israel study tour denver

You’re invited to join us on a 13 day, all-inclusive Israel Study Tour.

March 16 - march 28, 2025.

This is very physically-demanding tour. Participants must be physically fit in order to participate in this trip. Each day involves prolonged exposure to direct sun, heat and wind, and each day includes several miles of hiking, mostly climbing or descending significant elevations.

You will be immersed in the land and lessons of the Bible as you’re led on a journey through the “Promised Land,” the “Land Between” ancient empires, and the land some scholars refer to as “The Fifth Gospel.”

Unlike other Holy Land tours, this tour is solely focused on bringing Scripture to life through first-hand experiences in the places the stories actually happened. An all-inclusive trip, you’ll be free to focus on each moment without worrying about lodging, tips, transportation, entrance fees, food or water.

Follow the Rabbi Study Tours are the only Israel tours endorsed by Ray VanderLaan.

Ready To Go?

The Follow the Rabbi Study Tours are available through GTI Study Tours.  GTI Tours is a Christian owned and operated full service tour operator specializing in ministry travel since 1992.  Visit the GTI Tours website for more information and to register for Follow the Rabbi Study Tours.

Experience the Bible

We provide life-changing Bible Study Tours to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel that bring the land of the Bible to life.

Why Biblical Study Tours?

Research reveals that 58% of people would read their Bible more often but struggle to understand what they are reading. This leaves them confused, discouraged, and unmotivated to try. The Bible was first written in Hebrew and Greek to an audience who lived thousands of years ago. Context is everything when it comes to reading and understanding the Bible. The more context people know, the more their Bibles make sense!

Our context rich biblical study tours are designed to make the Bible easier to understand by providing experiences and insights through engaging the culture, geography, and history found in the Biblical text.

Out of Egypt, Into a Good Land

Experience God's redemptive story through big hikes and insights

Join a Study Tour

Do you, your family, or your small group want to experience the Bible in its original context? We offer a variety of tours from the physically strenuous to a relaxed cruise so that as many people as possible can experience Egypt, Jordan, and Israel.

All trip dates subject to change.

Create a Study Tour

Are you a pastor or discipleship leader who would like to bring a group (30+ participants) to the Holy Land and the lands of the Bible? Partner with us and we will take care of all the details to lead and develop a study tour that is tailored for your group.

Different Types of Tours

We offer a variety of tours from the physically strenuous to a relaxed cruise so that you can experience Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. Find what type of trip fits you below.

Do you have a specific date in mind?

The Fig Tree Difference

Under the Fig Tree experiences are not your typical tours where tourist sites and gift shops shape the itinerary. Ezekiel 40:4 shapes what we do and how we do it: "See with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I show you for that's why I brought you here. Then go tell Israel..." Our study tours will provide you with both wonderful experiences and deep insights with as many sites and learning experiences that the day will allow.

Academic Excellence

We have spent years walking the land and developing relationships with friends in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. We continue to study the culture, religion, and history of ancient times all to develop deep, relevant and impactful lessons intended to bring clarity to the Biblical narrative. Undergraduate and graduate level credit for certain tours are available through Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

We lead and teach in a way so that the Bible is easier to understand for everyone. We can't wait to share what has been prepared for you!

Servant Leadership

First century disciples would follow their Rabbi as he walked throughout the land teaching with both word and action. Learning from such a Rabbi was described as "sitting at his feet" and was most often done under a fig tree. Fig trees provided cool shade and succulent sweet fruit. Soon, sitting "under the fig tree" became an idiom for someone who sat in the shade of the Rabbi enjoying the sweet fruit of his instruction & wisdom.

Our leaders walk along with you as you grow in your faith. You will experience both refreshing shade and sweet fruit through the teachings as well as the teacher.

Experiential

Location plays a role in shaping life while at the same time gives a glimpse into why God places us where we live today. The Bible contains so many stories of God placing his people in places and situations they'd never choose and yet it is especially there and in those circumstances that he seeks to be known, trusted, and glorified. Many of those "out of the way" places are precisely where we go and, like our ancestors in the faith, we discover His love afresh.

Our tours are not just about going somewhere, it's about being somewhere! Learning and growing is a staple on our tours, but if you're an experiential learner – you'll love and excel on this journey!

George DeJong

Pastor, Historian, & Teacher

George is the Founder and Executive Director of Under the Fig Tree Ministries while continuing to serve as Teaching Pastor at Holland Heights Church in Holland, Michigan. In 1997, a great passion was ignited in George when he first went to Israel with friend and colleague Ray VanderLaan . George has been committed to an ongoing deep study of the Text in its Jewish context as well as its historical and cultural contexts. In turn, not only has George's life and ministry at Holland Heights Church been shaped, but his love for the Word has opened opportunities for studying at Jerusalem University College and serving as a long standing board member of That the World May Know Ministries! Shaped by the rabbinic method, George began leading tours to Israel through Under the Fig Tree Ministries in 2006.

Since then, tour opportunities have broadened to Egypt and Jordan. George's passion for the study and teaching of the Bible has helped others "see with their eyes and hear with their ears" (Ezekiel 40:4). To walk with and learn from George is to experience a rarity - the knowledge of a scholar combined with 35 years of pastoral experience. As our guides in the Middle East often say, "To know George is to love him." A hallmark of George's ministry is not only in enriching those on a study tour but also in developing longstanding relationships with friends in the lands of the Bible where relationships are developed over time and intensely treasured! When asked what is it to walk and learn with George one participant commented: "...it's to be with a wise, caring and learned shepherd, it's being with one of Jesus' trusted under-shepherds".

Eric Schrotenboer

Eric is a storyteller and the founder of The Acacia Project . He is a film maker and music composer who has received numerous awards for his work, including nominations for multiple Emmy awards. Eric studied Bible, Music, and Communication at Hope College, Messianic Judaism at Denver Seminary, and received his Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary.

Dave Lassanske

Historian & Teacher

Dave has helped to produce faith-based videos for over 15 years for Focus on the Family , Zondervan , and Ray Vander Laan that have brought him to Egypt and the Sinai, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Greece and Rome. He has immersed himself in the study of ancient Egyptian religion with a focus on reading and understanding hieroglyphs. Pared with his pursuit of a masters in Biblical Exegesis, Dave's insightful observations and love for the land adds depth to our tours as he connects the threads of spiritual formation from ancient times to our modern day.

Donation for Welcome

Thank you for supporting Under the Fig Tree Ministries!

Physicality

Though all tours contain the same caliber of teaching, not all tours move at the same pace or level of physical intensity.

Please be sure you understand which tour is best for you.

Dr. Bryan Beyer

Renowned Old Testament scholar and author will serve as our field instructor.  Have the Scripture come to life as Dr. Beyer instructs us in the Holy Land. 

Dr. Bryan Beyer's Bio

B.a., colorado state university, m.div., denver seminary, ph.d., hebrew union college – jewish institute of religion.

From 1985-2021 he served at Columbia International University (SC) in a variety of roles (undergrad Bible faculty, dean of the college, dean of students, seminary Old Testament faculty, and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences). In 2021 he ceased full-time employment at CIU to focus more on teaching, writing, and taking groups to Israel. 

Since 1997, Dr. Beyer has served as Chair of the Associated Schools for Jerusalem University College, and since 2003, as General Bible/Old Testament Book Review Editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS). He has served as faculty advisor to the International Students Ministries at CIU and regularly takes students to Israel on summer study tours. His overseas ministry has included teaching at Portantorchas Bible School in Costa Rica, at the Center for Christian Leadership in Tirana, Albania, at CIU's branch campus in Korntal, Germany, and Israel study tours for church groups.

Dr. Beyer enjoys the outdoors, as well as spending time with his family. 

Tour Information

Experience the land and lessons of the Bible!

Israel Study Tour

Registration is not yet open for this trip. To learn more call 800-829-8234 or 616-396-1234 or email your travel coordinator Monica Guthrie

Please take a moment to review our policies and your travel insurance options .

15 days including travel June 4-18, 2016

$4895.00 USD All Inclusive!

Todd Lanting

You’re invited to join us on a 15 day, all-inclusive Israel Study Tour.

You will be immersed in the land and lessons of the Bible as you’re led on a journey through Scripture while your local guide and driver will bring the past and present culture of Israel alive to all your senses.

Unlike other Holy Land tours, this tour is solely focused on bringing Scripture to life through first-hand experiences in the places the stories actually happened. An all-inclusive trip you’ll be free to focus on each moment without worrying about lodging, tips, transportation, entrance fees, food or water.

What is a GTI Study Tour?

We’ve built into our study tours everything you need for an enjoyable and educational trip. We want you to be fully focused on the lessons and experiences you’ll encounter, and not be distracted by local tipping practices, transportation arrangements, or meal planning.

We believe that as a Study Tour participant you’re not a mere tourist—you’re an investment! This is evident from the moment you book your trip, through to the time you return home to share what you’ve learned with your friends and family.

Our seasoned guides and ministry partners do so much more than handle the details and keep things on schedule. Our local guides have personal experience and intimate knowledge of the places and events you’ll examine, and our ministry partner’s teachers have a shepherd’s heart and a passion for God’s word.

The guides have been so personable and so knowledgeable and so friendly. There's just never a bad day for these guys. They make you very comfortable throughout the trip.

We got to walk the land and it made our bibles come alive, and my son being 17, he needed it to come alive. It solidified his foundation in his faith.

GTI has done such a great job of taking care of everything... allowing us to feel at home and really focus on the things we needed to from the very beginning.

“In 1997 I went to Israel with Ray VanderLaan. And I’ve never been the same.

I had been a Christian my entire life. I thought I knew the Bible pretty well. I thought I knew what it means to follow Jesus. I discovered that I had so much more to learn.

In Israel, Ray invited me to experience God’s Word as Jesus did during Jesus’ time as a first-century Jewish rabbi. As I did so, God began opening pathways into the Biblical Text that I never even knew existed. These pathways connected the Scriptures in new ways, profoundly enriching and deepening my understanding of the Bible, God’s love, and what it means to be a talmid, a disciple, of Jesus. God ignited a fire in me, and Jeremiah 20:9 became my testimony too.

In the years that followed, I’ve continued to study and to learn and to teach the Scriptures, emphasizing their historical, cultural, and contextual settings. I’ve been blessed to return to Israel many times to lead study trips where I invite others to experience together God’s Word in its original, Jewish context. The trips I lead follow a rabbinic approach to learning and to studying the Scriptures, embracing the Biblical Text in its original context of Israel and the people God chose as his segullah, his treasured possession. I am looking forward to our next trip. I hope you can join us!”

Shema, Todd Lanting

Todd is a graduate of Hope College (B.A.), Indiana University School of Law (J.D.) and Denver Seminary (M.Div.). He has also completed graduate coursework at Western Theological Seminary and Jerusalem University College. Todd has practiced law as a trial attorney, and has served as Executive Director of That the World May Know Ministries, junior and senior high school Bible teacher at Front Range Christian School, Lead Pastor of West Bowles Community Church, and CEO/Head of School of Denver Christian Schools. Todd, his wife Jill, and their three children live in Littleton, Colorado.

Todd has studied and trained under Ray VanderLaan for the past 20 years, and Ray endorses Todd as a trip leader:

“As an author, Bible teacher, and study tour leader, I have had the privilege of walking the lands of the Bible with thousands of Jesus’ followers. As they learned about the land, the people, and the culture of the Bible, these believers discovered that the context God chose for his redemptive plan could help them live the Text in their own lives. They not only had faith in Jesus but a fresh commitment to having the faith of Jesus. Somewhere on that journey of studying the Bible I met Todd Lanting. Like many others I had known, his first experience of the ancient world of the Bible produced an ever-growing hunger for understanding the story in its context. He was as intentional as any student I have ever had in his search for a deeper understanding of the Biblical Text.

There are many good study tours to the Bible lands. Some are labelled ‘rabbinic’ though few truly are. Todd’s program is different. He has taken the same approach as That the World May Know and created his own seminar. His knowledge of history, culture, and geography is exceptional. Best of all he uses each hike, each site, each experience to better understand the Scripture. And best of all his approach fits each experience into God’s grand narrative, the story in which he chose human partners to bring shalom to a broken world using the same approach as I do. I give Todd’s study tours my highest recommendation. You will never read the Bible the same way.”

Ray VanderLaan That The World May Know Ministries

Study Tour Details

GTI recommends considering trip insurance. Please click here for more information.

Payment Details

• $4895.00 USD base cost
• $1040.00 single-occupancy supplement available
• $100.00 discount if booking prior to October 20, 2015

Optional payment schedule available:

• $500.00 per-person deposit upon registration
• Remaining balance due by April 25, 2016

Cost Includes

Student HUB

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Israel Study Tours

Student Portal

Summer Study Tour in Israel

Be5909 israel study of the bible, taught by dts bible exposition department, mid may – early june each summer.

A historical-geographical study of biblical sites in Israel during a field trip. One hour of credit is given for each week in the field up to 3 hours. May also be credited in the Department of Old Testament Studies or the Department of New Testament Studies. 

1–3 hours (registered as a DTS course)

Various Study Tours in Israel

Taught by israel college of bible.

It is hard to read the Bible without noticing the prominence of Israel, and it is hard to communicate how much difference it makes when you come and stand on this same ground, and see it for yourself. People describe it as suddenly seeing in colour after living in a world of black and white. Visiting Israel is an experience that will inject new life into your walk with Yeshua and your appreciation of his word.

“The Bible – and your faith – coming alive as never before!” Israel College of the Bible is at the forefront of biblical teaching in Israel. It is the only Hebrew-speaking Messianic Bible College in Israel, where the next generation of leaders are being trained and sent out from. Our desire is to use our expertise not only to build the body in Israel, but also spiritually enrich our brothers and sisters from around the world, by sharing the knowledge that we have about the land, history and culture of the Bible.

As a fully accredited college, we are delighted to offer tour participants in-depth Biblical teaching about Israel, by Israeli lecturers who are immersed in the Hebrew scriptures. You can explore new depths to your faith as you tour and experience the land of the Bible with our professional, Messianic guides.

– Academic credit available – Benefit from learning at Israel’s only accredited Messianic Bible College facility – See the sights through the eyes of Israeli experts and scholars who love Jesus – Discounts available to all participants for our online courses – supplement your – study tour and receive a full certificate in Jewish Studies

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EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Financial assistance, community programs, denver counselors, denver clinics, jff-denver team, calendar of events.

SUPPORT GROUPS

These support groups are free and open to all experiencing infertility in Denver.

• You will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.
• Registration is requested at least 24 hours in advance.

FERTILITY BUDDIES

Our fertility buddies practice “relationship-based support.” Individuals currently experiencing infertility and/or on a family-building journey are matched with trained fertility buddy veterans, who understand the pressure, pain, and emotional upheaval caused by infertility and various paths to parenthood, and can offer the much-needed support to their buddies.

JFF-DEN FERTILITY GRANTS

As a Denver resident, you may be eligible to apply for our grants:

• Invitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Other financial benefits through JFF include:

• 20% off discounts from our partner clinics
• Pharmacy discounts for medications and genetic testing (of embryos) discounts from our partners

JFF offers community programming to spread awareness of infertility and family-building pathways and to bring our amazing community together.

DENVER COUNSELORS (for one-on-one counseling)

• Alexandra Rothschild, LPC, LAC – in-network with Aetna and accepts private pay
• Emily Frank, LPCC – accepts private pay; superbill option available
• Melissa Michaud, M.S., LPC, NCC – accepts private pay; superbill option available for out-of-network reimbursement
• Dr. Emily Sheldon, MD – Adult Psychiatrist focusing on women’s mental health, accepts private pay, superbill option available.
• Gitit Kaufman, MS, LPC . Accepts private pay. Focus on relationships and grief issues (including pregnancy loss).

CCRM Colorado

Conceptions Reproductive Associates 

Shady Grove Fertility – Denver

DENVER TEAM

Meet the jff-denver manager.

Shira JFF-DENVER Manager

Shira  Gabry-Kalikow has a dual Master’s in Social Work and Public Health from Columbia University. Even before going through infertility herself, she worked in the reproductive health and infertility fields, interning at a fertility clinic in graduate school, teaching gender and sexuality education, and designing and developing educational content at a fertility start-up.

Shira  joined the JFF-DEN Advisory Council in November and has significant experience at other non-profit organizations. Now she is excited to join the staff of a mission-driven organization focused on a cause about which she is both personally and professionally passionate.  Shira  believes social support is vital to coping with infertility and looks forward to further developing programs that provide this support at JFF.

After attending a pluralistic Jewish Day School from K-12 and becoming involved in various Jewish activities in college,  Shira  is excited to get to know the Denver Jewish community even better.

Meet the JFF-DEN Advisory Council

Paula Samet

Advisory Council Chair

Amy Berenbaum Goodman

Before joining CBSA, Amy advocated for physicians as the Senior Director of Policy at the Colorado Medical Society. Prior to that, she served as Senior Manager of Corporate Compliance at DaVita Kidney Care and as an Associate Attorney focused on healthcare law at Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman.

Amy earned a JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where she was a Chancellor’s Scholar and graduated Order of the Coif. She holds a Master of Bioethics (MBE) from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and a BA in Health & Societies from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude.

Cantor Elizabeth Sacks

Evi Makovsky

Evi is a member and immediate past Chair of the AIPAC Colorado Council, and serves on the board of several organizations including: Rose Community Foundation - Jewish Life Committee, Metropolitan State College of Denver Foundation, Children's Hospital of Colorado Foundation, and Denver Health Foundation. Evi's former board participation includes being a former Trustee for Denver Jewish Day School, JEWISHcolorado, the Women's Bean Project and a Trustee with the Colorado Symphony. Evi was also an original founder of "CHAI", a community response to domestic abuse, that is now a part of Jewish Family Service in Denver. CHAI provides confidential counseling, advocacy, information and referrals.

Debra Michaud

Wendy Berenbaum

Views navigation, event views navigation, support group: in-person: experiencing infertility.

Free and open to anyone experiencing infertility. Registration is required. Location will be provided upon registration! 7 pm to 8:15 pm Mountain Time Register HERE.

JFF-Denver Infertility Support Group

Virtual Support Group for women experiencing infertlity in Denver.  Meets from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm on Zoom. Register 12 hours in advance or more to receive zoom link! Register...

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Reflecting on the 2022 joyce zeff israel study tour.

Jul 21, 2022 | Article

Jul 21, 2022

Jillian Feiger, Director of Jewish Student Connection & IST, Shares Her Experience from This Year’s Trip to Israel

It is a testament to the impact of IST that all four of our American staff went on IST when they were in high school or came back to staff a second summer. IST is not only a staple in Colorado, but it is one of the most well-known and highly respected community trips in Israel.

One of our tour guides when given the job asked a friend about doing a five-week teen trip, at first the friend said don’t do it, then when she heard it was the group from Colorado, she said absolutely do it. IST has a reputation in Israel for being the best trip with the best teens and staff. This is also evident every time we are around other teen groups.

This summer on IST our overall theme was community. Not only creating our own internal community but learning about Israel’s various communities. We opened our IST group to five Israeli teens from JEWISHcolorado’s partnership region, Ramat HaNegev . These five teens joined us for a week of touring in the Northern Galilee region of Israel and then again during host family weekend in the Negev. In addition, we explored and learned about many diverse communities in Israel, including the Druze, Bedouin, Moroccans, Palestinians, Christians, Muslim, Settlers, and much more.  

Some highlights of IST this summer according to the participants in the end of trip survey were learning about the Holocaust at Yad Vashem , walking through Hezekiah’s water tunnels under the old city of Jerusalem, going to the Gaza border wall and completing a peace art project at Netiv HaAsara, camping in the Negev desert, snorkeling and banana boating in the Red Sea, hiking Masada, rafting on the Jordan River, Aqua Kef a water park on the Sea of Galilee, cliff repelling, visiting the Ahmeddiya Mosque and hearing from an Imam, Bahai garden tour in Haifa, surfing and biking in Tel Aviv, ropes course, and Mt. Herzl.   

Beyond just the people we met and the highlights of the trip, IST 2022 had some unique opportunities that most IST trips do not get to experience. We watched the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup live from the top of Masada at 5am and were lucky to attend the Maccabiah Opening Ceremony where President Joe Biden was also in attendance and one of our ISTers was an athlete. These were bonuses to an already memorable and life-changing trip.  

After five weeks of traveling coast to coast, the last night of IST culminates in a closing circle where each participant gets to share about their experience over the summer. The best part of this is to hear how the teens will come back to Colorado and continue their IST and Jewish journey. I can’t wait to see what they do next and who comes back to staff IST in 2027!