Jewish National Fund PRESIDENT S SOCIETY MISSION May 19 23, 2019 Jerusalem Pre-Mission: May 17 19 Chair Ron Werner Professional Glen Schwartz Tour Guide Issy Herzog
Jerusalem Pre-Mission Friday, May 17 Arrival / Jerusalem Welcome to Israel! Upon individual arrivals, meet your arranged transfer and head to your hotel in Jerusalem. Enjoy an opening Shabbat dinner at the hotel with a special scholar in residence. Orient Hotel, Jerusalem Jerusalem
Jerusalem Pre-Mission Saturday, May 18 Shabbat in Jerusalem Following a delicious Israeli buffet breakfast at the hotel, join a dynamic discussion with the scholar in residence. Spend the rest of the morning on a comprehensive walking tour of Jerusalem s Old City. Explore the Jewish and Christian Quarters in all of their history and wonder. Begin at the Southern Wall Excavations to see the original steps that lead to the Temple Mount. Walk through the colonnaded streets of the Cardo that was Jerusalem s main street over 2,000 years ago. Visit the Kotel and experience its unique atmosphere of prayer and contemplation. Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher believed to be the location of Christ s crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Explore the exotic Arab Shuk (market), home to shops selling everything from handmade jewelry and exotic scarves to hookahs and ceramics. Enjoy lunch in the area. As the sun sets, mark the end of Shabbat by participating in the ritual of Havdalah. Recite the blessings, sing the prayers and learn about the role of spices in the service. Enjoy the rest of the evening as you choose, experiencing Jerusalem at your own pace. Orient Hotel, Jerusalem Shuk in Jerusalem s Old City
Jerusalem Pre-Mission (Main Mission Starts in Evening) Sunday, May 19 Jerusalem After breakfast at the hotel, explore some of Jerusalem s magical neighborhoods on foot to learn about the unique history, culture, socio-economic make-up, and atmosphere of each. Enjoy lunch on your own in one of Jerusalem s local restaurants. This evening, your journey will officially commence with a welcome dinner at a local restaurant with a guest speaker. Orient Hotel, Jerusalem Jerusalem s Yemin Moshe neighborhood
Monday, May 20 Jerusalem Inside the Knesset Following breakfast at the hotel, spend the morning with LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible, a one of-a-kind organization that enables people with special needs to maximize their enjoyment of nature through outdoor activities, unique educational opportunities, and comprehensive field trips. Explore some of the accessible nature sites in the Jerusalem area and participate in an interactive activity. Continue to Mount Herzl to see the new Smart Wall. This facility offers experiential and interactive learning using a multiple touch-screen array with a stunning range of animated films. Delve into current Israeli issues in the fields of religion, Zionism, society, environment and immigration, and examine Herzl s vision in light of the reality of today s Israel. Following lunch, proceed to Ammunition Hill, site of the major Six-Day War battle that led to the reunification of Jerusalem. Walk through the battlegrounds and bunkers, follow the footsteps of the soldiers who fought there, and tour the new state-of-theart Six-Day War Museum. Continue with the JNF Wall of Honor and Remembrance Hall. Experience democracy in action by visiting the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) with Dov Lipman, a Nefesh B Nefesh oleh who served as a member of the Knesset between 2013-2015. Discuss the roles and responsibilities of Knesset members and committees, and learn how the Knesset s parliamentary work affects the daily lives of Israeli citizens. Enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening at your leisure. Orient Hotel, Jerusalem
Tuesday, May 21 Negev After breakfast and hotel check-out, depart south to Moshav Lakhish in the northern Negev for a program with HaShomer HaChadash, a volunteer organization dedicated to safeguarding the land in the Negev and the Galilee. Hear an overview and meet with young leaders who will discuss how HaShomer upholds the Zionist ideals on which the State of Israel was founded. Continue to Be er Sheva and participate in a program with the local MAKOM Community. MAKOM communities see the strengthening of the social fabric of Israel as their mission. They are led by groups of young people who move to underprivileged parts of the country and empower those places from within through a variety of projects involving employment, culture and education. JNF works with the local MAKOM community to help develop the region. Enjoy lunch in the area. Drive to Mitzpe Ramon and check into the luxurious Beresheet Hotel. Set on the cliffs of the Ramon Crater it offers a breathtaking desert view. Enjoy dinner in the main dining hall at the hotel this evening. Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon HaShomer HaChadash volunteers
Wednesday, May 22 Mitzpe Ramon (Lag Ba Omer) Mitzpe Ramon Crater Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and depart to the town of Mitzpe Ramon, where you ll visit the JNF Skate Park. Continue to the Mitzpe Ramon Fire Station, a JNF initiative that helps ensure the safety and security of local residents and the surrounding region, and learn about the progress of Israel s firefighting and rescue efforts. Enjoy lunch and free time at the local Spice Quarter, a developing area in Mitzpe Ramon with various cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. Return to the hotel and indulge in an optional spa treatment, take a dip in the hotel pool or simply relax in the hotel s tranquil atmosphere. Experience an exhilarating jeep ride through the Ramon Crater. Discover the spectacular landscapes and hidden treasures of this unique geological phenomenon. Enjoy a special Desert Style dinner under the stars together with the young members of the Green Horizons (Hugey Sayarut), an educational program that cultivates the love of hiking among Israeli youth. Participate in a stargazing activity and get as close as you can to outer space in a way only possible in the dark desert night. Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon
Thursday, May 23 Departure Following breakfast and hotel check-out depart to the spectacular Avdat National Park. Tour Avdat, an ancient Nabatean city, that served as a station on the Incense Route in the Negev highlands. Among the remains of the city you can find potteries and Roman burial caves, along with a Byzantine period residential neighborhood, rainwater harvesting system, the town s fortress, baths and wineries. Depart to Halutza located in the Northwest Negev, less than a mile away from the Gaza border. Halutza was founded in 2005 by a group of families that left their homes during Israel s disengagement from Gaza. In cooperation with JNF, Halutza s pioneers laid roads, created infrastructure, brought in temporary housing, erected hundreds of greenhouses, planted crops and built fields of solar energy panels. Led by Yedidya Harush, JNF-Halutza Liaison, see Halutza s greenhouses and the stateof-the-art Medical Center. The new 24 hour medical center provides an expanded range of services and timely response for residents in the surrounding area. During a catered lunch, local residents will share with you their personal stories of settling in the area. Visit the Eshkol Resilience Center, one of ITC s (Israel Trauma Coalition) five Resilience Centers located near the Gaza border. Hear from Michal Uziyahu, of the Eshkol Regional Council, about the center s work; how it treats people suffering from anxiety and posttraumatic stress, and how it supports parents, children, and staff from villages and kibbutzim in the area. Learn about the ongoing JNF campaign to help residents of the Gaza Envelope region. Our journey concludes with a farewell dinner before transferring to Ben-Gurion Airport for return flights to the U.S. Advat National Park