Sharon Rockman

Sababa Travel

England as the Custodian of the Jewish Past

Jul 31, 2023 to Aug 11, 2023
England

 Join Scholar-in-Residence, Professor Gary A. Rendsburg

  England as the Custodian of the Jewish Past 
July 31, 2023-August 11, 2023

                 

Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University

Gary A. Rendsburg is one of the world’s leading experts in the Bible, Jewish history, and Hebrew manuscripts. He has lived in both Oxford and Cambridge and has conducted extensive research both at the Bodleian Library (Oxford) and at the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit of the Cambridge University Library.

In addition, he knows the collections at the British Library and the British Museum well, plus he has visited all the other sites on our itinerary, from Stonehenge to Blenheim Palace and beyond.


 
 

WHAT IS INCLUDED:
11 breakfasts, 1 afternoon tea, 1 lunch, 3 dinners

Audio Headsets for flexible sightseeing
Luxury air-conditioned coach with WiFi
Local coach bus or airport transfer only
Select hotels all tried and trusted

All porterage(1 bag per person)
Restaurant gratuities for included meals
Expert Travel Director and a professional driver
All hotel tips, charges, and local taxes
Gratuities to Travel Director, Coach Drivers, and Local Experts

 

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED:
Early check-in or late check-out

International airfares
Travel insurance, passport fees, visa fees, etc.
Laundry, phone calls, etc.
Items of a personal nature
Beverages, meals, and sightseeing not detailed in the itinerary. Excess baggage (beyond the 1 bag per person)
Optional Experiences
Shabbat Lunch(pre-register)

 

 

Welcome to England!
Monday, July 31, 2023 

Upon arrival at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), you are transferred as a group to the city of Oxford. From lush green rolling hills to this medieval town, this pretty country surprises and delights at every corner.
Get to know your fellow travelers, Travel Director, and Scholar-in-Residence tonight over a Welcome Dinner at your hotel.

Bus will depart from Heathrow Airport at 10:00 AM. 

https://www.graduatehotels.com/oxford-uk/

Overnight: Randolph Hotel, Oxford
Meals Included: Welcome Dinner with wine at the hotel.


Walking Tour of Oxford
Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Breakfast at the hotel
Join Gary Rendsburg this morning for a walking tour to discover Oxford. Highlights include New College, the Bodleian Quad, the Radcliffe Camera,

Christ Church College, Dead Man’s Walk (along which the medieval Jewish community would convey its dead), and the Oxford Botanic Garden (site of the

medieval Jewish cemetery). Enjoy dinner at the Gardener’s Arms, Oxford’s popular vegetarian pub.

Overnight: Randolph Hotel, Oxford
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner with beer. 

 

 

The Bodleian Library
Wednesday, August 2, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel

Today is dedicated to visiting two of Oxford’s libraries, starting with a visit to the Bodleian Library. Guided by César Merchán-Hamann, Hebraica curator,

we will see its unsurpassed collection of Hebrew manuscripts, including Maimonides’s Mishneh Torah bearing the author’s signature, Maimonides’s

handwritten copy of his Commentary on the Mishna, and the exquisite Kennicott Bible, the crown jewel of all medieval manuscripts.

Continue to Merton College Library for some time to explore the oldest, continuously operating library in the world.

Overnight: Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Meals Included: Breakfast

Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Bampton
Thursday, August 3, 2023

Breakfast at the hotel
We begin our day with a ride through the English countryside to reach Stonehenge, one of the great archaeological sites in the world, with its stones dating to the same age as the great pyramids of Egypt. We then take the short journey to Salisbury Cathedral, the unsurpassed masterpiece of all English cathedrals and the inspiration for Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth. The Cathedral owns one of the four extant copies of the Magna Carta, on prominent display in the chapter house.

As we wind our way back to Oxford in the late afternoon, we will make a brief stop in Bampton, the actual village which served as the fictional village of Downton in the television series “Downton Abbey.”

Overnight: Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Meals Included: Breakfast

 

Blenheim Palace
Friday, August 4, 2023

 

Breakfast at the hotel

Visit one of Britain's largest private homes and see its exquisite gardens. Blenheim Palace (9 miles north of Oxford) is home to the present

12th Duke of Marlborough, scion of the extensive Spencer-Churchill family. Notable members of the family include Sir Winston Churchill (who, in fact, was

born at Blenheim Palace), Consuelo Vanderbilt (who married the 9th Duke of

Marlborough), and Lady Diana Spencer (later Princess Diana). The next stop will be a visit to St Martin’s Parish Church in Bladon, the burial spot of Winston Churchill.

Upon return to Oxford, the rest of the day is free until Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner, to be held at the Oxford Jewish Congregation (O.J.C.), a few

short blocks from the hotel.

Overnight: Randolph Hotel, Oxford
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner 

Free Day in Oxford
Saturday, August 5, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel
For those who wish to attend Shabbat services, the O.J.C. is 0.4 miles from our hotel, a short 10-minute walk. Services will be followed by a catered

Shabbat lunch (for those pre-registered) in the synagogue.

Overnight: Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Meals Included: Breakfast (and Lunch by special request)

 

Bletchley Park and Cambridge
Sunday, August 6, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel
Check-Out: Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Today we head to Bletchley Park Museum and heritage attraction, where we will discover firsthand the incredible achievements of Britain's World War II codebreakers, led by Alan Turing (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game” [2014], which you may wish to watch in advance).

Next, grab lunch al fresco at Bletchley Park before we travel to Cambridge, our home for the next 3 nights.

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/stnhchi-hilton-cambridge-city-centre/

Overnight: Hilton Cambridge City Centre, Cambridge

Meals Included: Breakfast


Walking Tour of Cambridge
Monday, August 7, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel
Discover Cambridge this morning on a walking tour with Gary Rendsburg as we walk down narrow medieval streets, admire old buildings, and enrich our

knowledge with visits to two notable buildings: King’s College Chapel and the Wren Library at Trinity College. Use the afternoon to explore
Cambridge on your own or relax at the hotel.

 

Overnight: Hilton Cambridge City Centre, Cambridge

Meals Included: Breakfast

 

Cambridge University Library

(including the Cairo Genizah Collection)
Tuesday, August 8, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel

Join us today as we discover further the history of Cambridge. First on the agenda: our visit to the Cambridge University Library, home to the most

extensive collection of Cairo Genizah documents in the world (c. 200,000, about two-thirds of the total). Your group will be privy to an exclusive guided

tour led by Ben Outhwaite, director of the Genizah Research Unit. Later, enjoy afternoon tea and scones at The Orchard in Grantchester, where

Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, Bertrand Russell, John Maynard Keynes, and Ludwig Wittgenstein would gather during the summers of the early decades of the 20th century.


Overnight: Hilton Cambridge City Centre, Cambridge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea

 

Cambridge to London, British Museum, and Globe Theatre
Wednesday, August 9, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel

Check-Out: Hilton Cambridge City Centre, Cambridge

After breakfast, journey to London for a visit to the world-famous British Museum, the greatest institution in the world to study the ancient

past. Marvel at the Rosetta Stone, the Gilgamesh Epic, and numerous other artifacts which inform our knowledge of the ancient Near East.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – We have included tickets to the evening performance at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for the most amazing

Elizabethan theatrical experience!

British Library
Thursday, August 10, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel

Enjoy one last full day in the lively city of London. In the morning, we will explore the Treasures of the British Library, one of the world’s great cultural

and educational institutions. You then will have the afternoon free to explore London on your own and/or visit the other great museums (the Tate, the

National Gallery, the Victoria & Alpert, etc.). This evening, you are invited to Sagar (pending confirmation), an Indian vegan-vegetarian restaurant a few blocks from our hotel, for a Celebratory Dinner with your travel companions, Travel Director, and Scholar-in-Residence.

Overnight: Radisson Blu Edwardian Kenilworth, London

Meals Included: Breakfast, Celebratory Dinner with wine

 

Cheerio London!
Friday, August 11, 2023


Breakfast at the hotel

After breakfast, say a fond farewell to London and your newfound friends as you prepare to return home after a memorable holiday. One group transfer to

London Heathrow is included. Individual transfers to other London airports and railway stations are available at an additional charge.

Meals Included: Breakfast

 

 

TERMS OF PAYMENT:

1.       A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person is required to assure reservations.

2.       Final, non-refundable payment is due no later than May 1, 2023

3.       Payment may be made via check, Zelle(no convenience fee), or credit card
           (a convenience fee applies for all credit card and bank transfer transactions).

4.      Mail check to Sababa Travel, PO BOX 445, Fanwood, NJ, 07023

5.      Zelle payment: Sharon Rockman/908.347.7785

6.      If paying by check or Zelle, deduct the convenience fee found on your invoice. 

CANCELLATION POLICY:

1.     All cancellations are non-refundable.

2.     Trip insurance is mandatory. Contact Karen  Ehrenberg at karen@sababatravel.com for a price quote. 

ADD ON's:

1. Room upgrades are available on request.

2. Sababa Travel will be happy to help with your flight bookings.

3. Contact Sababa Travel for all your pre and post-trip travel arrangements.

     

 

Available Packages

Double Occupancy
Available until March 31, 2023

$6,799.00
Deposit: $1,000.00

July 31, 2023-August 11, 2023
 
Yes! I am looking forward to joining Gary Rendsburg! A non-refundable deposit of $1000 per person(double occupancy) is required to secure my space.
 
For those looking for a roommate, please email sharon@sababatravel.com 


There is a credit card fee if paying by credit card. If you prefer to pay via check or Zelle, please contact Sharon Rockman to make arrangements. 

Single Occupancy
Available until March 31, 2023

$9,029.00
Deposit: $1,000.00

July 31, 2023-August 11, 2023
 
Yes! I am looking forward to joining Gary Rendsburg! A non-refundable deposit of $1000 per person(double occupancy) is required to secure my space.
 
For those looking for a roommate, please email sharon@sababatravel.com 
 
There is a credit card fee if paying by credit card. If you prefer to pay via check or Zelle, please contact Sharon Rockman to make arrangements. 

Extra Options

Optional Shabbat Dinner
Available until March 31, 2023

$40.00
Deposit: $40.00

Friday, August 4, 2023
 
The O.J.C. is 0.4 miles from our hotel, a short 10-minute walk.  

Optional Shabbat Lunch
Available until March 31, 2023

$40.00
Deposit: $40.00

Saturday, August 5, 2023
 
For those who wish to attend Shabbat services, the O.J.C. is 0.4 miles from our hotel, a short 10-minute walk. Services will be followed by a catered Shabbat lunch in the synagogue.