Minneapolis Jewish Federation- February 2025

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport - Meet your guide and driver

• Drive to the Machal Memorial for introductions - The Machal Memorial dedicated in 1993, was created to honor volunteers who came from outside of Israel to fight on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people. Talk about the role of volunteers from abroad who stood by Israel's side throughout her history.

• Lunch

• The State of the State Update with a leading journalist

• Dinner at a restaurant

• Reisfeld Residence Guest House - Rehovot

Activities:

• Breakfast at the Guesthouse

• Two options will be offered this morning:

• -In Sderot and other key lookout points for an in-depth discussion of the complexity of the Gaza Border situation. - Followed by touring the key flashpoints of the October 7 Attack- stop at the Nova Festival memorial site - at Re'im Forest stop and bear witness to the tragedy of the Nova Festival.

• -Volunteer in Kibbutz Holit, Minneapolis' partner kibbuz in the Gaza Envelop area

• Lunch in the home of Ofakim resident 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.

• Desert Stars Center - Visit Rahat or another Bedouin Village and meet youth who are part of the Desert Stars Program which is building a generation of Bedouin leaders to promote a thriving Bedouin community and a strong Israeli society. The project empowers mission-driven teens and young adults to realize their individual and collective potential as change-making leaders.

• Return to the guesthouse

• Reisfeld Residence Guest House

Activities:

• Breakfast

• Full day volunteering at Holit - Lunch will be provided

• Visit IDF Base or meet soldiers

• Return to the guesthouse

• Dinner at a local restaurant

• Reisfeld Residence Guest House

Activities:

• Breakfast

• Volunteering in Partnership - Program in Rehovot

• Drive to Tel Aviv and check into the hotel

• Dinner on your own

• Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• At ANU participate in the Jewish Resilience Project - The newly re-imagined ANU Museum of the Jewish People tells the story of the Jewish people through the generations and up to the present time. Today you will participate in the Jewish Resilience Project beginning with a conversation “In October 7 and its Aftermath: Mending the Broken Jewish Story to Find Our Resilience” followed by a Gallery Experience: “Highs and Lows: How the Jewish People tell the Everlasting Story” and ending with a Processing Workshop: “Highs and Lows: How You and I tell our Story”

• The Square of the Kidnapped and Missing - 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.)

• Nachalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - Enjoy time to explore the local artistic spirit in Nachalat Binyamin open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv. It has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market comprised over 100 stands representing specialty local crafts in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, glass, ceramics, and various metals, all original and handmade. The unique architecture as well as the graffiti on the walls provide a perfect backdrop for the arts and crafts market.

• Shabbat begins 5:04

• Shabbat Dinner at the hotel

• Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Synagogue options

• Tel Aviv Walking Tour

• Lunch at the hotel

• Group processing session

• Havdalah - Shabbat ends 6:04

• Dinner and evening on your own

• Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Two options will be available: - Lunch will be provided

• -Volunteering

• -Jerusalem Old City Tour - 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, visit the Temple Mount, a significant Muslim site. Delve into the complexity of a city sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Tour the Kotel Tunnels.

• Final Dinner at Caffit Modiin

• Group transfer to the airport

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