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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Afternoon: Welcome to Israel. We’ll transfer from the airport to our hotel in Jerusalem via private motorcoach.
Dinner: In the hotel dining room, we’ll enjoy a buffet welcome dinner with coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Unless otherwise specified, transportation will be provided by motorcoach, requiring going up/down a few steps when getting on/off. Our Group Leader and local Study Leaders will facilitate all lectures and field trips unless otherwise noted. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Walking about 1 mile throughout the day along cobblestone streets; many unavoidable stairs in the City of David.
Breakfast: At the hotel, choose what you like from the plentiful dairy buffet with eggs, cheeses, cereals, salads, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, and more, plus juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning: We’ll begin the day at the hotel with a renowned archaeologist for a lecture on prophets and kings of Ancient Israel in order to focus on the historical, political, and religious leadership of the region. We’ll then board a motorcoach and transfer with our local expert educators, plus our Group Leader for a panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Haas Promenade with introductory commentary provided. We will continue by motorcoach for a field trip to Biblical Jerusalem, also known as City of David, home to prophets and kings. Upon arrival in the ancient birthplace of Jerusalem, which is comprised of only about 12 acres, we’ll view the latest excavations of what may have been King David’s Palace (Area G) with the remains of a house from the First Temple Period, and more. We’ll learn how and why Jerusalem became the capital city of the Israeli people and examine King David as a flawed, yet beloved, leader.
Lunch: At a restaurant in the Old City, we’ll enjoy a meal served family-style including variety of salads, pastas, and fresh breads with dips meal, plus lemonade, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: We’ll then set out on a walk with our local Study Leaders and Group Leader to explore the centrality of the Temple in Israelite and Jewish religion while at the Southern Wall Excavations. While here, which is at the base of the Temple Mount, we’ll learn how King Herod built the Temple Mount platform and eventually rebuilt the Second Temple. We’ll also learn what the role of pilgrimage and sacrifices were in ancient Israelite religion before delving into the historical destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE as evidenced by the archaeological remains. We’ll then return to the hotel.
Dinner: Hotel buffet.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking about 2 miles throughout the day with frequent stops. Steep incline down from the Mt. of Olives; cobblestones and some unavoidable stairs on the way from Jaffa Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Participants should wear modest dress for entry into the Holy Sites – no shorts, no sleeveless shirts.
Breakfast: Hotel dairy buffet.
Morning: We’ll begin the day by setting out from the hotel via motorcoach with our leaders to the Mt. of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. While on site, our Study Leader will trace the development of Christianity in a lecture focused on Jesus in Jerusalem. Upon arrival, we’ll get off the motorcoach for a breathtaking view of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s Old City from the East before walking down the Mt. of Olives to the base where the Garden of Gethsemane is located. Gethsemane, according to the New Testament, is the location where Judas betrayed Jesus to the Romans. Now the site of the Church of All Nations, it is also known as the Basilica of the Agony. Continuing on foot, we’ll walk through Jaffa Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered by different branches of Christianity as the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus. Our local expert will provide an overview of the history of this Crusader-era church that encompasses the last Stations of the Cross including Calvary/Golgotha and the tomb itself within a structure known as the edicule. Ownership and maintenance of the church is shared among several different Christian communities.
Lunch: Lunch at a local cafe including a sandwich or salad plus drink in the Mamilla area outside the Jaffa Gate.
Afternoon: Next, we’ll visit the Garden Tomb, which many believe to be the site of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. While here, we’ll be led around by an on-site docent. Afterwards, we’ll carry on as a group to explore the sights and smells of the Machaneh Yehuda fruit and vegetable market.
Dinner: Hotel buffet.
Evening: At the hotel, we’ll gather for our first lecture in a series of two on perspectives of the Peace Process between Israel, Palestine, and other Arab nations. More specifically, the lecture led by a local expert will provide some background information regarding security, defense, and anti-terrorism initiatives.
Activity note: Walking about 1 mile throughout the day. Driving approx. 3 miles; up to 1 hour depending on traffic.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: We’ll begin by going on a field trip with our local expert to the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al Sharif. Upon our arrival, we will ascend and see the outside of the El Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. Then we’ll visit an extraordinary excavation site on the slopes of Mt. Scopus where archaeologists sift through dirt and artifacts from Jerusalem dig sites. The site director, an archaeologist with the Israeli Antiquities authority, will greet us and speak to the group about the history of the area and the techniques used for uncovering artifacts before allowing us some time to sift and sort through a section with previously excavated artifacts.
Lunch: Enjoy typical Israeli "street food" with a falafel or shwarma lunch. Pita with falafel or shwarma, and your choice of hummus, salads, techina plus a beverage.
Afternoon: Upon transfer to the Israel Museum, we will explore the Shrine of the Book and the Second Temple Period Model with our Study Leader. The Israel Museum houses collections of Judaica and various other themes including those archaeological and artistic in nature as they relate to various periods while the Shrine of the Book houses the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit and collection. After our group activity, take some time independently to explore the exhibitions at the museum. We will then board the coach to travel to the home of a Holocaust survivor who will describe her personal experiences during this difficult period of history. After, we will return to the hotel.
Dinner: Buffet dinner at hotel.
Activity note: Walking about ½ mile throughout the day; mostly indoors. Driving approx. 5 miles; about 1 hour. Modest dress required at Western Wall Sabbath service.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: With our Group Leader and Study Leader, we’ll board the motorcoach for a field trip to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center. We’ll explore the Holocaust History Museum that presents the story of the Shoah (the Hebrew word for “catastrophe”) with an emphasis on the experiences of individual victims through original artifacts, personal possessions, and survivor testimonies. We’ll also see the sculpture garden, the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations where many trees have been planted honoring non-Jewish “righteous” people who risked their lives as rescuers or protectors of Jews, and the Children's Memorial that commemorates the one-and-a-half million children who murdered by the Nazis.
Lunch: After Yad Vashem, the group will stop for a lunch break. This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. We'll then return to the hotel.
Afternoon: We’ll take our motorcoach to the Western Wall and mingle with thousands of Jews and visitors from around the world to welcome the Jewish Sabbath. Modest dress required. You may return to the hotel by motorcoach or walk back with the Group Leader to experience the atmosphere of the Old City on Friday night.
Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a festive Sabbath dinner with soup, salad, main dish, side dishes, breads, desserts, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Minimal walking for group activities; distance dependent on personal preference.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. You may wish to explore Jerusalem or attend synagogue services on your own.
Lunch: In the hotel dining room, we’ll enjoy a festive Sabbath buffet lunch with water and lemonade; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: At the hotel, we’ll attend a lecture given by a local expert that will focus on Christianity and the Christian community in Israel.
Dinner: Hotel buffet.
Evening: Enjoy a concert or other cultural event. Our program was planned far in advance when details of performances were not available. The information will be posted on our website when available and included in preparatory materials sent following enrollment. We’ll then return to the hotel. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Minimal walking for group activities. Driving approx. 70 miles; about 2 hours.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we will begin our transfer to the Dead Sea Region, the lowest point on earth. En route in Maaleh Adumim, however, we will stop for a special program at the homes of some gracious and hospitable local folks, Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia, who will share their remarkable stories about their long trek from Africa to Israel.
Lunch: En route, we’ll have boxed lunches.
Afternoon: Upon arrival with our Study Leader, we’ll explore Qumran, the archaeological site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. While here, we’ll venture around the site which includes many mikvaot (ritual baths), a refectory, pottery workshops, and the caves in which the scrolls were discovered. We’ll also delve into the history and teaching of those who lived here, often referred to as the Essenes, but who called themselves the “Yachad.” After our field trip, we’ll continue our transfer and check in at the hotel with some time to relax. You may wish to go outside and enjoy a float in the Dead Sea, which is known for its therapeutic properties, or enjoy the hotel's swimming pool and spa facilities.
Dinner: In the hotel dining room, we’ll enjoy a buffet meal with soft drinks, tea, coffee, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Walking about ½ mile throughout the day; sometimes on dirt paths. Driving approx. 135 miles; about 3 hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel, choose what you like from the plentiful dairy buffet with eggs, cheeses, cereals, salads, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, and more, plus juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning: After checking out of the hotel and transferring to Masada, we’ll ride a cable car to ascend this mountain fortress to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Led by our local expert Study Leader, we’ll explore the Northern Palace, store rooms, and bath house complex that were built by King Herod and later used by Jews who fled the Romans after the Great Revolt in 70 CE. While here, we’ll delve into the complex history of what happened atop this mountain in 73 CE when the Romans attacked the nearly 1,000 men, women, and children living here and the legacy of this event in Jewish and Israeli memory. We’ll then transfer to the Ein Gedi Field School, an establishment devoted to education, conservation and research of the natural environment.
Lunch: At Kibbutz Kalia, we’ll have a buffet meal, plus water included.
Afternoon: We’ll then continue traveling north along the Jordan River Valley to the Galilee where we will check in at the hotel.
Dinner: In the hotel dining room, we’ll have a buffet meal with lemonade, tea, coffee, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking about ½ miles throughout the day on group activities. Driving approx. 60 miles; about 2 hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel, choose what you like from the plentiful dairy buffet with eggs, cheeses, cereals, salads, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, and more, plus juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning: Traveling to nearby Nazareth with our local expert Study Leader, we will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation where we will see to the Church where, according to Christian tradition, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was pregnant with Jesus. The modern church is one of the largest in the Middle East. After transferring to Capernaum (Kfar Nahum), we’ll enjoy an on-location lecture given by our Study Leader about early Christianity and the life of Jesus. Capernaum was a “border” town between the Jewish population on the western side of the Sea of Galilee and the pagan population on the Eastern side. It is also the site of an ancient synagogue where it is probable that Jesus prayed and performed miracles as referenced in the New Testament. A modern Church also stands on the site over an archaeological site, which may have been the where some of the homes of the apostles were.
Lunch: We'll stop for a lunch break at a local retail center with various options. Your group leader will offer suggestions.
Afternoon: We’ll move on to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, called the Kinneret in Hebrew. It is actually the lowest freshwater lake in the world, with a circumference of nearly 33 miles (53 km). It was here that the Gospels say Jesus walked on water and performed the miracle of a miraculous catch of fish. Today, however, this is Israel’s only freshwater lake and therefore the source of much of the drinking water for Israel as well as where St. Peter’s fish (tilapia) come from. Boarding a boat, we’ll sail along the shores of Tiberias and the lake for glorious view of the Golan Heights rising to the east. We’ll then return to the hotel.
Dinner: In the hotel dining room, we’ll enjoy a buffet meal, plus lemonade, tea, coffee, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At the hotel, a member of a kibbutz will join us to teach us more about the history of the kibbutz movement, began in 1909, and how it has changed through the years. Merriam-Webster defines a kibbutz as, “a communal [farm or] settlement in Israel in which all wealth is held in common and profits are reinvested in the settlement.”
Activity note: Walking about ½ mile throughout the day; cobblestone streets and some unavoidable stairs in Zefat. Driving approx. 90 miles; about 3 hours.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Setting out by motorcoach, we’ll explore the mystical city of Zefat led by our local expert Study Leader while we discuss the development of Jewish mysticism in the city in the 15th century. As the center of Jewish mysticism beginning in the 15th century, many famous rabbis lived here including Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (Ha’Ari) and Rabbi Yosef Caro. It is now home to a diverse Jewish community, modern mystics, and many artists. We’ll then have a study session with a local Kabbalistic artist in his studio in the artist colony that will focus on the relationship between art and mysticism. We’ll then continue to Katzrin.
Lunch: Voucher Lunch in Katzrin, on the Golan Heights. Lunch will include a main course, side, and drink and is redeemable at a number of fast food establishments situated around a main square.
Afternoon: Our next stop will be at the Golan Heights Winery where we will enjoy an exploration led by winery staff, followed by a wine tasting. Next, we’ll drive to Mt. Bental in the northern Golan Heights overlooking the border with Syria where we’ll engage in a strategic briefing with a former IDF (Israeli Defense Force) officer who will lecture on the security situation between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. This can be quite a variable subject due to the geo-politics of the region.
Dinner: Dinner in hotel dining room.
Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Walking about ½ mile throughout the day; some dirt paths. Driving approx. 120 miles; about 4 hours.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll travel to Haifa where we will visit the Mahmood Mosque on Mt. Carmel and meet with a member of the Ahmadi Muslim Community. While here, our host will treat us to an enlightening lecture introducing us to Islam. We’ll then begin our transfer to Caesarea.
Lunch: En route at local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a family-style meal with a selection of chicken, burgers, kebabs, and side dishes. Lemonade, tea, coffee, water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: As we travel south along the Mediterranean Coast with our Study Leader, we’ll eventually reach the ancient port city of Caesarea where we will get off the motorcoach to explore Caesarea National Park and its archaeological site. While we are here exploring the ancient theater, hippodrome, palace, bathhouse complex, and port that were all build by King Herod in the 1st century BCE, we will listen to two on-site lectures. As Caesarea became the 3rd most important city in the Roman Empire, behind Rome and Alexandria, we will learn about the interplay between Rome and Jerusalem in one lecture, while the other will focus on the Crusades in the Holy Land. We’ll then continue south to the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv where we will check into our hotel.
Dinner: In the hotel dining room, we’ll have a buffet meal, plus lemonade, tea, coffee, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At the hotel, we'll have an expert led session on contemporary Israeli society.
Activity note: Walking about ½ mile throughout the day. Driving approx. 3 miles; about ½ hour.
Breakfast: At the hotel, choose what you like from the plentiful dairy buffet with eggs, cheeses, cereals, salads, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, and more, plus juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning: Depart the hotel with the group leader and site coordinator and travel by coach to the "We Declare" exhibit at the Shalom Tower. Share the trials and tribulations of this difficult, yet inspiring period in Israel's history. On-location lecture: "Israel 1948: Decisions and Dilemmas in Declaring Statehood".
Lunch: On your own to sample the local fare in Tel Aviv.
Afternoon: After rendezvousing at a predetermined time and place we’ll board the motorcoach and drive through historic Tel Aviv and the Bauhaus District, a UNESCO World-heritage site, while hearing illuminating commentary about the area from our Study Leader. Then take some time on your own to do what you like independently. You may wish to stroll through the weekly crafts fair at Nahalat Binyamin or along the beach promenade. We’ll then return to the hotel for a lecture "Perspectives on the Peace Process 2".
Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a festive Sabbath dinner with soup, salad, main dish, side dishes, breads, desserts, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At leisure. You may wish to venture out to enjoy Tel Aviv's unique atmosphere. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departures tomorrow evening.
Activity note: Minimal walking as a group; potential for more depending on personal preference. Hotel rooms will be reserved until the morning of Day 15. Transfers to the airport are included in program cost for those who have made flight arrangements through Road Scholar. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers. If you are an independent traveler (POP status), see “Ground Transportation from Last Location."
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: We’ll start later this morning so you may take some time to see and do what you wish before setting out with the group on a short walking excursion along the beach promenade led by Study Leader to see local Tel Aviv residents enjoy a typical Saturday, which often includes going to the beach, bike riding, and Israeli folk dancing.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon: Take some time for independent exploration to see and do what interests you most for the afternoon. You may wish to venture into the city, enjoy the beach, relax at the hotel, or finish packing; whatever you like. We’ll reconvene at the hotel in the late afternoon for a summary and conclusion session to round out our week.
Dinner: At a restaurant in Tel Aviv's Yemenite Quarter, we’ll enjoy a delicious plated farewell dinner, which will include fresh pita, a selection of Israeli salads such as hummus, babaganoush, and taboule, plus a main course, sides, and dessert. A glass of wine, mint tea, soft drinks, water included; other beverages available for purchase. Share some of your favorite experiences from the program with new Road Scholar friends.
Evening: Depending on flight times, some participants will fly out after dinner while others will go back to the hotel and transfer to the airport in the middle of the night. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!