Jewish Los Angeles - “The Tour!”
October 24 to 30, 2011
$1420.00USD per person double land only includes**
Tour cost is based on a mimimum of 14 people
Los Angeles has the third largest Jewish population in the world. Come and explore this city, rich in Jewish history, as well as all the popular – sometimes lesser known – city sights. Your tour escort is writer Rona Arato, a former Angeleno and award- winning children's author who will share her own personal experiences of growing up Jewish in the City of Angels.
October 24 - Monday. Arrival and check into the 4-star Culver Hotel in the heart of Culver City. This historic hotel built in 1924 was one of the first hotels in the city to boast a radio! These days you can catch the news on a flat screen TV and keep in touch through free wireless internet access and personal voicemail. You’re within walking distance to some of L.A.’s finest restaurants, outdoor cafes, art galleries and movie theatres. The Culver Hotel has appeared in countless films and television programs throughout its history. Back in the 1920’s it played host to 127 munchkins (three across a bed) who were appearing in the film The Wizard of Oz. Your deluxe room offers two double beds or Queen or King bed - and, sorry, no munchkins.
Evening: Informal Welcome Dinner (Included) with an introduction to Jewish Los Angeles.
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October 25 – Tuesday. Enjoy breakfast and afterwards board our private minibus for the all day Los Angeles Grand Sightseeing Tour with a tour guide who will take you to some of the highlights of this city of over 4 million people. Included will be a visit to one of the most famous signs in the world - “Hollywood” in the Hollywood Hills, 86 years young and still attracting visitors. Visit Olvera Street where Los Angeles began, Union Station, Chinatown, the Music Center, Disney Hall and the Griffith Park Observatory. We’ll drive down Hollywood Blvd and stop at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Kodak Center – and the Hollywood Bowl. On to Melrose and the Sunset Strip.
Lunch is at leisure.
Evening: Dinner is at leisure. We’ll offer suggestions for restaurants and shopping in the great walking area of Culver City.
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October 26 - Wednesday After breakfast, we’ll board our minibus for a visit to The Museum of Tolerance, the only museum of its kind in the world. The MOT is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an internationally renowned human rights organization, which is right across the street from the MOT. Established in 1993, the MOT has welcomed over five million visitors. Through interactive exhibits, special events, and customized programs for youths and adults, the Museum engages visitors’ hearts and minds, while challenging them to assume personal responsibility for positive change.
Lunch is included and will be at The Milky Way (Steven Spielberg’s mother’s restaurant).
After lunch we’ll drive through Beverly Hills where there will be a stop for shopping and leisure time.
Evening: Dinner (included) and talk: The History of Jewish Hollywood.
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October 27 - Thursday. After breakfast we'll board our chartered minibus and head for Warner Brothers for their VIP two-and-a-half hour Studio Tour of Warner Brothers.
Lunch is at leisure. The Studio Plaza Cafe is located adjacent to the tour center.
In the afternoon we'll drive through Malibu Canyon to the Pacific Coast highway with a stop at the Malibu Country Market. Those that wish can do a short walking tour of the Malibu Wildlife Reserve and Bird Sanctuary. Afterwards we''ll drive up the coast to Santa Monica and stop at the home of Marion Davies.
Santa Monica is the home of the famous Santa Monica Pier (102 years old!) with its seafood restaurants, amusement park and retail establishments. In the area you can also enjoy one of of Los Angeles’ best shopping areas, the Third Street Promenade which has a number of very nice restaurants and street entertainment in the summer.
Dinner is at leisure and the minibus will return to the hotel at 9pm. For those who wish to stay longer, there are numerous taxi cabs waiting near the pier or promenade.
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October 28 – Friday. After breakfast we board our chartered minibus and drive through The Fairfax District stopping at the Farmer’s Market and The Grove. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Fairfax District - sometimes referred to by Angelenos as Kosher Canyon - was the center of Jewish life in Los Angeles. While this area of Los Angeles is still home to a vibrant Jewish community, the center of Jewish life has shifted southwest to nearby Pico and Robertson Boulevards.
The Farmer’s Market at Fairfax Avenue and 3rrd Street still retained an Old World atmosphere until 2001 when construction of The Grove began with open-air vegetable stalls and cafes. Many Jewish residents of the area continue to frequent the market as part of their shopping or kibitzing routine, which retains an attraction for seniors and immigrants; but the addition of The Grove, an outdoor mall built on the former parking lot for the market, has brought new crowds and new visitors. Afterward we will visit the Holocaust Memorial in Pan Pacific Park, right across from The Grove.
Lunch is included at historic Canter’s Deli on Fairfax Ave.
After lunch we drive along Sunset Blvd. To Westwood and UCLA, through Brentwood and Bel Air. Our next stop is Venice Beach and visit to the Pacific Jewish Centre, a unique Torah community located on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. The Centre services a local core of 50 families and friends, plus hundreds who attend their weekly programming. Those who wish and share a Shabbos at the famous “Shul on the Beach.”
Dinner is at Leisure. Departure to the hotel at 9pm. For those who wish to stay longer, there are numerous taxi cabs at Venice Beach.
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October 29 – Saturday. After breakfast at the hotel we depart for the Skirball Cultural Centre. The Skirball is a family museum focusing on the Jewish Experience. While they have several exhibitions going at the same time and changing throughout the year, their most well known permanent exhibit is Noah’s Ark which was five years in the making and occupies an 8,000-square-foot gallery. Noah's Ark at the Skirball welcomes children and families to take this journey together. Inspired by the ancient flood story, which has parallels in diverse cultures around the world, this one-of-a-kind new destination invites visitors of all generations to have fun—and to connect with one another, learn the value of community, and help build a better world. Lunch at the Skirball is at leisure.
We depart at approximately 1:30pm for a leisurely visit to the famous Getty Museum, and return to the hotel at 5pm. That evening enjoy a fabulous farewell dinner (included) at location to be decided. Minibus will return to hotel at 9pm but those who wish to stay later may. Taxis will be available.
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October 30 – Sunday. Breakfast is included. Those wishing to stay longer may make arrangements with travel agent.
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Booking information
Jewish Los Angeles – “The Tour!” is booked exclusively by:
Jeniva Berger, Senior Travel Consultant, Vision 2000 Travel Group
jeniva.berger@vision2000.ca
www.vision2000.ca/jenivaberger
647-342-3898 - direct line
Toronto Ontario
Inclusions: Accommodation at the 4-star Culver Hotel; Continental breakfasts daily; three lunches; three dinners; All entrance fees to museums; transportation for all tours on daily basis. The services of a Tour guide where indicated.
A deposit of $200.00 per person is required to reserve space. Cheques, cash or credit cards accepted. The balance is due 60 days prior to departure or on presentation of invoice. Our prices are based on land only costs and do not include airfare. We are willing and able to arrange cross border flights if desired and prices are supplied in response individual requests as they occur. Travel insurance is strongly recommended and can be arranged through Vision2000 Travel Group. The right is reserved to alter the itinerary when necessary provided the travel facilities or other services are of the same standard or value. No refunds for no-shows nor any unused portion of the trip. Cancellation fees will apply and are non-refundable for any reason whatsoever. Airfare cancellation penalties are subject to separate terms & condition.
Vision2000 Travel Group: Ontario Registration #50018498.
201-1200 Sheppard Ave. East
Toronto ON M2K 2S5
About Rona Arato:
I grew up in Los Angeles and continue to visit every chance I get. L.A is a special place – from the glitter of Hollywood to its fabled beaches, every neighborhood has a distinct personality – and a story.
I was born in New York. My family moved west when I was six, part of the post-war migration seeking better climates – meteorological and financial. I went to U.C.L.A, where I earned a B.A. in education. I taught in inner city schools and then spent a year in Israel. On my return, I met my husband Paul and we settled in Toronto where I taught at Associated Hebrew School. While my kids were growing, I started a freelance writing career that included articles for newspapers and magazines, and advertising and public relations copy.
I’ve worked on special projects for organizations including B’nai Brith, Girl Guides of Canada, and the United Way. For four years, I conducted interviews with Holocaust survivors for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoa Visual History Foundation. I now write children’s books. Please visit my website www.ronaarato.com.
I’m delighted to lead this tour. We’ll enjoy an overview of the city’s history and culture with emphasis on sites of Jewish interest. Some of the first Jews who arrived pioneered the movie industry. Our hotel is across the street from the studio where David O. Selznick shot Gone with the Wind and a few blocks east of Sony Pictures (originally M.G.M. Studios). We’ll tour Warner Bros., visit the Skirball Cultural Center and shop in Beverly Hills. And, of course, we’ll sample the fresh and tasty food of L.A.
Please join me on this exciting tour.
I look forward to seeing you – in L.A.
Rona
The tour cost is based on a minimum of 14 people
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