Leadership Mission to Israel Itinerary October 21-26, 2018
SUNDAY, OCT 21
2:00 p.m. OPTIONAL: How Jewish Identity - and the question of Jewish pluralism in Israel - has become a political issue? Visit to the BINA campus in south Tel Aviv The bus will leave from the Dan Panorama Hotel lobby at 2:00 PM.
4:30 p.m. Return to the hotel
6:20 p.m. Depart hotel for the Institute for National Security Studies
7:30 p.m. A Regional Overview on the Challenges Facing the State of Israel with Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, Director of INSS and Former Ambassador Daniel Shapiro, INSS Distinguished Visiting Fellow. Dinner will be served
Briefing on the challenges facing Israel internally and in the region with specific focus on the situation in Gaza and the disconnect between Israeli’s and the American Jews.
9:00 pm Return to the hotel
OVERNIGHT: DAN PANORAMA HOTEL, TEL AVIV
MONDAY, OCT 22
Breakfast in the hotel
7:00 – 7:30 a.m. Shuttle Bus to the GA in the Tel Aviv Fair Grounds
GA 2018 in Tel Aviv
Participation in JFNA/GA 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. GA Plenary 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Breakout groups 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Lunch 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Break-out groups
5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Koolulam Under the Stars Become part of a powerful, multi-generational, multi-national, chorus of thousands — when you raise your voice alongside the future wave of Jewish leaders during our joint Koolulam event with Masa Israel Journey and Jewish Agency participants. All of this will be against the background of Tel Aviv’s beautiful HaYarkon Park.
Dinner on own
OVERNIGHT: DAN PANORAMA HOTEL, TEL AVIV
TUESDAY, OCT 23
Breakfast in the hotel
7:00 – 7:30 am Shuttle bus to the GA in the Tel Aviv Fair Grounds
Morning at GA 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Plenary
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Meeting with Representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs including Akiva Tor, Head, Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions, on the Rooftop
Grab you lunch in the Fair Grounds
1:00 p.m. Depart for the Knesset
2:15 p.m. Security check in the Knesset – (bring your government passport)
2:30 p.m. JCPA Knesset Meetings Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union)
6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Join GA Knesset Event (GA Participants only)
8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Option to return to Tel Aviv or Stay in Jerusalem
10:00 – 11:15 p.m. Buses Return from Mamilla to Tel Aviv
OVERNIGHT: DAN PANORAMA HOTEL, TEL AVIV
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24
Breakfast in the hotel
7:00 a.m. Check-out of hotel/meet in lobby with luggage to store in JCPA bus
7:15 – 7:30 a.m. Shuttle bus to the GA in the Tel Aviv Fair Grounds
8:30 AM Attend Beating Back BDS: Why Does it Matter on the Rooftop
9:45 – 10:15 Meet with Tzahi Gavrieli from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
11:00 – 12:30 Plenary
Grab your lunch and meet the bus
12:45 p.m. Depart Tel Aviv for the Gaza region
1:45 p.m. Visit to Gaza Border with Col. Grisha Yakubovich The Story of Gaza Strip, a 360 Degree View of the Security Issues, Civil Issues, and Life in Gaza and the challenges it poses to the relative “Players.”
5:00 p.m. Animal Assisted Therapy Center, Sderot Talia Levanon, Director of the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC)
6:00 p.m. Travel to Jerusalem
7:15 p.m. Check-into hotel
8:30 p.m. Dinner on own (St. Louis will have a group dinner/others welcome.)
OVERNIGHT: LEONARDO BOUTIQUE HOTEL, JERUSALEM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
Breakfast in the hotel
8:30 a.m. Depart hotel for the Supreme Court
9:00 a.m. IRAC's religion and state struggles in the Supreme Court Orly Erez-Likhovski, IRAC Director of the Legal Department
10:15 a.m. Travel to JFNA-Israel office
10:45 a.m. Status of Young Israeli Adults: Challenges and Opportunities Boaz Rakocz, Founder and CEO of The Whistle - Independent and Accurate Media for Israel (NGO)
11:45 a.m. Meet with Faith-Based Leaders Dr. Sarah Bernstein, Executive Director, Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue and Fr. David Neuhaus sj, formerly the Patriarchal Vicar for Hebrew-Speaking Catholics and lecturer on Judaism at the Latin Patriarchate Seminary in Bet Jala.
12:45 p.m. Lunch
1:45 p.m. Update on Asylum Seekers Situation in Israel Tamara Newman, Hotline for Refugees and Migrants and Usumain Baraka, an Asylum Seeker from Darfur
3:00 p.m. Proceed to HUC
3:45 p.m. Issues of Pluralism, Discrimination, Inclusion, the growing rift with North American Jews Rabbi Na’ama Kelman, Dean, Hebrew Union College
5:00 p.m. Proceed to the StandWithUs Israel Education Center
5:15 p.m. Meet with Mohammad Zoabi
6:15 p.m. Return to the hotel
7:45 p.m. Depart hotel on foot for Anna Restaurant
8:00 p.m. The Contentious Nation State Bill and Climate in Israel Dinner will be served Avivit Hai, Program Director, Israel, Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, Rawnak Natour and Ron Gerlitz, co-directors of Sikkuy
OVERNIGHT: LEONARDO BOUTIQUE HOTEL, JERUSALEM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26
Breakfast in the hotel
7:30 a.m. Check out
7:40 a.m. Depart hotel for Beit Ben Yehuda
8:00 a.m. Tour of “Life in Jerusalem today focusing on the future of the relationship between Jews and Arabs in Israel.” Two years ago Eliezer Yaari started producing a documentary film about Dr. Tariq Abu Hammed, a chemist from Sur Baher who wanted to move to Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava. The production of the film was completed only a week ago (mid-August 2018); and the film will be premiered at the New York Film Festival in early November.
At Beit Ben Yehuda we will watch the film together, where Eliezer will be available for Q&A. For preview click here.
Depart Beit Ben Yehuda for Kibbutz Ramat Rachel where Eliezer will provide an overview of Sur Baher, an Arab village adjacent to Jerusalem’s southern border, and then enter the village to meet with Ramadan Dabash in the Village Community Center; Mr. Dabash is running in the election for the Jerusalem municipality on Oct 30th. Eliezer will also ask Dr. Abu Hammad, the main character of the movie, to join the meeting.
12:00 p.m. Return to your hotel
12:30 p.m. Closing Lunch