Melton 2nd Solidarity Mission – June 2024

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - Private transfers and VIP services can be arranged.

• Welcome & Introductions

• War update and briefing with Amos Harel - Chief Military and Defense Correspondent for Haaretz Newspaper for the past 25 years, Harel is one of Israel's leading media experts on military and defense issues.

• Opening dinner at a restaurant.

• Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Geo-political tour of Otef Aza, the Gaza Envelope - Led by Michael Bauer, a professional educator, tour guide, and the author of "Israel Journey: Eight Days in One of The World's Most Complex Countries." Bauer specializes in Israeli-Arab relations, Israel's minority populations, Israel’s borders, and neighbors, as well as Middle East politics and history.

• Tree planting in or around the Nova Festival area - Pending need.

• Bear Witness to the events of October 7 - Trips to the Gaza Envelope area will be determined closer to the visit date. With time, residents are slowly returning home and may request privacy during these visits.

• 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.

• Explore the integral role of the Bedouin Community - Woven into the fabric of Israeli society by visiting Rahat or another Bedouin Village. Meet the youth involved in the Desert Stars Program, dedicated to fostering a generation of Bedouin leaders for the advancement of a flourishing Bedouin community and a robust Israeli society. This initiative empowers mission-driven teenagers and young adults to unlock their individual and collective potential as transformative leaders.

• Prepare, serve, and enjoy a BBQ meal with IDF soldiers.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Join Yotam Polizer, CEO of IsrAID, for an encounter and volunteering experience with the urban and relocated Kibbutz of Kibbutz Reim - Following the events of October 7, Kibbutz Reim underwent evacuation to a hotel in Eilat. With IsraAID's assistance, the kibbutz established a temporary urban community in South Tel Aviv. IsrAID, a non-governmental organization based in Israel, is dedicated to responding to emergencies worldwide with targeted humanitarian assistance. Their efforts encompass various aspects of disaster relief, from search and rescue missions to rebuilding communities and schools, providing aid packages, medical assistance, and post-psychotrauma care.

• Writing on the Walls, Graffiti Tour - What narratives do these images and words convey about the events in Israel since October 7? What social issues are depicted in the artwork on the walls? What sets Israeli graffiti, especially in Tel Aviv, apart? Embark on a dynamic tour through Florentin, Tel Aviv's renowned graffiti hub, where you will explore and discuss these questions, share your interpretations, and develop an appreciation for this vibrant form of artistic expression.

• Head north and enjoy lunch at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek with international Journalist and Jewish Educator, Lydia Aisenberg.

• Join members of Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek and evacuees from Kibbutz Nachal Oz - Tour the grounds of the kibbutz, learn about the rich history of this historic community and its surroundings. Engage with relocated members of Nachal Oz, listening to their personal stories of assimilating into a new community. The conversation will also include members of Mishmar HaEmek, offering insights into how the absorption of 450 evacuees from the South has impacted their community life.

• Accompany Lydia as we proceed to the renowned Green Line and Wadi Ara (Route 66) - Make a stop at the Amir Mountain range, offering breathtaking views over the divided village of Barta'a below and extending across the State of Israel, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.

• Drive to Jerusalem & check into the hotel

• Dinner at leisure - (not included)

• Jerusalem Ibis City Center or Herbert Samuel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Volunteer at Pantry Packers (or) Jerusalem Hamal - An organization who helps feed Israelis who face nutrition insecurity. They deliver packages of non-perishable household food items to families in need, including those significantly impacted by the events of October 7.

• Time for lunch and downtime at Machane Yehuda Market - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. Immerse yourself in the world of Middle Eastern cuisine in Machane Yehuda Market. Learn about the market's rich history, and meet the vendors who bring this place to life, as you experience the vibrant energy unique to this iconic culinary destination.

• Kabbalat Shabbat at Beit Avi Chai, pending availability - Join the Jerusalem public in a Friday musical tradition preparing for Shabbat. Beit Avi Chai serves as a center for the creation and expression of Jewish and Israeli culture and education. Established in 2007 with the goal of attracting a diverse spectrum of Israeli society, Beit Avi Chai focuses on programs geared to Jewish people living in Israel and via its website, around the world.

• Freshen up for a rooftop Shabbat Dinner

• Evening gathering and reflection

• Jerusalem Ibis City Center or Herbert Samuel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Shul options - Join a local community for Shabbat morning services or enjoy a leisurely morning.

• Shabbat lunch

• Post lunch reflection & learning session.

• Rest time

• Explore Musrara, the Israeli "Black Panthers" neighborhood - Dating back to the 19th century. It witnessed battles in 1948, with a ceasefire line drawn through it. In the 1970s, Mizrahi Jews founded the Israeli Black Panthers here, fighting discrimination. Proceed to HaNevi'im Street, rich in tales of Zionist aspirations, European romanticism, African mysteries, or Middle Eastern intrigues. Immerse yourself in the narrative of a street that transports you to a bygone era.

• Havdalah

• Dinner and evening at leisure - (meal not included)

• Jerusalem Ibis City Center or Herbert Samuel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Early morning agricultural volunteer at Kaima Organic Farm in Beit Zayit - Founded in 2013, Kaima is an educational farming network using employment and nature to engage and empower teens and young adults exploring non-traditional education. The farm serves as an outdoor classroom for a multi-layered process, including hands-on organic farming, leadership development, business learning, and community development. Amid the current conflict, Kaima participated in supplying fruits and vegetables to a local caterer supporting evacuees, Holocaust survivors, and those in need.

• Meeting with Zaka if opportunity allows - ZAKA, an acronym for "Disaster Victim Identification" in Hebrew, consists of voluntary community emergency response teams. (if opportunity allows)

• Quick stop to shop and support - Yad Lakashish - Lifeline for the Old, a non-profit organization empowering and supporting nearly 300 elderly Jerusalem residents daily by providing them with creative work opportunities in artistic workshops.

• Lunch at leisure in the Old City

• Tour Jerusalem’s Old City and meet the people and places that make this place so unique - Explore Jewish history in the Jewish Quarter, spanning from the First Temple era to the present. Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter and, conditions permitting, the Temple Mount, a significant Muslim site. Delve into the complexity of a city sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Final reflection activity

• Farewell 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.

• Transfer to the airport for departure flights.

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