Tuesday May 03, 2011 – The Journey Begins…
Depart the US for Israel.
DL1940, SFO/JFK, 11:30A – 8:12P
LY 008, JFK/TLV, 11:50P – 5:15P (04 MAY)

Wednesday May 04, 2011 – Welcome Home! Shalom and welcome to Israel. Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport (5:15PM), meet your Tour Educator and ascend to Jerusalem. Pause at a vantage point overlooking the city to say Shehehianu Overnight: King Solomon, Jerusalem

Thursday, May 05, 2011 – Jerusalem, the City of Peace Walk the Old City Ramparts from Jaffa Gate to Zion Gate. Visit Tomb of King David - founder of the City of Peace, atop of Mount Zion. Enter the Old City via Zion Gate and explore the Jewish Quarter including the Roman Cardo, an ancient shopping street still active today; view the Broad Wall (First Temple Period city wall indicating the expansion of the city at that time). Descend the Western Hill to visit the newly excavated City of David and get wet while walking through Hezekiah Tunnel, built to bring water into the city Overnight: King Solomon, Jerusalem

Friday, May 06, 2011 – Remembrance Visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Tour the museum, the Children’s Memorial, the Valley of the Communities and the Boulevard of the Righteous among the Nations. Continue to Mount Herzl to see the graves of Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzchak Rabin and other Zionist luminaries as well as graves of Fallen Israeli Soldiers. Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel Shabbat programs Overnight: King Solomon, Jerusalem

Saturday, May 07, 2011 – Shabbat Jerusalem Style Shabbat Services at a local Synagogue (TBA) Parashat Emor (Leviticus 21:1-24:23) The Torah section of Emor ("Speak") begins with the special laws pertaining to the Kohanim ("priests"), the Kohen Gadol ("High Priest"), and the Temple service: A Kohen may not become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, save on the occasion of the death of a close relative. A Kohen may not marry a divorcee or a woman with a promiscuous past; a Kohen Gadol can marry only a virgin. A Kohen with a physical deformity cannot serve in the Holy Temple, nor can a deformed animal be brought as an offering. The second part of Emor lists the annual Callings of Holiness -- the festivals of the Jewish calendar: the weekly Shabbat; the bringing of the Passover offering on 14 Nissan; the seven-day Passover festival beginning on 15 Nissan; the bringing of the Omer offering from the first barley harvest on the 2nd day of Passover, and the commencement, on that day, of the 49-day Counting of the Omer, culminating in the festival of Shavuot on the 50th day; a "remembrance of Shofar blowing" on 1 Tishrei; a solemn fast day on 10 Tishrei; the Sukkot festival - - during which we are to dwell in huts for seven days and take the "Four Kinds" -- beginning on 15 Tishrei; and the immediately following holiday of the "8th day" of Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret). Havdalah In the evening stroll the pedestrian street of Ben Yehudah. Overnight: King Solomon, Jerusalem

Sunday, May 08, 2011 – Romans, Druze and Erev Yom Ha’Zicharon Depart Jerusalem and drive to Caesarea to see the Roman Theatre and the Crusader Fortress with its unique dry moat. Continue for a short hike at Nahal Hashofet at Ramot Menashe Drive to Haifa for a view of the largest harbor in Israel and of the Bahai Gardens. Visit the Druze village of Ossafiyah for lunch and learn about this minority whose members are very loyal to the State of Israel. This visit to the Druze community (who are religiously different from the Muslim community) provides insight to understanding this people who live in Israel alongside the Jews. Early check in the hotel, relax and change cloths for the evening ceremony Participate in the Yom Ha’Zicharon ceremony at the Naval Training Base in Haifa Overnight: Carmel Mountain Hotel, Haifa.

Monday, May 09, 2011 – Northern Experience and Erev Yom Ha'atzmaut Drive across the Galilee and ascend the Golan Heights to Gamla. Engage in Memorial Day ceremony next to this special site. Continue to Mount Bental and peer deep into Syria and the ghost town of Kuneitra and view the new city built after the Yom Kippur War. As you descend the Golan Heights pause at Mitzpe Gadot to view the Hula Valley and to hear the exploits of Israel's master spy, Eli Cohen. In the afternoon visit Zfat, city of Mystical Judaism (Kabbalah). Explore the narrow alleyways lined by ancient synagogues and artists’ galleries. In the evening join all Israelis at Kiriyat Shemona for Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations Overnight: Nofei Gonen, Kibbutz Hotel

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 – Go Golan! On Yom Ha'atzmaut In the morning after late sleep visit the Memorial site at Shear Yishuv commemorating the helicopters crash. Enjoy a thrilling kayaking adventure on the Jordan River. Ascend the Golan Heights and prepare to get wet as you hike the Gilaboon stream! Overnight: Nofei Gonen, Kibbutz Hotel

Wednesday May 11, 2011 – Making Israeli Friends Depart the Galilee area and travel to Nahal Kziv to enjoy a nature hike. Continue to Ma'alot Tarshicha and meet with peers of your P2K partner school, ORT. Following icebreaker activities join your peers for dinner at their homes (pending confirmation). Late night depart for a long drive to Tel Aviv Overnight: Marina Hotel, Tel Aviv.

Thursday, May 12, 2011 – The City that Never Sleeps Enjoy short city tour of Tel Aviv, pause at Rabin Square to remember and speak of peace. Head to the place where the State of Israel was born in 1948 – Independence Hall. Visit the Palmach Museum (pending confirmation) Relax on the marvelous beach In the evening head to Old Jaffa to hear about Jonah and the Whale, Greek mythology’s Andromeda, Napoleon and others who are part of Jaffa’s history. Overnight: Marina Hotel, Tel Aviv.

Friday, May 13, 2011 – Tikun Olam and Deep Exploration Head to Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam is a cooperative village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. Continue the day with a "hands on" experience with the past as you participate in an archeological dig. Explore the unique Bell Caves in Beit Guvrin, including the Columbarium—all carved from stone. Ascend to Jerusalem and see the Jerusalemites prepare for Shabbat at Machne Yehuda Market Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel followed by a Festive Shabbat Dinner Overnight: Dan Panorama, Jerusalem

Saturday, May 14, 2011 – Shabbat Jerusalem Style Shabbat Services at the Center for Conservative Judaism, Fuchsberg Center Visit Israel Museum, the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept and view the Second Temple Period Model. Parashat Behar (Leviticus 25:1-26:2) On the mountain of Sinai, G-d communicates to Moses the laws of the sabbatical year. Every seventh year, all work on the land should cease, and its produce becomes free for the taking for all, man and beast. Seven sabbatical cycles are followed by a fiftieth year -- the jubilee year, on which work on the land ceases, all indentured servants are set free, and all ancestral estates in the Holy Land that have been sold revert to their original owners. Behar also contains additional laws governing the sale of lands, and the prohibitions against fraud and usury. Explore the Christian Quarter to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on top of the Rock called Golgotha, where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried. Havdallah Evening excursion, see Jerusalem at night and explore the new Mammilla Pedestrian Mall Overnight: Dan Panorama, Jerusalem

Sunday, May 15, 2011 - Jewish Brains, "Salad" and Camels! Drive to Rehovot’s Weitzman Institute for a hands-on tour of its Clore Garden of Science. Spend time on special activities with Arabs and Israeli Youth (pending confirmation) Participate in a Tikun Olam program with Table to Table – pick fruit and vegetables from harvested fields that will be given to those who need. Drive further south into the desert for a camel trek followed by a Bedouin Hafla (feast). Overnight: “Kfar Hanokdim” Bedouin Tent.

Monday, May 16, 2011 - Massada Rocks! Ascend Massada via the Roman Ramp to see the sunrise. Tour the site, to hear tales of Herod and of the Zealots who chose death over slavery at the hands of the Romans. Descend via the Snake Path to the Dead Sea. Swim (float), relax and have lunch at the Dead Sea (Time permitting) head to Ein Gedi desert oasis, for a hike to the waterfalls Afternoon depart the Dead Sea area and head to Jerusalem via the Judean Desert. Closing Sessions, farewell dinner and drive to Ben Gurion Airport

Tuesday, May 17, 2011– Shalom U’lehitraot
Depart for the US
LY 001, TLV/JFK, 1:00A – 5:40A
DL1765, JFK/SFO, 10:15A – 1:35P

* Program is subject to change