THE ISRAEL

TRIP

TEM

PLE

BETH

SHALOM OF AUSTIN

J u n e 2 - 1 2 , 2 0 2 0

TEMPLE BETH SHALOM OF AUSTIN • FAMILY TRIP TO ISRAEL • LED BY RABB I AMY COHEN

TOLL FREE 888-811-2812 | Search on ar zaworld.com for more detai ls

8 8 8 . 8 1 1 . 2 8 1 2

New York: 500 7th Ave | 8th Floor | New York, NY 10018Prague: Soukenicka 1194/13 | 110 00 Prague 1 | Czech RepublicJerusalem: 19 Washington Street | P.O. Box 71047 | Jerusalem, Israel 9171000 Tel Aviv: 6 Beit Hillel Street | Tel Aviv, Israel 6701709

Yo u r T o u r E d u c a t o rEvery journey we offer is accompanied by a Tour Educator (TE)

who brings your itinerary to life. Some of our TE’s have decades of

firsthand experience leading people to particular places.

Your TE will provide you with an authentic understanding of the

locations you will visit, will introduce you to the locals, and will

share his/her enthusiasm and passion for the local culture. The

result is a journey that transforms your understanding of a place,

connecting you to the people and places you encounter in a way

that is palpable and unforgettable.

Our TE's are like no other: intelligent, knowledgeable, engaging

and fun. They will become an indispensable part of your experience

and some might just become lifetime friends.

JunE 2-12, 2020

FROM $2,859 LAND ONLY

HIgHLIgHTSA journey of inspiration, education and connection�

Experience Israel from ancient history to high-tech innovation�

Explore the wonders of Jerusalem, the energy of Tel Aviv, the�

serenity of the NorthOutdoor adventures and Tikkun Olam encounters�

Meet Israeli Reform leaders and communities�

B’nai Mitzvah celebrations overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City�

Outstanding tour educator and speakers�

Israel in style: Superb service and logistics�

OUR TRIP

DAY ONE TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020 DEPARTURE

Depart the USA�

Overnight: Flight

DAY TwO WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020ARRIVAL

Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport.�

Welcome by our representative, assistance with arrival formalities.�

Meet your tour educator and ascend to Jerusalem through the�

Judean Hills.Upon entering Jerusalem stop at the Haas Promenade for an�

overlook of the Old and New City of Jerusalem and to recite thetraditional “shehechiyanu” blessing.Check into the hotel.�

A Window to Israel & Our Journey: Private dinner and orientation�

with the Rabbi and tour educator.

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY ThREE THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 ThE LAYERS OF JERUSALEM

Breakfast at the hotel.�

Depart the hotel for the Old City and begin with an exploration�

of the excavations at the City of David, the very core of ancientJerusalem, view the Gihon Spring and optionally wade throughthe 2,700-year-old water tunnel of King Hezekiah.Stop at the Kotel (Western Wall) to experience the special�

atmosphere of this holy site and walk through the WesternWall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wallalongside the Temple Mount.Lunch on own en route.�

Continue to the Jewish Quarter, its archaeological treasures and�

other highlights:Walk along the Rooftops of the Old City for a behind-the-scenes�

look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how they livealongside each other.The Cardo - the main street of Jerusalem in the 6th�

Hurva Square - the central square of the Jewish Quarter.�

Become your favorite biblical character! Re-Live the Bible's�

authentic atmosphere through costumes and amazingbackgrounds. Dress up like Moses, Ruth or a Temple Priest andprepare for your photoshoot.Free time in the Arab bazaar.�

Return to the hotel.�

Dinner on own.�

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY FOUR FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 MEMORY & RENEwAL

Breakfast at the hotel.�

Option 1 - Adults and youth older than 12Depart for Yad Vashem, the Jewish National Memorial of the six�

million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including:The Avenue of the Righteous�

The Historical Museum�

The Children's Memorial�

Option 2 - Kids (together with a youth counselor)Depart for Ein Yael, an interactive, living museum, located on�

a 2,000-year-old archaeological site. Optionally take part inweaving, ceramics, painting and other crafts typical of life inancient times.

AllLaDa'at Machaneh Yehuda: Actively explore the colorful and�

ethnically diverse Machaneh Yehuda market of Jerusalem; lunchon own.Return to the hotel, free time to freshen up and relax before�

Shabbat.Depart Jerusalem for Kabbalat Shabbat services at a local Reform�

community, perhaps at Kehillat Mevasseret, led by Rabbi AlonaNir-Keren, followed by home hospitality Shabbat dinner withlocal congregants OR festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY FIVE SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2020 INTO ThE DESERT, MASADA & ThE DEAD SEA

Early breakfast at the hotel.�

Depart the hotel and descend to the Dead Sea Basin.�

Ascend by cable-car to Masada, Herod's mountain palace and�

the site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the RomanLegionnaires. Discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewishdefence and its current significance in modern Israel.Take a short hike to Nahal David, the freshwater spring and�

waterfalls in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where David hid fromKing Saul.Lunch on own en route.�

Experience the weightlessness of the Dead Sea as you float in its�

waters.Return to Jerusalem, driving via Qumran, the area where the�

Dead Sea Sect established a community, and the caves where theDead Sea Scrolls were found.Ben Kodesh Lechol: Havdallah overlooking the Old City.�

Free time in the Mamilla pedestrian arcade, a contemporary�

shopping area with a whiff of the past, located outside the JaffaGate of the Old City; dinner on own.Watch the Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum:�

The walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a night-time show - acelebration of sight and sound depicting the story of Jerusalem.

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY SIx SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020DIGGING FOR ROOTS

Breakfast at the hotel.�

Plant a tree to help preserve nature in an urban environment at�

the Gazelle Valley Park, a successful example of a struggle againsturbanization. Meet with a local activist on site.Giving Back with Pantry Packers: Participate in a Tikkun Olam�

activity by packing commodity food staples for families in need;after a brief orientation session, don gloves, aprons and caps andfill bags of rice, beans and other commodities.Lunch on your own, en route.�

Continue to the Beit Guvrin Caves and take part in an�

archaeological dig: prepare to get your hands dirty uncoveringpottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, andoptionally crawl through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth. Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park was recently recognized as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.

Option 1 - AdultsChallenges and Triumphs of Religious Pluralism and Social Justice�

in Israel: dialogue with Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of theIsrael Religious Action Center (IRAC).

Option 2 - KidsExplore Israel through Puzzle Games with the Puzzletime Israel�

team.All

Dinner on own, perhaps in the vibrant Emek Refaim Street, at the�

heart of Jerusalem's German Colony.

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY SEVEN MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020 COMMUNITIES ON ThE wAY TO ThE GALILEE

Breakfast at the hotel.�

Check out of the hotel.�

Depart for the Goldman Promenade for the B'nai Mitzvah service�

overlooking the Old City.Celebratory lunch at Café Shalva, a boutique restaurant which�

prides itself as an equal-opportunity work setting where aninclusive staff work as managers, waiters, and hosts. The café islocated in the national center that helps individuals with disabilities.

Option 1Lada'at Kinneret Cemetery: Enter the world of the early Zionist�

pioneers and learn about their hopes and dreams, their trialsand tribulations and their ultimate success. Pause at the gravesof legendary personalities such as Rachel the Poetess, Zionistphilosopher Ber Borochov and songwriter Naomi Shemer.

Option 2Enjoy the culinary delights of a chocolate workshop at the Galita�

Factory on Kibbutz Degania Bet.All

Continue to the Upper Galilee, check into the hotel, free time to�

cool off in the kibbutz pool.Dinner at the hotel.�

AdultsKibbutz Ideology and Israeli Reality in the 21st Century: Meet with�

a second-generation kibbutz member.Kids

Israeli camp games with your tour educator.�

Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee

DAY EIGhT TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2020 SERENITY AND SECURITY ON ThE GOLAN

Breakfast at the hotel.�

Depart the hotel for Tsfat, a center of Jewish mysticism for�

hundreds of years and a contemporary artists' colony, including:The Ari, Caro or Abuhav Synagogues, each with its great stories�

and mystical messages.The quaint Artists' Colony, its galleries and craft shops. Engage�

in dialogues with local artisans inspired by the messages ofKabbalah.The Tsfat Candle Factory Visitors' Center.�

LaDa'at Families in Tsfat: Find your way through the alleyways of�

Tsfat, uncovering the hidden words, secret codes and mysticalmessages on a family scavenger hunt through the Old City of theancient Kabbalists.Lunch on own en route.�

Take a jeep tour off-road on the Golan Heights to enjoy the�

beautiful natural scenery and gain insight into the strategiccomplexity of the Golan.Enjoy rafting or kayaking down the Jordan River.�

Time permitting, walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve,�

located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River, and explorethe ruins of the great Biblical city of Dan.Return to the hotel.�

Dinner at the hotel.�

Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee

DAY NINE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020SEARChING FOR ROOTS

Breakfast at the hotel.�

Check out of the hotel, and drive to the coastal plain to walk�

through the 2,000-year-old water tunnel at Park Alona, the watersource for ancientLunch on own en route.�

Continue to Tel Aviv, also known as “the city that never sleeps”,�

with its centers of culture, recreation and national history, greatbeaches and fine stores.From Hebrew City to Hebrew State: Walk along the newly-opened�

Independence Trail in Tel Aviv and embark on a remarkablejourney that begins with the founding of Tel Aviv in 1909 andends with the establishment of Israel in 1948.Check into the hotel.�

Dinner on own at the renovated Old Port of Tel Aviv, with its�

wonderful restaurants, cafés and shops, right on the water'sedge; OR at the Tachana, Jaffa's old railway station, renovated andrestored as a great pedestrian complex, with restaurants, shopsand open spaces for people-watching.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

“Sabra, the Hebrew name for prickly pear cactus fruit, fruit of the nopale cactus, native to Mexico, now endemic in the Middle East.”From Wikipedia

DAY TEN THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020 TEL AVIV: ThE FIRST hEBREw CITY

Breakfast at the hotel.��

The Reform Jewish World: A glimpse at the Reform Movement ��

in Israel with Rabbi Gilad Kariv, Executive Director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism.Start-Up Nation: Explore the world of renowned Israeli inventions ��

and creations at the State of Mind Innovation Center, followed by a dialogue with an up and coming startup entrepreneur.Proceed to the Old City of Jaffa to stroll through the renovated ��

artists' colony and the old port and to walk through the famous Jaffa Flea Market - “Shuk Hapishpeshim”.Lunch on own.��

Visit the Ayalon Institute near Rehovot for an eye-opening tour of ��

a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate.Lunch on own with the rest of the afternoon at leisure to crash the ��

waves, pack, go out for last minute shopping or explore Tel Aviv independently.Late checkout from the hotel.��

Festive farewell dinner in a restaurant.��

Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport and check in for the ��

departure flight to the USA.

Overnight: Flight

DAY ELEVEN FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020 ARRIVAL

Arrival in the USA��

LEARN MORECLICK hERE

R E G I S T E RCLICK hERE

“The flowering, not the fruit. The way, not the distance covered.”Meir Shalev

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”Henry Miller

arzaworld.com 8 8 8 - 8 1 1 - 2 8 1 2

* Custom-crafted trips for individuals and groups to the Jewish World are available upon request.

trips to thejewish world*

TOLL FREE 888-811-2812 | Search on arzaworld.com for more details