Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School Eighth Grade Israel Trip | May 2024

Activities:

• Welcome - arrival at Ben Gurion Airport

• Meet your guide and begin your Israel journey

• Biblical Lunch followed by tree planting - After a tasty local lunch, we will plant a tree - leave roots that will flourish and help contribute to a greener, better tomorrow.

• Neot Kedumim - tour and sheep herding - Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel, is a unique endeavor to re-create the physical setting of the Bible in all its depth and detail. Try your hand at shepherding a small herd of sheep and goats. Understand why many Biblical leaders, including Moses and David led animals before leading people.

• She'echeyanu and lookout from Mount Scopus - A magnificent lookout for the finest views of the Old City, the Dome of the Rock, and the sprawl of New Jerusalem. Make a toast and embrace the moment of being together here in Israel.

• Free time in Machane Yehuda Market - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. Immerse yourself in the world of Middle Eastern cuisine as you indulge in a tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market. Learn about the market's rich history, and meet the vendors who bring this place to life, as you experience the vibrant energy unique to this iconic culinary destination.

• Check-in and dinner at the hotel - (alternatively depending on the budget - dinner at a local restaurant)

• Orientation and opening activity at the hotel

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• City of David - Take a trip back in time through the layers of Jerusalem’s past. It was on this hill where Jerusalem was built 4 millennia ago. Continuously excavated over the last 120 years, discoveries are regularly made. Tour the palace of King David, ritual purification pools, and the tour's highlight - a walk through water in Hezekiah’s Tunnel built to protect the water supply. Exit the site onto the magnificent road where the Jewish pilgrims walked, over 2,000 years ago. Get your flashlights ready!

• Not only Black and White - tour of Mea Shearim - A taste of the Ultra-Orthodox world-walk the streets of the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, get to know the people, the food, and feel the vibrations of this life. On a busy Friday, when people are preparing for Shabbat, gain a more complex appreciation for the people by listening to their music, visiting various institutions, seeing unique leisure, fashion, and art this world encompasses, and, of course by eating freshly baked challah.

• Free time in Ben Yehuda street and lunch - (pizur - cash will be given)

• Shabbat Friday night dinner at the hotel as a community - Optional: join a local congregation for Kabbalat Shabbat services OR at the Kotel.

• Evening program Weekly Parasha text learning

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Sataf morning hike - Explore the Jerusalem Hills at the beautiful Sataf forest for a hike through the area. The Sataf is on the site of ancient agricultural terraces which date to the time of the ancient Israelites. There’s even an option to take a dip in some of the natural springs. Along the way - forage for edible plants.

• Lunch in Abu Gosh

• Visit to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book - Visit the unique collections and expansive grounds of the Israel Museum, the country’s national museum. Linger over the renowned international and Israeli art, the world’s most complete Judaica collections and the charming Billy Rose Sculpture Garden. You can also visit the Shrine of the Book, home to the exceptional archaeological finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other rare ancient manuscripts.

• Givat Ram - The Capital Hill - Knesset and Supreme Curt - Tour (from the outside) the Knesset (Israel's parliament) and the Supreme Curt. Learn about the Israeli democracy system and about the complex dilemmas that are delt at the Supreme Curt.

• Havdallah and dinner at the hotel

• Tower of David Sound & Light Show - Amidst the archaeological remains in the David Citadel courtyard, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through virtual reality images. The Night Spectacular uses trompe l'oeil technology – the stones of the walls and structures fade into the scenes and the viewers are part of a multi-sensory experience.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• A Multicultural Tour of the Old City with a focus on the Jewish Heritage Sites

• Tour of the Jewish Quarter - See archaeological finds from the First and Second Temple periods, Roman ruins, vibrant synagogues, and learning institutions, all jostling for space in these busy stone streets.

• Lunch break in the Old City

• Tour of The Western Wall Tunnels - Explore what’s under the Muslim Quarter through the Kotel Tunnels Tour. The Western Wall is impressive, but its greatness is truly discovered when you descend underground to the Western Wall Tunnels. The tunnels run along approximately 488 meters (1601ft) of the Western Wall, giving visitors a taste of the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during the biggest of all his immense building projects - the expansion of the Temple Mount.

• Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - The church is situated on the hill called Golgotha or Calvary and is the place where it is believed Jesus was crucified and the burial site. Several Christian denominations claim ownership to various parts of this site so holy to Christendom.

• A lookout over the Temple Mount - Also known to Muslims as al Haram al-Sharif and the Al Aqsa Compound, this hill located in the Old City has, for thousands of years, been venerated as a holy site in Judaism and Islam. Learn about the traditions and history of this important complex.

• Continue with a tour outside of the Old City Wall in Musrara Neighborhood - Musrara neighborhood is a hidden gem off the beaten path in Jerusalem's center, near the Old City. The neighborhood was once located "on the seam" between Israeli and Jordanian-occupied Jerusalem. It was here where in the 1970s the Black Panthers roared for social justice. Learn how in the 1980s renewal, gentrification, and ultra-orthodoxy began and now, Musrara is in high demand.

• Evening: Erev Yom Hazikaron Ceremony - Depending on availability: join a local English-speaking community for their Memorial Day's Ceremony.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Visit to Yad Vashem - Visit the museum at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust. Tour this memorial to the darkest moment in the world and Jewish history, its children’s memorial, and exquisite gardens. Yad Vashem is an unforgettable place of tribute and remembrance. You'll be guided by a member of the Yad Vashem staff.

• Lunch break

• Giving back opportunity - After a meaningful morning, we will volunteer and pack food for the needy.

• Evening - Independence Day celebrations

• Group dinner

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel & check-out

• Dig 4 a day! - Explore Beit Guvrin National Park located in "the Land of Thousands of Caves". The caves of Beit Guvrin hold a rich trove of artifacts that visitors like you have uncovered over the years. Don’t forget to check out the amazing Bell Caves too. Experience the thrill of unearthing the hidden past on Dig-for-a-Day, a ground-breaking archaeological experience fun for everyone!

• Beta Yisrael Ethiopian Project - lunch and speaker - The Beta Israel Village Project is a unique social-educational center on the outskirts of Kiryat Gat, which combines agricultural and educational activities with the intent of preserving Jewish-Ethiopian heritage and establishing it as a sustainable national asset. Eat traditional food and meet with one of the staff to hear their family personal Aliya story - the journey to Israel, and hear about the beautiful unique traditions as well as the challenges in acclimating to the new country.

• Travel to the desert lodge and camel ride

• Authentic dinner

• Enjoy warm Bedouin hospitality accompanied by explanations of Bedouin life and culture

• Night experience in the desert - scorpion hunting or star gazing - Enjoy a bonfire, smores and sing together.

• Kfar Hanokdim

Activities:

• Early start and packed breakfast

• Sunrise hike up Masada - Ascend the mountain from the Roman Ramp, to watch the beautiful sunrise and tour Masada, a scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago. The new museum at the Visitor Center reveals the secrets of the daily life of the rebels, the story of the excavations, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.

• Ein Gedi oasis - This beautiful nature reserve features Nahal David, a spectacular water hike for all ages. Trails in a range of levels of difficulty take you alongside and through the cool, fresh waters of Nahal David, down waterfalls, along jaw-dropping canyons, and past caves. If you’re both quiet and lucky, you might even glimpse the sure-footed ibex and other local animals.

• Lunch break

• Dead Sea - swim and 'float' - At 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. Known in Hebrew as "The Sea of Salt", it is also one of the saltiest lakes in the world - with about 34.2% salinity.
  This is a stunning, other-worldly landscape of shimmering blue water ringed by bare, orange and yellow hills. The waters of the Dead Sea hold a potent solution of minerals and salts that have strong healing properties. Together with its ethereal beauty, these health-giving minerals make the Dead Sea’s beaches and spas popular vacation spots for Israelis and tourists alike.

• Travel north through the Jordan Valley and check-in to your hotel

• Dinner at the hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin the day with a fun Water hike - In the Majrase nature reserve. This is a unique meeting point draining the delta formed by a number of the major streams of the Golan on their way to the Sea of Galilee. Walk in water along the stream, get wet and refreshed in the hot Israeli summer. There is also a 'dry route' to enjoy the views without getting in the water.

• Lookout over the Israel-Lebanese border - At Metula learn about the geopolitics of the area and learn about Israel’s security challenges on its northern border.

• Lunch break

• Rafting Adventure and zipline into the Jordan River - Rafting adventure along the Jordan River. Row through one of the most beautiful spots in Israel, amongst the plants, trees, and waterfalls in the middle of this beautiful Galilee nature reserve.

• Druze home hospitality, cooking workshop and meal - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy the feast you create. Learn about Druze culture and history from your hosts and from the food you eat.

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel & check-out

• Start the day with a tour of the Kibbutz

• Travel to Tel Aviv

• Free time at the Carmel Market and Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - If your tour is on Tuesday or a Friday, visit Nachalat Binyamin, an open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market is comprised of over 100 stands representing specialty crafts and folk art in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, sand, glass, ceramics, and various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

• Musical Kabbalat Shabbat - the Israeli diversity though music - Make the transition to Shabbat with Daniel Hoffman. specializes in klezmer and other Eastern European music, as well as new music based on folk and jazz. After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, he co-founded the San Francisco-based new music ensemble Davka, which has toured extensively and released 5 CDs of original music, four on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. He created The Klez-X (formerly the SF Klezmer Experience) as the pit band for the musical Shlemiel the First at the American Conservatory Theater. The Klez-X has also performed widely and recorded 3 CDs including many new compositions and modernist settings of Yiddish poetry. Daniel has also written silent film scores for live performance for the 1920 German Expressionist film The Golem, and for the 1925 Soviet comedy, Jewish Luck.

• Shabbat Friday night dinner at the hotel

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• ANU Museum of the Jewish People - You’re invited to join a fascinating journey that portrays the story of the Jewish people through the generations and up to the present time. In June 2021, after ten years of planning and construction, this museum, the largest Jewish museum in the world, opened its doors. It represents all parts of the Jewish people and highlights the creative works and cultural riches of a variety of communities throughout different periods of history. This story is about all of us and each and every one of us is part of it.

• Shabbat leisure time - in one of Tel Aviv's beaches

• Old Jaffa afternoon and sunset tour - Jaffa is one of the most ancient port cities in Israel and the Mediterranean basin. Today, Jaffa is a mixed city, where Jews and Arabs live alongside each other. Tel Aviv, Jaffa's younger sister, was established centuries later, in the year 1909. Though the two were united into one municipality in 1949, each part has retained its unique feel and atmosphere. Jaffa has been regenerated in recent years with the old narrow streets and courtyards becoming a highly popular part of Tel Aviv’s urban tapestry.

• Havdalah ceremony at Hapisga Garden overlooking Jaffa and Tel Aviv's skyline

• Dinner at the hotel

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel & check-out

• Peres Center for Peace and Innovation - The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation is a leading non-profit and non-governmental organization focused on developing and implementing unique and cutting-edge programs. The center presents the incredible story of Israel, the "innovation nation", and showcases the diverse fields and people behind Israeli innovation.

• Tour of the Independence Trail - Inspired by the Freedom Trail in Boston, the new Independence Trail leads several of Tel Aviv’s heritage sites teaching visitors the history of this great city along the way. The trail begins at the intersection of tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Street, home to Tel Aviv’s first kiosk. The trail ends across the street at Independence Hall, where on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion read aloud the Declaration of Independence as Israel was declared an independent Jewish state.

• Guru Zuzu - silent disco - Dance your way through the streets of Tel Aviv!

• - OR -

• Graffiti Tour and Workshop - Enjoy a creative Graffiti workshop in the trendy neighborhood of Florentin, and experience fun and artistic freedom. Discover new and daring Israeli Graffiti Artists that are gaining recognition around the world.

• Farewell meal and wrap up session