Illumination and Innovation - ATS Mission to Paris and Israel (Preliminary Itinerary: Program in formation - speakers and programming to be confirmed.) (as of 10/12/10)

Mission chairs: Susie and Scott Leemaster

SUNDAY, MAY 29

6:15 pm: Group flight: Continental # 56, departs Newark Airport (EWR).

MONDAY, MAY 30

7:45 am: Continental # 56 arrives at Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris at

Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Transfer to Le Grand Intercontinental Hotel.

Approximately 10:00 am arrive at the Le Grand Intercontinental Hotel. There will be a private hospitality room available upon arrival where brunch will be offered until 3:00 pm. Check in is at 3:00 pm.

You may use the hotel spa to freshen up and/or receive treatments. Please log on to their site at http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/hotel- features/amenities-services/paris-legrand or calling +33-1-40073696 or emailing [email protected] for information about their services or to book a treatment.

(For those arriving in Paris earlier or who prefer to check in immediately upon arrival, a limited number of rooms are being held from Friday night. All extra costs incurred will be at the responsibility of the participant.)

1:00 pm: Optional Sightseeing tours: (Return to the hotel by 3:00 pm)

Opera National de Paris Garnier – Designed by Charles Garnier for Napolean III in 1862, Paris’ opulent opera house took 13 years to complete. A range of styles from Classical to incorporates stone friezes and columns, statues and a green, copper cupola. The ornate interior has a Grand Staircase, mosaic domed ceiling over the Grand Foyer and an auditorium with a ceiling by Marc Chagall. (or) Musee de l’Orangerie – In the Tuileries stands this gem among galleries. It has an outstanding collection of art including Claude Monet’s exquisite Nympheas (1915-27) in which water lilies float amorphously on the canvas. The water lilies are displayed as the artist intended them to be – lit by sunlight in large oval galleries that evoke the shape of the garden ponds at his former Giverny estate. The renovated building, once the winter greenhouse for the Tuileries orange trees, also houses the art collections of two men, John Walter and Paul Guillaume, who are not connected to each other, except that they were both Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 2

married at different times to the same woman. The collection includes 24 Renoirs, 14 works by Cezanne and 11 paintings by Matisse. Also included are works by Rousseau, Picasso, Utrillo, Soutaine and Derain to name a few. (or) Active/Walking tour – explore Paris by foot – details to follow. Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 3

Monday, May 30 continued

5:20 pm: Meet in the hotel lobby for a prompt 5:30 pm departure for City Hall.

6:00 – 7:30 pm: Reception and tour at Hotel de Ville, City Hall, with the Mayor of the city of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe.

7:30 pm: Depart City Hall for dinner at Ledoyen.

8:00 pm: Welcome dinner at Pavillion Ledoyen with greetings by Mission chairs Scott and Susie Leemaster. We will be joined by the President of the Association Technion (ATF) Jacques Lewiner and Muriel Touaty, Directrice Générale of the ATF. We have also invited Israel’s Ambassador to France to address our group.

Ledoyen is located in a quiet garden flanking the Champs-Elysees. Young Breton chef Christian Le Squer has a reputation for being a humble, hardworking perfectionist with a great sense of humor. In the kitchen, he places the emphasis on ingredients, preferring to keep his cuisine pure and simple. His goal is to have flavors etched in the memory of those who dine in his restaurant. As recognition of his success, in 2002, Michelin awarded him ‘a wonderful gift from the heavens’ – a third star.

Ledoyen was frequented by artists and writers. In fact, Impressionists Manet, Degas and Cézanne; writers Zola, Flaubert, Cocteau, de Maupaassant and Gide; were all regulars, with the latter group remembered today by the Les Litteraires meeting room named after them.

Hotel: Le Grand Intercontinental

TUESDAY, MAY 31

6:30 - 8:15 am: Buffet Breakfast at the hotel in a private room. Please be in your seats with your breakfast by 8:15 am for our speaker program. 8:15 - 9:15 am: Hear from a scholar who will set the stage for our exploration of Jewish life in Paris, past and present.

9:25 am: Meet in the lobby for a prompt 9:30 am departure for our morning’s program. Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 4

Tuesday, May 31 continued

10:00 – 11:00 am: Visit to the Memorial de la Shoah, the largest information center in Europe on the subject. The Shoah Memorial was opened to the public in January 2005, on the site of the Mémorial du Martyr Juif Inconnu (Memorial to the Unknown Jewish Martyr).

View the Wall of Names engraved with 76,000 names of the Jewish men, women and children deported from France between 1942 and 1945. A glimmer of hope in the dark history of the Holocaust, the Wall of Righteous pays tribute to those who risked their lives in France to rescue persecuted Jews.

Visit the Memorial's museum permanent exhibition that offers a chronological and thematic tour composed of twelve sequences depicting the history of Jews in France during the Shoah. The exhibition alternates between individual destinies and collective history and is based on the archives of the Documentation Center.

Participate in a memorial service with fellow mission participants.

11:30 am 12:00 pm: Visit Rue des Tournelles Synagogue, the Sephardic side of the "back to back" synagogue located at the Place des Vosges, one of the most beautiful and oldest squares in Paris and see the houses of Victor Hugo and Jack Lang, one of France's most prominent Jewish public figures and former minister of culture and education.

12:15 – 1:30 pm: Tour the Marais - the main old Jewish neighborhood (originally known as the Juiverie) which dates from the year 1198, when Jews were readmitted to Paris after their first expulsion in 1182. (While the Marais is traced to the early 12th century, Jews have lived in Paris for some 2,000 years, at least since the time of Julius Caesar. There was a sizable Jewish community on the Ile de la Cite, close to Notre Dame, before the church was built.) Walk through the Rue des Rosiers - the heart of the Jewish quarter or Pletzel; see where an old mikvah was; see an old Jewish school. Visit Synagogue Beit Yossef and Synagogue Rue De La Pavee - also known as Agoudas Hakehelos Synagogue.

1:30 – 3:30 pm: Time to enjoy the lively Marais neighborhood on own. Enjoy lunch in one of several kosher restaurants for falafel, delicatessen or sushi or one of the Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 5

dozens of other cafes and brasseries in the area. Shop at the boutiques and galleries while strolling along the many narrow and colorful streets in this chic, trendy and charming area of Paris! Or stop by the Musee Carnavelet, devoted to the including a lovely garden courtyard.

3:30 pm: Depart the Marais and arrive back to the Hotel at 4:00 pm. Tuesday, May 31 continued

5:45 pm: Meet in the hotel lobby for a prompt 5:50 departure for the American Embassy.

6:30 – 7:45: Reception at the Embassy of the United States in Paris. Hear from the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission, Mark A. Taplin. Embassy Paris is America’s first and one of its largest diplomatic missions. (Pending confirmation.)

Evening and dinner on own to enjoy Paris.

Hotel: Le Grand Intercontinental

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

6:30 - 8:30 am: Breakfast at the hotel in a private room. Please be in your seats no later than 8:30 am for the morning’s speaker program.

8:30 – 9:30 am: Hear from Richard Prasquier, the President of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions or CRIF, the French Jewish umbrella organization He is often considered the voice of the French Jewish community. The 180-member General Assembly includes representatives of more than 62 French Jewish organizations. CRIF was founded in 1943 as an underground network to help Jews in Nazi- occupied France.

9:45 am: Depart the hotel for Le Musee d’art d’histoire du Judaisme (The Museum of Jewish Art and History)

10:15 – 11:15 am: Visit to Le Musee d’art d’histoire du Judaisme, located in the Marais which retraces the development of Jewish communities through their cultural heritage and traditions. It places special emphasis on the history Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 6

of the Jews in France, but also looks at the communities in Europe and North Africa, which helped to make French Judaism what it is today. Apart from religious art objects, textiles and manuscripts, the museum presents unique documents about intellectual, artistic and historic movements including the archives of the Dreyfus affair. Chagall, Modigliani, Soutine, and other artists illustrate the role played by Jews in 20th Century art. Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 7

Wednesday, June 1 continued

11:30 am: Optional tours in and outside Paris. (minimum of 10 participants required for each tour)

GIVERNY – 1:00 – 6:00 pm: Visit Giverny, the home of Claude Monet - the father of French Impressionism - and walk through the extraordinary gardens containing the magnificent water lily ponds he captured in his paintings. Enjoy a relaxing lunch. Return to the hotel by 6:00 pm.

LOUVRE – 12:00 – 4:30 pm: One of the world's largest museums, the hosts over 380,000 objects and 35,000 pieces of artwork spanning over 15 acres of exhibition space. It is the most visited museum in the world with more than 10 million visitors a year. As a universalist museum, the Louvre covers wide chronological periods and geographical areas. First time tour “Masterpieces of the Louvre” includes the museum’s three great ladies — the Venus de Milo, the Victory of Samothrace, and Mona Lisa. During the tour, you will (re)discover these and other key works and reflect upon that indefinable notion of “masterpiece.” Repeat visitor tour to be determined. Enjoy a relaxing lunch. Return to the hotel by 4:30 pm.

PERE LACHAISE – 12:00 – 4:30 pm: Situated on the eastern edge of the city, the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise (Father Lachaise Cemetery) is the most famous cemetery in Paris and arguably all of Europe. Many notable French and foreign personages are buried here, and the tree-lined paths weaving around 19th- century monuments make Père-Lachaise a favorite spot for a peaceful stroll. Enjoy a relaxing lunch. Return to the hotel by 4:30 pm.

ART AND GARDENS OF PARIS – 12:00 – 5:30 pm Musee Marmottan – Claude Monet. The impressionist paintings of Claude Monet are the star attraction of this museum featuring some 165 works and perhaps the finest collection of his works in the world. Musee Rodin Gardens – enjoy some of the French sculptor’s’ most famous works including The Thinker and The Burghers of Calais while strolling among the shady trees and rose bushes. Lunch at Le Grand Colbert, - a Parisian brasserie listed as an historic monument and located in Passage Vivienne. Palais-Royal and Gardens - This royal palace, first home to Cardinal Richelieu and later a childhood home of Louis XIV, encases exquisite gardens and refreshing fountains. This historic and political highpoint of Paris is one of the capital's most charming locations. The Palais Royal has managed to retain the feel of times gone by with its mosaic paved arcades populated by quaint and eclectic boutiques. Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 8

Walk the Passages designed by town planners in the19th century to give pedestrians protection from mud and horse-drawn vehicles. The passages (shopping arcades) between the Grand Boulevards and the Louvre are enjoying a new lease on life as havens from today's far busier traffic. For decades they were left to crumble and decay, but many have now been renovated. Return to the hotel at 5:30 pm. Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 9

Wednesday, June 1 continued

7:30 pm: Depart the hotel for our Seine River dinner cruise.

8:00 pm: Enjoy drinks, dinner and dancing on the decks of our private Yacht while sailing down the Seine and enjoying the sights and sounds of Paris at night. Discover the beautiful banks of the Seine listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and see the illuminated historical buildings as we sail the night away.

Hotel: Le Grand Intercontinental

THURSDAY, JUNE 2

6:30 - 8:00 am: Breakfast at the hotel in a private room.

8:15 am: Depart the hotel for Synagogue Rue de la Victoire.

8:45 - 10:00 am: Visit the magnificent Le Grande Synagogue de Paris Synagogue de la Victoire on the Rue de la Victoire. Welcome by Joel Mergui, president of the Consistoire. In 2007, the Jewish Consistory of Paris celebrated the bicentenary of the Grand Sanhedrin established under Napoléon I, recognizing French Jews by the state and encouraging civic and social emancipation of the Jews. We will also hear from the Chief Rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim. Also joining us is the Synagogues’ Honorary President Mr. Felix Loeb and the Rabbi of the Victoire Synagogue, Moshe Sebbag.

10:30 am - 11:45 pm: Visit to the Palais de la Decouverte (Palace of Discovery). Built for the 1937 World’s Fair, the museum bills itself as the first interactive museum. We will be hosted for a private tour and a special program by the President of the Museum, Minister Claudie Haignere, a French doctor, politician and a former astronaut.

12:00 – 2:00 pm: Lunch at France – Ameriques, Cercle des Nations Americaines. We will hear from Professor Michel le Goc, a member of the French Technion Society who specializes in international business development with an emphasis in technology transfer. He is also a member of, ESCP Europe, both a high-level school of management with international scope and a large-scale European institution, which collaborates with the Technion. A former Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 10

Foreign Affairs Minister founded the Ameriques, Cercle des Nations Americaines in 1909. His idea of creating an association was triggered by the way the Ministry of Foreign Affairs classified America, which at the beginning of the 20th century was still in the "other countries" category. It had a simple but ambitious mission: to alert opinion leaders in the public and private sectors to America's global importance. Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 11

Thursday, June 2 continued

Over a hundred years later, the Association's mission has been broadened, and now it aims to strengthen ties and mutual understanding between France and all the countries of North and South America. Today France- Amériques has become a privileged meeting place for French and American opinion leaders from the worlds of diplomacy, defense, business, universities, and cultural institutions.

2:00 pm: Return to the hotel to relax or spend time on own in Paris.

5:00 pm: Depart the hotel for Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte.

6:00 – 10:30 pm: Join us for a “Soiree des illumination” at the enchanting 17th century masterpiece Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte, the largest privately owned chateau in France and classed as an historical monument, and the inspiration for Louis XIV to build the . A champagne reception, festive dinner and tours of the chateau and gardens as well as several surprises await us at our final night in France.

The sprawling de Vaux-le-Vicomte has a bittersweet place in Ile-de France’s history. , the superintendent of finances for Louis XIV, had it built in 1653 to show how successful he was, hiring the “dream team” of the period: architect Louis Le Vau, garden designer André Le Nôtre, and painter . It was the building masterpiece of the 17th century. Days after Louis XIV attended a spectacular party at Vaux-le-Vicomte, complete with fireworks and entertainment by Molière, Fouquet was arrested and imprisoned for life (on falsified evidence given by the minister Colbert). The king then had Le Nôtre, Le Brun and Le Vau build him a bigger version of Vaux-le-Vicomte – at Versailles.

The Chateau Vaux le Vicomte is completely furnished and we will visit the state apartments and dining room on the main floor, the bedrooms and private apartments on the first floor, and the kitchens and cellars in the basement.

The gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte sweep along a grand perspective, of almost a mile and a half. This new style in landscaping testifies to Fouguet and Le Notre’s love of innovation. The gardens include some of Le Notre’s best work creating a setting for the château and outbuildings while Le Notre and Le Vau created a perfect harmony between architecture and its environment. If no other garden of the period were to have survived, the Vaux gardens would Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 12

suffice to illustrate the principles of landscape gardening in the age of elegance. Return to the hotel at approximately 10:30 pm.

Hotel: Le Grand Intercontinental

Illumination and Innovation ATS Mission to Paris and Israel Paris Itinerary - Page 13

FRIDAY, JUNE 3

5:30 – 6:30 am: Breakfast available in a private room of the hotel.

6:45am: Depart the hotel for Charles de Gaulle Airport.

7:45 am: Arrive at Charles De Gaulle Airport. Check in for our flight to Tel Aviv.

10:30 am: El Al # 320 departs CDG at 11:30 am and arrives TLV at 4:55 pm.

4:55 pm: Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, transfer to Haifa and the Dan Carmel Hotel.