Length: 35 Days
2009-2010 Grades: 9,10,11,12
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Explore the ancient beauty of Italy & Slovenia on Euro-Quest: Mediterranean and then continue on to the Land of Milk & Honey for the classic Israel Journey experience. Spend a full five weeks of summer travel with BBYO Passport.

PART 1 / Euro-Quest Mediterranean

Join us as we travel along the breathtakingly beautiful Mediterranean coast of Italy to the source of Western Civilization. Euro-Quest Mediterranean is a two-week teen travel experience that visits world-famous sites like the Colloseum, the Sistine Chapel, the leaning Tower of Pisa, the canals of Venice, the Vatican, and Michelangelo's David sculpture.

Along the way, we walk in the footsteps of history in ancient Rome, explore the picturesque Tuscan countryside, hike in the Italian Alps, relax on the Mediterranean coast, and raft in the backcountry of neighboring Slovenia. Of course, we also make time to enjoy the delicious local Italian cuisine.

As a BBYO Passport experience, Euro-Quest Mediterranean is also about connecting with the unique history of the Jewish People in Italy. We visit centuries-old synagogues, spend a special Shabbat with the Jewish communities of Venice and Rome, and learn about the original ghetto of Venice and what it stood for.

Euro-Quest Mediterranean is a well-balanced combination of must-see touring, eye-opening Jewish experiences, and a unique opportunity to forge friendships with teens from around the world in beautiful land.

PART 2 / Israel Journey

Fly from Rome to Tel Aviv for a once-in-a-lifetime summer in Israel. The Israel Journey is a three-week cross-country experience – from the Golan Heights in the north to the tropical Red Sea in the far south…and everything in between. Along the way, we walk in the footsteps of Jewish history, experience the vibrancy of modern Israeli culture, and connect with Israel’s colorful society.

The program includes visits to all of Israel’s most important sites – ancient Jerusalem, contemporary Tel Aviv, the Galilee, the Negev Desert and the heights of Masada. We also make time to experience Israel’s off-the-beaten-path charm -- enjoying a bonfire on the beach, taking part in an active archeological dig, sampling unique Middle Eastern cuisine, and participating in the re-birth of Israel by planting a tree in a new forest.

The Israel Journey experience is more than just a tour. It is also about debating the meaning of contemporary Zionism, exploring our Jewish identity from an Israeli point of view, delving into the intricacies of Middle Eastern politics, and connecting to our Jewish soul through a series of meaningful community service and spiritual experiences. Join us on the Journey.

Itinerary Snapshot

• WEEK #1 / Milan, the Alps & Venice
  Land in Milan and the journey begins in stylish Milan before heading north to the Italian Alps and the Boremeo Palace in the middle of Lake Maggiore. We continue eastwards to Verona - home of Romeo & Juliet - and then on to Venice where we will travel the canals by gondola and spend a special Shabbat in the historic Jewish Ghetto district.
  
  

• WEEK #2 / Florence, Pisa & Rome
  Week two begins with a side trip to neighboring Slovenia where we raft down the Soca River through some of Europe's most beautiful terrain. We then head due south to the Tuscan countryside and onto Florence and Pisa where we will climb a certain leaning tower. We conclude our experience in Rome, a city that is both ancient and stunningly modern, with visits to the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, and much more.
  
  
• WEEK #3 / Jerusalem & Mediterranean Coast
  Land at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and begin the ascent to Jerusalem where we will spend the first part of the week walking the Old City and exploring the history of our ancestors. From Jerusalem we head up the Mediterranean Coast to the Western Galilee where we spend our first Shabbat on the beach.

• WEEK #4 / Galilee, Golan Heights & Tel Aviv
  Travel eastwards through the Galilee as we learn about the mystics of ancient Safed (Tsfat), take in the beauty of the Golan Heights, learn about kibbutz life, and explore the greenest and most water-filled region of Israel. We close out week two with a visit to Tel Aviv, Israel's cultural capital and one of the world's most trendy cities. The middle Shabbat is a "Host Family Weekend" where participants can either stay with local friends/family or participate in a supervised alternative program (see note below).
  
  
• WEEK #5 / Eilat, Negev Desert & Jerusalem
  Head due south to Eilat, Israel's southernmost tip where we snorkel in the tropical Red Sea and learn about Israel's unique desert ecology. Continue on for a sunrise hike to Masada followed by an unforgettable float in the Dead Sea. The trip concludes by returning to where we started in Jerusalem with a somber visit to Yad Vashem followed by a moving Shabbat experience at the Western Wall.
  

Learn More

• Sample Itinerary
• Trip FAQs (Coming Soon)
• Program-Wide FAQs
• Why Israel
• Why Now
• Safety & Security
• Scholarship Info
• Register Now

Host Family Weekend

The Israel Journey itinerary includes a Host Family Weekend during the second Shabbat of the program in Israel. This is a perfect opportunity for participants to connect with family and friends in Israel. Participants without Host Family Weekend plans are encouraged to pair up with a friend on the trip. A supervised alternative program is also offered based in central Israel near the Mediterranean coast. The supplemental cost for the optional supervised weekend program is $275.

How the Connection Works

As a connected experience, participating in this program actually means combining two separate experiences. At the end of the first program there will be a "bonus day" of touring for those in the group who are also making the connection. This following day is a flight to the next destination country with plenty of time for rest and relaxation before starting afresh with a new group. Trip connections are always supervised, and they are planned to give teens a break between experiences.

Sample Itinerary

We have provided the following sample itinerary to give you an idea of what this travel experience is all about. Keep in mind that the actual itinerary may vary from the schedule below. That said, this sample itinerary is meant to give you a taste of the overall program. A formal itinerary, including a list of accommodations and phone numbers, will be sent to you 4-6 weeks prior to the start of the program.

DAY #1 / Monday / Departure!
• Depart for Europe in the early evening from Newark
• Spend the night in the sky en route to Europe

DAY #2 / Tuesday / Milan & Lake Maggiore
• Land at Milan’s Malpensa Airport
• City tour of Milan – Italy’s stylish fashion capital
• Travel to the Lake Maggiore in northern Italy
• Boat ride to Bela Island and the stunning Boremeo Palace
• Overnight: Hotel Le Terrazze – Lake Maggiore, Italy

DAY #3 / Wednesday / The Italian Alps & Verona
• Day hike through the green mountains of the Italian Alps
• Travel to Verona - Home of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet
• Swoon under the balcony at “Juliet’s House”
• Overnight: Hotel Negrar – Verona, Italy

DAY #4 / Thursday / Venice
• Travel to Venice at the tip of the Adriatic Sea
• Explore the Jewish Ghetto of Venice and visit the Jewish Museum
• Evening Movie – William Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice”
• Overnight: Hotel Amadeus – Venice, Italy

DAY #5 / Friday / Mediterranean Beach
• Visit to a traditional Venetian glass-making factory on Murano Island
• Relaxed afternoon on a northern Italian beach
• Shabbat services & dinner with the local Jewish community in Venice
• Overnight: Hotel Amadeus – Venice, Italy

DAY #6 / Saturday / Shabbat in Venice
• Shabbat morning program
• Ride traditional gondolas along the canals of Venice
• Guided tour of Basilica di San Marco and the Ducale Palace
• Evening: Shop in San Marco Piazza – The main hub of Venice
• Overnight: Hotel Amadeus – Venice, Italy

DAY #7 / Sunday / Rafting in Slovenia
• Leave Italy and cross into Slovenia
• Raft down the Soca – One of Europe’s most beautiful rivers
• Boat ride to the Bled Castle in the middle of the glacial Lake Bled
• Bonfire under the stars at Lake Bled
• Overnight: Hotel Bor – Preddvor, Slovenia

DAY #8 / Monday / Italian Countryside
• Cross back into Italy and head southwards to Florence
• Tour of the Ferrari factory in Modena |
• Break for lunch in the colorful city of Bologna
• Evening: Shopping on the Ponte Vecchio – Florence’s "Old Bridge"
• Overnight: Hotel Columbus – Florence, Italy

DAY #9 / Tuesday / Florence, Italy
• Walking tour of Florence – Home to Da Vinci, Michaelangelo & Dante
• Marvel at Michelangelo’s world-famous David sculpture
• Take in the art of the Renaissance masters in the Uffizi Gallery
• Visit to the Grand Synagogue of Florence
• Overnight: Hotel Columbus – Florence, Italy

DAY #10 / Wednesday / Pisa, Italy
• Tour of Pisa and climb up the leaning Tower of Pisa
• Nature walk in the Tuscan countryside
• Travel southwards towards Rome
• Evening: Group night out along Rome’s “Spanish Steps”
• Overnight: Hotel Tempio di Pallade – Rome, Italy

DAY #11 / Thursday / Ancient Rome
• Tour of the Colosseum and the Forum – The heart of ancient Rome
• Cool off sampling local gelato at Trevi Fountain
• Go underground and explore the catacombs of Vigna Randanini
• Evening tour of the Pantheon Temple
• Shabbat with the local Jewish community of Rome
• Overnight: Hotel Tempio di Pallade – Rome, Italy

DAY #12 / Friday / The Vatican
• Walking tour of Vatican City
• Visit to St. Paul Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel
• Explore Rome’s Jewish Quarter
• Overnight: Hotel Tempio di Pallade – Rome, Italy

DAY #13 / Saturday / Shabbat in Rome
• Shabbat programming at local Rome synagogue
• Lunch with the Jewish community of Rome
• Closing session & review
• Evening: Closing dinner party in Rome
• Overnight: Hotel Tempio di Pallade – Rome, Italy

DAY #14 / Sunday / Ancient Pompei
• Explore Pompeii – The ancient Roman city buried by Mount Vesuvius
• Tour of Naples – Eat authentic Neapolitan pizza
• Board overnight flight from Rome to Tel Aviv

DAY #15 / Monday / Arrive to Israel
• Arrive to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in the early morning
• Breakfast and welcome celebration at Neot Kedumim Park
• Travel northwards along the Mediterranean Coast
• Check-in to beach side accommodations
• Relaxed day on the beach at Nachsholim
• Overnight: Kibbutz Nachsholim Guest House,
Mediterranean Coast

DAY #16 / Tuesday / Ascend to Jerusalem
• Nature walk in the Carmel Mountains on the “Little Switzerland” trail
• Meet up with rest of group arriving in early afternoon
• Begin ascent to Jerusalem
• Jerusalem introduction and shecheyanu prayer at the Haas Promenade
• Explore King David’s Jerusalem at the “City of David” complex
• Walk through Hezekiah’s ancient water tunnel under Jerusalem
• Overnight: Neve Ilan Guest House, Jerusalem Hills

DAY #17 / Wednesday / Jerusalem’s Old City
• Enter the Old City from the Jaffa Gate
• Walk along the top of the Rampart Walls to the Zion Gate
• Explore the Jewish Quarter’s alleyways, tunnels & rooftops
• Tour of the Southern Wall excavations & Davidson Center
• Reflections at the Kotel – The Western Wall
• Experience layers of Jewish history on the Kotel Tunnel Tour
• Dinner at Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda Street pedestrian mall
• Overnight: Neve Ilan Guest House, Jerusalem Hills

DAY #18 / Thursday / The Exile
• Tzurim Valley – Take part in an active archeological excavation
• Crawl through the caves of the Bar Kochba Rebellion
• Begin traveling northwards along the coast
• Catacombs of Beit Shearim – Jewish life in Israel during the Exile
• Check into hotel in Nahariya on the Mediterranean
• Evening: BBQ party on the beach • Overnight: Beit Kaye Guest House, Mediterranean Coast

DAY #19 / Friday / The Western Galilee
• Explore the ocean caves at Rosh Hanikrah
• Hike to the Montfort Castle in Nahal Kziv
• Tour of old Acco seaport and Crusader-era castle
• Return to Nahariya to prepare for Shabbat
• Kabbalat Shabbat service at local Reform synagogue in Nahariya
• Overnight: Beit Kaye Guest House, Mediterranean Coast

DAY #20 / Saturday / Shabbat on the Beach
• Shabbat program at hotel
• Relaxed afternoon at the beach
• Evening: Israel movie night – “Ushpizin”
• Overnight: Beit Kaye Guest House, Mediterranean Coast

DAY #21 / Sunday / The Return
• Learn Israeli martial arts on the beach with Budokan!
• Zichron Yaakov – The modern Zionist movement emerges
• Atlit Camp – The Holocaust and the migration to Israel that followed
• Travel eastwards to the Sea of Galilee
• View of the Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee, from atop Mt. Arbel
• Overnight: Kibbutz Afik Guest House, Galilee

DAY #22 / Monday / Mystics of the Galilee
• Walking tour of mystical Tzfat – Birthplace of the Kabbalah movement
• Meet with Kabbalistic artist, Avraham Lowenthal
• Volunteer at an absorption center for recent Ethiopian immigrants
• Evening: Enjoy a traditional Druze feast in the village of Sajur
• Overnight: Kibbutz Afik Guest House, Galilee

DAY #23 / Tuesday / Water & Israel
• Nature walk to Tel Dan at the headwaters of the Jordan River
• Relaxed rafting down the upper Jordan River
• Bike riding through the Hula Valley Nature Reserve
• Kinneret Cemetery – The poets & pioneers of the Galilee
• Evening: Cruise on the Sea of Galilee with Israeli dancing
• Overnight: Kibbutz Afik Guest House, Galilee

DAY #24 / Wednesday / Perspectives from the Golan Heights
• Ascend the Golan Heights
• Water hike down Nahal Jilaboun canyon
• View across Israel and her neighbors from atop Mount Ben-Tal
• Meet with resident of the Golan at Kibbutz Merom Golan
• Relax in the natural hotsprings of Hamat Gader
• Evening: Israeli movie night – “The Syrian Bride”
• Overnight: Kibbutz Afik Guest House, Galilee

DAY #25 / Thursday / Multiculturalism in Israel
• Coexistence program at Givat Haviva
• Tour of Caesarea – the Roman amphitheater on the beach

Option A: Drop-off for Host Family Weekend in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Option B: Supervised alternative weekend (central Israel)

DAY #26 / Friday / Host Family Weekend
Option A: Host Family Weekend
Option B: Supervised alternative weekend (central Israel)
• Adam & Eve Ecological Village
• Latrun Armored Corp Museum

DAY #27 / Saturday / Host Family Weekend
Option A: Host Family Weekend
Option B: Supervised alternative weekend (central Israel)

DAY #28 / Sunday / The Negev Desert
• Rejoin as a full group and begin heading south to the Negev Desert
• Table-to-Table: Service project harvesting crops for the hungry
• Visit to the Weitzman Institute – Israel’s cutting edge technology academy
• Sde Boker – Ben Gurion’s grave and contemporary Zionism
• Trek on camelback thru the Negev Desert
• “Hafla style” dinner feast at Chan HaShayarot Bedouin Tent
• Evening: Bonfire party under the stars
• Overnight: Chan HaShayarot Bedouin Tent, Negev Desert

DAY #29 / Monday / Eilat and the Red Sea
• Travel southwards to Eilat
• Overlook to the Ramon Crater en route
• Beach time and snorkeling in the tropical Red Sea
• Tour of Timna Nature Reserve & Solomon’s Mines
• Dinner at Yotvata dairy farm restaurant
• Evening: Shopping at Eilat’s sea-side flea market
• Overnight: Eilat Guest House, Eilat

DAY #30 / Tuesday / The Desert Blooms
• Hike to Mount Zefachot for view of sunrise over the Red Sea
• Bus tour along Israel’s border with Egypt
• Desert ecology seminar at Kibbutz Ketura
• Travel northwards along the Arava Valley
• Evening: Israel Movie Night – “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”
• Overnight: Inbar Hotel, Arad

DAY #31 / Wednesday / Masada and the Dead Sea
• Sunrise climb to Masada via the Roman Ramp
• Tour of the Masada desert fortress complex
• Descend Masada via the famous Snake Path
• Floating & beach time at the Dead Sea
• Swim under the desert waterfalls at Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
• Return to Jerusalem in the late afternoon
• Evening: Speaker – Geo-politics of Israel with Neil Lazarus
• Overnight: Agron Guest House, Jerusalem

DAY #32 / Thursday / Remembrance and Redemption
• Visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Mt. Herzl
• Visit to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament – Meaning of a Jewish State
• Hazon Yeshaya – Service project at a Jerusalem soup kitchen
• Shop for dinner at Mahane Yehuda marketplace
• Group picnic style dinner in a Jerusalem park
• Evening: Pre-Shabbat activity with Rabbi Ian Pear
• Overnight: Agron Guest House, Jerusalem

DAY #33 / Friday / Cosmopolitan Tel Aviv
• Travel to Tel Aviv – Israel’s cultural & financial capital
• Celebrate the founding of modern Israel at Independence Hall
• Shopping at Nahalat Binyamin street festival
• Walking tour of Jaffa seaport and artist colony
• Group beach time in Tel Aviv
• Return to Jerusalem in late afternoon to prepare for Shabbat
• Re-enter the Old City for Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel
• Overnight: Agron Guest House, Jerusalem

DAY #34 / Saturday / Shabbat in Jerusalem
• Option to attend Shabbat services at local synagogues
• Walking tour of Jerusalem neighborhoods
• Relaxed picnic-style afternoon at Jerusalem’s Independence Park
• Program wrap-up & closing session
• Late night bonfire party in the Jerusalem forest

DAY #35 / Sunday / Shalom!
• Return to airport for early morning flight to New York
• Arrive back to New York in the afternoon

Trip Q & A

This page contain's trip-specific FAQ's. For program-wide info, check out http://passport.bbyo.org/about/faq/

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