Jewish National Fund March 6 – 12, 2011 Optional Extension: March 12 – 16, 2011 LOVE OF ISRAEL MISSION Mission Co-Chairs: Deena Davis and Richard & Sharon Kaplan Mission Professionals: Debbie Rothschild and Rick Kruger SUNDAY MARCH 6 • ARRIVAL Welcome to Israel! This evening, we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant in Tel Aviv. Overnight, Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv Tel Aviv MONDAY MARCH 7 • NORTHERN ISRAEL After a delicious Israeli breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and drive north along the Western Coast. Along the way, we will stop in Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. We will see the excavations of the Crusader’s city, the aqueduct and the amphitheatre that has been restored as a concert venue. We’ll then continue to Zichron Ya’acov, a town rich with Zionist history. We will take a stroll through the town’s cobblestone streets and learn about the many challenges that Zichron Ya'acov’s settlers faced in their attempts to establish the Roman aqueduct in Caesarea town and how Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s vision for the growth of community and his commercial enterprise helped to establish the town. Not only is Zichron Ya’acov a town rich in history, but it’s also known as the “Napa Valley” of Israel as it is home to several world famous wineries. We will enjoy lunch at the Tishbi Winery’s restaurant overlooking part of the Tishbi Estate vineyards. We’ll dine on local cuisine including fresh vegetables, homemade bread and fresh cheeses from the nearby Ya’akob and Meiri Dairy farms, and taste some of the spectacular wines produced here. Wine from Tishbi Winery After lunch, we will continue to Atlit Illegal Immigration Camp. Converted into a detention camp by the British Mandate, Atlit imprisoned thousands of Jewish immigrants upon arriving into Israel. During a tour of the camp, we will experience the trauma of the immigrants who were subjected to imprisonment so soon after their release from Nazi extermination camps. After this emotional experience, we will continue north to Rosh Hanikra, the northernmost point on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Here, we will take a cable car ride from the mountain top down to sea level to witness one of Israel’s natural wonders, magnificent grottos carved out of the limestone cliffs over Rosh Hanikra Grotto thousands of years. Later this afternoon, we’ll continue to the Tefen Industrial Park, located about 5 miles from the border of Lebanon. The park is the vision of well-known industrialist Stef Wertheimer and is now home to over 60 companies that employ more than 5,000 people. We’ll take a tour of the park, which is like a campus and includes a private school for local children, museums and sculpture gardens. During the tour, a representative will provide us with an overview of the park’s history and explain Wertheimer’s plan to give Israelis and Arabs economic Sculpture garden within Tefen opportunities that encourages peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs. Industrial Park After touring the park, we’ll visit the world headquarters of the ISCAR Metalworking Company, located within the Tefen Industrial Park. Founded by Wertheimer, ISCAR manufactures and supplies precision metal-cutting tools for a wide range of industries throughout the world. Following the tour, we’ll proceed to Kibbutz Kfar Blum. After checking in, we’ll enjoy dinner at Kfar Blum. Inside the ISCAR headquarters Overnight, Kfar Blum, Upper Galilee TUESDAY MARCH 8 • UPPER GALILEE After a delicious Israeli breakfast, we’ll depart the hotel for the mystical city of Safed. We’ll take a stroll through the blue-painted alleys of this mystical city and learn about the origins of Kaballah, the famous rabbis that lived here and the artist’s community that remains. Safed We’ll then head to the Birya Fortress where we will meet with a KKL Representative to learn about JNF-KKL’s efforts to rebuild the more than 3000 acres of planted forests and the nearly one million trees that were destroyed by the fires during the 2006 war with Lebanon. We’ll proceed to Tel Hai, a museum devoted to the dramatic events that took place in 1920, when Tel Hai and other settlements in the Upper Galilee were cut from the center of the country and attacked by Arabs. Tel Chai Following lunch on our own, we’ll proceed to the magnificent Hula Valley, one of the world’s preeminent bird sanctuaries and migratory spots for millions of birds en route between Europe and Africa. We’ll take a golf-cart ride along the migration route in hopes of seeing some of the millions of birds that migrate here each year. Early this evening we’ll return to our hotel. During tonight’s dinner, we will hear from a special guest speaker. Hula Valley Overnight, Kfar Blum, Upper Galilee WEDNESDAY MARCH 9 • NORTH / JERUSALEM After breakfast and check out, we’ll head to visit the Gomeh Elementary School. Here, we will learn about the Rainwater Harvesting Program, which educates children about the water crisis in Israel and the Middle East. Members of Israel’s elite youth leadership organization, Green Horizons, will explain this project where runoff water is collected on school rooftops, held in tanks, and Rainwater Harvesting System used for flushing toilets, cleaning, and irrigation. Afterward, we’ll take an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights. Stop in Mitzpe Gadot, a former Syrian base and site of particularly harsh battles during the 1967 war. Walk through an old army bunker to see what life was like for soldiers manning the outpost. Then, cross the Golan Plateau to the border with Syria and observe the abandoned city of Kuneitra and the United Nations outpost nearby. Visit the “Valley of the Tears,” site of one of the fiercest battles during the Yom Kippur Bunker at Mitzpe Gadot War. See the Oz 77 memorial, named after the 76 soldiers from the armored corps of the 77th Brigade, who sacrificed their lives in some of the fiercest battles of the Yom Kippur War. Head to the Kinneret and meet with a representative from KKL for a discussion about the significance of the Kinneret to Israel’s current water situation. We’ll also hear about JNF-KKL’s work to preserve and develop water resources and find solutions to the current water crisis. We’ll learn about the 200 reservoirs across Israel built by JNF, which have added 250 million cubic meters Bunker at Mitzpe Gadot of treated water and flood water to Israel's national water economy. Afterward, we’ll begin to make our way towards Jerusalem. En route, we’ll stop at Beit She’an and become transported through history to Israel during the Roman period. We will tour Israel’s largest archeological park to see the beautiful excavations from the Roman and the Byzantine periods. Upon our arrival into Jerusalem, we’ll participate in a traditional Shehechyanu ceremony welcoming us into the city. We’ll then check into our hotel before enjoying dinner at a local restaurant with a special guest speaker. Beit She'an Ruins Overnight, Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem THURSDAY MARCH 10 • NEGEV / JERUSALEM This morning we will head south to Be’er Sheva, the capital of the Negev. We’ll see the progress of the Be’er Sheva River Park, the centerpiece of JNF’s efforts to provide a renaissance for the entire city and serve as a green lung for the Negev. During a tour, Itai Freeman, Director of the Be’er Sheva River Project, will provide us with an update on the project’s progress and the impact it has had Be’er Sheva River Project on the Negev region. Afterward, we’ll proceed to Aleh Negev Special Needs School, a state-of-the- art residential rehabilitation center for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. Located next to the city of Ofakim, Aleh Negev provides vocational training, occupational therapy and medical facilities. Next, we’ll head to the Halutza Sands where several communities have been established for the Gush Katif evacuees. We’ll meet with a Halutzit resident who will explain how JNF has helped him, as well as many others, rebuild their lives. Aleh Negev Next, a few Halutzit farmers will lead us on a tour of Halutzit’s organic vegetable farms that are flourishing despite its desert surroundings. Following lunch, we’ll continue to Sderot, a town plagued by frequent rocket attacks that hold life at a standstill for its residents. During a city tour, we’ll stop at the local police station to see only a few of the thousands of kassams shot into the town. Afterward, we’ll continue to JNF’s Indoor Recreation Center, the largest indoor playground in Israel. This fortified facility provides Sderot’s youth with a safe, Organic vegetables from Halutzit secure place to have fun and simply be children. During the visit meet with several Sderot residents to understand how the indoor playground has enriched their daily lives. We’ll then proceed to the new Sderot Reservoir where a KKL representative will explain how the reservoir will provide 2 million cubic meters of water to the region. We’ll then return to Jerusalem for an evening at leisure, providing us with an opportunity to enjoy Jerusalem’s nightlife at our own pace. Sderot Indoor Recreation Center Overnight, Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem FRIDAY MARCH 11 • NEGEV / JERUSALEM Today will begin at Yad Kennedy Memorial, built in honor of former President John F. Kennedy. Designed as a tree stump to symbolize a life cut short, it has 51 pillars representing the United States of America and is almost 24 feet tall.