HLS Israel Trip – Spring Break 2017
JLSA’s annual spring break trip to Israel is a 9 to 10-day adventure designed by Harvard Law students for Harvard Law students. Participants will experience the state firsthand, exploring its wonders and complexities. The trip will include visits to major historical, religious and cultural sites throughout Israel, as well as specialized activities focusing on legal, political and security issues. We will hear from speakers with a variety of different perspectives. The trip is not designed to advance any particular position beyond Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish democracy within secure and recognized borders. Please understand that we will be exploring past and current political conflicts within Israel from multiple perspectives on the trip, our focus is broader, as we hope to provide a more comprehensive picture of Israel as a whole.
The 9 or 10-day trip is the 9th annual HLS trip, and will take place from Wednesday, March 8 or Thursday March 9 to Sunday, March 19, 2017. There will also be an orientation a few weeks before the trip, and there may also be some group activities before and after the trip.
All current Harvard Law students, including students of all faiths, are encouraged to apply. Non-HLS spouses are not eligible to join.
Itinerary:
The itinerary is still being finalized. Highlights from past years have included:
Touring the Old City of Jerusalem Hiking Masada and floating in the Dead Sea Meeting with a Supreme Court Justice Visiting Nazareth and other major Christian sites in the Galilee Experiencing Tel Aviv’s legendary beaches and nightlife Meeting with Members of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Touring an Israeli Air Force base Experiencing an Israeli Kibbutz Seeing the Sea of Galilee Wine tasting and dinner at an Israeli winery Meeting with well known Israeli speakers, including Ari Shavit Meeting with Israeli Arabs at an Arab Village.
Cost:
The trip is heavily subsidized by donors. We continue to seek outside funding, and in the past few years we have been able to reduce the cost of the trip to approximately $1,000 per participant. This cost includes round-trip international airfare, hotel lodging, transportation, some meals (all breakfasts, some lunches and dinners) and nearly all organized activities. However, the final cost to each participant is not guaranteed at this time, and there is a chance that participants might have to pay up to $1,250 if outside funding is insufficient or if flight prices rise substantially. If you would like to go but have financial concerns about the trip, please let us know. The full $1,000 payment will be required to secure your place on the trip. Note that this deposit is generally due around winter break, but again, if there are particular financial concerns, we have a degree of flexibility.
In most cases, the deposit is non-refundable, however if extenuating circumstances arise and someone takes the empty spot on the trip, a partial refund might be arranged through the Dean of Students Office.
Security:
Israel is a modern country visited by millions of tourists every year. We have run this trip for a number of years without incident. Our experienced travel agency and tour guide monitor the latest developments in Israel and review the security recommendations of the Israeli and U.S. governments throughout the trip. We will make changes to the itinerary if necessary. If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact the trip directors at [email protected].
Selection Criteria:
The HLS Israel Trip typically receives far more applications than there are spots. While we can’t accept everyone, anyone not accepted will be placed on a waitlist. Since the deadline to commit to the trip is fairly early, we expect some movement of the waitlist before winter break.
Applicants are selected by a small group of trip leaders and advisors. We aim to select a diverse group of Harvard Law students, including people of different religions and nationalities and with varied life experiences. JDs, LLMs and all other HLS students are eligible to apply. A degree of preference is given to those who have assumed leadership roles of any kind on or off campus, those who have demonstrated an interest in pursing careers in politics, public policy or diplomacy, those who have not spent very much time in Israel, and those with strong statements of interest. Some preference may also be given to graduating students (3Ls and LLMs) and to students who applied to the trip last year but were not selected (please note in your application if this is the case)..
While these numbers ultimately depend upon the applications, we expect about 10 1Ls, 11 2Ls, 14 3Ls, and 10 LLMs and SJDs to participate on this year’s trip.
We encourage everyone to apply!
Contact:
Please feel free to contact the trip directors at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. HLS Israel Trip – Spring Break 2017
Instructions: 1. Fill out the application. (All fields are required unless otherwise indicated.) 2. Save this document with your name in the file name. 3. E-mail your application and resume to [email protected] by Sunday, November 20, 2016.
1. Personal Information
Preferred Name: Email Address: Cell Phone Number: HLS Year (1L/2L/3L/LLM/SJD): What country or countries are you from? (OPTIONAL)
What is your religious affiliation (if any) and do you consider yourself religious? (OPTIONAL)
2. Brief Statement of Interest
Please briefly explain (275 words max.) why you are interested in participating in this trip and what you hope to gain from the experience.
3. Resume
Please include a current resume with your application.
4. Travel Profile
Note: Information provided in this section may be shared for trip purposes only with the Dean of Students Office, our travel provider, security personnel, the Israeli consulate and others directly involved in logistical planning of the trip. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Full Name (as it appears on passport, including middle name): Passport Number: Passport Expiration Date: Passport Country of Issue: Gender (M/F): Date of Birth (month/day/year): Emergency Contact (name, phone number, relationship): Have you ever been to Israel before? If so, when, why, for how long, and with whom?
Note: the following questions are required to expedite the security process with the Israeli Embassy. The answers should not affect chances of acceptance to the trip.
Please list any countries in the Middle East, South/West Asia, and North Africa that you have traveled to in the past five (5) years. Please also list any stamps/visas on your passport from any of these countries. If you are uncertain whether a country qualifies, please list it. The Israeli government often requests this information (and the below information), but such travel is rarely an issue.
Have you ever been to territories that were or are under full or partial control of the Palestinian Authority (such as Ramallah and Bethlehem) or Hamas (i.e., Gaza)? If so, when, why, and with whom?
Have you ever been to Egypt, Jordan, or Turkey? If so, when, why, and with whom?
Have you ever been to a country that does not have diplomatic relations with the State of Israel? 1 If so, when, why, and with whom?
1 These countries are: Abkhazia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Nagorno-Karabakh, Nicaragua, Niger, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Sahrawi Republic, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Somaliland, South Ossetia, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Yemen. 5. Health and Dietary Issues
This trip often involves moderate physical activity, such as light hiking and a lot of walking. Would those portions of the trip present any problems for you?
Do you have any other health conditions that we should know about? (If so, please describe.)
Do you require kosher food? (If so, would you be comfortable eating in a vegetarian restaurant in Israel without a hashgacha? Do you require any special hashgacha?)
Do you have any restrictions related to chickpeas (falafel, hummus, etc.)?
Do you have any other dietary restrictions that we should know about (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, food allergies, etc.)? (If so, please describe.)
6. Logistics and Other Matters
We hope and expect that the trip will cost $1,000 per participant, but this is not guaranteed. Are you committed to participating even if the final cost is $1,250?
We are booking group flights and double rooms for trip participants. Will you need special travel or room accommodations (e.g. single room)? If so, please describe. May involve extra cost – in the past, single supplement has been around $800.
Do you intend to enroll in the Spring Negotiation Workshop or any other HLS classes that might not allow you to be absent on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 11, or at any point on Thursday, March 12 or Friday, March 13?
Is this your first time applying to the HLS Israel Trip?
If you are selected to participate in the trip, we may provide you with a book in advance of our travels. Do you prefer the hardcover or Kindle edition? If you prefer the Kindle edition, to what e-mail address should we send the book?
Anything else we should know?