Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Show Me Israel

Oct 15, 2023 - Oct 23, 2023

DESTINATION Israel
Who’s Going Adults Only
Trip Type Mission
Duration 9 DAYS
Group Size 30+
Price From $4,875

J²way intro
Your journey
Itinerary
Rates & Lodging
What to expect

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.

Once you have registered for the trip, you can also register for:
– the extension. Click here for details.

Art & Culture
Current Affairs
Heritage
Innovation
Local Specialists
Social Justice
Special Access
Food & Wine

Program Itinerary

DAY 1

ON THE WAY

Sun. Oct 15, 2023

Depart the USA.

Overnight: Flight

DAY 2

THE START OF A SPECIAL JOURNEY

Mon. Oct 16, 2023

Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Meet your tour educator who will accompany you on this journey of education and inspiration.
Proceed to Tel Aviv.
Experience the dynamism of Jewish life at the 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.
Check into the hotel with time to unpack, rest and refresh after your journey.
Experience a taste of Tel Aviv at our opening Welcome Dinner.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Dinner

DAY 3

A TASTE OF TEL AVIV

Tue. Oct 17, 2023

Breakfast at an Israeli hotel is an experience in itself. Start the day with a bounteous buffet.
Dialogue with Dan Feferman, author, speaker, and researcher, and Director of Communications and Global Affairs at Sharaka, an NGO that works to build people-to-people peace between Israel and the Arab world.
The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation was created by the late Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister and President of Israel, to develop peacebuilding programs based on innovation and optimism. Our visit will include a tour of the Israeli Innovation Center, which celebrates the people and companies that are making Israel the "innovation nation."
See the latest street art and learn what it reveals about life, ideas and ideology in Israel’s cultural capital.
Enjoy a tasting tour at the Carmel market before exploring Nachalat Binyamin, Tel Aviv’s arts and crafts market.
Return to the hotel.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

DAY 4

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Wed. Oct 18, 2023

Briefing by Miri Eisin, retired colonel of the Israel Defense Forces with a background in military intelligence.
Ramallah is the political center of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and is sometimes called the “de facto capital of the state of Palestine.” We’ll tour the city with Rami Nazzal, an internationally-published Palestinian journalist and meet with activists for an authentic account of Palestinian life. Understand the realities of crossing between Israel and the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority at the Kalandia Checkpoint.
Visit the Psagot Winery with Miri Maoz Ovadia, spokesperson for the Jewish settlers of the Binyamin region.
Return to Tel Aviv.
Cocktail reception at an art gallery.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast & Cocktail Reception

DAY 5

CELEBRATING PARTNERSHIP

Thu. Oct 19, 2023

Check out of the hotel.
This day is sponsored by the Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
Hands-on activity at Leket's logistics center, sorting and packing fruit and vegetables that will be sent to the needy.
Option A:
- Visit Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Period.
Option B:
- Visit Shefaram, a fascinating but rarely visited ancient-modern town with a unique combination of Jewish, Christian and Moslem tradition.
Witness first hand some of the Federation’s impact in the area.
Celebrate Federation’s partnership with the Yokneam-Meggido region.
Check into the hotel in Jerusalem.

Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 6

THE POWER OF MEMORY

Fri. Oct 20, 2023

J² Salon Talk: A Time to Remember and a Time to Forget. Memory is a key part of Jewish identity. But aren’t some parts of history better left forgotten? We’ll be hearing from a variety of voices - Bob Marley, Yehuda Amihai, Rabbi Nahman, and Elie Wiesel – to talk about the role of remembering and forgetting in Jewish life.
Visit Yad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, an essential emotional and educational experience:
- Option A: Avenue of the Righteous, the Historical Museum, and the Children’s Memorial.
- Option B: View the world’s largest collection of Holocaust art and walk through the Valley of the Communities, a 2. 5-acre monument dug out of bedrock. Engraved on its stone walls are the names of 5,000 Jewish communities that were swallowed up by the Shoah.
Return to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat.
Pre-Kabbalat Shabbat before personal reflection at the Kotel (Western Wall).
Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

DAY 7

SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM OR AT THE DEAD SEA

Sat. Oct 21, 2023

Option A:
- Take the cable car to the top of Masada.
- Float on the Dead Sea.
- Lunch at a hotel by the Dead Sea.
Option B:
- Explore the Israel Museum, housing more than 5,000 years of cultural treasures.
- Lunch at the hotel.
- Discover some hidden gems in one of the nearby picturesque neighborhoods.
At nightfall, we will mark the end of Shabbat with a Havdallah ceremony.
Optional:
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.
OR
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.

Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

DAY 8

HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY JERUSALEM

Sun. Oct 22, 2023

Option A:
- Explore the Old City’s Jewish Quarter, climbing to the rooftops for a bird’s-eye view of the diverse, yet closely bound communities, walking through the Cardo, the main street of Roman-ruled Jerusalem. Then through the market (shuk) to the Kotel (Western Wall).
Option B:
- Meet with students and teachers from the Ma’aleh Film School, where we will learn about Israeli society through the prism of film.
- Take a ride on Jerusalem's light rail and experience the mosaic of the Jerusalem population.
Farewell lunch with guest speaker, Rachel Azaria, former Member of Knesset and deputy mayor of Jerusalem.
Return to the hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

DAY 9

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

Mon. Oct 23, 2023

Group transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure flight.
Return to St. Louis.

Meals: Breakfast

RATES & LODGING

participants

30+

Cost p/p in double room

$4,875

Cost p/p in single room

$6,575

Discount of $75 for travelers who haven't been in Israel for at least 18 years, or first timers. Registration open

Tel Aviv: Hilton

Nights: 3

Room Category: Deluxe Sea View

Hotel Website

Jerusalem: The Inbal

Nights: 4

Room Category: Standard

Hotel Website

7 nights' accommodations.
7 days of touring with a tour educator (guide) in a luxury, air-conditioned bus. (Extra Guide & Bus on October 19th, Extra Guide on October 21th & Oct 22nd )
Daily breakfast, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
Water on the bus.
Porterage at the airport & hotels.
All gratuities.
All site entrance fees & program fees as per your final program.

Credit card fees.
Guests at Meals.
Flights to & from Israel.
COVID related expenses, including tests.
Evening transportation when dinner is not included.
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.

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.