2012 Israel Sukkot Tour

In celebration of Al's 80th birthday, GLC is taking a tour group to Israel for the Feast of Sukkot for the first time ever!

We depart September 27th and arrive back Stateside on October 12th -16 days! -- longer than any other tour we've ever taken. The cost is $5800 per person / double occupancy. Unlike other tours, our price includes round-trip airfare from Midland TX to Tel Aviv. It also includes site entrance fees, breakfast & dinner - the only thing it doesn't include is lunch, snacks, & souvenirs. (There is a price adjustment for airfare if departure is other than Midland.) Overall, the price is very reasonable - especially considering that we'll be there 2-3 days longer than normal and we are there during the Feast of Sukkot!

We land early Friday afternoon and spend a relaxing Shabbat in Tel Aviv adjusting to the time difference, walking on the sea shore, and inhaling the breeze of the Mediterranean Sea. On Sunday, we'll head up to Jerusalem to begin The Feast with one of the highlights of the tour... Scott & Theresa Johnson will be hosting our entire group at HaMiflaht for Erev Sukkot, the dinner that brings in the Feast! On the balcony with a beautiful full moon over Jerusalem, celebrating the Feast with the Lone Soldiers!

Our hotel in Jerusalem is located near the light-rail, so getting around during "free time" will be a snap. From Jerusalem we'll head off to the peaceful Sea of Galilee where we'll lodge at the Gai Beach Hotel in Tiberias for 4 nights. (Check it out on the web at www.gaibeachhotel.com) We'll tour the Golan Heights and the Upper & Lower Galilee areas, with breathtaking views from one end to the other. Just one of the many highpoints will be a night show at the incredible archeological site of Bet She'an -- one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis and one of the oldest cities of the Ancient Near East and a crossroads to the Fertile Crescent. Of course we'll sail across the Galilee (Kinnaret) and meet up with the Barak Brigade if at all possible!

Then we return to Jerusalem to close Sukkot with the celebration of Simchat Torah! "Simchat Torah" means "rejoicing with the Torah" and there's no more joyous celebration than the dancing and singing with the Torah Scrolls! From Jerusalem we'll take a day-trip to the Dead Sea so we can float about, visit Masada - Herod the Great's desert palace, and stop off at Ein Gedi - where David and his men hid from Saul (and spared his life).

We really feel this will be the trip of a lifetime, so we're sorry that we're limited to a group of only 36. The first deposit of $500 is due by June 20th, so if you're going with us we need to hear from you quickly! Email us at glctours@yahoo.com or call Kallie at (432) 563.0420 if you have questions or want to get your name in the hat. (Only a deposit can hold your seat.) And, oh yes, we are planning on taking our camera crew!