JCC Boarding Pass Travel itineraries for special interest trips
Give your members the gift of travel to one of the world’s most beautiful, fascinating, and surprising places. Give them an Israel they never imagined. JCC Boarding Pass, JCC Association’s new travel program, designs specific trips for your JCC members, based on their interests. You can spend days exploring Israel’s vibrant art scene, or you can eat your way through the variety of cuisines that contribute to Israel’s new foodie culture. Israel has one of the most diverse environments in the world and is a leader in green technology. Find out more on your customized natural-wonder journey. Learn what’s really behind the sound bites you hear on cable news. From politics to spirituality, a JCC Boarding Pass trip can introduce your JCC membership to an Israel they’ve never seen or imagined. Your JCC’s trip may focus on any one of a variety of topics such as archaeology, fitness, Middle Eastern cuisine or healing, or might appeal to a specific group such as interfaith families, GLBT, or hikers and bikers. Any one of the following itineraries can be tweaked to include special outings or encounters. We can design a trip that’s perfect for you. Why should JCCs offer Israel travel opportunities to their members? Travel is one of the most rewarding experiences your members can have in a group, and Israel is a great destination. These are not your grandfather’s trips to Israel—Israel in the twenty-first century is an astonishingly diverse, vibrant society, a true crossroads of the world. Ancient and modern, Israel awakens aspects of Jewish identity your members didn’t know they had. Do it for them, do it for the JCC, do it for the Jewish community.
Israel Behind the Headlines If you’re curious about Israeli politics or already a seasoned Israeli political junkie, Israel Behind the Headlines will provide crucial context to allow you to see beyond the spin. Depart USA Day 1 – Monday Welcome to Israel
Day 4 – Thursday Religion, Economy, and the Politics in Between Check out of hotel
Drive to Tel Aviv
Drive to Jerusalem
Shehecheyanu Check in
Tour the Old City. Three religions in one place; the conflict through the prism of religion
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Check in to hotel
Opening dinner
Day 2 – Tuesday One City, Two Cities, Multiple Stories The Jaffa narrative and the Tel Aviv narrative
The nexus of the economy and politics. Lecture and discussion with an expert Free evening and time to enjoy the city
Day 5 – Friday The Settlements
End the day at Ma’aleh Film School to view films dealing with these issues and meet with young directors
Day 8 – Monday Divisions of Space Tour of the security barrier and checkpoints Visit On the Seam Museum, a sociopolitical contemporary art museum Meeting with representatives of ACRI (Association of Civil Rights in Israel) and with representatives of YESHA council (Judea, Samaria and Gaza settlers council) to talk about the fence The conflict in the media – lecture and discussion with journalist
Tour of Jaffa to Tel Aviv, including the city hall and a visit with local residents, then the Hall of Independence, and Beit Ha’ir, the old municipal building renovated into a museum and contemporary culture center
Drive to Gush Etzion
End with discussion led by prominent settler leader
End the day with a lecture and discussion about Tel Aviv, religion and reality, with a panel that includes a prominent Israeli author and an academic scholar.
Day 9 – Tuesday Initiatives and Solutions— Looking at Hopeful Enterprises
Drive back to Jerusalem
Drive to Tel Aviv
Welcome Shabbat as a group
Initiatives and solutions – looking at hopeful enterprises
Meet with residents of different settlements in the area, each with a different point of view
Optional walk to synagogues or Kotel Friday night dinner
Day 3 – Wednesday The Northern Border
Day 6 – Shabbat
Drive north to the Golan Heights
Morning to rest
Stop at the ancient archeological site of Tzipori to learn about sovereignty and minorities in the rabbinic times
Architecture and gallery tour, looking at the visual aspects of the conflict in art by Israeli and Palestinian artists
Meet with soldiers, army officials, and residents of the Golan to hear about the issues affecting the north
OR
Short hike in the Golan/and a visit to a winery
Free evening/cultural event
Meet members of the Druze community, including army veterans,and learn about their traditions and relationship with the state of Israel
Day 7 – Sunday How Memories Shape the Present
Check in to hotel
The changing face of Jerusalem: tour with photographer Yoram Amir
History, memory, and the way it shapes the present Visit Yad Vashem for a new look at Holocaust memory
2
Guided visit to Mount Herzel
JCC Boarding Pass
1. visit bilingual school in Tel Aviv 2. visit the Jewish-Arab community center in Jaffa 3. meet with bereaved family forum 4. meet with hip-hop group of Jews and Arabs in Jaffa Time in the city for shopping, eating and enjoying Tel Aviv Closing dinner Drive to airport
Day 10 – Wednesday Arrive in USA
A Taste of Israel Israel is emerging as a food and wine destination. Open your mind to Israel’s unique culinary fusions, and your palate to acclaimed Israeli wines. Mamash ta’im! Depart USA Day 1 – Monday Welcome to Israel Drive to Tel Aviv Shehecheyanu The first bite: opening dinner and framing the trip
Day 4 – Thursday Jewish and Arab Perspectives in a Mixed City
Day 8 – Monday Natural Resources and Social Action
Check out of hotel
Drive to Rechovot to meet and volunteer with Leket, Israel’s national food bank
Drive to Nazareth for guided tour, with time to enjoy the market and restaurants Drive towards Jerusalem
Check in
Visit Tzora Winery for tour and tasting
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Arrive in Jerusalem, check in Free evening
Day 2 – Tuesday Taste of Old and New
OR
Check out
OR
Israeli food—is there such a thing? An overview of Israeli society through its cuisine- lecture and discussion (hotel).
Cultural event
Drive north
Optional night bakery tour
Day 5 – Friday Mountain Air as Clear as Wine
Visit the ancient archeological site of Tzipori to hear about the food and culture of the rabbinic period
Tour of the Old City
Drive to Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel: lunch on your own on the way
Welcome Shabbat as a group with a Friday night dinner at hotel
Visit Jerusalem’s famous Machane Yehuda Market before Shabbat
Check in and rest Israeli spices workshop followed by dinner at hotel
Day 3 – Wednesday Mystical Aspects of Food Drive to Tzfat Tour the old city of Tzfat to learn about the relationship between Jewish mysticism and food, with time to enjoy the market Drive to the picturesque town of Rosh Pina for lunch on your own in one of the many restaurants
Day 6 – Shabbat Morning to rest Share your food stories in a group workshop
Continue to Tel Aviv Choose your track: • Meet the owners of Rothchild 69 Café and Gallery, the place where contemporary art meets coffee and wine • Meet with owner of an organic restaurant to find out more about organic food in Israel, and do some tasting Check in Free evening and dinner on your own
Day 9 – Tuesday Tel Aviv Stories Guided tour of Levinski market Visit Hall of Independence Time to enjoy Nachalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Fair and enjoy lunch on your own Festive closing dinner at Liliyot Restaurant, established by social entrepreneurs, the Liliyot Group Leave for airport
OR Visit the Israel Museum
Day 7 – Sunday History, Memory and the Way it Shapes the Present
Day 10 – Wednesday Arrive in USA
Visit Yad Vashem for a new look at Holocaust memory
Drive back to hotel to relax
Time to rest
Cooking session with famous Israeli chef Ilan Roberg at his restaurant, followed by dinner
Hands-on Moroccan cooking with Moroccan family at Beit Shemesh, followed by dinner
Special Interest Israel Itineraries
3
Israel Through an Artistic Lens The Holy Land has been a source of artistic inspiration for thousands of years. Discover today’s vibrant, prolific, and incredibly diverse Israeli art scene in this uniquely crafted itinerary. Depart USA Day 1 – Monday Welcome to Israel Drive to Jerusalem Shehecheyanu Opening dinner at Anna Ticho Art Museum Check in to hotel Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 2 – Tuesday Stage Set Jerusalem Setting the stage for the holy city: a tour of the Old City with actors from the Incubator Theatre of Jerusalem, followed by conversation at their home base about Jerusalem as a backdrop for theater. Lunch Drive to Israel Museum for guided tour of Jewish Life and Culture and Israeli Art wings. Time to enjoy the museum on your own. Free evening and dinner on your own Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 3 – Wednesday Collective Memory and Music Visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial museum, to learn about a project bringing young people closer to Holocaust memory through music, including meetings with some of the young musicians. Drive for lunch in Machane Yehuda market A tour of Jerusalem’s old neighborhoods with violinist Nitzan-Chen Razel to hear the music of Jerusalem’s different ethnicities and cultures. Go to the music club Yellow Submarine, for a performance followed by conversation about the contemporary music scene in Jerusalem and its unique style with the artist and/or owner of the club. Overnight: Jerusalem 4
JCC Boarding Pass
Day 4 – Thursday Jewish Mysticism and Visual Representations Check out of hotel Drive to Tzfat Tour the artist’s colony and synagogues of Tzfat and meet with a local artist Drive to Yiron for a tour and wine tasting at a private winery in the beautiful Galilee Mountains Drive to hotel, check in
Day 5 – Friday Mixed Media Tour Drive to Haifa Examine art in a mixed city. Meet with Muslim artist from Haifa Drive to Tel Aviv Welcome Shabbat as a group Optional Kabalat Shabbat with Beit Tefila Yisraeli, a young, independent secular minyan in Tel Aviv
Day 6 – Shabbat Morning to rest Architecture and gallery tour OR Tour of the current exhibition at Tel Aviv Museum Free evening/cultural event
Day 7 – Sunday Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv Visual art scene in Tel Aviv—examine social issues with Peila, a nonprofit organization offering an innovative approach to the production and exhibition of art. Peila’s agenda is based on interaction with the local communities and other nonprofits in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Studio visits Meet with artists of various media in their studios to hear about their work and living in Tel Aviv.
Choose three of the following tracks for your group: 1. visual art 2. music 3. dance 4. literature 5. theater End the day at print workshop Overnight: Tel Aviv
Day 8 – Monday Designing a Community Holon Design Museum Ganei sipur, story gardens – a unique initiative of the city of Holon in which parks are themed with Israeli children’s stories through sculptures created by prominent Israeli artists Meet with students from industrial-design department whose inventions were exported OR Meet with initiator and manager of Turning the Tables, a fashion-based program for women breaking out of prostitution Free evening and dinner on your own
Day 9 – Tuesday Israel’s Soles Visit Hall of Independence and meet with expert on Israeli dance Continue to Suzan Dallal Dance Center Meet with dance company followed by Gaga workshop, the innovative dance technique created by world famous Israeli dancer Ohad Naharin and now used in dance companies around the world Time on Nachlat Binyamin for shopping, eating and enjoying Tel Aviv Closing dinner Drive to airport
Day 10 – Wednesday Arrive in USA
Israel: Land of Natural Wonders If you are passionate about nature and the environment, Israel’s staggering natural beauty and vast ecological diversity are the attractions in this awe-inspiring trip. Depart USA Day 1 – Monday Welcome to Israel Drive up to Jerusalem through the forest road of Ein Karem Shehecheyanu on arrival at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory outlook
Day 4 – Thursday Genesis Country
Flight to Tel Aviv
Drive to Mitzpe Ramon
Free evening and dinner on your own
Hiking in the crater
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Arrive in Tel Aviv, check in
Cook your own lunch Evening – performance and workshop with Adama Dance Company in Mitzpe Ramon
Day 8 – Monday Urban spaces and Jewish nature
Opening dinner and orientation with tour educator at Tzipori, Jerusalem’s forest ecological center
Overnight: Mitzpe Ramon
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 5 – Friday The Desert Way
Hands-on meeting with environmentalist to volunteer at a community garden
Day 2 – Tuesday From City to Nature
Drive to Kibbutz Lotan
Lunch in the city Drive to Hiriya Recycling Park for guided tour with educator Jonathan Nero, Jewish Eco Seminars
Walk into the Old City through the Jaffa Gate to start guided walk through the Jewish and Christian Quarters of the Old City
Morning at Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (AIES), the premier environmental education and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s environmental challenges
Lunch on your own in town
Drive to Kibbutz Ktura
Drive to Ein Gedi Nature Preserve
Welcome Shabbat as a group with kibbutz members
Drive into Jerusalem
Evening guided tour of botanical garden with kibbutz member
Dinner at the kibbutz
Overnight: Ein Gedi
Overnight: Kibbutz Ktura
Day 3 – Wednesday The Magical Desert
Day 6 – Shabbat
Guided tour in the streets of Tel Aviv
Return to Tel Aviv for free evening/ cultural event Overnight: Tel Aviv
Day 9 – Tuesday “and grant dew and rain for blessing”
Morning tour of the Hai Bar Animal and Nature Reserve
Cycling along the Tel Aviv coast to talk about water issues in Israel, meeting with representative from Zalul, one of Israel’s leading environmental NGOs dedicated to protecting the seas and rivers
Time to rest
Lunch and time on your own
Evening, home hospitality with kibbutz members
Ending dinner
Day 10 – Wednesday
Time to swim in the Dead Sea
Day 7 – Sunday The Red Sea
Lunch
Drive to Eilat
Drive to Han Hashayarot, desert resort created in Bedouin style
Snorkel and meet with experts to learn about Red Sea environmental issues from the Eilat campus of Ben Gurion University
Early sunrise wake up and light breakfast Short walk around Ein Gedi, learning about the resources, challenges and accomplishments of the lowest place on earth End walk at Dead Sea
Jeep ride Traditional Bedouin dinner and discussion about Bedouin traditions and contemporary challenges Overnight: Han Hashayarot guest house
Drive to airport
Arrive in USA
Lunch Time to swim in the Red Sea and enjoy Eilat Special Interest Israel Itineraries
5
Israel: Body and Spirit For the more active traveler, the quintessential Israel sojourn with an emphasis on mind and body. This trip challenges you physically and rewards you spiritually. Depart USA
Lunch on track Drive to hotel and check in
Day 1 - Monday Welcome to Israel
Dinner on the shore of the Kinneret together with Etgarim
Arrive in Israel
Overnight: Kinneret area
Body and soul - yoga session on the beach or in the hotel, depending on weather Opening dinner and orientation with tour educator Overnight: Tel Aviv
Day 2 - Tuesday Tel Aviv, the rhythm and movement of the cultural capital of Israel Interactive tour of selected neighborhoods of the city Lunch Drive to Wingate Institute for workshop, tour of the campus and meeting with prominent Israeli sportsman/woman to learn about sports culture in Israel
Day 4 - Thursday Swim or Hike? Choose one: Swimming across the Kinneret. A challenging swim for the confident swimmer – tracks vary from 1.5 KM to 6 km and need to be determined prior to trip Hiking and rafting in the Golan Heights Evening - meet with families in the area for a home hospitality dinner. Overnight: Kinneret area
Day 5 - Friday Bike the Jerusalem Hills
Day 8 - Monday Low Altitude, Great Attitude Early sunrise wake up and light breakfast Climb Masada Tour of Masada to understand its role in Israeli society and the value of the body and life throughout the history of Israel Breakfast at the bottom of the mountain Meeting and discussion at Kibbutz Ein Gedi about the resources, challenges and accomplishments of the lowest place on earth.
Shehecheyanu upon arrival in Jerusalem Check in Welcome Shabbat as a group Friday night dinner at hotel Overnight: Jerusalem
Check out and drive north Learn about Etgarim, a nonprofit organization founded by a group of disabled Israel Defense Force veterans and rehabilitation experts to enable children, adolescents and adults with special needs to realize their optimum potential and to integrate within society through outdoor training
Day 6 - Shabbat
Short mixer
Overnight: Jerusalem
JCC Boarding Pass
Overnight: outdoors or at hotel [TBD by group prior to trip]
Bike ride in the Jerusalem hills ending at winery for visit and tasting
Optional walk to synagogue or Kotel
6
Drive to Judean Desert for activity and dinner under the stars
Time to float in the Dead Sea
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Hike Mount Tavor (or other hike in the area) with a group from Etgarim
Time to rest
Check out and drive to Jerusalem
Free evening
Day 3 - Wednesday Etgarim
Walk into the Old City through Jaffa Gate for guided walk through the Jewish and Christian Quarters of the Old City Lunch on your own in town
Shehecheyanu upon arrival in Israel Check in to the hotel
Day 7 - Sunday Evening in the Desert
Morning to rest and explore city on your own or attend synagogues Shabbat – a day of rest for body and mind. Meditation workshop followed by discussion with Free evening/cultural event
Drive back to Jerusalem Free evening Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 9 - Tuesday Bike the City Tour of contemporary Jerusalem by bike, including visit to Israel Museum and lunch on your own in the city Time to rest Ending dinner Drive to airport
Day 10 - Wednesday Arrive in USA
Israel Here & Now An unflinching look at contemporary Israel and the issues that concern Israelis today. JCC Association’s relationship with Israeli institutions allow for a unique insider perspective unavailable anywhere else. Depart USA Day 1 – Monday Welcome to Israel Shehecheyanu on arrival in Jerusalem at the Hass Promenade Opening dinner and orientation with tour educator Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 2 – Tuesday Jerusalem, City of Gold Guided walk through the Jewish and Christian quarters of the Old City Lunch on your own Guided tour of the Davidson Center archeology park and of the Rabbinic Tunnels at the Western Wall Time to explore the Old City on your own/rest The light and sound show at the David Tower in the Old City OR Contemporary Jerusalem by bike—a evening bike ride to see the wonders of the city ending in the center of town Dinner Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 3 – Wednesday Desert Stories Depart for the Dead Sea and Masada Ascend by foot up the ramp path for a guided visit to the extensive excavations of Herod’s fortress above the Dead Sea, including discussion about Masada as a strategy for Jewish survival, and the relevance of its messages today (descend by cable car) Swim in the Dead Sea at Mineral Beach Lunch Visit Kibbutz Ein Gedi botanical garden and meet with members of the kibbutz to speak about the beauty and challenges of living in the desert
Drive back to Jerusalem Free evening and dinner on your own
Day 4 – Thursday Personal and Collective Histories and Memories The changing understanding of the Holocaust in Israeli Society - lecture and discussion Guided visit to Yad Vashem, holocaust museum Lunch on your own Time to rest Dinner at JCC Association Israel Office followed by “My Jerusalem” – meeting with and hearing from three citizens of Jerusalem from three different generations OR Dinner at JCC Association Israel Office followed by a meeting with young film director and viewing selected short films from the Ma’aleh Orthodox Film School Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 5 – Friday Contemporary Jerusalem – Art and Culture Guided visit to the tastes and smells of Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem vegetable market OR Guided visit to selected exhibitions at the newly renovated Israel Museum Lunch on your own and free time on Ben Yehuda street mall or Mamila Mall Time to rest Welcoming Shabbat as a group Optional walk to synagogues for Kabbalat Shabbat Friday night dinner at hotel Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 6 – Shabbat Optional Shabbat morning services or free morning Shabbat lunch at hotel Guided walk through Yemin Moshe, the first neighborhood to be built outside Jerusalem’s walls with reading of Jerusalemite poet, Yehuda Amichai Havdallah Dinner on your own Israeli cultural event Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 7 - Sunday Continuity and Change Check out of hotel Drive to Neot Kedumim Biblical Nature Reserve, located in the area of the Maccabim Caves, for guided tour to look at the connection between the Bible and the land. Travel north Lunch (on your own) on way in the picturesque town Zichron Ya’akov Arrive in Haifa Meeting and discussion about the Israeli Arab population in the mixed city of Haifa Dinner at hotel Over night: Haifa
Day 8 - Monday Historical and Contemporary Tel Aviv Guided visit of the Bahai Gardens Drive to Tel Aviv Visit to Hall of Independence Free time to enjoy Nachalat Binyamin art and craft fair Lunch Interactive tour of selected nighborhoods of Tel Aviv with emphasis on history and contemporary culture
Special Interest Israel Itineraries
7
Israel Here & Now cont’d Check in to hotel Time to rest Free evening and dinner on own Overnight: Tel Aviv
Day 9 - Tuesday Contemporary Israel Putting the Pieces Together Contemporary issues in Israeli society, meeting with Israeli journalist or educator Visit Save a Child’s Heart, a program
providing life-saving heart treatments to children from all around the world, including Arab countries OR The choice is made by the group leader at stage of planning when there is a clearer understanding of who the participants are Meeting and conversation with Israeli artist/musician/writer/dancer (TBD prior to program) Lunch on your own and free time Wrap up: Taking Israel home
Paula L. Sidman Chair Allan Finkelstein President & CEO Leah Garber Vice-President, JCC Association Israel Office
520 Eighth Avenue | New York, NY 10018 tel: 212-532-4949 | fax: (212) 481-4174 | www.jcca.org Israel Office Solomon & Mary Litt Building 12 Moshe Hess Street | Jerusalem, 94185, ISRAEL tel: 011-972-2-625-1265 | fax: 011-972-2-624-7767
Closing dinner Drive to airport
Day 10 - Wednesday Arrive in USA