed in a Tzefat heritage building

· Dinner at a Galilee restaurant

· Overnight: Kibbutz Lavi Hotel, Tiberias

Wednesday, 23 February – The Who Sacrificed

· Travel through the Golan Heights by jeep, off the beaten track, and stop to gaze down over the Galilee as the Syrians once did; hear brave stories of the defense of the Golan and view its spectacular scenery (Shvilim)

· Travel south, along Israel’s border with Jordan, for the ascent to Jerusalem

· Visit the new Holocaust Memorial Museum (age 12 and up only) and the Children’s Memorial at Yad Vashem; alternative interactive tour available for younger children on site

· Hotel check-in, followed by a free evening in Jerusalem

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Thursday, 24 February – Jerusalem of Old

· Group may split:In the Kotel Tunnels, walk alongside the massive foundation stones of the Western Wall (local guide) OR Take a walking tour along the Via Dolorosa; enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and visit the Coptic Village and Arab Market

· Please choose one for the group:Explore the Southern Wall Excavations and take a virtual, computerized “walk” through the ancient Temple Mount at the Davidson Center OR Visit Jerusalem of King David’s time as you walk through the recently-excavated David’s City

· Stumble across many authentic archeological finds in a hands-on dig through archeological matter that has been dumped into Emek Tzurim from under the Temple Mount

· Evening: Attend The Night Spectacular, the fabulous new sound and light show at the Tower of David Museum

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Friday, 25 February – Freedom Fighters or Fanatics?

· Early morning departure for the Dead Sea Region

· Group may split:Ascend Masada by cable car. Tour this magnificent excavation and discuss the terrible dilemma faced by its Jewish population during Roman times and then stop for a dip in the amazing Dead Sea OR Spend some time today at a Dead Sea resort hotel, enjoying its spa facilities, lunch, and the amazing Dead Sea (second choice not included in tour price)

· Enjoy a walk through the beautiful Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and review the biblical story of kings David and Saul “on site”

· Friday night services as a group at the hotel or overlooking the Old City

· Shabbat dinnerat the hotel

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Shabbat, 26 February – Shabbat in Jerusalem

· · Optional: Shabbat morning services at the HUC Synagogue, followed by a Kiddush

· Shabbat walking tour to the Tower of David Museum for a wonderful presentation of the history of the city

· Walk on the Wallsof the Old City for a birds-eye, rooftop view into its different neighborhoods OR Take in a rooftop view of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem

· Farewell dinnerat a lovely Jerusalem restaurant

· Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Sunday, 27 February – A Temporary Departure

· Depart for the airport

· Arrive back in USA

· Begin planning your next Israel trip with ITC Tours!