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
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.
Archaeology 
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Local Specialists
THE EXPERT
Program Itinerary
DAY 1
ON THE WAY
Thu. Dec 21, 2023
- Depart the USA.
DAY 2
THE START OF A SPECIAL JOURNEY
Fri. Dec 22, 2023
- Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. Our representative will be on hand to assist with all formalities and ensure your journey has the smoothest of starts.
- Meet your tour educator who will accompany you on this journey of education and inspiration.
- Group transfer to Tel Aviv, also known as “the city that never sleeps.” A place of sun and fun, its centers of culture and history are complimented by great beaches, stores, and entertainment.
- Beginnings: Modern Tel Aviv grew out of ancient Jaffa. Gaze out over the Mediterranean Sea; learn why Jaffa, mentioned in the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, is so historically important; and see how its Old City reflects the present as well as the past.
- Check into the hotel.
- Kabbalat Shabbat services at Achvat Yisrael Congregation in Rishon LeZion led by Rabbi Tamara Shifrin.
- Dinner together as a community at the hotel.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Meals: Dinner
DAY 3
FREE SHABBAT
Sat. Dec 23, 2023
- Free day to explore Tel Aviv on your own.
- Three Stars in the Israeli Sky: At nightfall, we will mark the end of a special Shabbat with a communal Havdallah ceremony.
- The City at Night: Tel Aviv’s food scene is on fire with world-class chefs and a huge range of happening restaurants. See and taste for yourself during a free evening with dinner. Afterwards, those who love the nightlife can sample the city’s bar, club and café culture or stroll along the refurbished promenade and port.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY 4
ALONG THE COAST
Sun. Dec 24, 2023
- Check out of the hotel.
- From Hebrew City to Hebrew State: Walk along the newly-opened 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
- Drive along the coast and back in time to Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Period. Explore life 2,000 years ago with its ancient amphitheaters, palaces, and bathhouses.
- Perhaps it's the combination of mysticism and art, and maybe it's the mountain air in Israel's highest city; entering Tsfat, there is a sense of something uniquely Jewish but not quite of this world. Here, you'll:
- Visit the Ari synagogue and share in the inspiration and innovation that moved Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Holy Ari) and his fellow mystics. In Tsfat they developed the Kabbalah, the esoteric insights of Judaism and created Kabbalat Shabbat, the prayers sung on Friday evenings to welcome the arrival of the Sabbath.
- See the Caro synagogue, built originally, like the Ari, in the 16th century. It is where Rabbi Joseph Caro, one of the greatest of all Jewish legal authorities, taught and lived. Hear the story of how he was visited here by a maggid, an angelic messenger, who revealed secrets of the Torah.
- Walk through the cobbled streets and alleyways to the Artists' Colony with its galleries, shops, and studios.
- Drive to your hotel and check in.
- Enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Upper Galilee
Meals: Dinner
DAY 5
NATURE AND SECURITY
Mon. Dec 25, 2023
- Paradise Springs is one of the places we’ll visit at the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. We’ll tour the remains of a 5,000- year-old city and find out why water is like gold in the parched Middle East.
- Higher Ground: Hit the ground racing as we go off-road for a jeep tour of the far north and the border with Lebanon. We’ll speed along beautiful paths and alongside fragrant orchards, gaze out onto Mount Lebanon, and gain new perspectives on Israel’s security situation and its complex, sometimes conflict-ridden, relationship with Lebanon.
- Stop by Tel Faher, an abandoned Syrian outpost that once threatened the northern towns of Israel, and follow the footsteps of Israeli soldiers who fought there in the 1967 Six-Day War. The view offers an invaluable insight into the challenges of the war and its rapid and unexpected conclusion.
- Option 1: From Little Things, Great Things Grow: The Golan Heights is wine country. Sample some of its best at the Pelter Winery. Nir and Tal Pelter used to run this winery out of the backyard of their family farm. The brothers have proven their expertise since then, but the winery remains a boutique family affair. We're doing the driving, so you're welcome to treat yourself to Pelter's Israeli gin along with the grapes.
- Option 2: Comfort You Can Eat: Enjoy the culinary delights of a chocolate workshop at the De Karina Chocolate Factory on Kibbutz Ein Zivan. Chocolatier Karina Chepelinski continues her family's tradition of creating handmade premium chocolate. During this tour and workshop, taste various chocolates and learn what makes it so delicious. Then, experiment with quality ingredients to create your own chocolate masterpiece.
- Return to the hotel for dinner.
Overnight: Upper Galilee
Meals: Dinner
DAY 6
FROM THE GALILEE TO JERUSALEM
Tue. Dec 26, 2023
- Check out of the hotel.
- A Way Forward in the North: Visit Sindyanna of Galilee and sample some of their award-winning olive oil. We’ll learn how this non-profit organization is producing fine, fair-trade products and creating economic opportunities for Arab women, one of Israel’s most underemployed sectors. The tour will include:
- A Za’atar workshop. Mix some za’atar leaves, sesame seeds, sumac, olive oil, and sea salt, and presto, you’ve produced one of the great spices of local Arab cuisine. We’ll then combine our za’atar with Sindyanna olive oil and pita bread for a delicious manakish munch.
- Kinneret Cemetery: The area around the Kinneret was a stronghold for early Zionist experiments in communal living and collective agriculture. We’ll visit the graves of some of the iconic figures in pioneering Zionist culture buried at the Kinneret Cemetery including Rachel the Poetess, the Zionist Marxist philosopher Ber Borochov, and Naomi Shemer, the “first lady of Israeli song,” and discuss communal life in Israel then and now.
- As we drive south through the Jordan Valley, we’ll discuss the strategic and political situation in this area and consider how Israeli control over it is viewed by some as vital to national security but by others as an impediment to any future agreement with the Palestinians.
- A First Look at the Holy City: Over the centuries, many have been moved and awed by their first sight of Jerusalem. We'll stop at Mount Scopus for a stunning overview of the city and celebrate our arrival with a special ceremony and the traditional “shehechiyanu” blessing of thanksgiving.
- Check into the hotel, and then enjoy an evening at leisure in Jerusalem.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY 7
LAYERS OF JERUSALEM
Wed. Dec 27, 2023
- Challenges and Triumphs of Religious Pluralism and Social Justice in Israel: Dialogue with a representative of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC).
- Take a walking tour through Jerusalem’s Old City and the Jewish Quarter and experience the center of Jewish life, history, and holiness. Among the highlights will be:
- A walk along the rooftops will provide an extraordinary scene of multi-faith Jerusalem. From this one spot, we will see the domes of three great religious landmarks: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (marking where Jesus is believed to have been crucified); the Jewish Quarter’s Hurva synagogue; and the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam’s most sacred and beautiful sites.
- The Cardo, the main street of Roman-controlled Jerusalem and its spectacular Byzantine-era columns.
- King Hezekiah’s “Broad Wall”, a massive wall built to protect Jerusalem from invasion 2,700 years ago.
- Hurva Square, the center of modern-day life in the Jewish Quarter.
- Going Under, Going Deeper: Explore the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Kotel, and examine important archaeological discoveries that are revising our understanding of daily life in ancient Jerusalem.
- Take a multi-cultural tasting journey through the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda open-air market: Enjoy the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of this vibrant area where Jerusalemites shop. This doubles as a delicious dinner.
- Return to the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Dinner
DAY 8
MEMORY AND RENEWAL
Thu. Dec 28, 2023
- Visit Yad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, an essential emotional and educational experience. Your guided tour will include:
- The Avenue of the Righteous, where trees symbolic of the renewal of life have been planted along with plaques honoring brave non-Jews who saved Jews during the Shoah.
- The Historical Museum, a state-of-the-art interactive display reflecting decades of research and educational expertise. The story of the Holocaust, with an emphasis on individual victims, is told through survivor testimonies, original artifacts, and personal possessions saved from the ghettos and camps.
- The Children's Memorial, commemorating the 1.5 million children lost during the Holocaust.
- A memorial service where we will pay tribute to those who were lost. It will include the opportunity to talk about family members and loved ones who died during the Shoah.
- Stop for Lunch and drive to the Ella valley.
- Visit Ashkelon our sister city and spend an afternoon together.
- Return to the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Lunch
DAY 9
LEADERSHIP THEN & NOW
Fri. Dec 29, 2023
- Opening the Closet Doors of the Holy City: Meet with staff and members of the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, for a presentation and Q&A session.
- One City or Two? Go beyond the headlines as we explore the geopolitics of Jerusalem stop at lookout points and explore key issues. In Jerusalem's geopolitical reality, we’ll encounter the Security Barrier and discuss its effects.
- Religion: The Way Forward or an Obstacle to Peace? We’ll go beyond the Green Line to meet with Ali Abu Awwad and Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger/ Rabbi Shaul Judelman from Shorashim (Roots), a program bringing West Bank Palestinians and their Jewish neighbors together despite their fears and suspicions.
- Return to the hotel and prepare for Shabbat.
- Enjoy Kabbalat Shabbat at the Egalitarian Wall followed by Shabbat dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Shabbat Dinner
DAY 10
MASADA & THE DEAD SEA
Sat. Dec 30, 2023
- Check out of the hotel and store your luggage at the hotel.
- Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before setting out to explore the Dead Sea region.
- The Last Stand: Climb via 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.
- The Sea of Salt: 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.
- We'll drive by Qumran, where a separatist Jewish sect from the Second Temple period created an isolated community and where the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the most ancient and important religious manuscripts in existence, were discovered.
- Final reflection as a group - thoughts and reactions.
- Return to Jerusalem for time to prepare for your flight.
- Farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
- Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for departure flight.
Meals: Dinner
DAY 11
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
Sun. Dec 31, 2023
- Return to the USA.
RATES & LODGING
participants
20+
Cost p/p in double room
$4,390
Cost p/p in single room
$5,685
Child As 3rd (Reduction)
- ($800)
Tel Aviv: Dan Panorama
- Nights: 2
- Room Category: Tel Aviv
- Hotel Website
Upper Galilee: Kfar Giladi hotel
- Nights: 2
- Room Category: Basalt
- Hotel Website
Jerusalem: Dan Panorama
- Nights: 4
- Room Category: Jerusalem
- Hotel Website
What to expect
- 8 nights' accommodations.
- 3 rooms are booked with a late check-out on the day of departure (Dec 30th).
- 8 days of touring with a tour educator (guide), in a luxury, air-conditioned bus.
- 1 Group arrival transfer & assistance at the airport.
- 1 Group departure transfer & assistance at the airport.
- Daily breakfast, 1 lunch & 5 dinners.
- 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 non-refundable 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 90 or more days prior to departure 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.
- Protect your investment for $495 p/p: Should you cancel your trip up to 5 days before your departure for any reason, our POM program offers you a trip refund. Call 888-230-6008 or e-mail: [email protected]
- Please click here to view our full terms (T&C’s). These T&C’s apply to all reservations created within J2 Adventures.
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.
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