AACI’s Kosher Normandy & Paris, D-Day
May 25-31, 2026
Monday May 25 – Tel Aviv- Normandy
In the early morning we will take off from Tel Aviv to Paris.
After landing in the morning, the bus will be waiting for us and we will drive to the museum of the well-known painter MONET in the picturesque town of Giverny. During the visit to the special museum that was Monet’s home and in the spectacular gardens, where he painted the famous water lilies, we will learn about the man and the Impressionist movement in painting, of which Monet was one of the leaders.
After the visit we will have a light kosher lunch outside the museum
then we will drive to the hotel in the heart of Normandy, check in to the hotel and have a short rest.
In the evening we will enjoy a kosher dinner
Tuesday May 26 – Historical visit of the landing beaches- part 1
Breakfast at the hotel
On the landing beaches there are about 15 museums dealing with the battles that took place in Normandy in World War II. There are five beaches in Normandy, the two most important and well-known of which are Omaha Beach and to the west of it Utah Beach. A tour along the landing beaches starts from Ouistreham. It is a town located on the Seward coast with beautiful churches and charming streets with cafes and patisseries. The beaches along which you will travel west are mostly sandy and wide. We will stop at Houlgate – a very charming village. The town of Benouville, which is a little south of the coast, is another charming town and is home to the Pegasus Memorial site which honors the British Airborne troops who played a key role on -Day. After that we will visit Pointe de Huc – a cliff that was occupied during the invasion by commando units of the American army who climbed the cliffs using ropes. Located on the cliff were guns of the German army which could have disrupted the landing on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. The occupation of the site was completed done after a heavy air bombardment. The site was left as it was at the end of the battle. The area is strewn with many craters (as a result of the bombings), fortifications and concrete fragments. Some of the bunkers still stand today. There is a monument there. After that we will visit the German cemetery to learn the story of the battles from a different point of view. We will end the day in the beautiful town of Bayeux. In the center stands the famous museum where a centuries-old tapestry depicting the travels of William the Conqueror during the Anglo-French War is displayed.
Dinner
Wednesday May 27 – Mont St Michel
Breakfast at the hotel
Following Tefllot and breakfast, we will journey to Mont Saint Michel – one of the most visited and special sites in the world. It is a tiny island with an ancient village from the Middle Ages. It is also known as the “Wonder of the West”. This is perhaps the most special place to watch the tidal phenomenon that is very unique to the beaches of Normandy. At high tide the island is surrounded by water and at low tide it is connected to the mainland
by a long path. The village consists of a maze of alleys and steep streets and in the center are a church and a monastery.
Our visit to Mont Saint-Michel will be accompanied by an English-speaking local guide and will include explanations about the phenomenon of tides, entering the walls of the island and a tour of the alleys and narrow streets and the shops and cafes in them. During the tour it will be possible to witness one of the fascinating phenomena of Normandy – the changing the coastline between high tide and low tide.
After lunch we will go to Caen to visit to the museum of the history of the Second World War and the ancient synagogue of the city.
Dinner
Thursday May 28 – Landing Beaches – part 2
After breakfast, we will go for a historical visit to the landing beaches of Normandy. This is one of the most important and exciting historical sites in modern times. On this unique visit, we will walk the route that the Allied soldiers took on June 6, 1945, when they arrived from the ocean to the beaches of Normandy to liberate Europe. The numbers of troops on the first day: 156,000 total: United States – 73,000 United Kingdom – 62,000, Canada – 21,00.
The landing on the beaches, the stubborn battle against the Germans and the stories of that fateful night will be conveyed in a guided experience by an expert guide. The guide will accompany us through the route that the soldiers took from the arrival on the beach and past the cliffs and bunkers of the German army. On the way it will be possible to see the most important sites and monuments of that day. The visit will end at the American Cemetery – one of the most famous and moving sites in the world where the 
thousands of soldiers who fell in the battle to liberate Europe from the Nazis are buried. The tour will also include a visit to the impressive visitor center next to the cemetery. After a light lunch we will continue the visit to the landing beaches while passing through the important and historical landmarks of the Allied landing story, and site of the opening shot for the liberation of Europe, exactly 80 years ago. We will visit the renovated landing museum in Armomancies where we will also watch a film about the war in a 360 degree projection.
Gala dinner
Friday May 29 – Rouen to Paris
After breakfast, we will go to visit Rouen
Travel to the city of Rouen and have a guided visit of the Jewish ghetto, the ancient center of the city, and the Jeanne d’Arc square. The Jewish community in Rouen was an important French Jewish community in the Middle Ages. In 1100, about six thousand Jews lived in Rouen and made up 20% of its population. The Jewish community in Rouen was important and prosperous, until the expulsion of the French Jews in 1306 During the 19th century, Ashkenazi Jews returned to live in Rouen. Before the Holocaust, there were 550 Jewish residents in Rouen. Nearly 500 of the ghetto’s Jews were sent to their deaths in extermination camps. In the ghetto there were two ancient synagogues: the Great Synagogue (Synagogue monumental) is located on the street called the Street of the Jews. The Church of Notre Dame de la Ronda is located on the street called “Street of the Great Clock” and was originally a synagogue. It became a church in 1306. Rouen’s synagogue was the most famous of the ancient synagogues in France. The new synagogue in
Rouen was built in 1950 on the street called “The Street of the Good Children”. The new synagogue is a building in the international Bauhaus style and was designed by the French architect Francois Herr.
In the afternoon we will arrive to Paris, check in to the hotel and have the Shabbat dinner.
Saturday May 30 – Paris
Breakfast and free time in town
Kosher lunch at the hotel
In the afternoon we will go on a guided tour of the impressive Jewish Museum of Paris – Museum of Jewish History and Culture, within walking distance of the hotel.
In the evening – Dinner
Sunday May 31 – Paris and back home
After breakfast and check out, we will have a guided walking tour with an emphasis on Jewish history and culture in Paris. Then we will Visit the Holocaust Museum – Memorial de la Shoah, one of the most important museums of the Shoah in the world.
Lunch at a restaurant in the Jewish quarter and then free time
In the late afternoon we will meet for a Cruise on the Seine and then we will be transferred to the airport for the flight back.
Accommodation
Hotel in Normandy
Novotel Plage Deauville
https://all.accor.com/hotel/B4Q8/index.en.shtml
or another hotel of the same category
Hotel in Paris
https://www.lesjardinsdumarais.com /
or another hotel of the same category
| Price: in USD $5,990 per person in a double room for AACI members $7,390 single person in a room |
$80-pp addition for non AACI member or join AACI
Flights (not included-subject to change)
Departure flight: LY319 (ELAL) Monday, May 25, 2026: Departing Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv at 5:40. Arrival in Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris: 09:40
Return flight: LY 326 (ELAL) Sunday, May 31, 2026: Departing Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris at 22:30 Arrival in Tel Aviv at 03:50, Monday, June 01, 2026
The price includes
*Accommodation in 4-star hotels
*3 kosher meals a day including wine at dinner
*Entrances fees
*All the activities and tours that appear in the detailed program
*Tips for local service providers
*Porters for luggage
* AACI Tour Leader & Mashgiacha Kashrut
The price excludes
* Flights
* Any detail not specified above
* Passport issue or renewal
* Expenses of a personal nature
* Health, travel and baggage insurance Note: It is recommended to purchase travel insurance at the time of registration that includes coverage for cancellation fees and medical expenses.
Payment Policy:
Upon registration 40% Deposit
Final Payment March 1st
Cancellation Policy:
From registration until March 1st, 2026- 40% tour price
From March 1st-April 22, 2026 -60% tour price
April 23, 2026 -Departure 100% cancellation
For further information, write to info@aaci.org.il or phone 972-25661181 ext 205