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YOUR journey
The journey featured on this page is open to all & the trip leader welcomes your participation!
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 
Art & Culture 
Current Affairs 
Expert Scholar 
Food & Wine 
Heritage 
Home Hospitality 
Innovation - Local Specialists
Nature Walks
THE EXPERT
Program Itinerary
DAY 1
DEPARTURE
Sun. Mar 24, 2024
- Depart the USA.
DAY 2
LET'S START
Mon. Mar 25, 2024
- 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.
- Stop at the Haas Promenade for a traditional “shehechiyanu” blessing of thanksgiving.
- Check into the hotel.
- Israel 101: Learn about the basics of Israel, its people, history and geography, followed by an orientation to your trip with your tour educator over a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Dinner
DAY 3
A CITY OF LAYERS
Tue. Mar 26, 2024
- Breakfast at an Israeli hotel is an experience in itself. Start the day with a bounteous buffet.
- Look out over Jerusalem from the crest of Mt. of Olives for a glorious view of the Old City of Jerusalem.
- Visit the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other Christian sites.
- Visit the Kotel (Western Wall).
- Tour the Jewish Quarter and continue with visits to archaeological treasures and other highlights, among them:
- A walk along the Rooftops of the Old City for a behind-the-scenes look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how they live alongside each other.
- The Cardo, the main street of Jerusalem in the 6th century.
- King Hezekiah’s First Temple-period “Broad Wall”.
- Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter.
- Return to the hotel.
- Free time in the Mamilla pedestrian arcade, a very contemporary shopping area with a whiff of the past, located outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City; dinner on own.
- Optional: The Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum: The walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a night-time show – a celebration of sight and sound – that depicts the story of Jerusalem.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4
BEYOND BORDERS
Wed. Mar 27, 2024
- Drive to Ramallah.
- Life in Palestine 2024: Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, the controversial and complex area split between Israeli control and limited Palestinian self-government. The political center of the Palestinian Authority, Ramallah is sometimes called the “de facto capital of the state of Palestine.”Tour the streets of Ramallah with Rami Nazzal, an internationally-published Palestinian journalist. He will provide an authentic, even-handed but raw, account of Palestinian life, politics, and aspirations.
- Lunch will be at the Psagot Winery. The restaurant is located in a gorgeous stone winery amid a lovely pastoral landscape. The delicious dairy dishes will be accompanied by carefully selected house wines.
- Our thoughts our journeys: Reflection time led by Rabbi Bigman and Tour educator.
- Beyond the Green Line: Experience life on a Jewish settlement in the disputed area known by some as the West Bank and by others as Judea and Samaria. We’ll learn about the establishment of these communities during a tour of the Binyamin Region before talking with local residents about why they live in settlements that many consider dangerous and disruptive to peace. Our visit will include a lookout that will provide a broader view of the situation in the region. Examine the patchwork of Palestinian towns and villages and Jewish settlements in the area, discuss demographic and security issues, and come to grips with the complex issues of who governs these territories.
- Return to Jerusalem and to the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 5
THE DEAD SEA BASIN
Thu. Mar 28, 2024
- Early breakfast at the hotel.
- Descend to the Dead Sea Basin and ascend by cable-car to Masada, Herod’s mountain palace and the site of the Jewish Zealots’ last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Discuss Masada’s role as a symbol of Jewish defense and its current significance in modern Israel.
- Experience an astonishing sense of weightlessness as you float in the super-saline Dead Sea.
- Return to Jerusalem and to the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6
THE POWER OF MEMORY
Fri. Mar 29, 2024
- The Process for Progress: Discuss the way forward in the struggle for religious pluralism and gender equality in Israel with a representative from the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC).
- 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.
- Personal Reflections: At the end of our visit, we'll come together to share feelings and thoughts and discuss what we have experienced and learned at Yad Vashem.
- Experience the Mahane Yehuda open-air market.
- Return to the hotel.
- Kabbalat Shabbat services with a local Reform/pluralistic congregation.
- Home Hospitality Shabbat dinner/communal Shabbat dinner with local congregants OR festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast and Shabbat Dinner
DAY 7
SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM
Sat. Mar 30, 2024
- Visit the renewed and wonderfully creative Israel Museum, with its eclectic collection, ranging from archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls to Jewish life and art, European art, contemporary Israeli art, and the open-air model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period.
- Yemin Moshe and Mishkenot Sha'ananim: Get to know the great banker and philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore as you explore the pastoral neighborhoods, famous windmill and the artists’ colony that he developed and which transformed Jerusalem in the nineteenth century. En route, view two of modern Jerusalem’s most storied and important landmarks: the King David Hotel and the YMCA building.
- Three Stars in the Sky: At nightfall, we will mark the end of a special Shabbat with a communal Havdallah ceremony.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8
THE POWER OF NATURE
Sun. Mar 31, 2024
- Check out of the hotel and depart.
- As we drive north 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.
- Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu is the Site for an interactive tour of the Bio-Bee fields, where environmentally-friendly ways to protect crops, which use flies, bees and owls rather than pesticides, are developed. We’ll see how this collective kibbutz is thriving in 21st century Israel and is strengthening environmentalism in the international marketplace.
- 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.
- The Agamon Hula (Hula Lake), Israel’s best place for bird-watching, is home to thousands of storks, cranes, pelicans and flamingos. We’ll learn why early Zionist efforts to drain these swamps have been replaced by environmental protection. And for those with a need for speed, there’s bike-riding and golf-carting.
- Continue to the hotel for check-in, followed by dinner.
Overnight: Upper Galilee
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
DAY 9
EXPLORE THE NORTH
Mon. Apr 1, 2024
- Explore Israel’s security situation on the Golan Heights. Overlooking the Hula Valley from former Syrian fortifications, discuss the challenges Israel faced leading up to the 1967 Six-Day War. Cross the Golan plateau to the border with Syria and view the abandoned city of Kuneitra and the nearby United Nations outpost, for an insight into the experiences in the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Visit an abandoned Syrian outpost that once threatened 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 that war and its rapid and unexpected conclusion.
- The Golan Heights is also wine country. Sample some of its best during a tour of the boutique Pelter Winery. We're doing the driving so treat yourself to some Israeli gin to go with the grapes. L'chaim and cheers!
- 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 Synagogue, 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.
- Meet with artist Sheva Chaya in her studio for an interactive window into the world of Kabbalah, glass blowing, and questions of identity and Judaism.
- Return the hotel for dinner.
Overnight: Upper Galilee
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
DAY 10
COMMUNITIES THEN AND NOW
Tue. Apr 2, 2024
- Check out of the hotel.
- A Home and a Hope: The Yemin Orde Youth Village houses, protects, and educates over 400 youth from across the globe. Most of its children have suffered trauma early in their lives, including loss, neglect, and poverty. Yemin Orde gives these children a safe place to live, with individualized therapeutic care and an education that integrates general studies with Jewish identity and culture. Tour the village and meet some of the students and faculty of this innovative program
- Drive along the coast 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 theater, palace, and bathhouse.
- Enter Tel Aviv and check into the hotel.
- 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
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11
THE NEW HEBREW CITY
Wed. Apr 3, 2024
- 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.
- Tour the Israeli Innovation Center at The Peres Peace Center , which celebrates the people and companies that are making Israel the "innovation nation."
- Ethnic Tasting Tour: Eat, drink and learn at the Levinsky Market, where we’ll sample food and sweets from all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East and try to figure out what is Israeli about Israeli food. This multi-cultural tasting tour will double up as a delicious lunch.
- 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.
- Late check-out from the hotel.
- Festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
- Group transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to check in for the departure flight to the USA.
Overnight: Flight
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 12
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
Thu. Apr 4, 2024
- Return to the USA.
RATES & LODGING
participants
20+
Cost p/p in double room
$4,990
Cost p/p in single room
$6,320
Cost of accommodations for pre & post nights including breakfast and all taxes:
-Jerusalem: Dan Boutique $284,- per night per double occupancy room, $269,- per night per single occupancy room, $368,- per night per double occupancy room with child as third.
*Subject to availability Registration open
Jerusalem: Dan Boutique
- Nights: 6
- Room Category: Jerusalem
- Hotel Website
Upper Galilee: Hotel HaGoshrim nature
- Nights: 2
- Room Category: Superior
- Hotel Website
Tel Aviv: Tal by The Beach
- Nights: 1+LCO
- Room Category: Standard
- Hotel Website
What to expect
- 9 nights' accommodations. Late check out on the day of departure is included.
- 10 days of touring with a tour educator (guide), in a luxury, air-conditioned bus.
- Daily breakfast, 2 lunches & 5 dinners.
- The J² adventures App available on the App Store & on Google Play (active 7 days before your departure and throughout your trip).
- 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.
- 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.
J2 STUFF.
We have everything you need to know before you go. Check out our Instagram my_j2adventures for cool updates and interesting tidbits.
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