Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Solidarity Trip

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport

• Transfer to Tel Aviv and check into the hotel - Group transfer included. Private transfers and VIP services can be arranged upon request.

• Opening conversation with Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisin - Miri Eisin is the managing director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University. She served as an intelligence officer in the IDF for 20 years, She is one of the leading experts in Israeli intelligence, security, and diplomacy. Eisin will provide an overview of the current situation in Israel.

• Dinner at Lehem Basar in the Tel Aviv Port

• Sheraton Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Depart the hotel for Otef Aza

• Gaza Border Geo-Political Tour - 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.

• Volunteering- depending on availability

• Lunch at the home of Osi Lankri - Recognized as one of Ofakim's "Culinary Queens," Osi invites you to savor a home-cooked meal in her beautiful home. While enjoying the culinary experience, listen to her personal stories about life in the Envelope, her birthplace and hometown. Gain insights into how the October 7th attack affected her home, family, and neighborhood.

• Stop at the Nova Festival memorial site - at Re'im Forest stop and bear witness to the tragedy of the Nova Festival

• Visit and dinner at the Ruach Center for soliders at Hatzerim and meet Eti Lotan

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Sheraton Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Drive to Nazareth

• Embark on a unique journey of hope with Maoz Inon - Traversing the enchanting streets of Nazareth's Old City - Amidst individual and communal challenges since October 7, it's crucial to spotlight the transformative power that cross-community partnerships can yield. Maoz's personal experience in Nazareth is a true testament to that power. Inspired by the partnerships you will observe, one can collectively shape a lasting vision of hope and cooperation. Inon's parents were murdered in their home on October 7 by Hamas terrorists. Amid his grief, the tragic loss and war have not quashed his compassion and hope for peace.

• Lunch and conversation in a Druze home - Enjoy a delicious Druze lunch and get to know your hosts and their culture and history. Hear about the strong bond between the Druze community to the State of Israel and their significant contribution to the IDF especially since October 7.

• Meet with a speaker from the Alma Research and Education Center - Alma is a non-profit independent research and education center specializing in Israel’s security challenges on its northern border. Briefing about the situation in Israel's north.

• Continue to Kibbutz Shefayim where the members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza have been living - Meet Kfar Aza member Batya Rotem, a survivor of October 7, and hear her personal story.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Dinner and evening on your own

• Sheraton Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Graffiti Tour-The Public Speaks - What stories do these images and words tell about the what has happened in Israel since October 7? What social issues are reflected in the art on the walls? What is unique about graffiti in Israel and Tel Aviv specifically? In this dynamic tour through Florentin, Tel Aviv's best-known neighborhood for graffiti, you will answer these questions, share your interpretations, and gain an appreciation for this expressive form of art.

• Drive to your Partnership in Yoav

• Partnership visits including Kedma Youth Village - Lunch included

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Visit to The square of the Kidnapped and Missing in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum - See the powerful art created by various artists, including the Shabbat Table set for 200 missing Israelis, to show support and shine a spotlight on the importance of rescuing the lives of those abducted to Gaza. (Hopefully, by the time of this mission, all of the hostages will have been released and back home with their families.)

• Dinner and evening on your own

• Sheraton Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Drive to Jerusalem

• Meet the staff of Zaka - Founded in 1995, ZAKA is Israel’s dominant non-governmental rescue and recovery organization, with over 3,000 volunteers deployed around the country, on call 24/7 to respond to any terror attack, disaster or accident immediately, professionally and with the necessary equipment. ZAKA, a civilian volunteer organization with sole responsibility in Israel for dealing with incidents of unnatural death, works in close cooperation with all the emergency services and security forces.

• OR tour The National Library of Israel - Founded in Jerusalem in 1892, the National Library of Israel (NLI) holds the collective memory of Israelis of all backgrounds and faiths and the Jewish people worldwide. While continuing to serve as Israel's preeminent research library, over the past decade NLI has embarked upon an ambitious journey of renewal to encourage diverse audiences in Israel and around the globe to engage with its treasures in new and meaningful ways. This transformative renewal is taking place through a range of innovative educational, cultural, and digital initiatives, as well as through the construction of a new landmark campus, on schedule to open its doors in 2023.

• Converation with Mike Prashker-Resilience, Social Cohesion and Democracy: The Three Keys to Rebuilding Israel After 7 October - Mike Prashker is the author of "A Place for Us All - Social Cohesion and the Future of Israel" which aims to contribute to the promotion of social cohesion by providing a precise definition, identifying geo-political, social and economic conditions conducive to its promotion and presenting a range of strategic initiatives for its practical advancement in Israel. Mike founded MERCHAVIM - The Institute for the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel.

• Time for lunch in the Machane Yehuda Market - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor.

• Finding our Way- Mapping Journeys from October 7 at Beit Avi Chai - Traditionally, when lost, humans have looked to the sky, sea and land to map our journeys, to locate ourselves and to ground us, literally. In this visual arts workshop, we will begin to interpret our journeys from October 7th through the lens of artist’s maps and use the process of mind-mapping to help us find our footing in this unstable new reality. Beit AVI CHAI serves as a center for the creation and expression of Jewish and Israeli culture and education.

• Stop at the Western Wall - Take time to reflect at the Kotel (The Western Wall), sacred because it is one of the last remnants of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans. Feel the stones that have witnessed so much in the history of the Jews. Place your special and personal prayer in the cracks of the stones.

• Final dinner and wrap-up at Eser Restaurant - Eser Restaurant is a new restaurant of the 1868 group and is situated in the Anna Ticho House. This dairy restaurant focuses on farm-to-table cuisine.

• Transfer to the airport or extension