The Wrestling With the Angels Seminar, taking place in Israel March 8-18, 2021, will be led by Haim Aronovitz, Director of Melton Travel Seminars. The seminar is open to adults who enjoy in-depth Jewish educational travel, including all Melton students and graduates.   

For more information about this seminar, please click the tab headings in this section or the ≡ icon on mobile devices.

Register Now

• Accommodations: 10 nights
• Meals: Breakfast and one additional meal daily
• Educational Programming: All entrance fees and programs as per the Melton itinerary.

DAY ONE: Monday
INTRODUCTION

Early-arrivals option

Meet in hotel lobby at 1:30 p.m.

Campus or Sanctuary: Between Ideals and Reality
A special exploration of the Hebrew University, Mount Scopus campus

Evening

Opening Dinner

Who Are We and Why Are We in Israel?
Introductions and Reflections

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY TWO: Tuesday
FATEFUL DECISIONS DURING THE FIRST AND SECOND TEMPLE PERIODS

Morning  

Why Jerusalem? Study session overlooking The City of David
Field trip to the Jewish Quarter

Group lunch in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City  

Free time

Afternoon

Days of Glory; Days of Destruction
Exploration of the Herodian Mansion in the Old City   

Summary Session: Why Was The Temple Destroyed?
Tour of the Western Wall Tunnels

Evening

A visit to the Israel Museum and The Shrine of the Book (optional)

Dinner at leisure

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY THREE: Wednesday
IN APOCALYPTIC TIMES

Morning

Early departure for Dead Sea region

The Dead Sea Sect: Rejecting the Center in the Struggle for Light 
Field trip to Qumran

Afternoon

Masada: Fighters for the Future of the Jewish People? 
Field trip to Masada 

Swim in the Dead Sea  OR

Study Session: Bar Kochba: True or False Messiah?

Evening 

Group dinner in Jerusalem

 Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY FOUR: Thursday
NEW CITIES FROM OLD - JEWISH CULTURE REDEFINED IN A CHANGED REALITY 

Morning

A City Rises From the Dunes 
Explore earliest neighborhoods beyond the walls of Jaffa

"We Hereby Declare the Establishment of a Jewish State…" 
Explore the growing city, including Rothschild Boulevard, where Ben Gurion declared Israel's Independence

Lunch in central Tel Aviv

Afternoon

Can We Build Anew by Learning from Our Past? 

Bialik in Tel Aviv- Then and Now 
Study session in Bialik's house in central Tel Aviv 

The Day the Music Died... 
A visit to Kikar Rabin

Reflections

Evening

Group dinner in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY FIVE: Friday
FATEFUL DECISIONS - THE CITIZENS' PERSPECTIVES

Morning

Symbols and Signs - Mapping Jerusalem's Multi-faceted Population
Study session, followed by field trip to Jerusalem neighborhoods

Afternoon

Free time; Preparations for Shabbat

Evening

Lekha Dodi Likrat Kallah
Candle-lighting at King David's Tomb on Mt. Zion

Evening service at the Kotel   

Traditional dinner: Se'udat Shabbat

Group discussion and reflections

Overnight - Jerusalem

DAY SIX: Saturday
SHABBAT

Morning Services at Synagogue(s) of choice

Study session: Parshat Hashavua: A Look at the Weekly Torah Portion   

Group lunch

Afternoon

Choice of Walking Tours:

• The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai  OR   
• Along King David Street: Three Buildings, Three Faiths, Three Agendas
  

Se'udah Shlisheet  - late afternoon snack and schmooze

Havdalah

Evening

Dinner and evening at leisure

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY SEVEN: Sunday
FATEFUL DECISIONS IN THE WAKE OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SECOND TEMPLE

Morning

Travel north to Caesarea   

Between Caesarea and Jerusalem - Two World Views 
Field trip and study session at Caesarea 

Lunch at leisure

Afternoon

The Period of the Mishna: Responding to New Jewish Realities 
Field trip and study session at Beit Shearim OR Tsippori   

Drive further north to Tsfat

Evening

Group dinner

Study session: The Fable of the Goat

Overnight: Tsfat

DAY EIGHT: Monday
FROM OLD TO NEW (ZIONIST) JEWS: TWO VISIONS OF REDEMPTION

Morning

Building Community in Anticipation of Redemption 
Exploration of story and synagogues of Tsfat   

Lunch at leisure

Afternoon

"Deep River; My Heart is Over Jordan…" 
Rafting on the Jordan River (weather permitting)

Of Farmers and Poets: What Motivated the New Jew?
Field trip to Kinneret Farm and Kinneret Cemetery

Evening

Group dinner in Tiberias

Overnight: at the Kinneret

DAY NINE: Tuesday
FROM 67 to '67... AND BEYOND: FATEFUL DECISIONS - THEN AND NOW

Morning

Options on the Syrian Front
Study session   

"From Here you Look Seven-Fold Larger..." Overview into Galilee Panhandle from Golan Heights and examination of the period leading to the 1967 War

Yom HaDin: What Went Wrong?
Stop at sites connected to the Yom Kippur War and examination of outbreak of Yom Kippur War in 1973. 

Lunch in Katzrin, “Capital” of the Golan

Afternoon

My Past; My Future/Our Past, Our Future
Meeting in Katzrin with resident of the Golan 

What Do We Learn From the Story of Gamla?
Visit the Golan Archaeological Museum in Katzrin 

Summary session

Make our way back to Jerusalem

Evening at leisure

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY TEN: Wednesday
DIFFICULT FREEDOM: DILEMMAS OF SOVEREIGNTY

Morning

Israel and the Holocaust: What Meaning Has Been Given to the Holocaust in Israeli Collective Memory?
Site visit and study session at Yad VaShem 

Lunch at leisure

Afternoon

Free time

Land and Compromise: Addressing one of Israel's Central Challenges 
* Study session at hotel
* Departure for home hospitality and dinner 
* Encounter with differing viewpoints on the issue

Overnight: Jerusalem

DAY ELEVEN: Thursday
BACK TO THE FUTURE

Morning

Symbols of Sovereignty 
A visit to Mt. Herzl   

"And the Children Will Return to Their Borders..." 
Stop at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel

S.Y. Agnon as Symbol 
A visit and study session in the home of the Nobel Laureate

Lunch at leisure

Afternoon

Free time

Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going To? 
Closing activity evaluating the seminar

Evening

Festive farewell dinner

NOTE: Please try to arrange flights from 11:45 p.m. on, so as to enjoy the dinner with the group.

Note: Itinerary subject to change. Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays observed in the destinations being visited.

Jerusalem: Mount Zion 

Tsfat: Ruth Rimonim

Kinneret: Sea of Galilee

Note: We will do our best to assist you with extensions both before and after the seminar.

Flight Arrangements

We will be pleased to assist you in any and all flight arrangements, including additional travel plans, through our partners at Gil Travel. Please contact Fred Bomze (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 215-568-6655 x 244) with your flight requests.

Need to Know

• Group rates are per person based on double occupancy and a minimum of 15 fully paying participants per bus. Should the number of participants drop below the minimum listed above, we may adjust the cost of the trip to reflect the additional expense of operating the program.
• Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling and the services of local guides, drivers, and the tour guide/educator are included.
• A non-refundable sum of $500 is required for registration. This sum will be put towards the overall cost of the seminar. If the seminar is cancelled, the registration fee will be refunded.
• Hotel Accommodations: The tour price includes all hotel accommodations, in hotel rooms with private bathrooms. Our standard is to provide the best available hotels while considering value. Although the level of the accommodations may differ slightly from hotel to hotel, we are committed to your comfort. Two-bed rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bed rooms with a rollaway cot where available and are not recommended when considering the comfort of those in the room. King-size beds are not available in most hotels; what is considered king-size usually consists of two single beds pushed together and made up separately, but with one headboard. Some two-bed rooms may have two twin - not full- or queen-size - beds.
• Meals are included as indicated in the itinerary. All meals provided in Israel are kosher. In travel beyond Israel, group meals are kosher unless otherwise specified. Participants can order additional kosher meals at prices set by our local agents.
• All trips are conducted by a Melton educator who remains with the group throughout the tour.
• Gratuities Included: All gratuities for restaurant staff are included.
• Baggage: The Travel Agent and/or Tour Operator, shall not be held responsible for any damage to or loss of luggage/personal items. All damage/loss must be reported at time of incident and documented in writing by local authorities for submission to the insurance company. With regard to airline baggage allowance, different carriers have different regulations for business and coach, please check with your individual carrier with regard to permitted number of pieces, weights and dimensions. The tour operator is not responsible for fees levied by any air carrier for the transport of personal belongings of any kind.
• Porterage at hotel is included. Please note that room service is not included.

Not Included

• Flights and personal insurance are not included.
• Transfers from/to the airport unless as part of an organized group travelling together.
• Personal Expenses, including meals not mentioned above or drinks during meals, unless specified above, or room service.
• Travel and health insurance.

Additional Information

• Please check that your passport is valid for six months AFTER the last date of your planned trip.
• Airline Security Measures: You must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.
• If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S., you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.
• Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times. You may also wish to visit the Transportation Security Administration website at www.tsa.gov to obtain more information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage items.
• Holidays and Museum Closures - Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays observed in the destinations being visited.
• Photography During Tours: We will occasionally use photographs taken by fellow guests or your trip director for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify us at the start of your tour.

We strongly recommend that comprehensive health coverage and trip cancellation insurance be purchased.

Gil Travel recommends RoamRight Travel Insurance. Consider travel protection for:

• Trip Cancellation
• Trip Interruption
• Emergency Medical Expenses
• Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation of Remains
• Trip Delay
• Baggage & Personal Effects
• Baggage Delay and more…

For more information on the available plans or to enroll, visit RoamRight Travel Insurance or contact RoamRight at 1-866-891-6614 and reference Gil Travel.

Please Note: To be eligible for the waiver of pre-existing medical condition exclusion, the protection plan must be purchased within 21 days from the time you make your initial trip deposit, the entire non-refundable amount of the trip must be insured, and you must be medically able to travel at the time the premium is paid. However, the travel protection plan itself can be purchased any time prior to departure.