A 7 days Bar-Mitzvah tour to Israel is an ideal length of time to celebrate your child’s festive event in an unforgettable way. Your private guide will lead your family through the most interesting and significant sites in Israel. He will also set for you to participate in a wide range of activitvies combinig fun, interest and an educational value. Here is a recommended itinerary
7 Days Bar-Mitzvah Tour to Israel
Day 1 – Explore Caesarea
WELCOME TO ISRAEL!. Upon arrival you will meet your guide, load the van, and head up north for a few days. Pending on the time of arrival you could stop at Caesarea and appreciate the wealth of remains from Roman times, and / or join a tour of Atlit Detainee Camp. Here, during British Mandate, Jews attempting to escape Nazi Europe were locked up by the British in attempt to appease the Arabs. Today the site is a national park marking the Jewish struggle to create a Jewish state.
Overnight: Galilee
Day 2 – Kayak on the Jordan
Adjusting to the local time zone, your first stop will be Safed. Here, in the 16th century an important philoshopy in Judaism developed known as Kabbalah. Nearby we could also visit the tomb of the Rashbi. After a nice stroll in the alleys of the old city, and possibly buying some Judaica souvenirs, we continue drive through Rosh Pina, one of the very first Jewish settlements by the Zionist movement, and drive to the border with Lebanon. Viewing the border we will discuss the current geo-political issues, and visit Tel Hai. Here, some 100 years ago a smal Jewish farm was attacked and destoryed by neighobouring Arabs, yet became a symbol for the struggle of the Jews to resettle the land of their ancestors. We will end the day with an extreme adventure of Kayaking on the Jordan River.
Overnight: Galilee
Day 3 – Make a Shofar in the Golan Heights
After a good Israeli hotel breakfast you will head with your guide to the scenic Golan Heights. from the top of Mount Bental you will enjoy the panoramic views, including deep into Syria, and discuss the ge0-politics of this region. From the Kibbutz nearby you could go for a unique ATV tour next the Syrian border. At Ein-Zivan you could set for the kids a chocolate workshop at a local chocolataire, while the adults attend some wine tasting in one of the reputed wineries of this region. After a lunch break you drive to the viewpoint of Gamla. Here, some 2000 years ago, Jews futily battled against the Romans during the “big Jewish Rebbelion”. You will end the day with at a Shofar making Workshop, learning how a Ram’s horn turns into a significant items in Jewish rituals.
Overnight: Galilee
Day 4 – Greet Jerusalem “שהחיינו”
Checking out and heading to Jerusalem, you will stop at Magdala to appreciate the recent and rare discovery of a 2000 year old synagogue. Driving through Tiberias you will learn about its significant role in Jewish history as a Talmudic center. Near it is Kinneret Farm. Here important early pioneering Jewish groups have shaped the nature of the Zionist movement. Near it we will visit one their most important creations – the Kibbutz. After a long drive through the Jordan Valley we should be reaching Jerusalem just at sunset, to greet it with a “Shehecheyanu” from Mount of Olives Viewpoint.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 5 – Unveiling Jerusalem
Our day in Jerusalem could start with a festive Bar-Mitzvah ceremony at the Western Wall, or at “Azrat Israel“. After a branch at the Jewish Quarter, we sample some of its main historical sites, and possibly do some souvenir shopping in the local Arab market (the “Suq”) as well. On the second half of the day we explore the oldest remains found in Jerusalem, in the City of David. We review both the finds visible on the surface, and also head underground to reach the Gihon spring, and possibly walk along the long, dark and Hezekiah’s tunnel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 6 – Float on the Dead Sea
A day devoted to the region of the Dead Sea begins with scenic drive through the Judean Desert and along the Western shores of the Dead Sea. Our first stop will be Masada famous for the tragic end of the Jews escaping the Romans some 2000 years ago. We could also conduct a Bar-Mitzvah ceremony on Masada. We then continue to a nearby hotel for a lunch + spa break at the Dead Sea. Alternatively we could drive to Kibbutz Ein Gedi for kibbutz style lunch, followed by a stroll through the Ein-Gedi Botanical Gardens. We end the day with a hike to a waterfall in Ein-Gedi Nature Reserve to chill in the refreshing waters of this wonderful oasis. Time permitting, on the way back we stop for a view of the caves where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered (Qumran). Alternatively we could also visit a Tsitsit workshop (“Tekhelet” Factory).
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 7 – Track the 1948 secret bullet factory
On our last day we drive to Tel-Aviv along the “Burma Road“, followed by a visit to a 1948 Secret Bullet Factory (“Machon Ayalon”). These sites illustrate the critical battles in 1948 to form the State of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. Upon reaching Tel-Aviv we could have a lunch break in the flea market, and after a drive to through Jaffa we head to the heart of Tel-Aviv, and at Rotschild Boulevard no. 16 we join a tour at the “Independence Hall“. Here we learn of how and when the State of Israel was declared, fullfing a Jewish dream of some 2000 years. Time permitting we could set some time for a quic swim in the Mediterranean before heading to the Airport. FAREWELL!
