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Israel, Egypt & Jordan

Countdown!

The countdown for our International Study Tour is on the way and we have now exactly 88 days left for our great adventure! It is now time for preparation, so please check the latest news!

Welcome to Jerusalem

Situated on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea, it is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy for the three major monotheistic, Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The city straddles the Green Line between Israel and the West Bank; both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital, as Israel controls the entire city and maintains its primary governmental institutions. Throughout its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, and attacked 52 times. (Wikipedia).

Departure Information

Good News: Most airline tickets and hotel reservations are booked! It is now time for preparation, so please take note of the airline information and departure time. We will have two groups, one departing from New Jersey with Dr. Ledesma, and another group departing from Chicago O'Hare with Dr. Marinho. Since international check-in is required 3 hours prior to departure, please pay attention to the meeting time, so we can have time for our group check-in together. Here is the airline information:

Airline: United Airlines
GROUP A: Sunday, July 3, at 8:55 pm from Newark Airport (EWR) - Group Meeting: 5:00 pm
GROUP B: Sunday, July 3, at 6:10 pm from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) - Group Meeting: 3:00 pm
Destination: Tel Aviv via Munich
Arrival in Tel Aviv: 4:05 pm
Return flight: United Airlines on Sunday, July 17

Frequent Flyer Number: If you have a United Airlines frequent flyer number, make sure to add it in your check-in, so you can earn points towards free travel in the future. In case you don’t have it, I encourage you to create a Mileage Plus account at www.united.com.

Airport Meeting

Our first group gathering will happen at both airports on Sunday, July 3, at the United check-in area. GROUP A meets at 5:00 pm in Newark, and GROUP B meets at 3:00 pm in Chicago. This will be an opportunity for final instructions and social interaction with our travel mates. Usually this is the beginning of fun chats and long-term friendships.

Valid Passport

All passengers must have a valid passport not expiring within 6 months from the last day of your tour. (not expiring before January 18, 2023). Otherwise you would need to issue a new passport.

Tour Registration Open

Summer registration is now OPEN, so it is time to register for the Study Tour. The sooner you register the better. Here is what you will register for:

Doctoral participants: LEAD778 Higher Education Study Tour (6 credits)
Master participants: LEAD678 Higher Education Study Tour (6 credits)

Please keep in mind that, after registration, you need financial clearance for the trip, so you need to contact the Student Financial Services for financial approval. The contact information is: Fares Magesa (magesaf@andrews.edu) at the Andrews Financial Services (269-471-6995).

Syllabus and Textbook

Please see on the menu bar the Course Syllabus for our Study Tour with detailed information on required readings and course assignments. Make sure to order your textbook now, so you have a chance to read it prior to the trip and participate in the online discussions beginning on June 1st. The textbook is:

Altbach, P. G. (2016). Global Perspectives on Higher Education. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Volunteer Support Team

In order to make this tour an unforgettable experience, we are planning to have a volunteer support team to perform specific tasks during the whole trip. If you are willing to volunteer for helping with special activities, please email us specifying your interest as follows:

Tour Secretary: To assist with paperwork and communication
Spiritual Team: Participants willing to share short devotionals
Photographer: Someone with a camera willing to take pictures
Blogger: A volunteer to share the highlights of the tour for our daily blog
Video Recorder: Someone willing to video record and edit highlights of our tour.
Health Assistant: A health professional or volunteer to provide assistance in case of emergency
Social Coordinator: Someone to lead occasional entertaining moments
Other roles: Feel free to suggest other roles to enrich our experience!

List of Participants

Hello tour mates! We are happy to welcome some new participants! This is our current list of participants, so you can start knowing and interacting with your tour teammates. Please double check your name below to make sure it is according to your passport.

Celeste Giles
Chad Bernard
Cynthia Poole
Erin Doggette
Jess Swackhamer
Joy Kauffman
John Alberty
Kimberly Alberty
Karen Phillips
Madeline Brown
Marlene Alvarez
Morris Beckford
Naomi Carlyle
Robert Martinez
Sean Williams
Sharon Hamel
Stephen Bralley
Yoel Paredes
Ruth Nino
Claudia Cruz
Robson Marinho
Janet Ledesma

Pending Confirmation

Doelynn Strong
Eulalia Kenaston
Fabian Reid
Maureen Raj
Dwight Archer
Adilson De Pina
Solomon P. Johnson
Herman Tom Kaunda
Sonia Selwin

Tour Itinerary

Explore ancient temples and monuments, gaze at the pyramids and mysterious Sphinx, relax in the Dead Sea, visit the ancient rock-cut city of Petra, explore the biblical towns of Nazareth and Bethlehem, wander through the streets of Old Jerusalem, and enjoy the tour of your dreams!

July 3, Sunday, Departure

GROUP A - Newark (EWR): 8:55 pm

GROUP B - Chicago O'Hare: 6:10 pm

July 4, Monday - Tel Aviv arrival

Upon your arrival at Tel Aviv International Airport, the tour guide will meet and assist you with your transfer to the hotel on the beach in Netanya. Enjoy a preliminary driving tour on the way to the hotel where you will see Mount Carmel, the Muchraka Monastery and the ancient Roman city of Caesarea Maritima.

Dinner & overnight at hotel.

July 5, Tuesday - Netanya – Tabgha – Capernaum – Yardenit - The Sea of Galilee - Tiberias

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Check-out.

8:00 am: Educational workshop at University of Tel Aviv

10:30 am - The first day of the tour features a special visit to Tabgha, the traditional site of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes, followed by a tour of Capernaum, the reported headquarters of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Afterwards, the tour continues to Yardenit, a special baptismal site on the Jordan River before returning to the hotel at the Sea of Galilee. Dinner & overnight.

July 6, Wednesday - Tiberias – Cana – Nazareth – Qumran - The Dead Sea - Jerusalem

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Check-out.

The itinerary continues today with a tour of the ancient city of Tiberias, located on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee, followed by a stop at the village of Cana, before arriving in Nazareth, where Jesus Christ was raised. Proceeding is a visit to the archaeological site of Megiddo, before continuing to Qumran to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. The remainder of the day is free to spend swimming and floating in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea, known for their high mineral content and healing powers. Continue to Jerusalem. Check-in at hotel, followed by dinner & overnight.

July 7, Thursday - Jerusalem

Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Today’s journey is devoted to sites in and around Jerusalem, starting with the Mount of Olives, a site of many important biblical events. Continue to Pater Noster Church, the chapel of Domimus Flevit (latin for “the Lord Wept”) and Gethsemane, the place where Jesus Christ suffered the Agony and was taken prisoner. We see Mount Zion, the site of the Last Supper, King David’s Tomb, the Dormition Abbey, the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, the small Judean village of Ein Karem and the Holy Land Second Temple Model. Dinner & overnight at hotel in Jerusalem.

July 8, Friday - Jerusalem

Buffet breakfast at hotel.

8:00 pm: Educational workshop at Hebrew University of Jerusalem

10:30 - Our tour of Jerusalem continues today with an exploration of the Old City. First on the itinerary is a walk on the Via Dolorosa, the path of Jesus on the day of his crucifixion. It will start from the first station, where he was condemned by Pontius Pilate, proceeding to the final station, where he was laid in his tomb. Next is a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Western or “Wailing” Wall, a sacred place of prayer. Dinner & overnight at hotel

July 9, Saturday - Jerusalem – border crossing – Mt. Nebo – Madaba - Petra

After a buffet breakfast, check-out.

Drive to Allenby Bridge to cross over to Jordan. Follow the Biblical tour with historical descriptions by the tour guide. Visit Mt. Nebo & Madaba with lunch.

Worship on top of Mont Nebo

Afternoon: Drive on Desert Highway (214 km in 3 hours) to Petra. Check-in at hotel. Dinner & overnight.

July 10, Sunday - Petra – Amman (227 km / 3 ½ hours)

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Check-out.

Spend a full day visiting Petra with lunch, then drive to Amman for check-in at hotel, followed by dinner & overnight.

July 11, Monday - Amman – Cairo

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Check-out.

Transfer to Amman International Airport “Queen Alia” and fly to Cairo. After 1 hour 20 minutes’ flight, arrive at Cairo International Airport.

Welcome to Cairo! The largest African city with 4000 years of history! Upon arrival, meet with our guide and drive to have lunch in Al Azhar Park then visit the Alabaster Mosque, Khan El Khalili bazaar.

Late afternoon: Educational workshop at Nile Union Academy

Transfer to the hotel for check-in. Dinner & overnight.

July 12, Tuesday - Cairo - Pyramids - Museum

This morning we visit the world-famous Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza. Next, we explore the magnificent Egyptian Museum, which holds one of the world’s most important collections of ancient artifacts.

Afternoon: Educational workshop at University of Cairo

Free evening to discover the hidden treasures of Cairo.

Dinner. Transfer to the hotel for overnight.

July 13, Wednesday - Fly Cairo-Aswan – Philae – Embarkation on Nile Cruise

Breakfast at the hotel. Early morning transfer to Cairo Airport and fly from Cairo to Aswan, where we will see an Unfinished Obelisk. The obelisk would have been the largest in the ancient times, if it had been finished. Continue with a visit to the Temple of Philae, enjoy a felucca ride to the Elephantine Island and walk through the Botanical Garden. Embarkation on the Nile cruise-boat. Check-in. Buffet lunch, buffet dinner and overnight on board.

July 14, Thursday - Kom Ombo – Esna - Edfu

Buffet breakfast on board.

After a relaxing morning sailing from Aswan, buffet lunch on board. We arrive at Kom Ombo in the afternoon. Visit the imposing Greco Roman Temple, featured with its marvelous setting directly overlooking the Nile. We go through the locks of Esna and continue on to Edfu. Buffet dinner & overnight on board.

July 15, Friday - Edfu - Luxor

Buffet breakfast on board.

Enjoy a morning visit to the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Transportation by horse-drawn carriages. Later we sail on to Luxor. Buffet lunch on board. Upon arrival, we visit the Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Buffet dinner & overnight on board

July 16, Saturday - Luxor Disembarkation - Fly Cairo

Buffet breakfast on board.

Worship on board of the Nile Cruise

After disembarking from our cruise-boat we visit the West Bank of the Nile including the Necropolis of Thebes, the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Kings and the mortuary temple of Ramses II. Transfer to Luxor Airport for our short flight back to Cairo. Arrive at Cairo Airport. Transfer to our hotel. Check-in and enjoy evening at leisure. Buffet dinner & overnight rest.

July 17, Sunday - Departure back to USA

Check-out and transfer to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight back home. Arrive in Chicago Sunday evening.

Due to local events and holidays, the order of sightseeing may change. Details to be provided locally by Tour Manager.

Israel, Egypt & Jordan

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Countdown!

Welcome to Jerusalem

List of Participants

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Tour Itinerary