| Israel Travel Advisory Service, ITAS, will take you and your family on the most extensive Israel tour. ITAS' experienced guides will help you re-discover your Jewish heritage. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day One - USA/Tel Aviv |
| Overnight flight to Israel via Israeli airline. |
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Two - Tel Aviv/Jerusalem
Upon arrival, meet your Israel guide and driver and transfer up to Jerusalem, the Holy City.
Visit Rappaport's sculpture of the "Scrolls of Fire" located on the way to Jerusalem. Upon entering Jerusalem, honor your Jewish heritage by reciting the "Shehechayanu" blessing.
After check-in at your hotel enjoy your first ITAS a la carte Dine-A-Roundsm dinner.
Overnight in Jerusalem. |
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Jerusalem The Old City |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Three - Jerusalem |
From the top of Mount Scopus, enjoy a panoramic overview of Jerusalem.
Enter the Old City via the Zion Gate; walk through the restored Jewish Quarter, passing the excavated Roman Cardo and Herodian mansions en route to the Western Wall. On to the Rabbinical Tunnel.
Reboard your motorcoach outside the Dung Gate and drive to Ein Karem to view Chagall's famous stained glass windows at the synagogue of the Hadassah Hospital.
Become a part of this land by planting your own tree in the ITAS Forest .
Bar/Bat Mitzvah rehearsal with Rabbi at hotel. Tonight, another ITAS a la carte Dine-A-Roundsm dinner. Overnight - Jerusalem |
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Jerusalem Jewish Quarter
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Four - Jerusalem/Dead Sea/Massada/Jerusalem |
Begin your special bar/bat mitzvah day descending through the
Judean Wilderness and along
the shores of the Dead Sea to Massada.
Ascend by cable car to view
the excavations of the Herodian
palace, storerooms, bathhouse
and waterworks.
At the remains of ancient Massada, witness the joy of
your child's coming of age!
Continue your Dead Sea adventure
with a visit to the Flour Caves,
chalk deposit caverns in the midst
of the desert. Enjoy the
unique sensation of a "float"
in the unsinkable Dead Sea.
On the way back to Jerusalem,
pass the caves of Qumran,
where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
End your special bar/bat mitzvah day with a gala bar/bat
mitzvah banquet at
the hotel. Overnight - Jerusalem. |
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Dead Sea |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Five - Jerusalem |
Travel to Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust, for a Yizkor service and visit to the majestic Children's Pavilion and the Valley of Destroyed Communities.
Stop at Mount Herzel, Israel's military cemetery, to pay respects at the tomb of Yitzhak Rabin.
Continue to Mahane Yehuda, Jerusalem's marketplace, to share in the spirit of preparation for Shabbat and to enjoy the best falafel in the country!
After dressing for Shabbat, visit the Western Wall and participate in an exclusively ITAS Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Southern Wall.
Shabbat dinner and overnight - Jerusalem. |
Western Wall |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Six - Jerusalem |
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Begin the day walking via the Italian Synagogue, a unique building
dating from the 16th century that was transplanted from Florence
to the holy city.
You'll have a chance to enjoy a full day at rest to enjoy the
Sabbath or participate in a walking tour of Jerusalem's Old City.
The tour enters via the Jaffa Gate and winds through the narrow
cobblestone alleys of the Christian, Moslem and Armenian Quarters;
continue along the Via Dolorosa, the "way of sorrows," to the Church of
the Holy Sepulcher. End the walk at the Tower of David where the Museum of the History of Jerusalem beautifully explains the 3000-year
story of the city.
Take time to climb the 16th century walls of the city to view the inner
dynamics of this unique location.
Dinner in a Dine-A-Roundsm restaurant. Overnight - Jerusalem. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Seven - Jerusalem/Tel Maresha/Jerusalem |
Knesset |
Your touring day begins at the
Holyland Model, a scaled replica of Jerusalem during the 2nd Temple period.
Visit the Menorah, symbol of Israel, located next to the Knesset. On to the Israel Museum; visit the Shrine of the Book, housing the Dead Sea Scrolls, and stroll through the magnificent Billy Rose Sculpture Garden.
Time to get "down and dirty," as you participate in the archeological dig at Tel Maresha.
Tonight, another ITAS a la carte Dine-A-Roundsm dinner. Overnight - Jerusalem. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Eight -
Jerusalem/Beit She'an/Beit Alpha/Megiddo/Tiberias |
Morning drive along the Jordan Valley to the city of Beit She'an. Tour the extensive ongoing archeological excavations. Visit the Roman decapolis city built next to ancient remains which figured prominently during the reign of King Saul.
On to Beit Alpha; see an exquisite mosaic floor in an ancient synagogue set in a pomegranate orchard.
Drive to Megiddo, the ancient tel where excavations unearthed 25 layers of civilization - the inspiration for Michener's, "The Source."
Visit Gan Hashlosha Park Reserve; swim or simply relax enjoying the green surroundings. End this special day sharing food and conversation on a working kibbutz with our special home hospitality program.
Overnight - Tiberias. |
Galillee |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Nine -
Tiberias/Golan Heights/Kuneitra/Safed/Tiberias |
Safed
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This morning you'll explore the geo-politically vital Golan Heights by jeep!
Continue by motorcoach to Kuneitra. This site will give us a wonderful perspective of the battle and the important significance of the Golan Heights.
This afternoon is for fun as you river raft on the "mighty Jordan."
Drive to Safed, home to the Kabbala. This charming town, filled with cobblestone streets, lined with ancient synagogues and artist galleries, offers breathtaking views of the entire upper Galilee.
Drive back along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, Israel's sole source of fresh water, and one of Israel's favorite vacation spots, to Tiberias, once a rabbinical scholar center. This evening spend time on the water aboard the "Fun Boat" followed by dinner on the Lake of Kinneret. Overnight - Tiberias. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Eight -
Jerusalem/Beit She'an/Beit Alpha/Megiddo/Tiberias |
Drive to Rosh Hanikra; view the grottos near the Lebanese border.
Continue southward along the shores of the Mediterranean to Acre, a former Crusader stronghold. Spend time roaming through the remains including the knights' center and dining hall. Walk along the underground complex.
Continue south along the Mediterranean shore to Haifa; ascend Mount Carmel to appreciate the spectacular view of the coastline and the magnificent terraced gardens of the Bahai Center. |
Akko Panorama |
A special luncheon is planned at the Druze Village of Ussifiya; time to learn about these unique Israeli citizens.
Continue to vibrant Tel Aviv with a visit to the special arts & crafts market at Nahalat Binyamin.
Tonight, enjoy another ITAS a la carte Dine-A-Roundsm dinner. Overnight - Tel Aviv. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Eleven - Tel Aviv/Latrun/Jaffa/Tel Aviv |
Jaffa
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Visit ancient Jaffa where Jonah began his adventure with the whale. Take a short walk along the restored town. Enjoy the overview of Tel Aviv and its narrow byways filled with artist galleries and cosmopolitan shops.
Drive through the Ayalon Valley to Latrun, the famous Independence War staging area; tour its Armour Corps Museum. Visit the Ayalon Institute.
End your touring day at the Museum of the Diaspora on the campus of the Tel Aviv University. |
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It is here that the complete record of the history of the Jewish people is maintained for all to cherish.
Overnight - Tel Aviv. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Twelve - Tel Aviv/Eilat |
This morning affords the opportunity for an aerial view of Israel's terrain as you fly from Tel Aviv to the Red Sea resort of Eilat.
On arrival drive to the surrealistic Timna Park to view Solomon's Pillars, the red rock outcroppings and legendary site of King Solomon's copper mines.
Drive to the Arava border crossing shared by Israel and Jordan.
End your morning tour at the Underwater Observatory where you have the chance to see the unique sea life of the Red Sea. Time this afternoon to enjoy your hotel's surroundings and sparkling waters. Enjoy Shabbat dinner at your hotel. Overnight - Eilat. |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Thirteen - Eilat |
Full day is at leisure to enjoy the amenities of the hotel and beach.
Farewell Dinner at hotel. Overnight - Eilat.
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People in Eilat |
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| Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Fourteen - Sunday - Eilat/Tel Aviv |
Red Sea |
A special farewell treat is planned this morning for the b'nai mitzvah children as they are invited to "swim with the dolphins" at Dolphin Reef. Afterwards everyone is invited aboard a Red Sea Yacht cruise with ample time for snorkeling. Late check-out from hotel.
Transfer to Eilat Airport for your flight to Tel Aviv connection with your overnight flight back home.
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Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour Day Fifteen - Tel Aviv/USA
Return home filled with a treasury of family-shared memories for a lifetime!
Please note: The above itinerary may be subject to change. *Please note: All the pictures on this page are courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, and the artists Albatross Ltd. and Itamar Grinberg Photography Ltd. |
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