EI Rabbi Zimmerman Pre-Mission Shabbat- April 2023

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - You will be greeted at Ben Gurion Airport by your driver, who will transfer you to the hotel. VIP services available.

• Transfer to Jerusalem and check into your hotel

• Mimouna Dinner at Hamotzi - Israeli Master Chef winner Avi Levy combines a North African cooking style with a Jerusalem flare to create a rich kaleidoscopic of flavors using local ingredients from the nearby Machane Yehuda market. Minmouna is the festival that closes Passover and is marked by festive foods and especially desserts.

• Enjoy the night scene of Machane Yehuda Market - The shuk is the place to be on a Thursday night- the beginning of the weekend in Israel. Enjoy the hustle and bustle with all the rich fragrances, colors, and sounds this iconic Jerusalem market offers.

• Optional-Visit to challa bakeries in Mea Shearim Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood - Mea She'arim Street is a picture frozen in time, a street from a Jewish shtetl in Poland. On the other hand, on Malkhei Yisrael Street, there are falafel, pizza and juice stands and delicatessens that sell herring and pickled vegetables.Explore the small alleys and streets of the Geula and Beit Yisrael neighborhoods on foot on Thursday evening, when the challah bakeries are working all night.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• To see Jerusalem in depth and close up, tour Jerusalem's Old City with photographer and guide Simon Beni - This tour combines visits to historical sites with a workshop in photography. Walk down the alleys and explore hidden corners while learning to create good compositions with the ambient light.

• Lunch and conversation 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.

• Free time and prepare for Shabbat

• Kabbalat Shabbat and home hospitality with Kehillat Yozma in Modiin

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Optional yoga with Yoga Synagogue ah - Yoga Synagogue Ah followers find themselves all over Jerusalem practicing yoga in inspirational settings. Join the group's founder, Laura Gilinski, for a session to guide you into Shabbat.

• Shabbat morning walk and prayer - Explore the Jerusalem Hills at the beautiful Sataf forest for a walk and prayer experience. 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.

• Lunch at Majda restaurant - Majda is a restaurant in the Jerusalem Hills village of Ein Rafa, famous for its innovative fusion cuisine, beautiful property and views from its rooftop and an appearance on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. The menu is full of creative local dishes all prepared by Yakub and Michal, the Arab-Jewish couple who own Majda.

• Speaker- TBD

• Havdalah with your group - Usher out Shabbat with Havdalah outside in the rich air of Jerusalem.

• Dinner on your own

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Join the Experience Israel Mission!