Congregation Emanu-El November 2023

Activities:

• Pick up at Ben Gurion Airport or other meeting place

• Stop at a lookout along the way to recite Shehechiyanu to bless the beginning of your journey together in Israel!

• Check into your hotel

• Dinner under the stars - Have a casual outdoor dinner in nature and talk about your hopes for the trip.

• Nof Ginosar Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin the day at Gamla-National park - Visit the Gamla Nature Reserve, with the highest waterfall in Israel. The ancient city of Gamla was made the capital of the Golan in the 1st century BCE and was conquered by the Romans in 67 CE after being subjected to a long siege. Walk the circular vulture trail with an observation point from which you can see Gamla Mountain. From this point, you can watch the 80 Griffon Vultures circling above.

• Continue to Um el Kanatir - Um el Kanatir, also known as Ein Keshatot, is home to a Jewish village from the Period of the Mishna and Talmud, with a magnificent synagogue in its center. Enter a synagogue that features the original Ark Complex – the most preserved and magnificent ever to be discovered in Israel. The synagogue was excavated and reconstructed with advanced technological methods, and today it stands at a height of one story. The Ein Keshatot site also offers a visit to the village spring, which flows into ancient pools, surrounded by shaded areas.

• Lunch and wine tasting at Mika Winery - Mika Winery in Moshav Natur in the Golan Heights was established in 2006, out of a desire to live and uphold the values of land, family, and creation. Along with the wines, the highest quality products are served, carefully and lovingly produced in the neighboring farms in the Moshav or the Golan Heights: cheeses, olive oil, breads, seasonal fruits, patisseries and more.

• Bike or ride a golf cart through the Hula Valley - The Hula valley sits in part of the northern Syrian African Rift Valley which stretches as far south as Mozambique in Africa. During every migration season over 500 million birds travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small waterfalls, cormorants, heron, pelicans, raptors, storks, and cranes. Early morning ride through the park.

• Druze cooking workshop and dinner - 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.

• Nof Ginosar Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Drive to Akko

• Akko Tunisian Synagogue - The Or Torah Tunisian synagogue in Akko is unique even in a land of synagogues. Built by a community of Tunisian Jews from Djerba, it offers four stories of glorious mosaics and stained-glass windows both inside and out, showing a varied range of stories, plants, and animals.

• Akko historical tour - Walk through 4,000 years of history in this ancient city and UNESCO World Heritage site. The Old City of Akko, or Acre, has been lived in continuously for 4,000 years. There’s almost too much to see, including one of the world’s oldest ports; the amazing Crusader city which earned Akko UNESCO World Heritage status; and the khans, mosques, baths, and citadels of the preserved Ottoman walled town.

• Lunch at one of Akko's legendary hummus restaurants

• Afternoon treat- Buza Ice Cream - Buza, the Arabic word for ice cream, is owned and operated by Alaa Sweetat, a local Muslim and Adam Ziv, a Jew from Kibbutz Sasa. A delicious Co-Existence venture. Taste their unique flavors.

• Dinner at the hotel

• Nof Ginosar Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out

• Drive towards Jerusalem with stops along the way

• Givat Haviva - At the Givat Haviva International School, high school students from around the world are taught leadership skills in order to work together to create a strong shared society and sustainable, just future. With over 100 students, half of them from Israel, conflict resolution is just as much a part of the curriculum. Meet one of the school's teachers, along with Jewish Arab and international students to find out how bridges are being built in this unique academic setting.

• Lunch at the Opera Restaurant - Opera Restaurant is a legendary Yemenite Restaurant. Eat Yemenite soup, lachuch, and jachnoun. Meet and talk to the owners of the restaurant.

• Overlook and discussion at Feel Beit - Feel Beit is a cultural home for creating art, expanding perspectives, and imagining new ways forward for Jerusalem. "We are a group of Israelis and Palestinians who create art and music to bridge divides in Jerusalem. Everything we present is rooted in love for the diverse people of this place. We are driven by the conviction that when all else breaks down, art and music must break through." Mekudeshet is an award-winning, cultural organization that creates original art and music to reimagine Jerusalem from being a center of conflict into a laboratory for connections between people of all kinds.

• Join Mekudeshet for a Dissolving Boundaries Tour. - Join Mekudeshet for a Dissolving Boundaries Tour invites you to join real people from Jerusalem on an adventure across perspectives, passions, and divides. You are the protagonist on the journey, which begins in your home, travels through inspiring voices and places in Jerusalem, and constantly finds its way back into your reality. Dissolving Boundaries celebrates the courage, ingenuity and stirring humanity of regular people in an extraordinary place, and asks you to discover the boundary dissolver within yourself.

• Dinner on your own

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

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

• Wine tasting and lunch at Tzuba Winery - Tzuba Winery is an estate winery based on grapes of the Tzuba vineyards. The excellent wines reflect the experience of the farmers and the dedication of our winemaker Paul Dubb, member of the Kibbutz.

• Return to Jerusalem and prepare for Shabbat

• Shabbat Dinner in a private home

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Join a local synagogue for Shabbat tefilot

• Shabbat study

• Shabbat lunch at the home of Shana and Yonatan Neri - Enjoy a vegan Shabbat lunch with Yonatan and his family, an observant family engaged in important educational work. Yonatan is the founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. Hear about Yonatan’s work in sustainability and enjoy lunch with his lovely family. Rabbi Yonatan Neril founded and directs The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. Raised in California, Yonatan completed an M.A. and B.A. from Stanford University with a focus on global environmental issues, and received rabbinical ordination in Israel.Yonatan is coauthor of the bestselling book Eco Bible, published by ICSD, which shines new light on how the Hebrew Bible and great religious thinkers have urged human care and stewardship of nature for thousands of years as a central message of spiritual wisdom.

• Afternoon neighborhood walking tour

• Havdalah

• Dinner on your own

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Walk the Northern section of Ramparts - Discover the Old City on the Rampart Walls which were built in the 16th century for patrolling by the Turkish. Today you can enjoy a bird's eye view of the old city and the surroundings. Begin at the Jaffa Gate and walk north around the Christian and Muslim Quarters, descending at the Damascus gate.

• Muslim & Christian Quarters - Explore the maze of the Muslim and Christian quarters, meeting people who have lived in the Old City for generations, practicing their crafts and raising their families. Browse the famous Arab shuk (market) in the Muslim quarter. Its many stalls sell spices, pastries, pottery, sheepskin, embroidered clothes and so much more.

• Old City Tasting Tour - Walk through the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City seeing the historical and religious sites. See some off-the-beaten track sites in the winding alleyways and enjoy some Jerusalem delicacies. We will have a “taste of history” that interweaves stories and anecdotes, historical information, and, of course, combines the senses of smell, taste, and sound.

• Continue to Jewish Quarter - The Jewish Quarter is best known for the Western Wall, but there’s a lot more to see and do here. See archaeological finds from First and Second Temple periods, Roman ruins, and vibrant synagogues, and witness learning institutions jostle for space in these busy stone streets. The central plaza offers an excellent place to contemplate the power this quarter holds for so many.

• Return to the hotel for a short break

• Dinner at Tmol Shilshom - Tmol Shilsom is more than just a restaurant that takes pride in its culinary excellence. Since its establishment in 1994, Tmol Shilshom has been a cultural institution that hosts the top authors and poets, among them: Yehuda Amichai, Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, David Grossman, Orly Castel-Bloom, Batya Gur, and many more. Young writers, musicians and artists are also often hosted at Tmol Shilshom.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• West Bank program with Encounter (will include lunch) - "Encounter is an educational organization committed to informed, courageous, and resilient Jewish communal leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We educate and equip Jewish communal and civil society leaders with the experiences, networks, and resources they need to proactively and positively shape their constituents’ engagement with Israel as it relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our work addresses distinctly political subject matter, but we are resolutely nonpartisan; we do not promote any specific policies or political positions regarding the conflict. Rather, as an educational organization, we support Jewish leaders and communities in serving as a positive force in the pursuit of a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that upholds the dignity, security, and rights of all parties."

• On the way to Tel Aviv explore the beautifuly synergy that is happening in Abu Ghosh at Hinam Center - Mifgash at The Hinam Center, an organization that promotes social tolerance through significant, in-depth meetings between people from different identities. Meet teen participants in the center’s programs and learn about Religious tolerance. The guiding principle of the center is the promotion of tolerance by really getting to know those different from you. The center is not about short, superficial meetings between different peoples, meetings that generally do not promote tolerance and can even result in the opposite effect. Each side typically tries to fortify its own position and beat the other side over some argument.

• Drive to Tel Aviv and check into your hotel - You will have a stop for lunch on your own during.

• Dinner at Gueta - On Jaffa's Jerusalem Boulevard, across from the Gesher Theater, Gueta restaurant keeps to its traditional Tripoli style of cooking, using old recipes that have been passed through generations.

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Old Jaffa - 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, but the two were united into one municipality in 1949, yet each part kept 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.

• Ajami Neighborhood, Jaffa - Tour the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, a predominantly Arab neighborhood in Jaffa, you’ll hear a challenging narrative about the city and its history. Continue your tour through Jaffa, enjoying the beauty of the winding streets and the beautiful port with its biblical reference.

• Lunch with Myassar Seri - Myassar Seri is a chef and a storyteller who believes in sharing her recipes and techniques to bring people closer together. In her house learn to make hummus, pita, or other specialties of the Arab kitchen as you get to know Myassar herself.

• Giborot - From the early days of the establishment of Tel Aviv as the first Hebrew city, women have played a key role in building the foundation of what has become Tel Aviv as we know it today. Follow in the footsteps of women who were silenced and women that created reality from a dream alone and let their voices be heard. Join us through the streets of TLV places that you have walked through hundreds times before. We will give voice to women like Golda Meir, Rachel the Poet, Tzina Dizingoff, Ahuva Ozeri and others who were the movers and shakers that were part of making this city so great.

• Dinner on your own

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Depart Tel Aviv and drive south

• Western Negev tour with Grisha Yakubovich - Stop at key lookout points for an in-depth discussion of the complexity of the Gaza Border situation. Grisha Yakubovich served in the Israel Defence Forces for 30 years, ending his career as Head of the Civil Coordination Department of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). He now consults and guides educational tour of the Gaza Border and the West Bank.

• Stop at Netiv HaAsara - Striving for Peace at Netiv Haasarah, a moshav on the western border of Israel with the Gaza Strip. Visit the Peace Wall on the border. Meet Tsamaret Zamir, an artist and the creator of the project who will talk about life in the moshav in the shadow of the ongoing security situation – and about the hope of a good and peaceful future. Choose a colorful optimistic tile on which to write a personal wish and later glue to the border wall.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Dinner at Tenat Ethiopian Restaurant - Tenat

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Touring with Shirel Horovitz - Using drawing, sculpting, video and sound, Tel Aviv based artist Shirel Horovitz, creates performances and installations exploring cities, communities and the relations between people and space. She earned her BFA from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem and her MA (with distinction) from The Interdisciplinary Art program in Tel Aviv University. Alongside her art practice, Shirel lectures, leads art tours, teaches art and is an art consultant to a variety of private groups and institutions among them Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Alma Hebrew college, Classrooms Without Borders, Ashdod Museum of Art, Azrieli LTD, Hartman institute and more.

• Kiryat Ham'lacha - Kiryat Ham'lacha is a former industrial zone. Since the factories closed or moved out, many artists, designers, musicians, dancers, street artists and small business are now the heart of the neighborhood.

• Kuchinate - Travel to colorful Kuchinate: African Refugee Women’s Cooperative, for a coffee ceremony and to hear the story of this incredible social start-up. Meet founders Diddy Mymin Kahn and Sister Aziza, who have turned the lives of refugee women around by empowering them to find their voices and regain their dignity after very difficult life circumstances.

• Levinsky Market tasting tour - The Levinsky Market specializes in spices and Mediterranean delicacies. It is, in many ways, the best market in Tel Aviv, known for its variety, freshness, and special atmosphere. Whether you are looking for a rare Indian spice or some good quality saffron - this is the place. Shops offer a cornucopia of excellent cheeses, smoked fish, wines, and other delicacies. Tour the market and have "tastings" throughout.

• 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.

• Final dinner

• Transfer to the airport