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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.
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Art & Culture 
Heritage 
Food & Wine 
Archaeology 
Home Hospitality 
Nature Walks
Program Itinerary
DAY 1
ON THE WAY
Sun. Mar 10, 2024
- Depart the USA.
DAY 2
THE START OF A SPECIAL JOURNEY
Mon. Mar 11, 2024
- Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport.
- Check into the hotel.
- Meet your tour educator who will accompany you on this journey of education and inspiration.
- Welcome 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.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Meals: Dinner
DAY 3
CAESAREA-MEGIDDO-NAZARETH
Tue. Mar 12, 2024
- Breakfast at an Israeli hotel is an experience in itself. Start the day with a bounteous buffet.
- Check out of the hotel and drive north along the coastal plain to the ancient city of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar. This is where Peter converted Cornelius, the first gentile believer (Acts 10), and Paul was imprisoned and defended his faith (Acts 25 & 26). The Roman theater, aqueducts and hippodrome serve as a backdrop for the scriptural events.
- Drive inland, along the international route known in antiquity as the Via Maris, the Way of the Sea.
- Explore Megiddo, one of the most important Old Testament cities in the land. It looks down on the Jezreel Valley, which is traditionally identified with Armageddon (Revelation 16). Stroll through the ruins and check out the intriguing ancient water system.
- We’ll walk through the colorful marketplace of Nazareth to the Church of the Annunciation, the largest in the Middle East, which enshrines the account in Luke 2 of Mary and the angel. The eclectic modern artwork is fascinating.
- Continue to the so-called “Synagogue Church”, where the 1st-century synagogue may have stood (Luke 4).
- Drive through the Lower Galilee and check into the hotel.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Ginosar
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 4
SPIRITUALITY & SECURITY IN THE NORTH
Wed. Mar 13, 2024
- Private cruise the Sea of Galilee on a boat inspired by the fishing vessels used here 2,000 years ago.
- Time for contemplation and prayer at the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
- Drive to the Upper Galilee and Banias, a luxuriant nature reserve on one of the Jordan River sources. This is ancient Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus revealed his mission to his disciples, and entrusted Peter with the mantle of leadership (Matthew 16).
- Explore Israel’s security situation on the Golan Heights. With a sweeping view from former Syrian fortifications of the Hula Valley and Lebanon, discuss the challenges Israel faced leading up to the Six-Day War of 1967, and its contemporary issues.
- Return to the hotel and enjoy dinner.
Overnight: Ginosar
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 5
AROUND THE SEA & TO JERUSALEM!
Thu. Mar 14, 2024
- Begin our last morning in the Galilee with a sunrise service led by Pastor John.
- Check out of the hotel.
- The beautiful area around the Sea of Galilee is rich in history and holy sites, a land of teaching and miracles. We’ll visit:
- Tabgha, traditional site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. The modern Church of the Multiplication enshrines ancient mosaics, including the famous 4th-century loaves and fishes (Matthew 14).
- The Church of the “Primacy” recalls John 21, where Jesus tested Peter before entrusting him to “feed my sheep.” The austere modern lakeside chapel still contains elements from the original 4th-century church.
- Capernaum. Often called the “town of Jesus,” Capernaum was the base of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, with a later mixed Jewish-Christian population. The imposing ancient synagogue, its stone reliefs, and the modern church, evoke the teachings and healings done here.
- We recommend the classic lunch for this area, St. Peter’s fish, though many other options are available.
- Continue south along the Jordan Rift Valley, stopping for some scripture and contemplation at Qasr al-Yahud on the River Jordan. This is the area – perhaps close to the very place – where John the Baptist was active.
- Passing Jericho, arguably the oldest city in the world, we ascend thousands of feet through the Judean Desert to the Holy City of Jerusalem.
- Welcome to Jerusalem! Enter the vibrant and colorful 4,000-year-old city, and experience the convergence of the old and the new.
- The summit of Mount of Olives gives a breathtaking panorama of the Old City. As we pick out important landmarks, we trace and discuss the sequence of events – the “Easter geography” – of Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem.
- Check into the hotel.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 6
SPIRITUALITY IN JERUSALEM
Fri. Mar 15, 2024
- We begin our exploration of ancient Jerusalem with two little-known sites within sight of the Old City walls.
- The first is a huge rolling stone at the entrance to a Jewish rock-tomb complex of the time of Jesus, just as described in the Gospels.
- The second is another burial complex from the late Old Testament period, some 26 centuries ago. It was here that archaeologists unearthed two silver amulets with the Priestly Benediction incised on them – the oldest passage of the Bible ever found!
- Enter the Old City via Jaffa Gate. We will spend the next few hours threading our way through labyrinths of time. A scholar once described Jerusalem as a city suspended “in between” – between Heaven and Earth, East and West, Past and Present... and perhaps the Future as well.
- Visit the Syriac Orthodox Monastery of St. Mark, which some associate with the Room of the Last Supper.
- Our route takes us through the fortress-like Armenian Quarter and down to the Jewish Quarter. Friday is the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, and the Quarter is abuzz in anticipation.
- Extensive excavations in the restored Jewish Quarter in the late 1960s and ‘70s uncovered many historical gems, among them the 6th-century AD Cardo, the colonnaded main street of Byzantine Jerusalem.
- Even more evocative is the “Broad Wall” of King Hezekiah, from the time of the Prophet Isaiah, which defended Jerusalem against the Assyrian invasion in 701 BC.v
- After a snack lunch, we continue to the Archaeological Park at the south-eastern corner of the immense Temple Mount. That structure dates back to the time of King Herod, and the street and stone steps could well have been trodden by Jesus himself twenty centuries ago.
- End the day at the adjacent Western Wall (“Wailing Wall”), a remnant of the ancient Temple compound. The Temple is gone, but the Wall has become, by proxy, the most revered site in the Jewish world.
- Return to the hotel to rest and freshen up.
- We will be hosted for a traditional family Sabbath dinner in a Jewish home – a memorable Shabbat of a Lifetime (as they like to call it).
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Shabbat Dinner
DAY 7
THE GOSPELS REVISITED
Sat. Mar 16, 2024
- The first visit of the day is to the authentic Pools of Bethesda, just inside the Old City’s Lions’ Gate (aka St. Stephen’s Gate). This is where Jesus healed the lame man (John 5). The compound is shared by the restored medieval St. Anne’s Church. The extraordinary acoustics are just right for a hymn or two.
- A few hundred yards further on, we pick up the Via Dolorosa – the traditional “Way of the Cross” – which winds through the Muslim and Christian Quarters. Stations I and II enshrine the likely site of the Praetorium where Jesus was tried. Pause at each “station,” and take time for contemplation at a few of the historic chapels en route.
- The last five of the 14 stations are within the cavernous Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where, it is widely believed, Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. The fascination of the church is enhanced by the fact that it is shared, not always amicably, by six different denominations (none of them Protestant).
- The second half of the day is devoted to the not-so-little-town of Bethlehem (today a Palestinian West Bank city). Your Palestinian guide will squeeze you into the Church of the Nativity, the oldest standing church in the country. Below the main apse is the grotto where Jesus is said to have been born, a magnet for pilgrims since at least the 4th century. Like the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the church is subject to fierce arguments and complicated “agreements” between different Christian groups over their shared control of the site.
- The adjacent, more modern Franciscan Church of St. Catherine is the venue for the Roman Catholic ‘Midnight Mass’ on Christmas Eve, relayed to the crowded square outside and to millions globally.
- One of the chapels of the Catholic church is the grotto where the 4th-century scholar, St. Jerome, is believed to have written the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, which was eventually adopted by the Roman Catholic Church.
- Return to Jerusalem.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 8
A DAY AT LEISURE
Sun. Mar 17, 2024
- A well-earned day off!
- After a leisurely breakfast, you are invited to the 10am Sunday Communion Service at St. Andrews Scots Church (Presbyterian) – just a 10-minute stroll from your hotel.
- The rest of the day is yours: Catch up on your journal, wander the stores and eateries of downtown West Jerusalem (an easy walk from your hotel), explore the vibrant Machaneh Yehuda produce market, visit or revisit sights and museums that have taken your fancy – the Ramparts Walk, the Islamic Arts Museum, the Tower of David historical museum, the City of David – or simply relax.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 9
YAD VASHEM & THE DEAD SEA
Mon. Mar 18, 2024
- Our guided visit through the Yad Vashem complex, the National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust includes:
- The Historical Museum, a state-of-the-art interactive display that reflects 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 Avenue of the Righteous, with plaques honoring courageous non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust.
- The moving Children’s Memorial dedicated to the 1.5 million child victims of the Nazi death machine.
- “Decompression”. Descend to the Dead Sea region. At 1,400 ft. below Sea Level, it is the lowest point on the planet.
- Visit the excavated 2,000-year-old village of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. A Jewish sect – widely identified with the Essenes, who are known to us from ancient writings – established a ‘monastic’ community here. From a distance you can see the caves where most of the scrolls were found.
- The Sea of Salt: Float into happiness at the Dead Sea. Nothing can live in what is the saltiest body of water in the world, nine times saltier than the ocean. The weightless feeling of floating is great fun.
- Return to Jerusalem.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 10
PILGRIMS’ FAREWELL
Tue. Mar 19, 2024
- Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
- Gethsemane, with its unbelievably ancient olive grove, lies at the foot of Mt. of Olives. It is believed to be where Jesus prayed, was betrayed and arrested (Matthew 26). The modern Church of All Nations marks the spot.
- A Place of Reflection: Many Protestants identify the tranquil Garden Tomb, just outside Jerusalem’s Old City, as the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. The tomb was discovered in 1867 and has become a popular place of pilgrimage; the beautiful gardens are an ideal place for reflection and discussion.
- Explore the wondrous Israel Museum, with its eclectic collection, ranging from Biblical archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls to Jewish life and art, European and contemporary Israeli art, and the huge open-air model of Second Temple-period Jerusalem, the time of Jesus.
- End our touring program with an exterior view of the Knesset – Israel’s Parliament – and its famous iconic Menorah, an artwork in its own right.
- Free time for last-minute shopping.
- Farewell dinner.
- Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport and check in for your departure flight to the USA.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 11
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
Wed. Mar 20, 2024
- Return to the USA.
RATES & LODGING
participants
30+
Cost p/p in double room
$3,450
Cost p/p in single room
$4,610
Tel Aviv: Tal by The Beach
- Nights: 1
- Room Category: Standard
- Hotel Website
Sea of Galilee: Isrotel Gomeh Hotel
- Nights: 2
- Room Category: Galil Superior
- Hotel Website
Jerusalem: Dan Panorama
- Nights: 5
- Room Category: Jerusalem
- Hotel Website
What to expect
- 8 nights' accommodations.
- 9 days of touring with a tour educator (guide) in a luxury, air-conditioned bus.
- Daily breakfast, 1 lunch & 9 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: Investors Bank 101 JFK Parkway, Short Hills, NJ 07078 ABA Routing Number: 221272031
- 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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