LEADS International Learning Journey- January 2024

Activities:

• 10:20 a.m. Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - A VIP agent will be waiting to greet you in the baggage claim. After collecting your baggage, you will be taken to meet your guide and a Via Sabra representative in the arrival hall.

• Depart the airport and stop for lunch at a Food Truck - During Covid Food Trucks popped up all over Israel and have now become a fixture of the culinary and hang-out scene.

• Continue to the Haas Promenade for an orientation to Jerusalem - From the Haas Promenade take in a wide view of Jerusalem's Old and New Cities and the surrounding Judean Desert as far as the eye can see. See Jerusalem's complex geography, strategic setting, and beauty. Begin the conversation about Jerusalem's centrality to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• View the municipal model of Jerusalem at the Jerusalem Urban Design Center - The city model is a model that simulates the modern and ancient city of Jerusalem and is situated in the basement of the Municipality. The construction of the Jerusalem city model began in 1978 and covers an area of 16 square kilometers from the entrance to the city via Jaffa Road to the Old City at a scale of 1: 500. The Center for Urban Design and the Model House form a link between local planning, academia and industry and serve as a lever to encourage young and veteran designers in the city. The model also presents the future developments of Jerusalem and serves as a planning tool for architects and city planners as an aid to the planning decision makers in the city.

• Check into the hotel

• "The State of the State" a conversation with journalist Haviv Gur - Haviv Rettig Gur is a veteran Israeli-American journalist and analyst and serves as The Times of Israel’s senior analyst. He has reported from over 20 countries and lectures on Israeli politics, the US-Israel relationship, the peace process, modern Jewish history and identity, and Israel-diaspora relations. Gur is one of the most thought-provoking and detailed analysts of our time.

• Opening dinner at Hatzot - Hatzot is a part of Jerusalem’s history. Two brothers, Abraham and Michael Ajami founded this landmark family restaurant in 1970. Legend has it that Meurav Yerushalmi - the favorite Israeli mixed grill dish - was born at Hatzot Restaurant.

• Enjoy the night life of the Machane Yehuda Market or return to the hotel - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor.

• Cassia Hotel Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin the day touring the greater Jerusalem area with Colonel Dany Tirza - Tirza is a Security Expert and architect of the Security Barrier. View the city from many angles and engage in a conversation about the complexity of the barrier.

• Continue to the Old City of Jerusalem for a tour of Jerusalem's Four Quarters - 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, if conditions permit, visit one of the holiest Muslim sites, the Temple Mount. Throughout the tour explore the complexity of a city that is holy to the three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Get a peek onto the Armenian community as well.

• Old City Tasting Tour Lunch - 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.

• Conversation at Feel Beit with Karen Brunwasser and Riman Barakat - Feel Beit is a cultural home for creating art, expanding perspectives, and imagining new ways forward for Jerusalem. Founder Karen Brunwasser and Riman Barakat, Feel Beit's FeelBeit’s East Jerusalem and Palestinian affairs department will discuss “Conflict, Collaboration, and Jerusalem’s Civic Renaissance” and demonstrate how Feel Beit address this topic.

• Optional: Jerusalem-musical program with Apo Sahagian and Shaanan Street - Conversation with Shaanan Street and Apo Sahagian, two Jerusalem born and based musicians. Shaanan Street is founder of the legendary Hadag Nachash Band, famous for it's biting political commentary on Israeli society. Apo Sahagian is a Jerusalemite Armenian from the Old City, Armenian Quarter. Besides his ardent interest in politics and social issues, he’s also a multi-instrumentalist musician and an author of various articles and novels. He has a degree in Government, Diplomacy & Strategy with a specialization in international affairs and conflict resolution. "Ir HaElohim", a recent song about Jerusalem (The City of God) will be the canvas for a conversation between Karen Brunwasser, Founder of Feel Beit, Street, and Apo.
  (Pending availability and cost feasability.)

• Dinner on your own

• Cassia Hotel Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Meeting intro to Maoz

• Jerusalem site visits- I think it's important here to focus on Religious Pluralism, Israeli Arabs - Also- education, employment (also for Haredim)

• Dinner at Cafe Shalva - Shalva is a Jerusalem based organization that provides services to children with special needs and their families. Graduates of Shalva work at the café, and the café’s profits go back to the center to support its programs.

• Cassia Hotel Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Option: Bethelehem - Meet with a member of the Palestinian Authority, tour the city, explore cultural initiatives

• Lod- Ramle with Maoz - City planner, building, religious, Jindas (avital Blonder) Shared Citizenship, mixed cities, Education

• Drive to Tel Aviv and check into the hotel

• Dinner at Ha'Achim (with Maoz fellows?) - Haachim, located on Ibn Gvirol offers a spin on the middle eastern cuisine by modernizing classic dishes.

• Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Tour of Jaffa- A Tale of Two Cities - 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.

• 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.

• Lunch at Balinjera Ethiopian Restaurant - Eat lunch and hear the story of the Ethiopian Immigration to Israel

• Asylum Seekers and the Urban Landscape - Tour of South Tel Aviv with ARDC, a grassroots community-based non-profit organization based in Tel Aviv, aiming to promote economic and social inclusion for refugees and asylum seekers in Israel. With over 500 program participants every year, ARDC works to provide access to educational and employment opportunities, with the goal of bolstering social mobility and economic growth.

• Dinner on your own

• Enjoy the Tel Aviv weekend nightlife

• Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Beer sheva and Rahat- Maoz site visits - Army related visit?

• OR Western Negev - Gaza Periphery Tour - Included

• Lunch included

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Shabbat dinner home hospitality - Not included

• Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Caesarea National Park - On the Mediterranean coast, Caesarea National Park is one of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. Here, amazing ancient harbor ruins, beautiful beaches, and magnificent modern residences sit side-by-side. 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. For this purpose, the king's men designed an entirely artificial harbor that was in use for about a millennium. Caesarea became a central city in Roman and Byzantine times as can be seen from the massive archeological remains on site. 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.

• And/Or Hike a short portion of the Israel National Trail - The Israel trail traverses the length of Israel and was established as a National Trail in 1995. Hiking is a national pastime in Israel and is very connected to peoples' connection to the land. In the gorgeous lush winter greenery you'll also have time to forage for greens that you will use later when you make lunch.

• Cooking Workshop and home hospitality in the Druze Village Daliyat al Carmel - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy a lunch of the foods you create. Learn about Druze culture and history from your hosts and from the food you eat. Discuss the Druze culture and the identity of the Druze in Israel.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Meet Joe Perlov for a conversation on the Changing Map of the Middle East - The Changing Map of the Middle East is an experiential program focusing on the political and demographical issues of yesterday and
  today and engaging participants in a discussion about the future. The program will be a jumping off point from which to summarize your trip.

• Final dinner

• Transfer to airport for departure