MTS TRAVEL, Women's Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

This tour price reflects special group rates. Deposits received after December 19, 2008, will likely incur additional charges due to supplier contract terms.

If you would like assistance with airline reservations from your home city to JFK Airport, please contact Paige Vogie, MTS TRAVEL, at paigev@mtstravel.com or call 800-418-2929, extension 81302. We suggest that these reservations be made approximately two months prior to departure.

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:

Depart from New York late this evening on a non-stop trans-Atlantic flight to Tel Aviv.

Saturday, March 28 Tel Aviv – Jerusalem

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, meet our motor coach driver and Julie Baretz, our tour guide, who will be with us throughout the tour. Drive Jerusalem and view the beautiful Holy City. Continue the Ambassador Hotel, our home for four nights. Relax and freshen up before dinner and brief introduction to our pilgrimage—the week before Holy Week. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Sunday, March 29 Jerusalem, Old City, The Way of the Cross

Begin the day with an orientation to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. View the Golden Gate, follow the traditional Palm Sunday route downhill to the Garden of Gethsemane and take time for meditation and prayer among the ancient olive trees. Enter the Old City through St. Stephen’s Gate to St. Anne’s Church, thought to be Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary. Known for its spectacular acoustics, we will sing inside the church. Walk through the chaos of the old marketplace along the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Way of Grief or Suffering”), believed to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion, pausing at key historic spots. Continue to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This site is recognized by most Christians as Golgotha (the Hill of Calvary) and is said to include the place where Jesus was buried. Walk to Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall of the ancient Holy Temple (516 BCE–70 CE), and take time to pray. End today’s touring by remembering the Last Supper in the Upper Room. Return to the Ambassador Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Monday, March 30 Archaeological Dig / Ein Karem / Bethany

Travel to scenic Beit Guvrin National Park to enjoy a special archaeological Dig for a Day program that includes digging, sifting, pottery examination, and a tour of Beit Guvrin. For the adventurous, experience an exciting crawl through unexcavated cave systems! Drive to Ein Karem, a suburb of Jerusalem, to visit the Church of the Visitation, (known as the Church of the Magnificat) built over the site of the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah where John the Baptist was born. Ponder Mary’s visit here with Elizabeth for three months of her pregnancy after the angel Gabriel’s visitation. Stop at Sunbula Gift Shop, a nonprofi t Fair Trade organization that supports Palestinian craft producers— women’s groups, artisan cooperatives, organizations for the disabled from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. End the day at the Church of Lazarus in Bethany, where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, and recall the unique friendship Jesus had with them. Dinner/ overnight at the Ambassador Hotel.

Tuesday, March 31 Wilderness Experience – Dead Sea Swim

Today is devoted to having meaningful wilderness experience in off-the-beaten-track areas. Visit a desert agriculture farm and view Mount Sodom, believed to be adjacent to the city of Sodom. Drive into the wilderness of Zin, the perfect place to remember the important roles of Sarah and Hagar, mothers, consider Miriam’s leadership of the Israelites. Take time for meditation and prayer in an isolated quiet spot. End with a leisurely swim/fl oat in the Dead Sea, where the salt density is so high, it’s impossible to sink! Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Wednesday, April 1 Neot Kedumim / Women of Galilee

Drive to Neot Kedumim, an extraordinary biblical landscape reserve that re-creates the physical setting of the Bible in detail. A special program regarding women of the Bible will be presented to us including information on healing plants, gathering wild plants, preparing biblical foods, as well as understanding women’s roles based on “the woman of valor” in the last chapter of Proverbs. In the afternoon, we will meet with women of Galilee of various faiths in the Holy Land today. End the day on the Mount of Beatitudes towering above the Sea of Galilee with dinner and overnight at the Beatitudes Hospice Center cared for by the Franciscan Sisters.

Thursday, April 2 Sea of Galilee Area

Today we have time ponder the beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer on the picturesque grounds of the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Later walk down the hill to the Church of the Primacy reinstated Peter after serving a fish breakfast on the shore. Drive by Magdala, the town of Mary Magdalene and reflect on her role. Stop for a visit to Capernaum where Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood. See the remains of the house of St. Peter, where Peter’s mother-in-law was healed by Jesus. Finally, enjoy a peaceful ride on the Sea of Galilee in a wooden boat modeled after one discovered from the time of Jesus, pausing on the lake to consider the teachings and miracles of Jesus and the sights we have witnessed today. Dinner and accommodations tonight will be at Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel and Spa, located on the eastern slopes of Mount Canaan, overlooking the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee. Covering 37 acres, Mitzpe Hayamim contains fruit groves, walking paths, herb and vegetable gardens, an animal farm, and pools and streams.

Friday, April 3 Mitzpe Hayamim – Rest and Relaxation

Today is a day to relax, to restore our bodies and souls. The spa offers a range of health and cosmetic treatments using ethereal oils, herbs and hydrotherapy. The hotel art gallery provides guests with an opportunity to observe artists at their work in pottery, jewelry making, sculpture and painting. We will gather as a group late this afternoon for a special message about Sabbath. Since sunset is the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat), Julie will offer a special Sabbath evening program. Dinner and overnight at Mitzpe Hayamim.

Saturday, April 4 Nazareth – Tel Aviv

Begin the day by driving through the town of Cana this morning, where Mary told Jesus that there was no more wine at the wedding they were attending. Drive to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, viewing the present day city from Mount Precipice, the southern rim of the Nazareth ridge where the townsfolk wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff. From here, view the mountain of Tabor and remember the story of Deborah the Prophetess, Barak and Yael, where a woman was credited with the victory! Stop at Mary’s Well and the Church of Annunciation, believed to be built over home of Mary. Visit Nazareth Village, which represents life have been during Jesus’ time. A special presentation will be offered, showing what life may have been like for Mary as Jesus was growing up in Nazareth. Stop in the Village Gift Shop to see products inspired by the spirit of the first century. If time permits, stop at Jaffa (Joppa) for a tour of the Old City. Joppa was the home of Dorcas (Tabitha) “abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” Take a leisurely walk on the beach before sunset to ponder the many stimulating experiences of our pilgrimage. A special farewell dinner has been arranged for tonight before departure for the airport.

Sunday, April 5 Departure

Depart Ben Gurion Airport very early this morning, returning to the U.S. the same day. May the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding . . . guard your hearts and your minds.” Shalom!

About your tour host:

Dr. Joy Carol is a spiritual director, author, and workshop/retreat leader at seminaries, churches, retreat centers, and other locations. Her recent books include The Fabric of Friendship: Celebrating the Joys, Mending the Tears in Women’s Relationships, Journeys of Courage, and Towers of Hope: Stories to Help Us Heal published by Sorin Books/Ave Maria Press.

Over the last 30 years, Joy has also been an educator (the Outstanding Young Educator of the USA), counselor, women in development specialist, and manager of international development programs. She has lived and worked in the developing world for organizations such as the Ford Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme, Save the Children, and the Christian Children's Fund. Joy holds an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Nebraska Wesleyan University, master's degrees in Spiritual Direction from the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, and in counseling psychology from the University of Maryland. She has also done graduate studies in Asian Affairs, women and development, and management at Scarritt College, New York University, and Harvard University. Twelve years ago Joy had three close encounters with death and has since dedicated her life to spirituality, wholeness, and healing. She is a volunteer for the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and the Central Park Conservancy. She has been trained and is experienced in trauma counseling, grief and bereavement counseling, hospice work, healing techniques, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, imagery, and meditation.

About your tour guide, Julie Baretz:

Julie, originally from Valley Cottage, NY, has lived in Israel since 1985. She has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Creative Writing and is a trained horticulturalist. She has been a licensed tour guide since 1987 and has worked extensively with both Christians and Jews. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and twin daughters.

Julie is an excellent story-teller, and her style of guiding reflects this ability. Her stories will not only ignite your imagination but will also help you to relate to and remember the sites that are visited.