Friday, February 17
We board our flight to Israel.
Saturday, February 18
We arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and then drive to visit old Jaffa. We then transfer to our hotel in Tel Aviv, check-in, refresh ourselves and have dinner. Afterwards, we'll take a short walk along the Tel Aviv beach promenade. Overnight: Tel Aviv
Sunday, February 19
In the morning, we visit Independence Hall for a briefing on Israel’s fight for independence, while listening to a recording of David Ben Gurion proclaiming Israel's independence. We will continue to the Rabin Museum where we will learn about Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin as well as about the development of the Modern State of Israel. Our day will end with a drive to the lower Judean plain and visit the Elah Valley and Tel Azaka, the site of the historic battle between David and Goliath, where we will have an “on site” Bible study. Overnight: Tel Aviv
Monday, February 20
In the morning, we start our day by visiting the Palmach Museum to take part in a hands-on experience with the pre-state Palmach underground forces. We will then drive into the Samarian hills to visit the settlement of Ariel. On our way north we will drive to Beit Lid, where 22 people (21 of them IDF soldiers) were killed by a suicide bomber in 1995. We will hear a personal account from Moran Rosenblit. We will then drive to our hotel in the City of Haifa. Overnight: Haifa
Tuesday, February 21
We start our day with a visit to Atlit, a place that was used as a temporary holding facility for thousands of “illegal” Jewish immigrants from 1939 – 1948. We will then continue to Caesarea, the ancient capital of Roman Judea. Here history comes alive as modern technology enables visitors to “see” and “speak” to major figures throughout history. Afterwards, we then drive up the Carmel Mountain, to the Muhraka, where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. Here we will have a Bible study and then continue to the Druze village of Daliat El Carmel where we will meet a local family whose son was killed by a suicide bomber. We’ll join them for a traditional Druze dinner in their home. Overnight: Haifa
Wednesday, February 22
Our journey now takes us to Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) where many Bible passages come alive in living color. We will continue to Kibbutz Ginigar to walk around the beautiful landscaped gardens and hear stories about the old days and the foundation of the kibbutz. Next, we’ll head to Kfar Kama, where we will learn about the Circassian people and their heritage in Israel and have a traditional Circassian lunch. On the route back to our hotel, we will stop at the city of Tiberius to take a leisurely boat ride on the Sea of Galilee that will take us back to Ginosar, where we will view an ancient boat from the Messiah’s era. Overnight: Sea of Galilee
Thursday, February 23
We start the day with a drive to the biblical city of Dan, where we will walk, bible in hand, below the impressive 4,000 year-old Canaanite walls and bring the ancient biblical stories to life. Our walk takes us from the ancient town into the Eden-like haven of the Dan Nature Reserve, where we will hike along and across running streams. Afterwards, we will continue to the site of the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi. We’ll end our day below Mt. Hermon by visiting Oz 77, a small hill overlooking the border with Syria, where during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a brave tank battalion halted a Syrian attack of a thousand tanks. As we travel through the Golan Heights back to our hotel, we’ll be able to understand the strategic importance of this high plateau by visiting the ’73 Syrian Fort Lookout and observing why kings went to war in this area. Overnight: Sea of Galilee
