Achva Israel 2008

Welcome!

Achva Main

Achva Israel is an incredible 36 day tour of Israel for girls and boys finishing 10th grade. From the Galil to the Negev, see Israel like you have never seen it before and only Achva can bring it to you. With fewer hikes, we can offer a vast array of activities including exploring the ancient caves of Bar Kochva, sliding on the Manara Cliffs, and even ice skating in the Northern town of Maalot. The tour features our BaMidbar Experience (Majesty of the Desert survival course), a rewarding chesed project helping Israelis in need, snorkeling and parasailing in Eilat, kayaking on the Jordan, greeting soldiers at an army base, a Shabbat in mystical Tzfat, and much, much more.

Our experienced counselor staff, featuring a combination of Americans and Israelis, will ensure you have the best summer possible. The tour includes educational seminars, learning sessions and uplifting Shabbatot where you can relax and soak up the holiness of Eretz Yisrael. Featuring a theme of understanding Jewish history both ancient and modern, the tour is filled with fun, meaningful and historical sites. The sessions and activities will be designed to increase your connection to Israel and her people. Achva Israel provides top notch supervision, an action-packed itinerary, and a range of enriching experiences just not found anywhere else. So what are you waiting for!!

Here is a tentative itinerary from 2009. All registered participants will receive a finalized itinerary about a month before the summer. Roll your mouse of the links for additional site information.

July 7) Depart via New York for Tel-Aviv, Israel
July 8) Tel-Aviv, Israeli Hi-Tech Industry
July 9) Fast of 17 Tammuz, Tel-Aviv Sites
July 10) Beach fun, Sports
July 11) Group Shabbat
July 12) Golan, Water Hike Majresah
July 13) Golan sites, Ropes Course
July 14) Meet IDF Officers, Army Base, IDF Night Exercises
Europe/Israel joins the trip

July 15) Jordan River Kayaking, Boutique Chocolate Factory, Bowling
July 16) Nachal Yehudia, Tavaria Boat Ride
July 17) Tzfat Candle Factory, Ari's Mikvah (boys), Meeting with Mystic
July 18) Group Shabbat in Mystical Tzfat, Sat. night Concert
July 19) Akko, Nachal Yagur, beach

July 20) Sports Day vs. Other Summer Programs
July 21) Tel-Aviv, Indepence Hall, Old Jaffa, Mall
July 22) City of David, Jewish Quarter

July 23) Old City sites, Tayelet, Kotel

July 24) Har Herzl, Transfer to Free Shabbat

July 25) Free Shabbat, Kibbutz Lavi option

July 26) Regroup, Holon Children's Museum, Sports
July 27) Archeological Dig, Bar Kochva Caves, Go-carting

July 28) Chesed Project with Ethiopian Jewish Communitiy

July 29) Yad Vashem, Erev Tisha BeAv, Eicha,
July 30) Tisha B'Av, Kinot, Second Temple Model, Kotel
July 31) Kfar Etzion Giant Zipline
August 1) Shabbat at Gush Etzion
August 2) BaMidbar Experience (Majesty of the Desert)

August 3) Complete BaMidbar Experience, Night Swim
August 4) Rappelling, Eilat, Red Sea Mall
August 5) Eilat - Snorkeling, Parasailing, Banana Boating, Camel Rides, Bedoiun Tents
August 6) Masada at Sunrise, The Dead Sea
August 7) Jerusalem, Machane Yehuda, Rechov Ben Yehuda Street
August 8) Group Shabbat in Jerusalem,
August 9) Ammunition Hill, Filmmaking Workshop
August 10) Free Time in Jerusalem, Banquet, Kotel
August 11) Goodbye! Fly Home

July 7 to August 11, 2009.
Price: $6,850.

Price includes room, board, all sites and attractions, and round-trip airfare from New York. Even the finalized itinerary will be subject to the security situation and may be changed at any time at Achva's discretion. The safety of every participant is always the top priority for any Achva program. Please give us a call for details on our specific security policies for this trip. Sites this year may include areas inside the Israel Security Fence but outside Israel proper, for example Efrat. Armored buses will be utilized whenever it is prudent to do so.

Your summer will be filled with new friends, fantastic sites, and meaningful experiences that you will treasure for the rest of your life. For more information, please send us an e-mail or call us at 212 929-1525 ext. 181. You may also download a registration form. Limited space still available, call now. Thanks!

See some photos from Achva Israel 2008 (including some from Achva Europe Israel.)

Dates and prices are tentantive and subject to change based on flight, hotel availability, unexpected surcharges and the security situation.

Links to all sites not on the youngisrael.org web server, like tour destinations, are provided purely for informational purposes only and are not checked for accuracy, timeliness or inappropriate material. Achva is not in any way responsible for offensive or objectionable content found on those sites. If any problems are discovered, please e-mail us immediately so we can remove the link. Thank you.

Tayelet Lookout, and start Israel off right with some prayers at the Kotel

After a late wake up (heck yeah!) we head out to see historic sites in Tel Aviv including the Palmach Museum.

Hike Nachal Betzet and enjoy the incredible views of Rosh Hanikra.

Take a break from the summer heat and enjoy Achva on Ice!

Visit an Israeli army base and maybe some sports before Shabbat.

Bar Kochva Caves- Crawl around and explore for yourself thousands of years of Jewish history- you may even dig up an artifact yourself.

City of David- Start your Israel experience right with a meaningful minyan at the Kotel.

Begin BaMidbar Experience (Majesty of the Desert)- Desert heat, hiking, sleeping bags, no bathrooms- just you and nature. The BaMidbar Experience will toughen you up, give you character, and enable you to bond with new friends in a whole new way.

Complete BaMidbar Experience- You may never appreciate another shower as much as this one.

Machtesh Crater- You are in for some serious rappelling! How serious? If you decide to hike to the top of the crater, the ONLY way down is to rappel.

Eilat snorkeling, parasailing, Banana Boating- Guys, just make sure your bathing suite is on tight because you will be hanging from a kite up in the air.

Masada at Sunrise- Yes, we do get up incredibly early to climb Masada to see an absolutely amazing sunrise, an experience of a lifetime!

Yad Vashem- As the fast approaches you will get into the proper mindset as we tour through this most memorable and interactive museum.

Chesed Project- Working with Ethiopian Children- For many, the most touching and inspiring day of the trip. You will feel uplifted after spending time with the wonderful people at the Ethiopian center.

Group Shabbat in Jerusalem- Zmiros, Kotel Davening and dancing, an uplifting oneg, and plenty of time to rest.

Erev Tisha BeAv, Eicha- We go high into the hills and overlook Har Habayit, seeing first hand what we lost and why we are in mourning.

Tisha BeAv, Kinot, Second Temple Model, Kotel- We end the fast by the Kotel, and many participants find enough strength to sing and dance with hundreds of other Jews. An experience you will never forget.

Jordan River Kayaking- If there are not enough rapids, you can make your own.

An incredible water hike, a holy Kever, and a relaxing night at sea- the perfect Achva day.

Tzfat, Meet a Mystic- See the sights of one of the holiest cities in Israel...you may just love meeting this mystical dude!

Real men go to the mikvah!

Rechov Ben Yehuda, Meah Shearim, Shopping- Have some time to relax, buy some souvenirs, or just get something to eat at one of Jerusalem’s cafés.

Banquet, Kumsitz- We go to the Kotel late at night, there you will spend your last few hours on Achva reminiscing about all the incredible moments of the summer.

Kotel, Goodbyes! Flights to USA via New York- You may be excited to go home, but you will also be sad that Achva is over...even some of the boys cry...but we will not embarrass them by putting up that picture.