Info on March 2009 Israel Trip

Sample itinerary, from last year’s trip:

Thursday, Mar 20th - Depart Orlando.

Friday, Mar 21st - Tel Aviv
Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel with an orientation sightseeing of Tel Aviv and Jaffa
Shabbat dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Renaissance Tel Aviv

Saturday, Mar 22nd - Caesarea, Druz Villages, Mt. Carmel, Haifa
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to Caesarea National Park. Caesarea is the site of one of Herod's magnificent and opulent palaces. Furthermore it was one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean.
Continue to Daliet El Carmel and Usafieh – two Druz villages for a visit and shopping. We will have the opportunity of learning about the Druz along with their unique religion and culture.
Afternoon - Mt. Carmel – Muhraka Monastery the place where Elijah defeated the 450 prophets of Baal. This is also a place to observe an excellent view of the Jezreel Valley.
Continue to Haifa for a breathtaking observation of the city, its harbor and the beautiful Persian Gardens of the Baha'i Temple. Also found in Haifa is the Tomb of the Prophet Elisha and the cave that Elijah lived in
Evening - Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Nazareth Plaza

Sunday, Mar 23rd - Kiriyat Motzkin
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
Half day (9am-1pm) in Kiriyat Motzkin
Afternoon - Rosh Hanikra - is the northernmost point on the Mediterranean shore of Israel, where a chalk mountain range meets the sea. The sea carved out a chain of grottoes in the foot of the chalk cliffs. We will ride a cable car down to explore this unique phenomenon.
Evening - Dinner – home hospitality
Overnight: Nazareth Plaza

Monday, Mar 24th - Golan Heights
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
We will start the day with another breathtaking view of the See of Galilee and the Jordan Valley. We will than cross the Jordan River on our way to the triangle border (Israel, Jordan, Syria) at the southern tip of the Golan Heights.
Our tour takes us to Gamla (Masada of the North). While walking along the ruins of this ancient city destroyed by the Romans in 67AD we will here the heroic story of the fighters who preferred to jump off the cliff than to become slaves.
Afternoon - Tel Bental - Stand atop a volcano that rises 3400 feet above sea level and see the plains of Syria where many modern and ancient battles have been fought. To the north the snowcapped Mt. Hermon rises in the distance.
Oz 77 – a memorial site of the one battle during Yom Kippur War (October 1973) which saved the entire state of Israel. 7 Israeli tanks held and crashed 384 Syrian tanks. We will further discuss this miraculous story on site.
Evening - Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Nazareth Plaza

Tuesday, Mar 25th - Galilee
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
The Israeli Air Force considered being one of the best in the world. We will start the day with a visit of an Israeli Air Force base.
Mitzpe Hoshaiah – from here we will ride on a back of a donkey (as our ancestors did many years ago) all the way to ancient Zippori, once the place of Sanhedrin (the Jewish parliament in old times). This is the place where visitors can view the mosaic named “Mona Liza of Galilee”.

Early Evening – Transfer to Jerusalem
Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Regency Hotel Jerusalem

Wednesday, Mar 26th - Jerusalem
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
Mt. Olives - Take a moment to enjoy this panoramic view of the Old City. Look toward the Eastern Gate, Kideron Valley, City of David and Mt. Zion. We will than press on to the next destination, the tombs of Zachariah, Haggai, and Malachi
Old City - We will go up to Mt. Zion and visit the Upper Room where Jesus served the Last Supper. Than down one floor to the tomb of King David. From Mt. Zion we will walk into the Old City with all of its sights, sounds, and smells. We will visit the Jewish Quarter, The Cardo (3,000-year-old street), the replica of the Menorah and Catros House – the remains of the high priest Catros’s residence.
Afternoon - Western Wall - We will have a wonderful time of prayer in Israel's most sacred site. Let your request be known unto God and place the written prayers in the cracks between the stones.
We will end our visit at the Old City bargaining with the local merchants of the Arab Bazaar.
Early Evening –
Dinner cannot be served before riding back to the ancient history of Israel on board of the Time Elevator.
Evening - Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Regency Hotel Jerusalem


Thursday, Mar 27th - Jerusalem
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
We start the day going up on the Temple Mount.
Here is where the Jewish Temple stood in mighty splendor and could be seen from miles away. The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosques have stood there since the 7th Century.
We will than walk down to the Rabbi's Tunnel - This tunnel runs underground along the base of the Temple Mount. It was an aqueduct that was used to bring fresh water from outside into the Temple area to clean the altar after the sacrifices.
Afternoon – Demilitarized zone - where we’re going to discuss the battle on Jerusalem during the Six Day War.
Mt. Hertzel – the Israeli National cemetery where the Leaders of Israel and the Zionist movement together with thousands soldiers are buried.
While heading to the Israel Museum we will observe the Government Center and the Kneset – Israel parliament.
Israel Museum – we will end the day with a visit at the Shrine of Books to watch the Dead Sea Scrolls and at the Jerusalem miniature (a mini replica of Jerusalem during the 1st century).
Evening - Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Regency Hotel Jerusalem

Friday, Mar 28th - Jerusalem
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
Day at leisure
Evening - Dinner at the hotel
Overnight: Regency Hotel Jerusalem

Saturday, Mar 29th - Masada and the Dead Sea area
Morning - Breakfast at the hotel
Our day starts in Masada - once the Palace of Herod, and later on a refuge for Zealots, it is considered by some the Gamla of the South. Eventually conquered by the Romans who found over 900 bodies of Jews that killed one each other preferring to be dead than being slaves.

Masada offers an unbelievable story in a well excavated site and magnificent view of the Dead Sea and surrounding area.
En Gedi - was a source of renewal and strength for David and his men as they fled King Saul. We will visit the national park with its unique wild life. We will even be able to take a quick swim near the King David waterfalls.
Afternoon -
Dead Sea – a brief visit of the warm waters with the salt content 28 times stronger than any ocean and is said to offer many medicinal remedies
Qumran - This area is the location of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a young shepherd boy. Legend has it John the Baptist once studied here with the Essenes – the cult of Be’Yachad – the first Kibbutz in history.
We will head back to the hotel in Jerusalem for a shower and dinner.
Evening –
Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to catch our flight back home.

Sunday, Mar 30th - Arrive in Orlando. End of Tour.


Rates include:

Accommodation –
Tel Aviv 1 night at the Renaissance Hotel
Galilee 3 nights at the Plaza Hotel
Jerusalem 4 nights at the Regency Hotel

Meals –
Accommodation rates are based on Half Board which means daily full Israeli breakfast and hot dinner at the hotels.

Transfers –
A long distance coach is included in the rate and will be at the group disposal from arrival to Israel till departure to the US.

Attractions –
All attractions in the itinerary

Gratuities –
Rates include gratuities to all service providers such as drivers, waiters and bell captains. Rates include baggage handling fees (one piece per person) in the hotels.

Taxes & Fees –
All taxes, surcharges and fees for the above itinerary.

Air –
Transatlantic flight (in coach) with all taxes and fees.

Tour Guide –
Rates include a certified fluent in English Israeli tour guide from arrival till departure.

Rates do not include:
Health, travel and baggage insurance.
Lunches

The best Shana Tova card ever!

Click Here to send the best Shana Tova card ever!

This benefits the Jewish Agency for Israel: Help support our programs and activties that are so life changing.

So click here to check it out!

Shana Tova! Happy New Year!

Dear Partnership 2000 Family,

From our family to yours, wishing you a very sweet new year.
A year of dialogue & engagement.
A year of partnership & shared vision.
A year of health, happiness and naches…

Shana tova,
Andrea

Andrea Arbel
Director
Division of Partnerships
Jewish Agency for Israel

Happy New Year: From The Students of Mashal Center

The following New Year's wishes came from the Mashal Center, whose children we support in Kiryat Motzkin:

To all of the Orlando Jewish community and their families:

We send you our best wishes for a Happy New Year and our deepest THANK YOU for your generosity and thoughtfulness. We wish all of you health, happiness, and wonderful things!

From the students of Mashal Center and their families, and staff.

למיכל היקרה, לכל חברי הקהילה היהודית באורלנדו ולכל בני ביתם,

שלוחה ברכה זו, מלב אסיר תודה, לכבוד ראש השנה תשס"ט:



איחולי שנה טובה ומוצלחת.

שנת בריאות, אושר ונחת,

שנה של שגשוג וצמיחה,

שנה של אור ושמחה -

ותודות לרוב על כל התמיכה !



בתודה, בהערכה ובהוקרה,

תלמידי קרית מוצקין המטופלים בזכותכם במ.ש.ל, משפחותיהם,

צוות המרכז לשיפור למידה ותמי כנען-הרפז

Hello Orlando from 8th graders in Kiryat Motzkin

To visit their website, Click Here.

From Lea Ganor about The JCC Seniors Visit

Yesterday we had the honor to host Orlando’s JCC Seniors in the “Mashmaut” Center in Kiryat Motzkin.

The Mashmaut Center stands for our Jewish heritage, the Holocaust, our traditions, values, and rebirth.

In Kiryat Motzkin, it was such an amazing experience to meet the people from Orlando and to tell them about our goals of the Mashmaut Center.

It was wonderful to see that we have so much in common! The group of the JCC Seniors met Holocaust survivors that volunteer in our center. These survivors volunteer in our community by telling their personal stories to the young generations here in Kiryat Motzkin.

The JCC Seniors from Orlando met seniors from our community that volunteer in the center and throughout Kiryat Motzkin. One of the Holocaust survivors from Schindler’s list, Aviva Nisbaum, showed to the group pictures with Oscar Schindler.

The guests from Orlando asked to know more and more about the Mashmaut Center, so in the evening there was a wonderful dinner that we held at the Center. At this dinner, the guests from Orlando were sitting together with people they met only hours before, and yet they were speaking to one another as though they know each other for years. I was deeply touched to see how people spent hours talking in Yiddish sharing an amazing evening together.

I will never forget these moments from watching these two groups interact together. It was very moving to hear from one woman who said to me she visited Israel several times, but she never had such a special experience like she had on this day.

The highlight of the dinner was when the guests danced with Kova-Tembel group, and also with the volunteers and Holocaust survivors. From myself, the staff of the Mashmaut Center, the Holocaust survivors, all from all of our volunteers, we will never forget this wonderful and moving visit from this delegation from Orlando in Kiryat Motzkin.

We wish to have more and more visits like this in the future.

Happy New Year, Shana Tova!

Lea Ganor

Director of the “Mashmaut” Center in Kiryat Motzkin
Youth Task Force Chair
Orlando/Kiryat Motzkin Partnership

A Note From Eyal Oren in Kiryat Motzkin:

The note below is from Eyal Oren, Chair of the Israeli Steering Committee in Kiryat Motzkin for our Partnership 2000 Program:

Today we had the most emotional day when the Orlando JCC's Seniors, also known as "The 39ers," were visiting Kiryat Motzkin. I was so touched that I ended up crying, and it is not easy to make an Israeli man cry!

We started off the day visiting a school here in Kiryat Motzkin. There we were greeted by little children waving Israeli flags and the sound of a blowing Shofar..."Welcome to Kiryat Motzkin! Your family in Israel." After that, we all sang Hatikvah together, Americans and Israelis together. It was so amazing for ALL of us!

One woman from Orlando's 39ers group came up to me. She took my hand and said, "I never thought I would feel this way. Thank you for the feeling you just let me experience,” she said. “I have cancer and who knows how much longer I have to live. I never thought I would experience these feelings that I experienced. Today was one of the best days in my life." The 39ers then went and spent part of their day with the seniors of Kiryat Motzkin, their counterparts in Israel. They all sang together, interacting with one other, and sharing stories.

The 39ers visited important projects and programs funded by the Orlando Jewish Federation. Later that afternoon they visited the Kiryat Motzkin Holocaust Center, where they met with Holocaust survivors, hearing stories from the local citizens and staff. In the evening, everyone gathered together sharing dinner and stories of the day. It was an amazing experience for all of us!

Eyal Oren
Chair of the Israeli Steering Committee
Partnership 2000 Program with Kiryat Motzkin & Orlando