Rabbi Norman Lipson Rabbi Daniel Sherman Temple Dor Dorim Adventure to Israel June 18 29, 2017 (As of 9/26/16) Touring together in Israel is an opportunity to Connect with our brothers and sisters in Israel, with the land itself, and with each other. As a traveling community, we ll bond through our shared experiences from the fun and adventurous, to the historical and spiritual. Day 1: Sunday, June 18, 2017: DEPARTURE We depart from the United States on our overnight flight to Israel. Day 2: Monday, June 19, 2017: ARRIVAL Mid-day arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, with assistance by an Ayelet representative. We stop for a meaningful welcome ceremony led by Rabbi Lipson and Rabbi Sherman, marking our joyful arrival into Israel. Travel north to our kibbutz in the Galilee. Welcome dinner at our kibbutz. O/N Galilee Day 3: Tuesday, June 20, 2017: THE GALILEE Breakfast at our kibbutz. Visit the amazing underground facilities at the Western Galilee Hospital in Naharia. We continue to Bar'am National Park, which overlooks Lebanon and contains the ruins of two of Israel's most beautiful synagogues. We drive up Mt. Bental. Here we can see clearly into neighboring Syria, and our guide gives us a briefing on the current situation. This afternoon we enjoy a kayaking adventure along the Jordan River.
Re-live the decisive tank battles of the 1973 war at the Oz 77 memorial, including the chance to view the powerful documentary film at nearby Kibbutz El Rom. On the kibbutz we ll also hear the stories of the northern settlers who so often lived in shelters when Syrians controlled this crucial military high ground. Visit Nimrod Fortress, an impressive hilltop castle in the Golan heights. O/N Galilee Day 4: Wednesday, June 21, 2017: NORTHERN ADVENTURES Breakfast at our kibbutz. Check out of our kibbutz. Stop at K'far Kedem to see how life was lived in Mishnaic times, including the chance to ride a donkey and make pita bread, goat cheese or olive oil. Visit the mystical city of Safed, where we hear about the origins and continued practice of Kaballah, Jewish Mysticism, at the Kaballah Center. Explore the winding streets and fantastic art galleries. This afternoon we plant a tree near the Golani junction, physically linking us to the land of Israel. Continue to Jerusalem. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, we stop atop the Haas Promenade to recite a special Sh hekiyanu! blessing overlooking the City of Gold. Check into our hotel.
Day 5: Thursday, June 22, 2017: EXPLORE JERUSALEM Breakfast at our hotel. Begin our day fulfilling the mitzvah of gleaning fruits or vegetables from the fields through Project Leket, an organization dedicated to feeding the needy in Israel. We travel to Beit Guvrin, where we participate in a hands on archaeological dig, allowing us the opportunity to unearth remnants from Israel s ancient past. Continue with David Leichman for Tasting Diversity - This is a culinary tasting tour through the market place (shuk) of Ramle, a mixed Arab/Jewish city. We will examine the ethnic foods of the many different immigrant populations that make this city among Israel's most colorful. This evening, we walk together to the Tower of David, where we view the spectacular Sound & Light Show. Day 6: Friday, June 23, 2017: JERUSALEM Breakfast at our hotel. Begin our day of touring with views of the city from atop the Mount of Olives. Together we will visit the grave of Rabbi Lipson s grandfather. Continue to the Western Wall, where we will have time for personal reflection. We enjoy a walking tour through history into the Old City, exploring the Jewish Quarter, Arab market, the Christian Quarter, the Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This afternoon, we visit Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem s outdoor marketplace, filled with foods & spices of every variety. Together we ll take part in the shuk bites program, allowing us to enjoy a varied taste of the marketplace in a fun and new way. We visit Yad Vashem, Israel s memorial to the Holocaust, where we explore beyond the main museum, including a visit to the archives, to hear about newly found materials relating to places, people and events connected to the Holocaust.
Next we visit the Hartman Institute, a pluralistic center of research and education deepening and elevating the quality of Jewish life in Israel and around the world, for a pre-shabbat study session led by one of the institutes preeminent scholars. This evening we walk to Shabbat services at Reform Congregation Har El followed by Shabbat dinner & home hospitality. Day 7: Saturday, June 24, 2017: SHABBAT SHALOM! Breakfast at our hotel. Free morning to enjoy the calm of Shabbat or attend Shabbat services at one of the many local congregations (options will be provided). This afternoon, we enjoy a fun-filled scavenger hunt through the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, the first built outside the Old City walls a great way to get to know the area! OPTIONAL: Afternoon study session at our hotel with Rabbi Sam Shor of Shir Hadash- Jerusalem's English speaking, inclusive, Zionist, Modern Orthodox Synagogue Shabbat: Rest or Restoration. Free evening in Jerusalem enjoy a stroll along Ben Yehuda Street or Emek Refaim. Day 8: Sunday, June 25, 2017: TEL AVIV/ESHKOL Breakfast at our hotel. Check out of our hotel. This morning we meet with Hebrew University s Professor Reuven Hazan to discuss the current political landscape in Israel. We visit Yad Vashem, Israel s memorial to the Holocaust, where we view the many moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous among the Nations.
We travel to Caesarea, where we see the ancient Roman Theatre and aqueduct along the Mediterranean Sea. Continue to our hotel in Tel Aviv for check-in. Today we explore the southern frontier region of Eshkol in the Negev. We ll speak with students and teachers about their lives as we tour the Eshkol Region s Protected School. We'll witness their bravery and hope, as we view the buildings which are used for both learning and shelter. We will meet with displaced former residents of Gaza, a unique insight into the personal impact of the regions Geopolitics. We depart for Mitzpe Ramon. Check into our hotel. Dinner at our hotel (Returnees) First Timers : O/N Tel Aviv Returnees: O/N Mitzpe Ramon Day 9: Monday, June 26, 2017: TEL AVIV/MITZPE RAMON Breakfast at our hotel. We begin this morning with a visit to the Palmach Museum. The museum covers the Palmach legacy through the stories of the group of young Palmach recruits from its establishment until the end of the War of Independence. Take part in the account of a fascinating personal story accompanied by three-dimensional decor, films and various effects incorporating documentary materials. Continue to Independence Hall, where the establishment of the state of Israel was declared. We hear the moving words of David Ben Gurion echo through the space where the nascent state was formed in 1948. Dinner together this evening at a local restaurant. Enjoy a sunrise Jeep tour through the heart of the Ramon Crater as it bathes majestically in the first light of the day. Return to our hotel for breakfast. OPTIONAL: Morning hike along the craters edge or enjoy time relaxing by the pool. Early this afternoon, we depart Mitzpe Ramon and head north to Tel Aviv.
Stop at Sde Boker where we visit the gravesite and original hut of David Ben Gurion, deep in the heart of the Negev Desert. We enjoy a Chef led tour through the famous Lewinsky Market. Experience the authentic roots and history of this diverse food culture with our own taste buds. We will help our chef cook dinner with the collected ingredients from our tour. Continue to our hotel in Tel Aviv for check-in. O/N Tel Aviv Day 10: Tuesday, June 27, 2017: TEL AVIV Breakfast at our hotel. Discover the secret underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel s fight for independence at the Ayalon Institute. Climb down the once-hidden stairs and visit the work area where the heavy machinery was situated. We visit the Holon Children s Museum for "Dialogue in the Dark" led by a sight-impaired guide it is an enlightening experience! We enjoy time to explore the Nachalat Binyamin Street Fair, where artists and entertainers fill the streets with crafts and music. Option to visit the adjacent Carmel Market. We visit the Weitzman Institute, where some of the brightest scientific minds are trying to solve the world s biggest problems. Here we ll get an update on some of the recent breakthroughs coming out of the institute, including a demonstration of one of their developed technologies. Visit one of Holon s excellent museums choose from the Caricature/Cartoon Museum, the Design Museum or the Children s Museum. O/N Tel Aviv
Day 11: Wednesday, June 28, 2017: TEL AVIV Breakfast at our hotel. We volunteer through the Jaffa Institute s Chesed projects (packing supplies), serving the needy. We ll learn about the huge difference the Jaffa Institute makes in the lives of children living in poverty in Israel. This afternoon, we visit Sarona Market, Israel's largest, most unique indoor culinary complex that combines the old world with the new. Walk along the cobblestone streets to the quaint shops or enjoy a cappuccino at one of the many coffee shops. Enjoy some free time for last minute shopping or relax on the beach. Late check out from our hotel. Farewell dinner together this evening as we recount all we have experienced together! Transfer to the airport for our late night flight back to the United States. Day 12: Thursday, June 29, 2017: ARRIVAL HOME We arrive back in the United States. The Memories Last Forever! *Itinerary subject to change U:\ITINERARY\Lipson Rabbi Norman ISR JUNE 2017 ITIN.docx