(RE)DISCOVER ISRAEL
OCTOBER 14-23, 2025
Long before Israel’s founding, it was already clear that its true magic lay in the spirit and resilience of its people.
Faced with a lack of fresh water for crops, they pioneered a way to grow tomatoes using seawater. Lacking a common language, they reinvented biblical Hebrew to meld refugees from scores of countries. Despite the dangers around them, they built top-notch universities, innovative museums, world-class research centers and a philharmonic orchestra.
So, it should come as no surprise that while the people of Israel mourn the events of October 7, they have maintained their signature mettle—an unwavering spirit and shatterproof lust for life, finding joy and laughter even in the most challenging times.
Come see for yourself.
Dates and Pricing
October 14 – 23, 2025
Cost:
- $9,350 per person
- Single occupancy supplement: $3,500
- Non-temple member fee: $1,500
- A $1,000 per person deposit is due upon registration with the balance due by August 11, 2025.
Cancellation Policy: No refunds after August 25, 2025.
This is an All-Inclusive trip, covering:
- Private pick-up at Ben Gurion Airport
- All accommodations (5-star hotels)
- Private, licensed tour guide
- All special activities, sights, admission fees and programs as per itinerary
- Luxurious, WiFi-equipped bus for the entire trip
- All breakfasts, lunches and dinners (and some street food!), alcohol included
- All tips and gratuities
- An exclusive Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center trip photo book
Highlights
Dancing with the crowds at the Kotel to celebrate Simchat Torah
Meeting Israelis energetically rebuilding from October 7
Witnessing the beauty and the challenges of life in the Golan Heights
Touring the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, ANU, the National Library
Exploring the past remade into the modern in Jaffa
Remembering in the Gaza Envelope
Visiting Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square
WANDERING THE ALLEYWAYS OF AKKO, ONE OF THE OLDEST PORTS IN THE WORLD
Sampling the richest olive oil, the best wine and the most amazing food
Enjoying the spas, saunas and pools at the finest hotels
Accommodations
Itinerary
Day 1
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
- Private pickup from airport and transportation to Mamilla Hotel
- Check into the hotel (beginning at 3:00 PM)
- Program begins at 4:00 PM with a meeting in the hotel lobby
- Shehechiyanu and l’chaim at the Mount of Olives with its panoramic view of the city
- Dinner at Satya Restaurant, Chef Ilan Garousi
- A vibrant and joyous Simchat Torah celebration at the Kotel
★ Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem
Day 2
HISTORY, HOPE & MEMORY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15
- Breakfast at hotel
- Choose two options from the following, with a casual lunch in between
- Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust
- Experience the newly renovated National Library of Israel, the collective memory of Israelis of all backgrounds and the Jewish people worldwide, with a private guide
- Explore the Israel Museum, the country’s largest cultural institute, to see both modern art and ancient artifacts including the Dead Sea Scrolls
- Wander Jerusalem’s Old City, from the Temple Mount and the Jewish Quarter to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Christian Quarter
- Free time
- The Tower of David Sound and Light Show, a multisensory experience amidst archaeological remains set against the city’s ancient walls
- Late dinner at Mona Mona bistro, nestled in an elegant historic stone house
★ Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem
Day 3
JERUSALEM OF ALL SENSES
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16
- Breakfast at hotel
- Volunteer with Metzilot Mazon, the Jerusalem Food Rescuers, and help turn discarded produce into food for the hungry
- Guided tour of Machane Yehuda Market
- Lunch at Azura, a beloved family-run institution in the Iraqi section of the market
- Visit Thinkers Distillery to view their cutting-edge techniques and sample their award-winning spirits
- Free time
- Dinner at Machneyuda, one of the country’s hottest restaurants
★ Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem
Day 4
UP TO THE NORTH
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17
- Breakfast at hotel and check out
- Visit Mount Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery, the final resting place of Theodor Herzl and Yitzhak Rabin and a moving monument to the more than 28,000 Israelis killed in combat or by terrorism
- Drive north
- Wander the olive groves in Beit Lechem at Galilit, watch the olives being pressed and sample the extra-virginal results
- Stop at Gadot Observation Point, a former Syrian outpost, for panoramic views of the Galilee, the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights
- Lunch and wine tasting at a Winery
- Check into hotel and enjoy its pool, spa and amazing views
- Shabbat dinner at hotel
★ Overnight: Pereh Hotel, Golan Heights
Day 5
NORTHERN PERSPECTIVES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
- Breakfast at hotel
- Explore Ein Keshatot, a rebuilt Jewish village from the period of the Mishna and Talmud and tour the magnificent 6th-century synagogue with its original Ark
- Picnic lunch
- Enjoy a Jeep tour of the Golan Heights and look out over the border with Syria from Mount Bental
- Free time
- Forage for wild plants with food historian Dr. Uri Mayer-Chizick and then cook dinner together
- Stargazing from spectacular gardens at the brilliant Galilee sky
★ Overnight: Pereh Hotel, Golan Heights
Day 6
THE RUGGED GOLAN HEIGHTS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19
- Breakfast at hotel
- Delve into the history and food of Ghajar, the only Alawite town in Israel, with Chef Ali Katie, to discover a village caught among three countries
- An Alawite lunch at the home of Chef Ali’s mother
- Meet residents of Metula, along the border with Lebanon, and witness their energetic rebuilding after Hezbollah destroyed 60 percent of their buildings
- Visit the Tel Hai Courtyard and learn about an early Zionist settlement and the brave Jews who defended it during a 1920 attack
- Dinner (location to be announced)
- Late night tea in the hotel garden
★ Overnight: Pereh Hotel, Golan Heights
Day 7
THE NORTHERN FRONTIER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20
- Breakfast at hotel and check out
- Look out over southern Lebanon from Mount Adir and learn about border security with veteran IDF commander Lt. Colonel Guy Malal
- Drive to Akko
- Lunch at Uri Buri’s iconic seafood restaurant, the creation of one of the founders of modern Israeli cooking
- A gentle walk through the narrow streets and venerable ramparts that reveal the 4,000-year history of Akko, one of the oldest ports in the world
- Continue to Akko’s vibrant shuk, a fun bazaar full of fresh produce, cheap eats, spices, souvenirs and some of Israel’s best hummus
- Travel to Tel Aviv and check into hotel
- Dinner at Meshek Barzilay, a charming farm-to-table vegan restaurant
★ Overnight: David Kempinski, Tel Aviv
Day8
BEARING WITNESS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21
- Breakfast at hotel
- Depart hotel for Otef Aza, the Gaza Envelope, stopping at key lookout points for discussions of the complex border situation
- Lunch at Ori Lamkri Culinary Queen’s House in Ofakim, which fought off a Hamas attack
- Hear the story of October 7 at the Sderot Police Station
- Visit the Nova Festival memorial site at Re’im and the Memorial for IDF Lookouts outside Nahal Oz base
- Return to Tel Aviv
- Dinner at Naifa, Chef Nadia Molla
★ Overnight: David Kempinski, Tel Aviv
Day 9
CULTURAL REFLECTIONS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22
- Breakfast at hotel
- Meet the staff, volunteers and clients of Brothers For Life, which helps recently injured combat soldiers reclaim their lives, fulfill their dreams and serve and inspire the nation
- Tour Old Jaffa, where the ancient meets the hip
- Explore, shop and enjoy a scavenger hunt at Shuk HaCarmel
- Cooking workshop and lunch with cookbook author Adeena Sussman
- Afternoon choices:
- Exhilarating boat tour from Jaffa’s port
- Graffiti walking tour in Florentine
- Relax by the pool with cool drinks
- Dinner at HaBasta, a star of the city’s dining scene with a dynamic menu scribbled on the wall
- Late-night dessert at Anita Gelato and Ice Cream
★ Overnight: David Kempinski, Tel Aviv
Day 10
WE ARE THE JEWISH PEOPLE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
- Breakfast at hotel
- Tour the newly reimagined ANU Museum, which tells the stories of the Jewish people from across the world
- Hands-on experience at ANU
- Lunch at Chacoli, Chef Guy Gamso
- Visit The Square of the Kidnapped and Missing, with its Shabbat table set for 200 missing hostages and other installations highlighting the plight of those taken
- Explore Israel’s modern art at the Tel Aviv Art Museum
- Early farewell dinner at Ha’Achim, a high-energy restaurant serving the best of Israeli food
- Transfers to Ben Gurion Airport
★ Overnight: David Kempinski, Tel Aviv