St. Louis Rubin Israel Experience

Sample Itinerary

PLEASE NOTE: This is a sample draft itinerary for the Rubin Israel Experience. Items and times may change due to availability and schedules. This sample draft itinerary is designed to give you an idea of some of the sort of activities you can anticipate.

Day One: Monday

10:15 am Shalom! Arriving in Israel, you have personally created another link in the living bridge between the Diaspora and Israel. For the next few days you will travel to new places, see new faces and experience a feeling that somehow this is all familiar. Baruch HaBa - welcome!!

Neot Kedumim , the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel, is a living museum of Israel's "green archeology"; a unique endeavor to re-create the physical setting of the Bible in all its depth and detail. Far more than a "garden" showing various biblical plants, Neot Kedumim embodies the panorama and power of the landscapes that helped shape the values of the Bible and provided a rich vocabulary for expressing them. The Bible conveys its ideas not in abstract terms, but through a clear and vivid record of long human interaction with the land of Israel. Neot Kedumim draws on a variety of disciplines -- such as Bible scholarship, botany, zoology, geography, history, and archaeology -- to bring the Bible and its commentaries to life.

The Shehecheyanu prayer reminds us that it is God who grants us the privilege of giving us new experiences and the ability to savor new things. For some of us, being in Israel is a new experience; others have been here before. But, each time one returns to Eretz Yisrael, one thanks God for being allowed to be here. Plant a tree in the Land of Israel, creating your personal, permanent link to Eretz Yisrael and helping to build its future with your own two hands. Our tradition teaches: If you are about to plant a tree in Israel and the Messiah arrives, finish planting the tree, and then go out to greet the Messiah.

Lunch at Neot Kedumim

Proceed to Tel Aviv

Segways along the Tel Aviv seafront promenade to Jaffa

Check-in hotel

Dinner with lone soldiers. In the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), a lone soldier is defined as a serviceman or woman without parents in Israel. Lone soldiers serve in regular units and receive various forms of support from the IDF, Israeli government ministries and other organizations. Their exact number fluctuates over time, but is consistently in the thousands. They are generally either overseas Jews volunteering in special programs, or recently arrived new immigrants The most represented countries of origin were Russia and the United States.

There’s Nothing Like Jaffa At Night: Middle Eastern smells, the frenetic mix of old and new, Levantine culture flavored with Europe: The city of Jaffa is linked directly to Tel Aviv by a common municipal government, but the ancient port city is worlds away from the modern metropolis of Tel Aviv. The oldest seaport in the world — the “Bride of the Sea,” as it was once called — Jaffa is home to a vibrant multiethnic community of Muslims, Christians and Jews. It was once conquered by Napoleon, and more recently visited by Hollywood celebrities. Absolutely one of the most pleasurable attractions of Jaffa is a moonlit tour through the old city’s lanes, via the Greek monastery and the Abu Nabbut Mosque; look across the port at night, and learn about its travelers.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Day Two: Tuesday, October 13 2015

Breakfast and Briefing: Jewish Telegraphic Agency Israel correspondent Ben Sales will speak to us on: “Israel Today”

In 1909, 66 families came together on the desolate sand dunes by the coast of the Mediterranean to build a modern city. Where others saw a barren wasteland, these pioneers recognized the limitless potential of where they stood. Guided by their entrepreneurial spirit, these families founded Tel Aviv: Israel's first and largest commercial city. A little more than a century later, the original spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation imparted by Tel Aviv's founders continues to fuel this city today. Tel Aviv-Yafo is Israel's business and financial capital and the country's largest metropolitan area. The city is also the headquarters to one of the most prosperous and leading hi-tech industries in the world. Israel's start-up scene is unlike any other. It boasts a long-standing entrepreneurial community characterized by seasoned entrepreneurs and investors who serve as mentors to promising start-up founders. This, coupled with a local resource of world-class technological talent, perpetuates a globally networked ecosystem, making Tel Aviv the ideal city for startups and innovation.

Israel Start Up Nation – learn about Israel’s innovation and entrepreneurship by visiting a local start up.

Walking tour from Neve Tzedek to Rothschild Street.

The Zionist Start-Up: Creating a Jewish State Against All Odds. We arrive at Israel’s Independence House, located in what was one of the first homes in Tel Aviv and the private home of Meir Dizengoff, first mayor of Tel Aviv. On the 5th of 'Iyar, (May 14, 1948), the People's Council gathered to hear David Ben Gurion proclaim the establishment of the State of Israel.

Welcome to Nachalat Binyamin, a quaint open air market in the heart of downtown Tel-Aviv - A market which over the past two decades 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, various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

Lunch on own in Nachalat Binyamin.

Vibrant Tel Aviv: Street Art Walking Tour We will tour Tel Aviv’s most bohemian and upbeat neighborhood with a local Israeli artist and street-art expert to learn about contemporary Israeli culture thorough the writing on the wall, graffiti, bumper stickers and even painted garbage bins. The dynamic neighborhood of Florentine is considered today’s hub, filled with bars and fresh designers’ stores as well as artists’ workshops. Walking in those streets our participants get the opportunity to interact with the locals and truly FEEL what it means to be a young Israeli today. In recent years Tel Aviv has become Israel’s capital of urban art, and some street-art critics state that it is the second hottest spot in the world after Berlin, exceeding London and New York. In this tour we take the back streets and discover some of the latest, greatest and oldest examples of street art, graffiti & mural art.

5:30 pm Dinner on the Beach OR Optional (on own) The "Nalaga’at" Center, located in the Jaffa port in Tel Aviv and founded on the basic belief that every human being has the right to contribute to the society he lives in. currently employs some 70 people, most of whom are deaf, blind or deaf-blind. Thousands of people, from Israel and abroad have already visited the Center and enjoyed an exceptional artistic experience . This evening we will have dinner at Café Kapish, with its deaf/hearing imparied waiters and watch an emotional performance by the Deaf-Blind Acting Ensemble at the "Nalaga’at" Theater, The nightlife scene in Tel Aviv is famous across the globe. From around the world, people flock to cute hipster bars or excellent culinary oriented pubs and bars to clubs. Visit a selection of the best nightlife spots in Tel Aviv, the city that never sleeps.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Day Three: Wednesday

6:45 am Optional - Rooftop yoga

Breakfast Theme: St. Louis Jewish Federation and Israel: Remembering the Past, Living the Present and Building the Future Visit Orr Shalom, a therapeutic family group home setting that tries to meet the needs of abused and neglected children throughout Israel. Orr Shalom deals with kids who have been removed from their homes. They are unable to live with their families because of the abuse and neglect they have suffered. For those who are able to remain safe at home, Off Shalom provides a range of supportive services to children at risk and their families.

Proceed to Yokneam- Megiddo We travel to the St Louis Partnership Together region of Yokneam-Megiddo. The Jewish Agency's Partnership2gether Peoplehood Platform has become the paradigm for successfully partnering global Jewish communities directly with Israeli communities. P2G connects 450 Jewish and Israeli communities in 46 city-to-city and region-to-region Partnerships, engaging more than 350,000 participants each year in meaningful ongoing connections between Israelis and Jews around the world, through unique programs and one-on-one encounters.

Visit the “Magav” (Border Police) Salem check point and have lunch with the young men and woman serving in the Border Police. Meet with the commanders to learn briefing about the challenges of securing this area, the connections with the Palestinian Authorities, humanitarian programs and more.

**Time spent in Yokneam-Megiddo learning about the Partnership and getting to know the people of the region through a variety of activities possibly including:

Drive through the Megiddo Regional Biosphere and learn about Kibbutz and Moshav communal life in the of the 21st century.

SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF: Twenty years of partnership with St. Louis and Atlanta. Partnership briefing at the Yokneam Municipality building. Panel: Connecting the next generation to Israel and Partnership : St. Louis sponsored programs in the Yokneam- Megiddo region

Visit the Shvilim Center at Kibbutz Dalia. Roll up your sleeves, we have a “poike” dinner with foccacia to prepare.

Check into rooms at Zohar Badeshe (Splendor in the Grass), Kibbutz Dalia.

7:00 pm – Good Food, Good Wine, Good Company Dinner with Israeli young leadership of the region around the bonfire with Israeli wine.

Overnight: Kibbutz Dalia Day Four: Thursday

Breakfast

Tour of the kibbutz ( optional)

Leket Israel, gleaning at Moshav Nahalal Participate in a volunteer activity to benefit the needy through Project Leket. Its volunteers go into fields to pick and gather fruits and vegetables that were not collected during the commercial harvest. All of the collected produce is distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries, senior citizen centers, homeless shelters and other places serving those in need. Project Leket was inspired by the Torah, which states: When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. (Deuteronomy 24:19)

Kol Halev Pantry: Kol Halev assists 100 families in Yokneam-Megiddo. We will be picking vegetables and then prepare packages to be distributed to families in the region for Shabat.

Bait Cham An after school program for Yokneam’s most high risk children. A warm home away from home for these children, providing them a safe place, hot meal, enrichment and therapy. Engage in hands-on activities with the children and staff. Present birthday presents

Rest and Relax at Kibbutz Dalia

Home hospitality Get acquainted with a local family and enjoy a homemade dinner at their home.

Overnight: Kibbutz Dalia Day Five: Friday

Travel to Jerusalem

From the bus, we will tour the seam line area in the Sharon region at the narrowest strip of the State of Israel where Jewish cities and settlements are adjacent to Area A Palestinian towns and villages, such as Tul Karm, Kalkilya, etc. There was no real border between these two areas - a situation that enabled terrorists to infiltrate without hindrance. Learn about the challenges Israel is facing along this seam line and see the controversial security fence.

Arrive in Jerusalem

If you really want to get the feel for Jerusalem, Mahane Yehuda is the place to go. In this market place you can meet people of all nationalities, religions and ages. You can see foods and fruits of all colors, sizes and shapes. Friday at Mahane Yehuda is an extra special treat. Here you can sense that Shabbat is in the air. There is an added urgency to the shopping frenzy as shoppers look for the nicest and freshest in honor of the Sabbath. Things that you can be sure to see in people’s baskets are challot, wine, fruit, fish, and even aromatic leaves to be used in the Havdala ceremony at the end of Shabbat.

Today we tour Machane Yehuda with Ruth Yudkowitz, local chef and Machane Yehuda expert. Lunch on own. Then it's off to Ruth's home to actually cook our dinner with the produce we've bought.

Return to the hotel

5:00 pm Tour Jerusalem seeing how Jerusalem prepares for Shabbat.

Check-in hotel

"Shabbat Shalom U’Mevorach" It is considered a great mitzvah and responsibility to honor the Sabbath by lighting candles before sunset on Friday evening. This unique commandment is rich with meaning and purpose. In a world so full of darkness, the candles lit by Jews bring light, joy and holiness. A little light, our sages say, dispels much darkness. We perform the mitzvah of lighting the Shabbat candles as individuals who make up a community.

Shabbat dinner at the home of Ruti Yudkowitz .

Overnight: Jerusalem Day Six: Saturday

Briefing: The Socio-Religious Tapestry of Israel: Dilemmas and Developments. From the briefing, we will divide into smaller groups with a specially designed questionnaire for people to go into different local synagogues of Jerusalem and observe and analyze the multi- layered textures of Jewish worship in Jerusalem

Debriefing over picnic lunch.

Perspectives from Behind the Scenes” What is the concept of co-existence in the Jerusalem area? What is the geo-political structure of the city today? Gain a better understanding of these questions through a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem

As the sun sets and Shabbat draws slowly to a close, come together with your group to take part in Havdalah. Havdalah means separation. The Havdalah prayers mark the end of Shabbat thereby distinguishing it from the rest of the week. A multi-wicked candle is used to signify the "flames of fire". Fragrant spices are passed around in order to cheer us up with the last whiff of Shabbat as we leave it for our mundane activities and the wine we use flows over the rim of the cup, symbolizing the "overflowing blessing" we expect in the next week.

Dinner on own in Jerusalem

Overnight: Jerusalem Day Seven: Sunday

“Remember the past, live the present, and trust the future” - Abba Kovner

Breakfast

Proceed to the Dead Sea area

Atop a lone rock cliff at the western end of the Judean Desert lies Masada, combining natural beauty and deep meaning. Together, we will ascend and tour King Herod’s private fortress which, following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 BCE, became a base for a small band of Jewish zealots in revolt against the Romans. Although the rebels held their own, they were eventually overcome by siege, and according to historian Josephus, chose mass suicide over surrender. Masada has come to symbolize the fierce determination of the people of Israel, but its tragic history also raises questions about the price of freedom.

At 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. You can make this visit a high point by venturing into the waters for a “float”, swimming suspended by the high concentrations of salts and minerals.

A stark grandeur looms before as we travel through the desert in a safari vehicle/jeep or ATV. We will begin to understand the mysteries of this arid land and view the wildlife and vegetation unique to the region that has always served as a place of refuge and reflection.

In the Kana`im valley which is in the Judean desert between the city of Arad and ancient Masada lies Kfar Hanokdim. It is a green oasis shaded by palm trees and crowned with biblically inspired gardens. Walking into Kfar Hanokdim reveals a picturesque scene-Bedouin tents comfortably fitted with colorful rugs and mattresses; "divans" built from wood and local stone and decorated with carpets and fabrics woven from black goat's hair. Kfar Hanokdim, surrounded by the breathtaking views of the Judean desert, offers relaxed desert hospitality, a real break from daily life. Guests visiting the Kfar enjoy warm Bedouin hospitality accompanied by explanations of Bedouin life and culture.

Traditional Bedouin “Hafla” at Kfar Nokdim

Return to Jerusalem

Overnight: Jerusalem Day Eight: Monday

Breakfast

The mission of the Max Rayne Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel is to create a strong and inclusive society through integrated, bilingual schools and shared communities for Jews and Arabs by bringing together their children from kindergarten through high school along with people of all ages in shared communities. Hand in Hand aims to build viable partnership, peace, coexistence and equality.

The goals of the Jerusalem College of Technology are to supply highly skilled, professional manpower to build Israel’s high-tech industry; to deepen the Jewish knowledge of its students and provide opportunities for Jewish learning for those students who lack it; and to educate young people who will be future Jewish leaders in Israel and the Diaspora. As a result JCT is reaching out to students who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to enter these academic fields. The responsibility and challenge of the JCT to enable the academic education of young men and women from the Haredi community and their entrance into the workforce is one of the central issues facing contemporary Israel, key to its social and economic well-being. This morning at the JCT we will meet with faculty and students involved in a St. Louis supported program about job development for Haredi women.

Falafel Lunch

The Knesset, Israel's parliament, was named after “Haknesset Hagedolah,” the Great Assembly of the Second Temple period, and today stands as a symbol of both Jewish sovereignty and dedication to democracy. In lively, often heated, debates, its 120 elected members reflect the divergence of Israeli public opinion, legislate and oversee the workings of the government. This morning we are privileged to meet with MK(s)

Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust museum, presents a profoundly Jewish memorial of the Shoah. We will listen to survivors’ testimonies, view personal possessions belonging to victims, and examine state-of-the-art displays aimed at preserving the story of each of the six million victims. From its dramatic structure designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie – which cuts through the mountain in the form of a spike – to its powerful exhibits, such as the labyrinthine Valley of the Communities and the underground Children’s Memorial, Yad Vashem is an unforgettable place of tribute and remembrance.

Dinner

Overnight: Jerusalem Day 9: Tuesday

Breakfast and Check out

Tour City of David – Pass through the underground tunnels through which the city was conquered and residents fled. Go down to the hidden spring where kings were coronated. Walk in illuminated darkness through the water of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, where water has flowed since the time of the prophets. Join the mysterious, magical journey between ancient shafts, walls and fortresses at the City of David, the place where Jerusalem was born.

Throughout Jewish history, the conveying of our most profound spiritual truths has been done in different forms. Both divine communication to humanity and the passing on of our tradition through the generations have been through speech, words and texts, through visions, images and symbols. God sometimes spoke to our ancestors and sometimes communicated through extraordinary visions. But perhaps the most forceful form of communication has been when image, idea and speech have been combined to present a unified, unforgettable message. With the "Kol HaOt" team, we will explore the personal meaning of our journey using artist David Moss’ unique Akeidat Yitzhak scroll that translates the narrative of “Binding of Isaac” into emotive colors and symbols. We will look at the way the scroll transforms the characters and story line of the text into colors and symbols. We then divide into smaller groups for a hands-on project and translate our personal and group sojourn into a visual word-less story. Light lunch to be served

Rest of the afternoon at leisure or time for packing.

Farewell dinner at Café Itamar

Proceed to Ben Gurion International Airport