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A Family Journey Like No Other

Travel December 21-31, 2023

The Spark Family Experience is ideal for those traveling with children age 7+. This journey is the perfect combination of history, culture, and adventure — designed especially for families. Spark will create memories that last a lifetime.

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Everything you need to know

Join hundreds of other kids, parents, and grandparents for an unforgettable journey around Greater Boston, to Israel, and back again. We’ll form small groups of families with shared interests, kids’ ages and/or geographic locations, and get to know each other. Then, we will spend a spectacular nine days together in Israel solidifying bonds to one another and to the community. Best of all, you’ll feel connected to our Boston community and you’ll have a wealth of information to draw on as you continue your family’s Jewish journey.

More About Pricing
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Explore Israel in 9 days and 8 nights
Experience the magic of Israel with visits to Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Golan Heights, Masada, the Dead Sea, and Jerusalem.

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Celebrate Israel’s 75th year
Join us for fun and festive dinners, activities, and events as we commemorate this special year.

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Family-friendly adventures
From scavenger hunts to donkey riding and a party at the Dead Sea, prepare for a week’s worth of lively activities featuring programs, and entertainment.

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Teen track
Join other teenagers for select activities and adventures throughout the trip.

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Options to celebrate Christmas
If you celebrate Christmas or are curious about how it is celebrated in Israel, there are options to spend Christmas Eve in Jaffa and Christmas Day in Nazareth.

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Your experience at-a-glance
From exciting excursions and tours to community-building activities, your days will be jam-packed with fun, learning, and exploration.

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Family Experience at-a-Glance

From exciting excursions and tours to community-building activities, your days will be jam-packed with fun, learning, and exploration.

Itinerary is subject to change.

Day 01

Thu, December 21

Day 02

Fri, December 22

Day 03

Sat, December 23

Day 04

Sun, December 24

Day 05

Mon, December 25

Day 06

Tue, December 26

Day 07

Wed, December 27

Day 08

Thu, December 28

Day 09

Fri, December 29

Day 10

Sat, December 30
Day 1: Departure
  • Depart from Boston on various flights
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Day 2: Welcome to Israel
  • Arrive in Israel and proceed to Tel Aviv
  • Early arrivals: Explore Nachalat Binyamin Market. Located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, it is one of the best places in the city to find original, handmade items and different arts and crafts products. Have lunch at Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel), the largest market in Tel Aviv, or Sarona market.
  • Afternoon arrivals: Check -in to your hotel rooms and rest and refresh.
  • Gather for Kabbalat Shabbat (candles, wine/grape juice, and challah) followed by dinner as we welcome Shabbat with new friends!
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Day 3: Optional Shabbat activities
  • Shabbat Services in various Tel Aviv synagogues
  • Walking tours in Tel Aviv
  • Be amazed on a Tel Aviv Street Art Tour which takes you inside the city’s street art and graffiti scene, which, which serves as a unique expression of the city’s geographical location, cultural particularities, social movements, and artistic sub-cultures
  • Tour the Ayalon Institute, a secret underground ammunition factory from the 1940s
  • Visit the incredible ANU Museum of tThe Jewish People which has been playing an integral role in strengthening Jewish identity and perpetuating Jewish heritage worldwide
  • End the day with Havdalah followed by a festive and fun dinner with entertainment and special guests as we celebrate Israel’s 75th
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Day 4
  • Spend the day touring Tel Aviv and taste your way through the markets and
    neighborhoods of this vibrant city 
  • See Independence Hall, best known as the site of the signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence, located on Tel Aviv’s historic Rothschild Boulevard
  • Visit the Carmel Market
  • Run and play at Park HaYarkon where you can rent a bike, take a boat ride, visit the botanical gardens, and enjoy the playgrounds 
  • Enjoy free time in Tel Aviv to enjoy the spectacular restaurant and shopping scenes. Tel Aviv is a lively, active city with entertainment, culture and art, festivals, and a rich nightlife.
  • Optional festive Christmas Eve programming in Jaffa
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Day 5
  • Pack up and check out of Tel Aviv
  • Stop in Caesarea, the Roman port city
  • Proceed to Haifa, CJP Boston’s sister city
  • Celebrate the “Holiday of holidays” and have lunch at a school in Haifa where kids from Boston can interact with kids in Israel
  • Drive west through the Galilee and onto the Golan with a scenic and historic stop
  • Arrive at your kibbutz hotel in the Golan Heights for dinner and a party in the heated indoor pool
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Day 6:
  • Spend the day touring Israel’s glorious Northern Region
  • Enjoy easy hikes to see waterfalls, explore the beautiful Hula Valley by golf cart, and ride a mountain coaster alongside the exhilarating Manara Cliff
  • Take a jeep tour through the Golan, meet IDF soldiers, make chocolate, bake fresh Druze pita, and/or pick fruit in an orange grove
  • End the day with a festive dinner 
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Day 7: Jerusalem
  • Make your way towards Jerusalem with a first stop at Neot Kedumim, Biblical Nature Reserve, for tree planting and lunch
  • Arrive in Jerusalem! Marvel at the beauty and history as we begin our exploration of this holy city.
  • Visit Machane Yehuda Market, often referred to as the “Shuk” (open-air market). Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's 250+ vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat, and cheeses; wines and liquors; clothing and shoes; and more!
  • Enjoy an evening of exploring, dining, and shopping around Jerusalem on your own on Ben-Yehuda street or within the Mamilla mall
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Day 8:
  • Spend time in the Old City of Jerusalem. Tour the Jewish Quarter and visit the Western Wall, learn about the city’s 4,000-year-old history, and see some of the world’s holiest sites
  • Celebrate with our community members who become Bar or Bat Mitzvah
  • In the afternoon, visit sites in and around Jerusalem (based on ages of participants) like the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Ein Yael, and Eretz Bereishit
  • Enjoy entertainment and dinner (on own) at The First Station
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Day 9:
  • Visit sites in and around Jerusalem (based on ages of participants) like the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Ein Yael, Caliber 3, and Eretz Bereishit
  • Gather for a special Kabbalat Shabbat experience in the Old City followed by a memorable Shabbat Dinner with musical guests
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Day 10: 

Optional Shabbat activities:

  • Shabbat Services in various Jerusalem synagogues
  • Walking tours of the Old City of Jerusalem and surrounding neighborhoods of this holy city
  • Make our way to Masada, one of the most exciting and frequently toured places in Israel, and hear the story of peoplehood, triumph, and tragedy on this historic mountain 
  • Take part in a Dead Sea mud party! The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.
  • End our final day with a celebratory Havdalah, dinner, and closing circle
  • Depart for the airport or enjoy one final free evening in Jerusalem
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Pricing Details

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Family Experience

December 21-31, 2023

Family pricing is based on the number of adults and children* in each room. Connecting rooms, adjoining rooms, and quad rooms will be booked based on availability.

*According to Israel’s hotel policy, a child is defined as age 11 and under at the time of the trip. Pricing reflects land costs only and does not include airfare. 

Contact Tamar
Package type Room(s) Costs per adult Costs per child
2 adults 1 double $3,999 N/A
2 adults + 1 child (age 11 and under) 1 triple $3,999 $3,699
2 adults + 2 children (age 11 and under) 1 quad* $3,999 $3,699
2 adults + 2 children (over age 12) 2 doubles $3,999 $3,999

Families of five or more will be charged based on configurations above.
*If there are no quad rooms available, a family of four will be assigned two connecting or adjoining double rooms.
The pricing for the first and second person staying in a double, triple, or quad room will be the same, regardless of age.

Single rooms are subject to availability and will be charged an additional fee of $1,850.

For questions regarding your family’s arrangements, please contact Tamar Yaniv at Tamary@cjp.org or 617-457-8762.

What’s included:

Pre- and post-trip programming

  • 3-4 sessions before the trip with others in your experience
  • Optional events and unique opportunities

Israel experience

  • Deluxe hotel accommodations
  • Touring in a coach bus (with AC and Wi-Fi)
  • Licensed English-speaking tour guides
  • Daily breakfast and most meals
  • Mega-events and parties
  • Airport assistance, transfers, and porterage (on trip dates)
  • All entrance fees, tracks, speakers, and site visits (as per itinerary)

What's not included:

  • Airfare and incidental travel services
  • Pre- and post-trip arrangements
  • Travel and health insurance
  • COVID-related expenses, including but not limited to medical care, quarantine requirements, and testing (PCR, Serological, or other).
  • VAT at hotels for Israeli passport/ID holders
  • Some meals
  • Souvenirs
  • Credit card processing fee (other payment methods are available)
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