Adath Israel Congregation
Israel Trip for Families
Cincinnati Community Mission

Led by Rabbi Moshe Smolkin

Jul 7, 2024 - Jul 16, 2024

  • DESTINATION Israel
  • Who’s Going Multi-Generational
  • Trip Type Mission
  • Duration 10 DAYS
  • Group Size 30+
  • Price From $5,985
Program is tentative and subject to change. Connect with our Customer Care Team by calling: (888) 230-6008 Mon.-Thur. from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

YOUR journey

Join us for the 2024 Cincinnati Community Mission to Israel! Generous subsidies of $4,000 per person, up to a maximum of $12,000 per family, are available thanks to the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati.

J² crafts journeys of inspiration, education, and Jewish connections to Israel and worldwide. We are guided by a simple but powerful concept: No two trips are the same; each experience should be personal, meaningful, and backed by superb service. Travel is not just about the places you visit, but the connections you make along the way.

An unforgettable trip awaits! Our community will take a transformative journey to Israel from July 7-16, 2024 and we are inviting you to participate!

Your $500 per person deposit is fully refundable till Sept. 1, 2023.

  •   Active
  •   Archaeology
  •   Art & Culture
  •   Current Affairs
  •   Expert Scholar
  •   Food & Wine
  •   Heritage
  •   Local Specialists
  •   Nature Walks
  •   Social Justice
  •   Special Access

Program Itinerary

DAY 1
ON THE WAY
Sun. Jul 7, 2024
  • Depart on your flight to Israel.
Overnight: Flight
DAY 2
ARRIVAL
Mon. Jul 8, 2024
  • Arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport.
  • Check-in to your hotel. (Hotel check-in time is generally from 3:00pm.)
  • Opening session and welcome dinner with the tour educator and chairs.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Welcome Dinner
DAY 3
THE FIRST HEBREW CITY
Tue. Jul 9, 2024
  • Start today's tour at the Jaffa Overlook for an introduction to Tel Aviv and to our journey in Israel, and continue with an exciting scavenger hunt.
  • Explore the Old City of Jaffa, including the flea market – Shuk Hapishpishim.
  • Walk along the Independence Trail in Tel Aviv and embark on a remarkable journey that begins with the founding of Tel Aviv in 1909 and ends with the establishment of Israel in 1948.
  • Experience the dynamism of Jewish life at the newly opened ANU Museum of the Jewish People, dedicated to telling their story and representing their diversity, highlighting the creative works and cultural riches of a variety of communities in different periods of history until the present day. 
  • This evening we participate in a festive dinner together with everyone on the Cincinnati Community Mission.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast & Community Dinner
DAY 4
WALK THE PROUD LAND
Wed. Jul 10, 2024
  • Visit the Ayalon Institute near Rehovot Discover its secret ammunition factory.
  • Stop for a picnic lunch.
  • Take part in an archaeological dig at the Beit Guvrin Caves: prepare to get your hands dirty uncovering pottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, and optionally crawl through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
  • Return to Tel Aviv with time to relax on the beach or by the pool.
  • Free evening.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 5
AN ADVENTURE IN THE JUDEAN HILLS
Thu. Jul 11, 2024
  • Check-out of the hotel and depart for Jerusalem.
  • Jeep ride in the Judean Hills ending with a picnic lunch.
  • Ride the longest zipline in Israel or test your skill at archery at Deerland in Gush Etzion.
  • Enjoy a panoramic view of the Jerusalem mountains before entering the city. Pause to recite “shehechiyanu” the traditional blessing of thanksgiving.
  • Meet members of Krembo Wings, Israel's only youth movement that includes children with disabilities.
  • Check-in to your Jerusalem hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 6
THE DEAD SEA BASIN
Fri. Jul 12, 2024
  • Setting out early to explore the Dead Sea region:
    • As Low as It Goes: We'll drive to the Dead Sea Basin, 1412 feet below sea level and the lowest place on earth. The desert, the landscape, and the views are breathtaking.
    • The Last Stand: Hike up the snake path or take the cable car to the top of Masada with its extraordinary views and fascinating archaeological remains. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is where Jewish rebels are believed to have made their final attempt to resist Roman invaders (c 74 CE). We'll learn about Masada's importance as a symbol of Jewish defense and discuss its influence on modern Israel.
    • Float into happiness at the Dead Sea. Not much can live or swim in what is the saltiest piece of water in the world, nine times saltier than the ocean, but the weightless feeling of floating is great fun.
  • Return to Jerusalem.
  • Congregational Shabbat Service at the Egalitarian Section of the Kotel.
  • Festive Shabbat dinner.
Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 7
SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM
Sat. Jul 13, 2024
  • Shabbat Services at Fuchsberg Center.
  • Walking tour on the ramparts of the Old City.
  • Leisure time in Liberty Bell Park.
  • At nightfall, we will mark the end of a special Shabbat with a communal Havdallah ceremony.
  • Lights! Action! Jerusalem! Watch the Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum. The walls of the Citadel serve as the stage for this cinematic celebration of sight and sound depicting the story of Jerusalem.
Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8
SEVENTY FACES OF JERUSALEM
Sun. Jul 14, 2024
  • Our tour of the Old City will begin with a climb to the rooftops, overlooking the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the golden Dome of the Rock, and the famous Hurva Synagogue.
    • The Cardo, the main street of Roman-controlled Jerusalem and its Byzantine-era columns.
    • Hurva Square, the center of modern-day life in the Jewish Quarter.
  • Visit the Kotel (Western Wall).
  • Explore the City of David, the core of ancient Jerusalem, and learn how the city was administered during the First Temple period. Our visit will include the Gihon Spring and an opportunity to wade through the 2,700-year-old water tunnel of King Hezekiah.
  • This evening we participate in a festive dinner together with everyone on the Cincinnati Community Mission.
Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast & Community Dinner
DAY 9
EARTHLY & HEAVENLY JERUSALEM
Mon. Jul 15, 2024
  • Explore the children's wing of the Israel Museum - with an interactive activity.
  • Tasting tour in Machane Yehuda market.
  • Free time.
  • Festive farewell dinner.
  • Group transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport to check in for your departure flights to the US.
Overnight: Flight Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 10
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
Tue. Jul 16, 2024
  • Arrive back in the U.S.

RATES & LODGING

participants
30+
Cost p/p in double room
$5,985
Cost p/p in single room
$7,675
Child As 3rd (Reduction)
- ($1,080)
Participants who complete registration and pay the $500 per person deposit by midnight, May 31, 2023, will receive $150 off per person, which will be deducted from the final trip invoice.

$5,345 Cost per person sharing a room as third.
Registration open

Tel Aviv: Hilton

Jerusalem: The Inbal

What to expect

  • 7 nights' accommodations. Late check out on the day of departure is included.
  • 8 days of touring with a tour educator (guide), 7 days of touring in a luxury, air-conditioned bus.
  • Group arrival transfer & assistance at the airport.
  • Group departure transfer & assistance at the airport.
  • Daily breakfast, 3 lunches & 3 dinners (plus 2 Community Dinner Events).
  • Water on the bus.
  • Porterage at the airport & hotels.
  • All site entrance fees & program fees as per your final program.
  • Credit card fees.
  • Flights to & from Israel.
  • COVID related expenses, including tests.
  • Evening transportation when dinner is not included.
  • Amendments to the program: In the event that any sites, programs or meals etc. are added to the program, an additional fee may be required.
  • Personal extras: Items of personal nature such as laundry, wines, mineral water, beverages, coffee, tea, food other than the table d’hotel menu, passport and visa fees, insurance, and foreign port taxes, unless otherwise specified.
  • US and foreign airport taxes, Q fuel surcharge and border taxes when applicable.
  • Value Added Tax is currently not applicable to tourists visiting Israel. Should the law change, you will be notified accordingly, and VAT will be added to your final invoice.
  • Gratuities: Recommend guidelines for tipping are provided in the terms section.
  • Please review our terms & conditions (T&C’s) or request that we send you our full T&C’s. Until you do that, here is the small print, and other stuff you may want to know:
  • Validity | All prices quoted are based on exchange rates as of the proposal date and are subject to change without notice. Rates are per person and are based on shared twin room occupancy.
  • How to Make a Reservation | The quickest way to make a reservation is to register online or contact us by email. We accept VISA, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. A $500 per person deposit is required in order to complete the registration process.
  • For any assistance with this registration process or other trip-related queries, please email Customer Care: [email protected].
  • Payments | The balance of your payment is due 90 days before your trip begins, or as specified in your invoice. You will receive an email reminder 2 weeks before this date. Various payment options are available as follows:
  • Credit card | We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Please check with your credit card provider regarding international processing fees. We are unable to process payments of over $1,000 over the phone. Please submit payment online via a credit card or by wiring funds via your bank.
  • Domestic bank wire transfer | Payment should be wired in the same currency that is listed on your invoice. Please add the name of your group or invoice number as a reference and forward a copy of the transfer receipt by email. The bank transfer should clearly state the beneficiary’s name on the wire transfer.
  • Please use the following information: Citizens Bank: 1 Citizens Drive, Riverside, RI 02915 Routing number: 021313103 (Domestic only) ACH: 036076150 SWIFT Code: CTZIUS33 (International only)
  • Beneficiary Instructions: For the benefit of J² Adventures. Account number: 1001858331
  • J² Adventures reserves the right to automatically cancel your reservation on that date and it may be subject to reconfirmation should the final payment not be received.
  • Cancelation Policy | All cancelations need to be made in writing. The cancelation fee depends on the date when we receive written notification of your request to cancel your booking. Please note that the deposit is non-refundable.
  • Cancelation fees | Cancelations made after September 1, 2023 incur the loss of the deposit. Cancelations made 89 to 46 days prior to departure incur the loss of 50% of the full trip cost. Cancelations made 45 days or less prior to the departure incur the loss of 100% of the full trip cost.
  • Cancelation fees may also include: Hotel or supplier cancelation fees. J² Adventures reserves the right to adjust its terms of payment, including cancelation policies and initial deposits. Please refer to the small print tab on your trip’s webpage or in your proposal for your cancelation policy and fees.

DISCOVER NEW WORLDS.

JEWISH JOURNEYS.

A family vacation to Israel. An adventure of a lifetime traveling with friends to Morocco. A  trip to Poland or Portugal with your community. What do these trips have in common? No matter where you go, you will come back with a fresh perspective and appreciation of the place you visited as well as a heightened awareness of your identity as part of the global Jewish community. 

J2 STUFF.

We have everything you need to know before you go. Check out our Instagram my_j2adventures for cool updates and interesting tidbits.

 
 

Just like you we're concerned for the future. And like you, J2 stands for equality, tolerance, pluralism, and true democracy.