The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg – Israel Mission Winter 2024

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - Your group's VIP fast track assistant will greet you at the sleeve of the plane. After assisting with arrival procedures and collecting your baggage, you will be taken to meet your guide and driver.

• Welcome to Israel - make a toast at a magnificent panoramic lookout from Ariel Sharon Park - Welcome to Ariel Sharon Park, a remarkable urban nature reserve outside of Tel Aviv. In a scenic viewpoint make a toast, say Shehechiyanu to bless the beginning of your journey together in Israel, get to know your group members and tour guide. Get an introduction about the park's history, its ecological restoration efforts, and the importance of preserving and protecting urban biodiversity.

• Continue with a tour of the picturesque Old Jaffa - Jaffa is one of the most ancient port cities in Israel and the Mediterranean basin. On a walk through Jaffa, discover the ancient and modern situated side-by-side. Stroll through the alleyways of the Old City filled with artist studios as well as archaeological findings. Discover which Jewish and Christian stories took place in the city. Today, Jaffa is a mixed city, where Jews and Arabs live alongside each other. Jaffa has been regenerated in recent years and became a highly popular part of Tel Aviv’s urban tapestry.

• Check-in to the hotel and rest before dinner

• Welcome dinner at a local restaurant

• Crowne Plaza Beach, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Every morning enjoy a delicious Israeli buffet breakfast at the hotel.

• Morning speaker - Jessica Steinberg - Mrs. Steinberg is the culture editor at the Times of Israel, covering Israeli life, culture, food, travel and business. In her interactive lecture get an introduction to Israeli diverse cultures through Israeli films and TV shows.

• Walk along the Independence Trail - Established in 2018 as a tribute to Israel's 70th anniversary, is a fascinating journey of Tel Aviv's foundation and the sites pivotal to the birth of Israel. Walk the paths of pioneers, witness architectural styles that tell the story of the city's development, and delve into Israel's struggle and triumph stories. The trail offers a profound insight into the nation's remarkable history.

• Carmel Market Culinary Tour - A culinary tasting tour in the Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel), the largest market in Tel Aviv. Touring the market reveals the taste of the ages of Tel Aviv and the diverse cultures and culinary traditions mix in this vibrant shuk. Through the delicious authentic tasting tour, its secrets and legends will be revealed to you. (The tasting tour replaces lunch)

• Wander through the Nachalat Binyamin Neighborhood - Experience the Israeli culture and creative spirit through a tour of Nachalat Binyamin neighborhood, the most colorful and artistic streets in Tel Aviv. Learn about the unique eclectic architecture that represents the spirit of the 1920’s, and appreciate the deterioration and renovation of some of the buildings nearly a century later. The street is a main arena for street art as well, where you will explore contemporary Israeli culture through the art on the walls.

• Tour the interactive exhibition in the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation - The center 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.

• Evening at leisure and dinner on your own - We will be happy to give restaurant recommendations and assist with making reservations if needed. Meal and transfers are not included.

• Crowne Plaza Beach, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel.

• Drive south to the Gaza Envelope area.

• Geo-political tour with Grisha Yakubovich - Stop at key lookout points and memorial sites for an in-depth discussion of the complexity of the Gaza Border situation. Mr. 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.

• Agri-tech experience at Shvil Hasalat - At the magical Shvil HaSalat (in Hebrew: the Salad Trail) observe and learn about the most up-to-date agricultural technologies while picking and eating fresh beautiful fruit and vegetables. Hear about the dramatic consequence of the war on the farmers that dealt with a shortage of workers. Be inspired by the amazing amount of people from Israel and abroad who volunteered to help ensure Israeli food and nutrition security while supporting the farmers.

• Along the way, stop and visit one of the IDF bases in the area and meet soldiers - We will bring them goodies and food, meet the soldiers, and get to speak with them about their service.

• Light lunch

• Stop at a memorial site - Bear witness to the tragedy of the October the 7 massacre, pay tribute to the fallen and light a candle in their memory.

• Building resilience - Meet with therapists who worked with survivors from the October 7 Massacre who dealt with trauma, hear about their important mission.

• Authentic group dinner and home hospitality by Osi Lankri - Meet Osi Lankri, one of Ofakim's "Culinary Queens" - Enjoy a home-cooked meal in Osi's home and hear about her life in Ofakim where she was born and raised, and where some of the October 7th's worst events took place.

• Travel back to Tel Aviv.

• Crowne Plaza Beach, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel & check-out - Tel Aviv Lodging General

• Depart the hotel and travel north.

• Meet with Mohammad Darawshe at Givat Haviva - Mr. Darawshe is considered a leading political analyst and expert on Jewish-Arab relations inside Israel. He is the Director of the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva. He holds a master's degree in Peace and Conflict Management from Haifa University and is a Robert Bosch Academy Fellow and faculty member at the Hartman Institute. Hear about his work in Givat Haviva, in the Israeli political field, and his vision and practical path to coexistence and shared society.

• Stop at a coffee truck for a light meal and hot drink - This is a great way to feel like a local, sitting outside and having a light meal in one of many coffee trucks spread around the country.

• Tour the impressive Caesarea National Park on the Mediterranean coast - Explore the 2,000-year-old Roman theater, Crusader harbor and 12th-century ramparts. The city was initially built by King Herod in the 1st century BC, who dreamt of a major seaport to connect the Province of Judea with Rome. View the spectacular Roman amphitheater, still used today as a performance venue, as well as the hippodrome that held 20,000 spectators for chariot races.

• A visit and wine tasting at Tulip Winery - Visit the very special winery in Kfar Tikva, Village of Hope, an inclusive kibbutz-like community whose population consists of people with special needs. The winery integrates the production of quality wines with social responsibility. Tulip aspires to enable members of the community to develop and realize their potential through working in the winery. Enjoy wine tastings besides local cheese and fresh produce.

• Travel to the Hula Valley and check-in to the hotel.

• Dinner at the hotel.

• Ayala Resort Hotel , Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin your day at the spectacular Agamon Haula - Ride through the Hula Valley on bikes or golf carts. The Hula Valley is part of the northern Syrian African Rift Valley which stretches as far south as Mozambique in Africa. Each migration season, over 500 million birds travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small water birds, cormorants, herons, pelicans, raptors, storks, and cranes.

• Partnership day - Schedule TBD.

• Late afternoon: Druze home hospitality, cooking workshop and meal - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy a meal of the foods you learned to cook. Get to know your hosts and their unique culture, history and the tight relationship with Israel. (Dinner is included)

• Ayala Resort Hotel , Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Jeep tour in the Golan Heights - Take a geo-political tour of the Golan Heights with an expert. While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria from Mt. Bental to get a better understanding of the geography and strategic role this region has for the State of Israel. Your local guide touches on the nuances of living so close to the Syrian border and what that has meant for Israel as it relates to security and humanitarian issues.

• Lunch in a local boutique cheese farm - In the rural Golan Heights, enjoy a local farmers' cheese, with fresh produce and bread in a local cheese farm.

• Ein Keshatot ancient village - Also known as Um el Kanatir, 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, presenting ancient art and Jewish life.

• Afternoon speaker: Alma Research and Education Center - Hear about the geopolitics of the area with Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, CEO and founder of Alma, a non-profit independent research and education center specializing in Israel’s security challenges on its northern border.

• Dinner at the hotel.

• Ayala Resort Hotel , Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel & check-out.

• Tour of Capernaum - (or Kfar Nahum) is an ancient fishing village, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, on the imperial highway from Tiberias to Damascus, and Jesus's base during the most influential period of his Galilean ministry. Visit the renowned synagogue, whose facade faces south toward Jerusalem, and see the Jewish symbols and Hebrew inscriptions carved into the columns. Walk to the modern, glass-walled church, which is dramatically suspended over the ruins of an octagonal, 5th-century church that partly obscures St. Peter's House, where Jesus is believed to have stayed. Today, used for frequent Masses in dozens of languages, offering a spiritual experience.

• Magical boat ride on the Sea of Galilee - The best way to appreciate the beauty of the Sea of Galilee (in Hebrew: Kinneret) is by taking a boat ride across the blue water and the views of the hills surrounding the lake. Hear about the Christian stories that took place in this region, the importance of the lake in the ecosystem, and the fascinating National Water Carrier project.

• Lunch on route - Meal included.

• Travel to Jerusalem and stop at a panoramic lookout from Mount Scopus - This is an excellent visual and spiritual introduction to the city, ancient and new. The lookout post on the edge of this hill is the place to go for the finest views of the Old City, the Dome of the Rock, and the sprawl of New Jerusalem.

• Check in to the hotel and get ready for the evening program.

• Welcome the Shabbat at the Western Wall - Experience "Kabbalat Shabbat" services at the Kotel. Join the diverse crowd gathered together to celebrate and welcome the Shabbat, the holiest day of the week. For many, this is an uplifting and spiritual moment praying and singing with the people of Israel.

• Shabbat at a local restaurant with lone soldiers - Enjoy a festive dinner, learn about some of the Jewish Shabbat traditions, and understand why Friday night is family time and what it means to Israelis. Lone soldiers will join your group for a meal and share their personal stories and experiences.

• Arthur Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel and travel to the Dead Sea region

• Tour the world renowned Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain by cable car to explore Masada, a natural fortress combining natural beauty and deep meaning. Explore the impressive excavations that reveal secrets of daily life in the fortress, hear about the scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.

• Swim and lunch at one of the Dead Sea spa hotels - Israel’s Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, 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. At one of the local hotels, have lunch and 'swim' in the Dead Sea. Spa treatments are available (not included).

• Travel back to Jerusalem.

• Evening at leisure and dinner on your own - Meal and transportation are not included.

• Arthur Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel.

• Meaningful visit to 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.

• Visit to Metzilot Mazon and lunch - The Jerusalem Food Rescuers, aims to create a more just and sustainable urban food system with less waste. Working with the wholesale market, they divert surplus produce that would have otherwise gone to waste and support communities that don’t have equitable access to food. Tour their center, learn about their mission and enjoy a meal made by the fruit and vegetables rescued here.

• Free time - Optional stop at Yad LaKashish - a non-profit organization empowering and supporting nearly 300 elderly Jerusalem residents on a daily basis by providing them with creative work opportunities in artistic workshops.

• Wander through Machane Yehuda Market - After a meaningful morning focusing on the dark historical times, you will head to the present and experience the vibrant life of Jerusalem in the modern day. In the heart of the city, at a bustling multi-ethnic market bursting with life, enjoy the hustle and bustle with all the rich fragrances, colors, and sounds this iconic Machane Yehuda market offers. Take time to explore and taste something you haven't tried before.

• Group dinner at a local restaurant.

• Arthur Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel.

• Optional: Begin the day with a tour of the Temple Mount - Also known to Muslims as al Haram el-Sharif and the Al Aqsa Compound, where you can see the impressive 7th-century oldest extant Islamic monument, the Dome of the Rock. Learn about its religious significance for Jews, Muslims and also Christians, its history, and the sensitive political weight it has today.

• Multicultural tour of Jerusalem Old City - Tour Jerusalem’s Old City and meet the people and places that make this place so unique. In the Jewish Quarter, uncover the layers of Jewish history from the time of the First Temple until the present day. In the Christian Quarter, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and from a great lookout see one of the holiest Muslim sites, the Al Aqsa Compound, the holiest Jewish Temple Mount. Throughout the tour explore the complexity of a city that is holy to the three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Free time and authentic lunch in the Old City - (meal not included)

• Tour the Israel Museum and the Shrine of te Book - The country’s largest cultural institute and ranked among the world's leading art and archeology museums. Linger over the renowned Israeli art, the Judaica collections in the Jewish Art and Life Wing, and in the Archaeology Wing visit the world's most extensive holdings of the Land of Israel. Among the highlights of the campus is the Shrine of the Book, home to the exceptional archaeological finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Biblical manuscripts in the world, as well as other rare ancient manuscripts. Tour with your guide followed by time on your own to explore the galleries that interest you the most.

• Farewell group dinner and closing session - This is an opportunity everyone will share what they learned and took from this journey to Israel.

• Arthur Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel & check-out.

• Drive to Ben Gurion Airport - Your VIP agent will meet you at the departures terminal to assist with check-in and security procedures for your flight.

• Fly back home.

• We look forward to hosting you again in our beautiful country!