Israel 2009: First Week's Itinerary

I'm leaving for Israel tomorrow morning. My family understands how I feel about Israel. Its a cross between one child's love of Camp Newman, another's love of hanging with friends, and the third's love of all things baseball. I'm blessed to be able to visit Israel yet again. Here is my itinerary for the first week: Thursday, Feb 19: Arrival 5:05 Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport Take taxi to Jerusalem hotel – Citadel David Eve Dinner in hotel (or walk into city) Friday, Feb 20: The Old City Early Breakfast in Hotel 7.30 Depart hotel by sherut (taxi) 8.00 City of David (nrn) 9.30 Walk up to Kotel 10.00 Kotel tunnel tour (r) 11.30 Continue touring Old City of Jerusalem. Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Cardo, Arab Shuk and rooftops. Stop for lunch in this time. Depart Old City between 2 and 3pm and return to Hotel Eve Shabbat Dinner and Evening Plans to be finalized in Israel Possible: walk to Kotel/Western Wall for Shabbat experience Saturday, Feb 21: Masada AM Early Breakfast in hotel Taxi to Masada Ascend Masada – group decides if we walk up, down or both Tour Masada Descend Masada Lunch nearby Possible visit to Dead Sea Eve Evening in Jerusalem Sunday, Feb 22: Jerusalem: The New City Breakfast at Hotel 8.10 Depart Hotel 8.40 Har Herzl Museum (r) 10.00 Tour Har Herzl 11.30 Travel to Supreme Court (nrn) (ft) 12.00 Supreme Court tour 1.30 Arrive at Knesset for tour at 1.45 (nrn) (ft) 3.15 Late lunch and poetry discussion at Tmol Shilshom 5.15 Shopping and wandering around Downtown, Nachalat Shiva area Eve Dinner and Shopping in Jerusalem’s German Colony Monday, Feb 23: Tel Aviv – The Old-New City Breakfast at Hotel 8.30 Depart Jerusalem 9.30 Approx arrive in Tel Aviv 10.00 Independence Hall 11.00 Walking tour of Bauhaus Tel Aviv or Old Jaffa 12.30 Lunch 2.00 Palmach Museum 3.30 Depart Tel Aviv 4.30 (approx – Arrive in Jerusalem) Eve Dinner and Nightlife in Jerusalem Tuesday, Feb 24: Breakfast in hotel 8:30 Depart hotel 9:00 Yad Vashem: Israel’s Holocaust Museum Lunch Machane Yehuda Open Air Market Possible visit to Yad L’Kashish, Lifeline to the Elderly Eve Dinner (hopefully with Rabbi Jan Offel, Kol Tikva)