Engage Your Senses in Israel- October 2024

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport - VIP services and private transfers can be arranged upon request at an additional cost.

• Ascend to Jerusalem and check into your hotel

• Culture in the Innovation Nation- Opening talk with Jessica Steinberg - Jessica Steinberg is the culture editor at the Times of Israel, covering Israeli life, culture, food, travel and business.

• Get down to business 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.

• Orient Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• The Bounty of Israel's Wilderness - Together with specialist Nurit Hertz, get to know local, wild food from nature. Our ancestors have been foraging wild plants in the Judean Hills since Biblical times, and today Nura will help us connect the dots between Jewish and Israeli history, culture, and identity through wild, foraged food. Nura will teach us how each plant can be used both in the kitchen and for medicinal purposes, and help us gather local plants to be used in our meal.

• Field-to-Table Lunch Al Fresco - After foraging, we’ll collect what we gathered and watch Nura turn it into a delectable meal including sourdough bread with herbed dips, pickled salads, stuffed leaves, green-filled pastries, and more. We’ll get to taste the fruits of our labor and relate in a whole new way to our heritage and the land in a whole new way by sampling food our ancestors ate in the very same spot.

• Lunch will include wine tasting of wines from Sphera Winery - Sphera Winery is a boutique winery featuring only white wines from the Judean Hills of Israel. Carefully balancing nature, innovative technology, and a delicate, artistic touch, by focusing on only white wines, Sphera can zoom in on the fine details and discern the slightest of subtleties. Doron and Sivan, the winery's owners, believe in a clear and minimalistic approach that brings out the fruits’ true essence while ensuring wines that are layered with rich and complex flavors. And, of course, the views aren't too bad either.

• Return to the hotel to refresh

• Explore the Role of Culture in Building Bridges at Feel Beit - Feel Beit is a cultural home for creating art, expanding perspectives, and imagining new ways forward for Jerusalem. "We are a group of Israelis and Palestinians who create art and music to bridge divides in Jerusalem. Everything we present is rooted in love for the diverse people of this place. We are driven by the conviction that when all else breaks down, art and music must break through." Mekudeshet is an award-winning, cultural organization that creates original art and music to reimagine Jerusalem from being a center of conflict into a laboratory for connections between people of all kinds.

• Dinner at HaSadna Restaurant - HaSadna Restaurant's menu features fresh ingredients with a minimum of treatment. Part of the charm is the interior of this building which was once a warehouse that served the Jerusalem railroad and railway station built in 1892. Part of the Machneyuda group, HaSadna is a jewel of contemporary Israeli Cuisine.

• Orient Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Conversation about Democracy in Israel - Can include a visit to the Supreme Court, speaker from IRAC or the movement, Gilad Kariv

• Explore Jerusalem's Old City - Meet the people and places that make this place so unique. Visit the craftspeople and artisans who are highly skilled in their crafts, and whose knowledge has passed through their family for generations.

• Old City Tasting Tour - 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.

• Take in a bird's-eye view of the Old City - On the rooftop of the Austrian Hospice, have a beer and look out over the Old City from above.

• Time at the Western Wall - Proceed to 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.

• Visit Ezrat Yisrael, the Egalitarian Kotel

• 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.

• Orient Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• 'Shtisel' Tour with a focus on Ashkenazi Food - A taste of the Ultra-Orthodox world-walk the streets of the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, get to know the people, the food, and feel the vibrations of this life. Gain a more complex appreciation for the people by listening to their music, visiting synagogues, various institutions, seeing unique leisure, fashion, and art this world encompasses.

• Learn and volunteer at Metzilot Mazon - Metzilot Mazon, 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, engage in food literacy focused activities such as lectures and workshops with kids and adults, and run a sustainable catering business.

• Return to hotel, free time

• Machane Yehuda Market Appetizer Tasting Tour - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. A tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market is an adventure for your taste buds! Enjoy the hustle and bustle with all the rich fragrances, colors, and sounds this iconic Jerusalem market offers.

• Tour will include a stop at Thinkers Distillery - "At Thinkers we maintain pace with all the new developments and painstakingly connect the old together with the new to fulfill our mission of taking spirits further. Our Jerusalem distillery is part research library, part chemistry lab, part advanced technology workshop, part mind and behavior study center, part design studio, and 100% passion. It’s not easy, but we will never put any product into a bottle unless we are convinced that is has been furthered in every way into the best in class."

• Dinner on your own

• Orient Hotel, Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• The Olive Journey - Visit the family-owned boutique Ptora olive oil press. Learn about the history of producing olive oil in the Land of Israel, taste the high-quality local oils and hear about the family farming business located in Moshav Sde Moshe.
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• Drive to Be’er Sheva to meet Naftali Aklum and have an Ethiopian lunchE - Aklum is an Ethiopian activist who was born in Ethiopia in 1979, the youngest of 12 siblings. His brother Ferede Aklum z”l was determined to reach Jerusalem and set out from Ethiopia in 1978 on a long, dangerous trek through the desert, ultimately reaching Sudan. Naftali reached Israel with his family in 1980, at age one, thus fulfilling a dream that had been kept alive for 2,500 years. Hear his story and that of the Ethiopian Aliyah

• Discovers Israel's Agritech Innovations - See the desert come to life at this leading agricultural center. Founded in 1981 with the goal of encouraging agricultural development on the country's periphery, the center utilizes the desert’s natural resources together with Israel's groundbreaking drip irrigation technology to grow produce like olives, fruits, wine grapes, greens, as well as 70% of Israel’s cherry tomato crops in the desert. Witnessing the desert in bloom represents the height of Start-up Nation innovation. This technology isn’t only used here in Israel’s Negev desert but has also been implemented at farms around the world, demonstrating Israel’s marked impact in the field of agricultural innovation.

• Check into your hotel and get settled

• Dinner at the hotel

• Beresheet

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Dive into the Ramon Crater-Makhtesh Ramon-National park - Makhtesh Ramon is a type of geological formation found only in Israel and northern Sinai. The steep rock cliffs surrounding a closed valley drained by a single wadi are the product of erosion. Ramon Crater is the largest of three in Israel.

• Start at the Ramon Visitors Center - Through interactive exhibits, the Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center, set on the northern cliffs of the Ramon Crater, tells the geological story behind this unique and amazing work of nature and contrasts it with the life of Astronaut Ilan Ramon.

• Jeep ride in Makhtesh Ramon - Ride through the stunning Negev Desert and get to know the endless variations of the landscape. Explore the area of Makhtesh Ramon and immerse yourself in the details of the land around you.

• Bread Baking Workshop at Lasha Bakery - You’ll have a lunch of salads and the bread that you bake.

• Free time to enjoy the hotel facilities - Rest and prepare for Shabbat

• Wine tasting and Kabbalat Shabbat at Nana Winery - Tour and tasting at Nana Farm Winery. In the heart of desert, between ancient stone terraces and barren golden sand hills, wine vineyards appear. The powerful site is hard to describe in words. Experienced vintner Eran Raz, nicknamed "Nana", has created a quality leading wine in what some may be surprised to call ideal conditions for quality vine growth.

• Shabbat Dinner at the hotel

• Beresheet

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Optional hike

• Study session with Rabbi Pomerantz

• Free time to enjoy the hotel

• Starry Night Desert Dinner and Havdalah - It's not a mirage! Your evening under an endless canopy of stars awaits - with wine, spirits, music, star gazing, and dinner in the most magical setting you can imagine. Enjoy a delicious dinner in the Makhtesh

• Beresheet

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Depart the hotel

• Visit Wadi Attir Project - Project Wadi Attir, a joint initiative of the Bedouin municipality of Hura and the Sustainability Laboratory, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Project Wadi Attir aims to establish a model for a radically innovative, sustainable desert farming operation that will contribute to the well-being of the Bedouin community of the Negev by creating stable income sources, fostering employment opportunities for women, increasing education, and assisting with capacity-building.

• Continue to the Western Negev area - Stop for lunch along the way

• Gaza Border Tour with Grisha Yakubovich - 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.

• Stop at Netiv HaAsara - Striving for Peace at Netiv HaAsara, a moshav on the western border of Israel with the Gaza Strip. Visit the Peace Wall on the border. Meet Tsameret Zamir, an artist and the creator of the project who will talk about life in the moshav in the shadow of the ongoing security situation – and about the hope of a good and peaceful future. Choose a colorful optimistic tile on which to write a personal wish and later glue to the border wall.

• Drive to Tel Aviv and check into the hotel

• Dinner on your own

• Carlton, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin the day at Assif: Culinary Institute of Israel - Asif is a cultural center in Tel Aviv with a library, farm, gallery & café that encourages open discourse around local foodways and identity.

• Meet Adeena Sussman or other expert to discuss culinary trends in Israel

• Continue to Levinsky Market for a tasting tour lunch - The Levinsky Market specializes in spices and Mediterranean delicacies. It is, in many ways, the best market in Tel Aviv, known for its variety, freshness, and special atmosphere. Whether you are looking for a rare Indian spice or some good quality saffron - this is the place. Shops offer a cornucopia of excellent cheeses, smoked fish, wines, and other delicacies. Tour the market and have "tastings" throughout.

• Each person will be able to choose one option:

• -Fashion Tour - The tour addresses the relationship Israeli fashion has with the various aspects of living in Israel including identity questions, sub-groups in Israel, immigration to Israel, wars and cultural life and social entrepreneurship. Meet old and new fashion brands, designers who use ancient crafts and other professionals who use the best technology. We will walk, talk and shop.

• -Lev Ha'ir Walking Tour - Explore Lev Ha'ir, the Heart of the City, where the first roots of Tel Aviv were planted in 1909. Lev Hair contains some of Tel Aviv’s most beautiful buildings, being at the center of the UNESCO designated “White City” known for its Bauhaus, Eclectic, and International Style architecture. The area is rooted in history with a glance towards the future with impressive skyscrapers, and a high concentration of start-up companies.

• Israeli Cocktail Workshop with Tishrey Bar - Drink down a story of Israel! Travel the different regions of the country through the drinks. Through local spirits, quality Israeli produce, cultural design, and Israeli innovation, meet the staff of an Israeli cocktail 'start-up' and see how they translate this into amazing cocktails. Cocktails are mixed with Israeli alcohol, fruit in season, and wrapped into the Israeli story. You’ll have a chance to learn to mix the drinks as well.

• Dinner in small groups at various restaurants (Not included) - Spread out in Tel Aviv's many restaurants and play restaurant critic! Be prepared to review your meal for the rest of the group the next day.

• Carlton, Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Israel Story- Ancient Land, Modern Stories - Meet the creators of the radio show that took Israel and the diaspora by storm. Through curating and broadcasting stories, Israel Story uses the power of storytelling to expand the circle of those engaged with Israel. They have as their goals to promote greater awareness of and interest in the complexities of modern Israeli society. They strive to combat stereotypes by showcasing the country’s rich human tapestry and telling the story of a diverse, more nuanced, Israel.

• The Association for Urban Farming - Visit an urban garden in a school for children of Asylum Seekers - a project of the Association for Urban Farming, a non-profit organization based in Tel Aviv that promotes urban agricultural infrastructure in cities around the world. The association sponsors programs throughout the city, including urban gardening in schools and commercial centers.

• Walking and tasting tour of Jaffa - Visit Jaffa's historic and legendary eateries while taking in Jaffa's streets and history.

• Free time with option to visit Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - Nachalat Binyamin, an open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market is comprised of over 100 stands representing specialty crafts and folk art in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, sand, glass, ceramics, and various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

• Before the final dinner stroll through the Carmel Market

• Final dinner at HaBasta - Small but perfectly formed, HaBasta is located on a street leading off Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, from where almost all its produce is sourced. An extensive daily changing menu is scribbled on a piece of paper on the wall. The dishes, while simple, are satisfyingly complex in execution. You will be greeted by Maoz Alonim, chef and owner.

• Transfer to the airport