Northern New Jersey Community Trip (NJ 2 OJ) - Sample Itinerary

Travel from New Jersey (NJ) to Old Jerusalem (OJ) with the UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey on a 10-day action-packed trip to Israel.

  • See the authentic Israel of yesteryear and today,
  • Hear from Israelis about Jewish life in their homeland
  • Taste a meal in an Israeli home in UJA’s sister city of Nahariya,
  • Feel the sand between your toes on a Tel Aviv Beach, and
  • Smell the aroma of fresh-baked challah at the Shuk in Jerusalem.

Day 1

Afternoon arrival in Israel
Meet your new Israeli friends! Travel to base
Check into rooms
Shehechiyanu Ceremony and Kabbalat Shabbat
Shabbat Dinner
Oneg Shabbat – group activity and program outline

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 2

Morning Services – Why Do We Pray? Group activity and discussion
Jewish Lands and Jewish Texts – program led by staff – intro to the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel
Time to rest
Havdalah
Night out on Ben-Yehudah Street

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 3

Dig for a Day – cave spelunking and digging at Beit Guvrin National Park
Travel south
Lunch
Ein Avdat Canyon – desert hike through one of the most spectacular canyons and oases in the region
David Ben Gurion's Grave – Visit the grave of the first prime minister of the State of Israel, learn of his story, his leadership and his special connection to the Negev.
Bedouin Hospitality in Kfar Hanokdim

Overnight: Bedouin Tent

Day 4

Early ascent to Masada – enjoy the sunrise and tour the site that has a unique story of faith and survival and that has become a central part of Israeli culture and Jewish legacy
Ein Gedi Hike
Swim in the Dead Sea!
Drive to Jerusalem
Guest speaker: Israel Update

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 5

Haas Promenade-Introduction to Jerusalem with a beautiful panoramic view of the city
Mt. Zion – learn of the centrality of the city to the three faiths – Christianity, Islam and Judaism
Tour the Jewish Quarter - learn the stories of its inhabitants, then and now
The Kotel – the central, most significant site in Jewish tradition
Return to hotel and rest
Ben-Yehudah Street
Machaneh Yehudah: Israel's most famous open-air market, hustling and bustling with sights, tastes, and people
Preparation for Yad Vashem

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 6

Yad Vashem – visit the National Memorial for the Victims and Martyrs of the Holocaust Mt. Herzl – the tombs of the leaders of the nation and the military cemetery tell the story of the struggles for Jewish independence from the first days of Zionism to today Drive north Night out in Tiberias

Overnight: Kinneret

Day 7

Kinneret Cemetery: Zionist heroes and pioneers
Mt Bental – overlook into Syria and entire region, introduction to the area and the story of the Golan Heights
Valley of Tears – the battles of the 1973 Yom Kippur War
Rafting down the Jordan River
Group activity at hotel

Overnight: Kibbutz Haon Guesthouse

Day 8

Tsfat – tour of the old city, ancient synagogues and artists' galleries
Wine tasting at a Galilee winery
Travel to Jerusalem
Check into hotel
Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel, the holiest site in the Jewish world
Shabbat Dinner
Oneg Shabbat – group fun!

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 9

Morning Services – optional local synagogues
Group Activity – The Spirituality of Shabbat
Time to rest
Havdalah
One-woman show about Israeli diversity: "The Four Faces of Israel"

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 10

Volunteering in P2K communities
Travel to Tel Aviv
Night out: explore the Tel Aviv nightlife!

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Day 11

Hall of Independence – The site of the declaration of Israel's independence, led by David Ben Gurion on the historical eve of May 14th, 1948
Lunch on Sheinkin St.
Yitzchak Rabin Square
Jaffa, port city of Israel
Program evaluation: say goodbye to our Israeli friends
Festive meal at Jaffa's famous Dr. Shakshuka!
Depart for the airport