Program dated: October 27, 2017 PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE CONGREGATIONAL TRIP TO ISRAEL Track I YOUNG FAMILIES (2 buses) December 22-31, 2018 D a y O n e : S a t u r d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 2, 2 0 1 8 DEPARTURE Depart the U.S.A. Overnight: Flight D a y T w o : S u n d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 3, 2 0 1 8 ARRIVAL Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Meet your tour educators at the airport and depart. Enter the city of Tel Aviv, known as the city that never sleeps, with its centres of culture, recreation and national history, and great beaches. Check into the hotel. Visit the Old City of Jaffa; ascend from the old port through the renovated alleyways to the Jaffa Overlook for an introduction to Tel Aviv at the place where it all began. Enjoy a Middle-Eastern-style welcome dinner at Maganda, in Tel Aviv s Yemenite Quarter, with a varied menu of traditional salads, grilled meats, and a family friendly atmosphere. Bruchim Ha baim! Opening activity for the Young Families Track. Celebrate the beginning of your journey and take part in an orientation with PAS staff and your tour educators. Overnight: Tel Aviv
D a y T h r e e : M o n d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 4, 2 0 1 8 A DAY IN TEL AVIV WELCOME TO ISRAEL @ 70! Begin the trip together as a community with a special ISRAELI BREAKFAST EVENT with opening remarks and greetings from your Rabbis and trip leaders. Check out of the hotel. Explore two thousand years of rich Jewish culture and community at Beit Hatefutsot (the Diaspora House), the Museum of the Jewish People and Culture; visit the newly opened Synagogue Exhibition and take part in their Heroes - Trailblazers of the Jewish People handson activities. Against The Odds - Building a State: Pay a short visit to Independence Hall, where David Ben- Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel on May 14th, 1948. Lunch on your own at the Sarona Market, an indoor market with a range of cuisines and food stalls to choose from many of which are produced by renowned Israeli chefs. Depart Tel Aviv, driving toward Rehovot. Visit the Ayalon Institute near Rehovot for an eye-opening tour of the clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate. Continue driving south to the Negev Desert. Check into the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon D a y F o u r : T u e s d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 5, 2 0 1 8 FROM CRATER TO CREATIVITY Visit the home and gravesite of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, located at Sde Boker in the Negev Desert, overlooking the Wilderness of Zinn. Enjoy a short nature walk to the Ein Avdat spring. Visit the Chan Hashayarot encampment in the Negev Desert for Bedouin-style hospitality, a camel ride and a Hafla lunch. Return to Mitzpe Ramon. Explore the geological wonders of the Ramon Crater while walking to the unique natural phenomenon known as the Carpentry Shop. Expand your horizons by meandering through the canyons and geological formations of the crater, by off-roading in a jeep tour. Leisure time at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Stargaze on the cliff of the Ramon Crater. (Weather permitting) Overnight: Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon
D a y F i v e : W e d n e s d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 6, 2 0 1 8 INTO THE DESERT, MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA Breakfast at the hot Check out of the hotel. Drive to the Roman Ramp leading up to Masada. Ascend the Roman Ramp to visit Masada, Herod s mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Discuss Masada s role as a symbol of Jewish defence and its current significance in modern Israel. Box lunch en route. Experience an astonishing sense of weightlessness as you float in the super-saline Dead Sea. Welcome to Jerusalem - הבאים :ברוכים Enter the vibrant and colorful ancient city of Jerusalem, and experience the convergence of the old and the new. Stop at Mount Scopus for an overlook of Jerusalem and to recite the traditional shehechiyanu blessing. Check into the hotel. PAS EVENT CELEBRATING ISRAEL @ 70! Celebrate Israel s 70th birthday with a Jerusalem of Gold ambience, at the beautiful Olmaya Hall, with spectacular views of the Old City lit up in the background, and greetings by the Mayor of Jerusalem. Enjoy the best of Israeli cocktails and cuisine, music performances and festivities for all ages.
D a y S i x : T h u r s d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 7, 2 0 1 8 SPIRITUALITY AND HISTORY Proceed to the Old City of Jerusalem and walk along the ancient Ramparts. Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter for visits to archaeological treasures and other highlights, including the Cardo, the main street of Jerusalem in the 6 th century. Visit the Kotel (Western Wall) and experience the special atmosphere of this holy site. Lunch on own, en route. Join the Temple Mount Sifting Operation. Sift through rubble that originated in the Second Temple Period and learn about the findings from archaeologists and expert guides at the site. Engage in a dynamic family experience at the Kol Ha Ot Art Gallery. Through the magical power of the arts and the special atmosphere of the location, grapple with Jewish texts in a transformative, interactive program that will leave you with a long-lasting family memory. Adults Parents Night Out! Enjoy a delicious dinner at a local Jerusalem restaurant and take part in a dialogue with Prof. Reuven Hazan of the Political Science Department at Hebrew University. Children Pizza dinner followed by the new multimedia expedition I Am Jerusalem: Take a journey to the past, present, and future of Jerusalem. Learn why Jerusalem is so important to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity as you take a virtual ride through the streets, alleys, markets and attractions of the Old and New Cities.
D a y S e v e n : F r i d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 8, 2 0 1 8 MEMORY & RENEWAL Mark your visit to Israel by planting a tree at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory and enjoy free time at the new Jerusalem Deer Valley Park, to relax and enjoy the nature. Adults and children over 10 (With guide) Visit the Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including: The Avenue of the Righteous The Historical Museum The Children s Memorial A concluding Memorial Service Children under 10 (With staff) Visit the Biblical Zoo, a beautifully landscaped habitat with a special focus on preserving Biblical fauna, geared to children of all ages (2-80). All Lunch on own at Jerusalem s Ben-Yehuda Street. Return to your hotel, for time to relax and prepare for Shabbat. EREV SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM Welcome Shabbat with Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Hirsch Hall Gather together with your fellow congregants for a private PAS COMMUNITY SHABBAT DINNER at the hotel, with Lone Soldiers. Enjoy a festive meal as you hear from unique young men and women who chose to leave their homes to join the IDF. Oneg Shabbat Learning Experience: Join local scholars for intimate group learning sessions.
D a y E i g h t : S a t u r d a y, D e c e m b e r 2 9, 2 0 1 8 SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM Enjoy breakfast at your leisure at the hotel. Shabbat morning Services at local Jerusalem synagogues. PAS COMMUNITY KIDDUSH LUNCHEON in the Blaustein Hall, overlooking the Old City. In the Footsteps of David: Take part in a friendly competition with a family team scavenger hunt from Mount Zion to the Tower of David! Free time in the afternoon to relax and enjoy hotel facilities. PAS COMMUNITY HAVDALLAH overlooking the Old City. Dinner on own and evening at leisure.
D a y N i n e : S u n d a y, D e c e m b e r 3 0, 2 0 1 8 MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME PAS COMMUNITY AT MT. HERZL Visit Mt. Herzl, including Herzl s grave and other leaders of the nation. PAS DOES TIKKUN OLAM Giving Back with Pantry Packers: Participate in a Tikkun Olam project by packing commodity food staples for Israel s poorest families; after a brief orientation session, don gloves, aprons and caps in order to fill bags of rice, beans and other commodities. Take a multi-cultural tasting journey through the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem s Machaneh Yehudah open-air market: Enjoy the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of this vibrant area where Jerusalemites shop. Return to the hotel for time to finish packing. Late check-out from the hotel. LE HITRAOT ISRAEL! Drive to the Sakoya Hall in Ma ale Hachamisha for a FAREWELL DINNER with closing remarks and thoughts from the Rabbis and trip leaders. Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport to check in for your departure flight to New York. Overnight: Flight D a y T e n : M o n d a y, D e c e m b e r 3 1, 2 0 1 8 RETURN Departure flight to New York, arriving the same day.