UJA's Family Mission to Israel - registration closing June 4th

 

This is the chance you were waiting for! UJA Federation is launching a Family Mission to Israel that will take place August 19 - 27, 2018. The mission will incorporate aspects from traditional trips along with activities and experiences that will be particularly meaningful to children ages 4-14. Family comes first on this mission with VIP service and all meals are included with your package. Our Family Mission has you covered and will provide your family with peace of mind throughout your 8-day journey.

*The Family Mission is geared towards families with children ages 4-14. If you have children that fall above or below this age range, they will be considered on a case by case basis.

Exploration tours of Tel Aviv & Jaffa

Hands on experience in Tikun Olam activities

Zip Lining

Kayaking in the Jordan River

Ice Cream Making

Dead Sea excursion

Shabbat in Jerusalem at the Western Wall

Walking tours in Jerusalem

Festive Dinner

Educational tour of Yad Vashem

Family Mission Itinerary

Sunday, August 19

  • 9:00am Pre-arrivals: Meet in the lobby of the hotel in Tel-Aviv

  • Visit to Bat Yam, UJA's partnership community for the Tikun Olam program. Prepare packages for soldiers and take part in an interactive outdoor activity with children.

  • Light lunch en route

  • Visit Independence Hall, where members of the National Council, representatives of the Jewish settlements and the Zionist movement, gathered on Friday, 5th of Iyar 5708, 14th of May 1948 in the afternoon, to sign the Scroll of Independence. Behind the table, David Ben Gurion, the Chairman of the Zionist Movement, proclaimed the establishment of the Jewish State, Israel. We’ll learn of our first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, and the early stages of the newly established Jewish state

  • Walking tour of Historical Tel Aviv or Old Jaffa.

  • Check into hotel and time to freshen up

  • Welcome dinner with a speaker who will provide an Israel update (TBC)

  • Overnight: Carlton Hotel, Tel-Aviv

Monday, August 20

  • Breakfast at the hotel Please note that on this day the mission will have a unique opportunity of having a number of “Shinshinim” join us for a few hours and together enjoy a day of fun and interaction (TBC)

  • Depart south to the Dead Sea area (we will depart early on this day)

  • Visit Massada, the site of King Herod’s desert mountain get-away palace and scene of the zealot’s last stand against the Roman legion. Ascend the mountain by a cable car and explore the ancient excavations of Herod’s palaces, the bathhouse, storerooms, the ramp and one of the oldest synagogues in the world.

  • Time to float and relax in the warm waters of the Dead Sea

  • Drive to Shivta dunes to enjoy Sandboarding, a perfect adventure for families.

  • End the day with a fun desert experience and dinner. Meet with local Bedouin and take part in a camel ride (TBC)

  • Return to Tel-Aviv Overnight: Carlton Hotel, Tel-Aviv

Tuesday, August 21

  • Breakfast at hotel and check out

  • Travel up north along the beautiful Mediterranean Coast

  • Visit the ancient city of Caesarea National Park, one of Israel’s most impressive archaeological site. The beautifully restored harbor was built by King Herod. Visit the museum for a wonderful multimedia explanation of the history of the port

  • Proceed to Kibbutz Sasa and participate in a tasting workshop; preparing ice cream - the perfect way to cool down this afternoon!

  • Drive to Rosh Hanikrah, the stunning chalk-white cliffs at Israel’s northernmost coastal border. Take the cable car down beneath the cliffs and tour the underground caves eroded by pounding waves over thousands of years.

  • Check into the hotel

  • Enjoy dinner with Kibbutz members and learn about their unique lifestyle (TBC)

  • Overnight: Kibbutz Kfar Blum Hotel, Upper Galilee

Wednesday, August 22

  • Breakfast at hotel and check out

  • Jeep tour of the Golan Heights

  • Visit the Mystical City of Safed. Wander through the twisting alleyways, tour its historic synagogues and have an opportunity to visit the galleries of Safed’s celebrated artists’ colony

  • Drive to Manara Cliff for a family adventure. Manara Cliff is Israel's leading adventure park, a home for lovers of sports, nature and hiking. The activities in the park are divided into various levels of challenge. Take part in a slide mountain/rappelling or climbing a wall, and much more…. Note: We are looking to add a fun educational component connected with our supported programs with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)

  • Enjoy an outdoor B.B.Q dinner with your family and friends

  • Overnight: Kibbutz Kfar Blum Hotel, Upper Galilee

Thursday, August 23

  • Breakfast at hotel and check out

  • Drive to Jerusalem through the Jordan Valley

  • Visit Old Gesher, During Israel's War of Independence, the first settlement to face an attack and learn about the life of the pioneers who built the state in the 1920’s and 1930’s. This site is also the first hydro-electric power plant in the area, completed in 1932, run by the visionary Pinhas Rutenberg

  • Light lunch en-route. • Arrive in Jerusalem and Shehechiyanu.

  • Visit the Hezekiah’s Tunnel. A true highlight of the trip! This is an underground water system including brand new discoveries of the Canaanite Period. If you prefer not to get wet, you can explore the recently opened (and dry…) tunnel which brought water to the city at the time of Herod

  • Check into the hotel

  • Dinner at the hotel with invited guests (TBC)

  • Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Friday, August 24

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • Visit Yad Vashem, the museum that presents the story of the holocaust from a unique Jewish perspective, emphasizing the experiences of the individual victims through original artifacts and survivors’ testimonies (Advanced registration is required)

  • Option for those under 11 or for those who are not interested in Yad Vashem:
    Visit to Herzl Museum, new Herzl Museum is a unique educational center that offers a hands-on encounter with Binyamin Ze’ev (Theodor) Herzl. It includes a spectacular audio-visual presentation that provides a look into the Jewish world according to Herzl’s insights. The visit to the museum allows one to be an active participant in understanding Herzl’s bold aspirations and disappointments during his stormy personal journey (Advanced registration required)

  • Lunch on own and time to explore the colorful Machane Yehuda Market, commonly known as the “Shuk”. Enjoy the action as locals prepare for Shabbat (lunch is not include in the land package)

  • Return to hotel and time to prepare for Shabbat

  • Depart the hotel for Shabbat prayers at the Kotel (return to the hotel by foot)

  • 6:33 PM Shabbat commences

  • Welcome the Shabbat at the Kotel (return to the hotel by foot)

  • Shabbat dinner at hotel with Shinshinim and lone soldiers who will share their personal stories (This is an opportunity for family & friends to join at an additional cost)

  • Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Saturday, August 25

  • Breakfast at the hotel at your own convenience

  • Shabbat services available for those who wish to partake

  • Lunch on own (not include in the land package)

    This is a day at leisure and time to rest or visit family & friends

  • Optional: Walking tour of the Old City, a historical and spiritual Centre for the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. We will start with a roof top tour and continue to the David Citadel Museum (Advanced registration is required).

  • Havdalah ceremony

  • 8:22 PM Shabbat ends

  • Dinner and evening on own (not include in the land package)

    • Some suggestions for this evening:
    • o An opportunity to shop and stroll at the Mamilla Promenade

    • o Attend the Sound and Light production, "The Night Spectacular" at the Tower of David Museum (Advanced registration is required)

  • Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Sunday, August 26

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • Visit the Ayalon Institute, the secret underground bullet factory operated by the pre-state Haganah during the period of the British Mandate

  • Light lunch en route

  • Experience an exciting archaeological dig at Beit Guvrin. Explore the ancient cave complex of the Hellenistic City, Tel Maresha. This fun family activity will include: digging, sifting, and more…

  • Tree planting at Neot Kedumim. Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel, is located halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. This unique recreation of the physical setting of the Bible in all its depth and details, allows visitors to see life as it was lived by our ancestors 3,000 years ago. It embodies the power of the landscapes which shaped the values of the Bible

  • Return to Jerusalem

  • Evening and dinner on own. Time to rest and enjoy the city

  • Overnight: Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem

Monday, August 27

  • Breakfast at hotel

Group Departure to Toronto

  • Transfer to the airport for those departing this morning back to Canada

  • VIP assistance through passport control at Ben Gurion Airport

Please note: The night of August 27, 2018 is not included in the land package. Please make arrangements for your post mission stay with Peerless Travel. Etty Orenstein will be happy to assist you with this. She can be reached at 905 886 5610 ext. 444

Itinerary is subject to change

Registration closing June 4th

What's Included

 

Listed below are the basic costs of the Family Mission.

For a thorough breakdown of costs and details, please view our registration page.

What's Included:

  • 8 nights accomodation
  • Daily Israeli breakfast, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners
  • 7 full days of touring in a deluxe bus with licensed, expert English speaking tour guide plus 1/2 day Saturday

Hotels:

  • Carlton Hotel, Premium Room (2 nights)
  • Kibbutz Kfar Bloom Hotel, Standard Room (2 nights)
  • Inbal Hotel, Superior New City Room (4 nights)

Costs:

  • $3,550 USD per person (based on double occupancy)
  • $4,899 USD (single occupancy)

 

Discount for 3rd person sharing room:

  • $970 USD for a child under 18
  • $1,330 USD for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah age child (12/13)

Kindly note that the discount amounts for a third child in a room are a reduction from the mission package price and not a new package price.

 

Questions? Please contact Keren Levy at klevy@ujafed.org or call 416 635 5574