Join Ahavat Torah Congregations In the Foot Prints of the Bible Adventure with Rabbi Miriam Hamrell June 26- July 10, 2011 15 Days Israel tour with Optional Petra - Jordan Tour

Tour Package Includes:
Round trip air - LAX - EL-AL LAX - Tel Aviv - and Return
Seasons Netania, Royal Plaza Tiberias, Prima Kings Jerusalem, Leonardo Inn Dead Sea, Dalia Hote Eilat, Tal Hotel Tel Aviv
All Breakfasts and Dinners as per itinerary.
Touring with one of Israel's Top Tour Guide Educators in Deluxe Motor Coach. Opening ceremony and orientation, Welcome orientation, old city of Jaffa, Yitzchak Rabin Memorial site, Caesarea Zihron Yaccov, Aliya museum, Mt. Carmel, Haifa Bay, Bahai Hanging Gardens, Druze Village, Megiddo, Zippori, Akko, Rosh Hanikra, Upper Galilee, Safed, Dan Nature Reserve, Golan Heights, Kibbutz El Rom, Chocolate Factory, Roman Natural Hot Springs of Hamat Gader, Beit Shean, Haas Promenade, Rabbi Miriam's Sheheheyanu ceremony, Western Wall, Welcome Shabbat with candle lighting, Conservative synagogue Friday night Shabbat Service, Shabbat walking tour, Havdalah with Rabbi Miriam, Southern Wall Excavations, Davidson Center, Bernd House, Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Knesset, Yad Vashem, Herzl Museum, Shrine of the book, Dead Sea, Qumran, Massada, Arava, Eilat, Timna, Optional day trip to Petra, Mitzpeh - Ramon, Sade- Boqer,Tel Aviv, ITC full color source book, A fantastic tour filled with meaningful experiences and fun!

  Itinerary

Day - 1 Sunday, June 26th
Board El-Al flight to Israel.

Day - 2 Monday, June 27th - Arrival to the new terminal at Tel-Aviv Ben Gurion air port
Here we will be meet and assist by Jacob Romano our tour guide. From here we drive to visit restored 4,000 year old city of Jaffa with its cobble stoned streets lined with artist's galleries, boutiques and cafes. Continue with a city tour and view the German architecture of the well known Boue house, at last we'll stop at the Yitzchak Rabin Memorial site, then drive to our hotel in the coastal city Netania with a beautiful view on the Mediterranean coast.
Dinner and Overnight: Seasons Hotel, Netania

Day - 3 Tuesday, June 28th - From Crusaders to Rothschild and King Ahab
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. We start our visit at Caesarea the ancient city built by King Herod two thousand years ago. Here history comes alive and one can see and speak to major figures throughout the history by means of modern technology. We proceed to Zihron Yaccov one of the first settlements build by Jacob Rothschild and visit the first Aliya museum, continuing on Mt. Carmel for a breathtaking view over the Haifa Bay and the Bahai Hanging Gardens, we continue through the Druze town of Daliat El Carmel to Megiddo a regional ruling City in the time of King Ahab, from here we continue to Tel Israel and Gideon's spring.
Dinner and Overnight: Royal Plaza Hotel, Tiberias

Day - 4 Wednesday, June 29th - From the Time of the Mishnah to the new resettlement of the Galilee
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. Today we begin in Zippori, city of the Mishnah and the site of the Sanhedrin (Supreme Court), here amazing mosaics have been found. We continue to Goosh Segev and visit some of the small Settlements that were built by the support of Arik Sharon project of increasing the Jewish population in the Galilee. From here we drive to the Crusader city of Akko with its colorful bazaars. In the afternoon we visit Rosh Hanikra where the Mediterranean waves foam through the rocks grottoes and tunnels. The road back to our hotel is via beautiful mountains and vine groves.
Dinner and Overnight: Royal Plaza Hotel, Tiberias

Day - 5 Thursday, June 30th - The best life has to offer Kabbalah, Chocolate, Wine & Massage
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. Today we ascend to the Upper Galilee, we start at the mystical and artistic city of Safed, with its narrow lanes, Galleries and Kabalistic centers. In Safed we will take part in an interactive Kabalah learning experience. From here we continue to the most northern point Metula and hear about the many clashes that took place in that area (time permitting), we continue to an easy hike in the Eden of the Galilee, Dan Nature Reserve where we cross many fresh running streams. We ascend the Golan Heights driving through winding roads and Druze villages with beautiful view of Mount Hermon and the medieval Nimrod castle. Visit an abandoned Syrian army post. Witness the fortification, underground tunnels and bunkers along the Syrian border. We continue to Kibbutz El Rom and view a short documentary film about the battle on the Golan in the Yom Kippur war. Continue to Kibbutz Ein Zivan with amazing view of the whole Golan Heights. In the Kibbutz we will experience and taste some fine chocolate and their boutique winery of fine wine. In the evening we'll swim and enjoy the Roman Natural Hot Springs of Hamat Gader. Massage is optional (not paid by the tour operator). We will end this fabulous day with an intimate oriental dinner on site.
Dinner and Overnight: Royal Plaza Hotel, Tiberias

Day - 6 Friday, July 1st - From the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem the eternal Capital of the State of Israel
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. We leave the Galilee and head towards Jerusalem, on route we'll visit Beit Shean the ancient Roman city where the corpse of King Saul and his sons were draped on the city walls. Get your cameras ready for our arrival to Haas Promenade offering spectacular panoramic view of the beautiful skyline of the Old & New city of Jerusalem. We will time to celebrate this moment with Rabbi Miriam's Sheheheyanu ceremony. Hotel check-in to prepare for Shabbat. In the early evening, we'll walk to the Western Wall and bless the opportunity to pray at the holiest site to the Jewish people, the Kotel. Proceed to our hotel to refresh and prepare to welcome Shabbat with candle lighting. Visit and participate in the Conservative synagogue Friday night Shabbat Service.
Shabbat dinner and Overnight: Prima Kings Hotel, JLM

Day - 7 Shabbat, July 2nd - Shabbat in the Holy City of Jerusalem
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. You are invited to the famous Israeli Shabbat breakfast at the hotel. It's a free day. You may want to rest, or take a walk to the Great Synagogue for Shabbat service with the participation of 40 man choir, or drop-in to any of the many various synagogues in the city. Shabbat lunch buffet at the hotel. In the late afternoon you may join Rabbi Miriam in visiting sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhori in the Arab Quarter of the Old City. After the Shabbat ends we will walk to the Kotel and have a spiritual Havdalah service with Rabbi Miriam. We will continue to walk to the unique experience the awe filled Western Wall tunnel. Shabbat lunch.
Overnight: Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Day - 8 Sunday, July 3rd - Jerusalem - Finding and Living our Heritage Magnificent
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. In-depth exploration of the Southern Wall Excavations, including a virtual, computerized "walk" through the Holy Temple, at the Davidson Center. There, through animation, we will be able to meet people and hear their stories from the turbulent period of the Temples destruction two thousand years ago. We continue to the West Wall, the Kotel, where each of us can insert his special requests into the ancient cracks in the stones. From here we go back to the Jewish quarter and visit the Bernd House, the Temple Institute. Then through the colorful bazaar to Jaffa gate and back to our hotel. After Dinner we will walk to David's Citadel and experience within its walls an audio visual program that reflects life in Jerusalem 3000 years of ago.
Dinner and Overnight: Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Day - 9 Monday, July 4th - Full day tour of modern Jerusalem
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. Today we tour New Jerusalem. We'll pass by the Knesset (The Israeli parliament) and the Supreme Court. Visit Yad Vashem, the memorial to six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust) and Har Herzl, here we'll visit Herzl Museum (if available) and the national cemetery, where we pay respect to the assassinated former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Continue to Israel museum to explore its many interesting exhibitions like the Shrine of the book where the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls were found and the 2nd Temple Model.
Dinner and Overnight: Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Day - 10 Tuesday, July 5th - We follow the pursuit of King Solomon after David to the Dead Sea
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. Today we leave Jerusalem and head into the dramatic Judea desert towards the Dead Sea we stop at Qumran the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were fund, we continue to Nahal David and take a beautiful walk along a desert canyon and the running stream to the big water fall, afterwards we take time to relax and experience a weightless swim in the Dead Sea. Tonight we stay in a hotel at the Dead Sea. Spa & massage services are optional (not included in tour price).
Dinner and Overnight: Leonardo Inn, Dead Sea

Day - 11 Wednesday, July 6th - From the Rebellion in Massada through the rebuilding of the modern farming in the Arava to Eilat
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. We ascend by cable car to Massada, the newly designated World Heritage Site and take a live history tour among the remains of King Herod's palace-fortress and hear the dramatic story of the Jewish Zealots in their rebellion against the Romans. We continue across the Arava desert on the Shalom Road to Eilat, nestled between the magnificent rugged mountains of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Sinai. on the way we'll stop to visit an organic vegetable hothouse farm, continue to Timna an old copper mines from the Egyptian & King Solomon's era, here we take short walks to wonderful sandstone formations as well as visit the reconstruction of 'Ohel Moed' tent. Eilat is the major tourist destination of Israel full with activities and nightlife, plenty to choose from.
Dinner and Overnight: Dalia Hotel, Eilat

Day - 12 Thursday, July 7th - Adventure tour to the Red Rock Petra an ancient Nabatian City
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. Today we'll have an early start and drive across the Jordan boarder to Petra the ancient Nabatian City, also known as the Red Rock, here we'll have a half day walk along the beautiful colored sand rock Monuments. Lunch is included today. In the afternoon we return to Eilat.
Dinner and overnight: Dalia Hotel, Eilat

Day - 13 Friday, July 8th - From the Red Sea back to the Mediterranean
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. Today we leave Eilat on the way north. We stop at Mitzpeh - Ramon visitor centre, overlooking "Ramon Crater", the largest crater in the world. Next we drive to Sade-Boqer and visit the tomb and memorial garden of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, overlooking the Zin canyon. Continue north to Tel Aviv.
Dinner and overnight: Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv

Day - 14 Saturday, July 9th - Shabbat in the greater metropolitan city of Tel Aviv
Magnificent Israeli breakfast. This is our last day, we'll have some free time to enjoy a local synagogue, the sandy beach or anything your heart desires. Evening, farewell dinner at the hotel, and drive to the airport for our Departure flight back home.

Day - 15 Sunday, July 10th - Return to LA
Begin planning your next Israel trip with Rabbi Hamrell and ITC Tours!

*Itinerary Subject to Change