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TOUR PRICE:
(from New York JFK International Airport)
$2,999, based on double occupancy
Single Room Supplement: $650
Optional Group Travel Insurance: $310 (nonrefundable)
This tour price reflects special group rates. Deposits received after
January 1, 2010, will likely incur additional charges due to supplier
contract terms.
TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
- Round trip air fare from JFK International Airport
- Accommodations as listed in brochure, or similar
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- 4 special lunches
- Services of experienced, licensed guide
- Deluxe, air conditioned motor coach
- Sightseeing and entrance fees
- Service charges and local taxes
- Tips to guides, drivers and hotel staff ($180)
NOT INCLUDED:
- Airline taxes and fuel surcharges (currently $356; subject
to change)
- 3 lunches
- Items of a personal nature
ITINERARY:
Friday, April 9 Departure
Depart from New York JFK Airport on a non-stop trans-Atlantic
flight to Tel Aviv.
Saturday, April 10 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 to Jerusalem and
view the beautiful Holy City.
Continue to the Ambassador
Hotel, our comfortable
home-away-from home for four nights. Those who wish to do so
may attend the 5:30 service at Notre Dame Jerusalem Center,
followed by dinner and a brief introduction to our pilgrimage.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Sunday, April 11 Jerusalem, Old City, The Way of the Cross
Begin the day with a
visit to the Temple Mount,
believed to be the site of
the temple built by King
Solomon, followed by an
orientation to Jerusalem
from the Mount of Olives.
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 the site of the home of Joachim and Anne,
parents of the Virgin Mary. Known for 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 Jesus walked on the way
to his crucifixion, pausing at key historic spots. Continue to the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Recognized by most Christians
as Golgotha (the Hill of Calvary) and is said to include the place
where Jesus was buried. After lunch and a brief time for shopping
in the Old Market, walk to Judaism’s holiest site, the Western
Wall of the ancient Holy Temple (516 BCE–70 CE), and take
time to pray. End the day by remembering the Last Supper in
the Upper Room. Return to the Ambassador Hotel for dinner and
overnight. (Optional: Visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
and shop for products made from olive wood.)
Monday, April 12 Archaeological Dig / Ein Karem
Travel to scenic Beit
Guvrin National Park to
enjoy a special archaeological
Dig for a Day program
that includes digging,
sifting, and examining pottery.
For the adventurous,
crawl through unexcavated
cave systems! Enjoy lunch at a Kurdish garden or spice store. Visit the Bet Jimal monastery and convent. Founded
by Salesian monks in the late 19th century, who produce wine
and olive oil. The adjacent Convent of the Assumption of the
Virgin is populated by the Sisters of Bethlehem, known for their
exceptional folk pottery and olive oil. View a mosaic floor discovered
in 1915 said to be from the Church of the Tomb of St.
Stephen. Drive to Ein Karem 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. If time, stop at
Sunbula Gift Shop, a nonprofit Fair Trade organization that supports
Palestinian craft producers—women’s groups, artisan cooperatives,
organizations for the disabled from the West Bank and
Gaza Strip. Return for dinner and overnight at the Ambassador.
Tuesday, April 13 Wilderness Experience – Dead Sea Swim
Today is devoted to having
meaningful wilderness experience
in off-the-beaten-track areas.
Drive into the wilderness of
Zin, the perfect place to remember
the important roles of Sarah
and Hagar, our desert mothers,
and to consider Miriam’s leadership
of the Israelites. Take time for meditation and prayer in an isolated quiet spot. A special lunch cooked in the desert will be
provided, along with a possible visit to a Bedouin home. End with
a leisurely swim/float in the Dead Sea, where the salt density is
so high, it’s impossible to sink! Opportunity will be given to shop
at the Dead Sea Store. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and a talk
by Women of the Holy Land. Overnight at the Ambassador.
Wednesday, April 14 Women of the Holy Land / Galilee
A very special experience is
offered this morning; preparing a
lunch of local foods, side-by-side
with women of the Holy Land! Drive
to Neot Kedumim, an extraordinary
biblical landscape reserve that recreates
the physical setting of the
Bible in detail, where you will take
part in a tree planting program.
Drive to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth,
viewing the present day city
from Mount Precipice, where the townsfolk tried 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! If time, stop at Mary’s Well
and the Church of Annunciation, believed to be built over the
home of Mary. End the day on the beautiful grounds of the Mount
of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount
overlooking the Sea of Galilee. There we will have time to ponder
the beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer. Enjoy dinner and overnight
at the Beatitudes Hospice Center cared for by the Franciscan
Sisters.
Thursday, April 15 Sea of Galilee Area
Walk down the Mount
of Beatitudes to the Church
of the Primacy of St. Peter,
where Jesus reinstated Peter
after serving a fish breakfast
on the shore. Continue to Tabgha
(short for Heptapagon—
seven springs”) to view the
mosaics in the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. If time permits,
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. Stop for a special lunch of St. Peter’s Fish.
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 our journey of life 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.
Friday, April 16 Mitzpe Hayamim – Rest and Relaxation
Today is a day to relax,
restore our bodies and
souls at Mitzpe Hayamim, a
beautiful organic farm and
spa. Covering 37 acres,
Mitzpe Hayamim contains fruit
groves, walking paths, herb
and vegetable gardens, an
animal farm, and pools and
streams. 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. Enjoy all the spa has
to offer or travel to nearby Hula Lake Nature Reserve to hike or
bike. 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 17 Return to Tel Aviv via the Beach and Ancient Jaffa
This morning is free
for spa treatments, a tour
of the farm, or relaxation.
After lunch, drive to a beach
along the Mediterranean
Sea, near Tel Aviv, for closing
worship. Drive to Joppa
to see the Old City. Joppa
was the home of Dorcas
(Tabitha) “abounding with
deeds of kindness and
charity which she continually did". A special Arabic farewell dinner has been arranged for tonight before departure for the airport.
Sunday, April 18 Arrive USA
Depart Ben Gurion Airport 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.
Tour Features and Conditions
Responsibility
  CST 2013363-40
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