A 7-day 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
WELCOME TO ISRAEL!. You will meet your guide upon arrival, load the van, and head 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 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 an attempt to appease the Arabs. Today, the site is a national park marking the Jewish struggle to create a Jewish state.
Adjusting to the local time zone, your first stop will be Safed. Here, in the 16th century, an essential philosophy in Judaism developed known as Kabbalah. Nearby, we could also visit the tomb of the Rashbi. After a pleasant stroll in the alleys of the old city and possibly buying some Judaica souvenirs, we continue to 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 small Jewish farm was attacked and destroyed by neighboring Arabs, yet it became a symbol of the struggle of the Jews to resettle in the land of their ancestors. We will end the day with an extreme kayak adventure on the Jordan River.
After an excellent Israeli hotel breakfast, you will head to the scenic Golan Heights with your guide. From the top of Mount Bental, you will enjoy the panoramic views, including deep into Syria, and discuss the geo-politics of this region. From the Kibbutz nearby, you could go for a unique ATV tour next to the Syrian border. At Ein-Zivan, you could set up a chocolate workshop for the kids at a local chocolatier 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 futilely battled against the Romans during the Big Jewish Rebellion. You will end the day with a Shofar-making Workshop, learning how Ram’s horn turns into significant items in Jewish rituals.
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 its significant role as a Talmudic center in Jewish history. Near it is Kinneret Farm. Here, important early pioneering Jewish groups shaped the nature of the Zionist movement. Near it, we will visit one of 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.
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 will sample some of its main historical sites and possibly do some souvenir shopping in the local Arab market (the “Suq”) as well. In the second half of the day, we explore the oldest remains in Jerusalem, in the City of David. We review both the finds visible on the surface and head underground to reach the Gihon spring and possibly walk along the long, dark Hezekiah’s tunnel.
A day devoted to the region of the Dead Sea begins with a 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 a 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 beautiful oasis. Time permitting, we stop for a view of the caves where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered (Qumran). Alternatively, we could visit a Tsitsit workshop (Tekhelet Factory).
On our last day, we drove to Tel-Aviv along the 1948 Burma Road and visited a 1948 Secret Bullet Factory (“Machon Ayalon”). These sites illustrate the critical battles 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 through Jaffa, we head to the heart of Tel-Aviv, and at Rothschild Boulevard no. 16, we join a tour at the Independence Hall. Here, we learn how and when the State of Israel was declared, fulfilling a Jewish dream of some 2000 years. Time permitting, we could set aside some time for a quick swim in the Mediterranean before heading to the airport. FAREWELL!
