Thursday, October 27

• 7:00am: Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on LY 018, meet and assist (after border control). Meet your guide and proceed to Jerusalem.  

• 5:30pm: Arrive in Jerusalem and meet up with the Broward Federation Mission 2022 Pre-mission for a Shehecheyanu service overlooking the Old City Walls, perhaps accompanied with music performed by participants of the Ofek Liyladenu music program, a Federation beneficiary. Location possibilites at Teddy Park. 

• Check into the hotel.

• 6:00pm: Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on AA 52, meet and assist (after border control). Meet your guide & driver and proceed for Jerusalem.

• 7:30pm: Festive opening dinner at the Mamilla Rooftop with Member of Knesset, Ruth Wasserman Lande of Blue and White party, former advisor to the 9th President Shimon Peres, former Deputy Ambassador at the Israel Embassy in Cairo, currently Chair of the Knesset Caucis to promoting Abraham Accords.

Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem 

 

Friday, October 28 

• 8:00am-9:30am: Private breakfast and meeting with alumni of Equal in Uniform, Federation's beneficiary program.

Equal in Uniform program prepares young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to serve in the IDF. After graduating from high school, these young adults are usually relieved from compulsory army service and assigned to an occupational framework that segregates them from their peers. Not only that, it hurts the feelings of the person with IDD and the sense of belonging to society; it also sends the message to the “regular” population that people with IDD are not good enough to be an equal part of the Israeli society.

Equal in Uniform enables hundreds of intellectually disabled young adults to volunteer, serve, and contribute to Israel’s safety and security.

The program was started in 2006 with two soldiers. Today it approaches 200 soldiers in close to twenty bases and many more serving all over the army.

• 9:30am: Depart hotel.

 

Track 1: History and Advocacy 

• 10:00am: Visit the Yad Vashem Memorial complex; located on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance at the edge of Jerusalem, the renewed Yad Vashem Museum opened in 2005.  Its nine galleries of interactive historical displays present the complex story of the Holocaust. Participate in a memorial ceremony at the Valley of the Communities and reconnect to our European roots.  

• 12:30pm: Stop at Mt. Herzl, Israel's National Cemetery, housing the remains of Theodor Herzl, the visionary of the Jewish State, and pay tribute to the people who helped found the State of Israel. 

• Lunch on own.

 

Track 2: Art and Culture 

• 10:00am-11:30am: The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, Then and Now: Walk Nachlaot, a cluster of picturesque neighborhoods in the heart of Jerusalem, explore hidden courtyards and small synagogues of a hundred years old, which are the inspiration of musicians, authors, and television series. Then fast forward in time and tour at The Kirsh Jerusalem Arts Campus which brings together four leading Jerusalem arts institutions - Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, the School of Visual Theater, the Center for Middle Eastern Music, and the Nisan Nativ Acting Studio where we will meet with the studio director, Aharon Feuerstein and students.

• 12:00pm-1:00pm: Visit Hamifal - "The Factory" - a community of artists that turned an abandoned 19th century building in the heart of Jerusalem into a shared platform for art and culture. Tour Hamifal and its surrounding, learn about the history of the building, once the home Sarafin Lorenzo, and hear firsthand from an artist about the art created on site.

• Lunch on own.

 

Track 3: The People of Israel & The Culinary Scene

• 10:00am-11:15am: Visit the Israel Museum’s Jewish Ethnography Wing and learn about Jewish communities from all over the world that make up the mosaic of Israel society. 

• 11:30am-2:30pm: From kugel to beigele - tour the neighborhoods of Jerusalem and taste food from both sides -Jewish and Arab - all blended into one delicious Israeli mix. The tour will be led by Lilach Rubin, a food curator and an expert on Jerusalem food.

 

All Tracks: 

• Return to the hotel and freshen up before Kabbalat Shabbat. 

• 3:00pm: Depart hotel for the Old City

• 3:30pm: Welcoming in Shabbat: Take a minute to reconnect and think of loved ones who couldn’t be here, as we sing and pray in the Old City, either at the Southern Steps or at the Tower of David, accompanied by the singing of Israel's former IDF Chief Cantor, LTC (res). Shai Abramson.

• 4:30pm: Return to the hotel; optional davening at local synagogues or at the Western Wall.

• 5:17pm: Candle Lighting/Shabbat starts.

• 7:00pm: Festive Shabbat dinner on the hotel terrace, accompanied by our Cantor.  Engage with guest lone soldiers from Broward County as they share their stories about leaving their families abroad to serve as lone soldiers in Israel. 

 

Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem 

 

Saturday, October 29

• 6:30-10:30am: Breakfast at the hotel.

• Optional: Synagogue visits in Jerusalem: you will be accompanied to the synagogue of your choice from the offered options. 

• 10:00am: Walking tour exploring Jerusalem (participants will choose in advance one of the options below): 

  • The Jewish Quarter: Visit all the classic sites in the Jewish Quarter and see history come to life from the 1st Temple Period to the 1967 Six Day War. 

  • The Old City Ramparts: View the Old City from above and get a taste of all 4 Quarters as you walk along the Old City Ramparts. 

  • The Railroad (Mesilla) Park: Walk along the route of the Ottoman Railway,  a lively urban park that connects different neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

• 2:00pm: If Walls Could Speak: Visit Yemin Moshe and Mahane Israel and hear the stories of the brave men and women that started a revolution by settling in the first houses located outside the Old City Walls.

• ALL: Lunch on own

• 6:30pm: All mission participants will reunite for a Havdalah service at the Bloomfield Park near the hotel, led by Cantor Shai Abramson.  

• 7:00pm: Optional:  “The Night Spectacular’ at the Tower of David Museum

• AND/OR Free time in Jerusalem to explore Jerusalem's fine restaurants for dinner on your own.

 

Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem 

 

Sunday, October 30

• 6:45am-7:45am: Breakfast at hotel dining room.

• 8:00am: Check out and depart hotel.

• 8:30am-9:30am: Saving Lives - My Own and Others: Special visit to United Hatzalah Headquarters to explore the organizations' unique projects and the devoted work of United Hatzalah.

 

Track 1: History and Advocacy 

• 10:00am-11:30am: Visit Ammunition Hill, site of one of the most famous battles of the Six-Day War.  Learn how this war impacted Israel's reality until today and meet with former soldiers who fought in the battle or with their family members.

• Drive along the historic seam-line and discuss the complexity of the city and the relations between West and East Jerusalem, stopping at the Seam Line Museum for an overview. 

• 1:00pm-2:30pm: Venture through the Machane Yehuda Open-Air Market for a tasting tour and explore the flavors, smells and personalities that make this unique market one of Jerusalem's jewels. 

• Depart Jerusalem for the north

• 3:30pm-4:15pm: Stop to meet soldiers at one of the Yashar LaChayal’s (a Federation beneficiary) Warm Corner Project in Einav. A Warm Corner is a small space set aside at the entrance of a community, within range of IDF patrols, and is stocked with food and drinks for the benefit of combat soldiers in the area.

 

Track 2: Art and Culture 

• 9:45am-10:45am: Special visit to the Israel Museum guided by Dr.  Adolfo Roitman, a curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and hear behind-the-scenes stories of this groundbreaking archaeological find.  

• 11:00am-12:00pm: Designing Not Only for Beauty: Visit Jerusalem’s Shalva Center and see how design is a tool for the Inclusion of people with disabilities. Learn about the Center’s different programs and meet with participants and staff. 

• 12:30pm: Venture through the Machane Yehuda Market for a tasting tour exploring all flavors, smells, and personalities that make this unique market one of Jerusalem's jewels. 

• 3:30pm (time permitting): Visit The Megemeria School of Jewelry and Art, a project providing professional training and employment opportunities to Ethiopian immigrants to facilitate their integration into Israeli society; meet with designers and students.

 

Track 3: The People of Israel & The Culinary Scene 

• 10:00am-11:00am: Get to know the rich tapestry of Jewish ethnicities by touring the neighborhood of Nachlaot, said at one time to have the highest concentration of synagogues in the world (300 within the radius of just a few blocks!), creating a unique blend of Jews from Europe, Asia and North Africa, each group honoring its own tradition but also influenced by their neighbors. 

• 11:30am: Visit Psagot Winery and learn about wine made in the Binyamin region thousands of years ago and how Psagot winery combines advanced production methods and bibilical winemaking traditions. Get an up-close look at the barrel room and production facility and conclude the visit with tasting some of the fine wines of Psagot.

• 3:00pm: The Land of Olives:  Drive north to Kibbutz Magal for a tour and tasting of fine olive oil. Meet the people behind the oil, hear stories, learn about cultivation and extraction, taste the different types of oil and choose the right ones for you.

 

All Tracks: 

• Check into the hotel.

• 7:00pm: The Broward Impact: Dinner and panel at the hotel with several of our Ethiopian-Israeli College students who receive scholarships from our community upon completing their army service; hear about their challenges and successes. 

 

Overnight: Dan Caesarea Hotel, North 

 

Monday, October 31

• Breakfast at the hotel followed by check out.

• 8:30am: Depart hotel.

• 9:00am-10:am: One man and his grand dream; Learn and experience firsthand how Baron Edmond de Rothschild turned his vision, values, and passion into reality. Ramat Hanadiv gardens were inspired by the Baron's legacy and achievements providing a unique experience.

• 10:30am-12:30pm: Late morning at Nesher to celebrate the Broward- Nesher Partnership while meeting the people spearheading and maintaining the relationship on a year-long basis. Our mission will be greeted by Mayor Roi Levy, local community leaders, and the next generation, to participate in an interactive program showcasing the special relationship between both communities.

• Lunch on own.

 

Track 1: History and Advocacy

• 1:30pm: Tour at Af Al Pi Chen, the only remnant of the 116 ships of all shapes and sizes that tried to break the British blockade in order to bring Jewish refugees to the shores of Mandatory Palestine. We will be guided through the museum, hear on the establishment of the Israeli Navy and its iconic operations to date, where missiles ship and submarines lead the Navy's arsenal. 

• 4:00pm: Experience being a pilot in a squadron of F-16 and F-35 flight simulators, a special simulator designed and guided by former IDF pilots. 

• Drive to Tel Aviv and begin with an introduction of the city at the famous Habima Square, designed by the late Danny Karavan. 

• Approx. 6:00pm: Drive to Tel Aviv.

 

Track 2: Art and Culture

• 1:30pm-3:30pm: Take a theatrical tour around the Ein Hod Artists Village; the tour will lead you through alleyways into artist studios and also visit the famous Dada artist, Marcel Janco. 

• 3:30pm: Stop for some wine and chocolate tasting at the Tishbi Estate Winery and learn more about the Israeli wine culture.

• Visit the Neve Michael Children’s Village (a Federation beneficiary) and Crisis Center that provides a safe, secure and nurturing haven for many of Israel’s most vulnerable children. 

• 6:00pm: Drive to Tel Aviv.

 

Track 3: The People of Israel & The Culinary Scene 

• 1:00pm-3:00pm: Participate in a Druze cooking workshop at a local home; try some local delicacies and practice the art of stuffing fig leaves. Hear from the host about the village’s history and about their way of life. 

• 4:00pm: Doron fell in love in Italy with Italian wine, Assaf travelled to FRance to learn wine-making and Sharona who is an architect started to draw up plans...Visit and wine tasting at Vitkin Winery, a family boutique winery considered to be the pioneer of Mediterranean wines in the Israeli wine industry.

• 5:00pm: Drive to Tel Aviv.

 

All Tracks: 

• Approx. 6:30pm: check into the Hilton Hotel.

• Enjoy a free evening in Tel Aviv and get to see firsthand what the hype is all about.

 

Overnight: Hilton, Tel Aviv

 

Tuesday, November 1 - Israel's Election Day

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• 8:30am: Depart hotel.

 

Track 1: History and Advocacy

• 10:00am: Visit Ayalon Institute known as as Givat HaKibutzim. The institute's story took place in 1945-48 - between the end of the 2nd World War and the establishment of the State of Israel. The site features the reconstructed secret underground factory for the production of munitions, set up by the Haganah in preparation for the approaching war. The factory workers led double lives: as members of a camp preparing core groups of settlers for working the land, and below ground as bullet manufacturers. The institute was covered with four meters of earth, and its openings were camouflaged by the floors of a laundry and bakery, so that some of the kibbutz members were not even aware of its existence.

• 11:30am: Get a glimpse of Tel Aviv's early days during a tour of Neve Zedek and the Suzanne Dallal Compound, once a school and now a “happening” cultural center.

• Enjoy the food, sites and smells of Tel Aviv’s Carmel Open-Air Market, including lunch in a restaurant. 

• Afternoon tour of Jaffa (also known as Yaffo), the ancient port city from which Tel Aviv has now grown. In recent years, like much of South Tel Aviv, this area has been regenerated and the old narrow streets and courtyards are now another highly desirable part of Tel Aviv’s urban tapestry. Gain a better understanding of the fragility of this city's daily life, a city that is challenged by gentrification and extremists from both sides of the political map.

 

Track 2: Art and Culture

• 9:30am: Take part in a Graffiti tour of Tel Aviv; walk through the streets of southern Tel Aviv admiring and learning about the city’s vibrant street art and graffiti scene as you hear compelling stories behind the artwork from a local guide.

• 11:30am-1:30pm: Take a tasting journey through Tel Aviv's famous Levinsky Market where you'll find a combination of foods and sweets from all over the Mediterranean and hear the unique stories of the individuals who sell them.

• 2:00pm-4:00pm: Te-LOVE-iv: Walking tour of the gay capital of the Middle East and meet the vibrant LGBTQ community. Accompanied by Slav Adam Leibin, Founder and Managing Director of Rainbow TLV, and a former Jewish Agency Campus Fellow to Princeton, we meet IGY - Israel's LGBTQ youth movement, visit Marsha College - the world's first LGBTQ college, and hear on these two unique social initiatives.

 

Track 3: The People of Israel & The Culinary Scene 

• 9:00am: Israeli Food: Live Foodcast with Amit Aaronson, food journalist and blogger, and TV host at Edna's.

• 11:00am-1:30pm: Take a tasting journey through Tel Aviv’s famous Levinsky Market where you'll find a combination of foods and sweets from all over the Mediterranean and hear the unique stories of the individuals who sell them.

• 1:30pm: Israeli Whisky?:  Take a tour of the Milk and Honey Distillery, Israel’s first whisky distillery. Learn how they are taking advantage of Israel’s average of 300 sunny days per year, along with the Mediterranean climate that encourages maturation. Allowing the whisky to age rapidly yet significantly gracefully. Tasting is of course included!

• 4:30pm-6:00pm: Visit ANU - Museum of the the Jewish People, formerly known as the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (Beit Hatfutsot), situated on the Tel Aviv University campus. The museum is dedicated to celebrating and exploring the experiences, accomplishments, and spirit of the Jewish people from bibilical times to the present. "ANU" - Hebrew for "we" - embraces inclusion and diversity.

 

All Tracks: 

• Evening and dinner at leisure, on own.

• 9:30pm: Optional: Election, Election, Election...with guide, Uri Feinberg.

 

Overnight: Hilton, Tel Aviv

 

Wednesday, November 2

• Breakfast at hotel main dining room.

• 8:30am-9:20am: Israel and Diaspora - Where Do We Go From Here? Briefing with Dr. Einat Wilf.

• 10:00am-12:00pm: Group reflection at the Hilton Hotel Business Floor including mimosa and light refreshments.

• 12:00pm: Depart hotel by buses to Jaffa.

• 12:40pm & 1:00 pm: Visit The Peres Center that presents the incredible story of Israel, the innovation nation.

• Approx. 2:30/3:00pm: Return to hotel for rest, relaxation, and last-minute packing.

• Late check out of the hotel - we have our rooms for the night.

• 6:45pm: Depart hotel for farewell dinner.

• 7:00pm: Festive farewell dinner at Riverside overlooking the Yarkon with Imagine music group.

• Depart for Ben Gurion Airport for various departure flights to the US OR Return to hotel for extensions.