Queen of Sheba Mission Israel through Laughter and Tears
March 1 – 10, 2010
Mission Chairwoman: Louise Dabrow Israel Emissary: Talia Tzour *Itinerary subject to change
MONDAY MARCH 1 DEPARTURE
At 11:50 pm we will depart JFK International Airport for our flight to Israel.
TUESDAY MARCH 2 ARRIVAL x ROSH PINAH
Upon our late afternoon arrival into Israel we will be picked up and transferred to our hotel in Israel’s northern Galilee. Upon our arrival into Rosh Pinah, we will be taken to our hotel to check in. After some time to unpack and freshen up, we will enjoy a delicious welcome dinner at our hotel.
View from Mitzpe Hayamim Overnight, Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel & Spa, Rosh Pinah
WEDNESDAY MARCH 3 UPPER GALILEE After breakfast this morning, we will meet in a private room for a “group dynamics” session, which will give us the opportunity to introduce ourselves and learn what lies ahead for our mission.
Afterward, we will visit Kibbutz Malkiya, a community located on Israel’s border with Lebanon. Here, resident Sharon Barhom will lead us on a tour JNF Security Road while discussing her experiences during the second Lebanon War. She will show us the shelters and safe rooms where she and other residents lived for over a month during the fighting. We’ll also take a drive along the Lebanese border in order to learn about the importance of JNF’s security roads and how they provide safety for the residents.
We’ll then proceed to the Hula Valley where we will split into small groups for a fun golf cart tour to see the magnificent birds that migrate here each March. Hula Valley Following the tour, we will enjoy a light lunch as a group.
Later this afternoon we will return to the hotel with the remainder of the day at leisure. We may enjoy an optional spa treatment or simply enjoy the hotel’s tranquil atmosphere. This evening, we will have dinner at the hotel, consisting of organic Israeli food made at Mitzpeh Hayamim’s organic farm.
Spa Treatment Overnight, Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel & Spa, Rosh Pinah
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THURSDAY MARCH 4 GALILEE x JERUSALEM
After a delicious Israeli breakfast, we’ll check and begin our drive south towards the center of the country. We will have the unique opportunity to visit an IDF Army Base. Here, we will meet with female soldiers and hear about being a woman in the Israeli army. After a demonstration of their unique skills, we may ask questions and engage in a lively discussion in order to better understand their daily lives.
Female IDF Unit We will continue to an IDF cemetery in Haifa, where we will meet with Rosie Binamo, the bereaved mother of Uri Binamo who was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber in 2005. While we are here, she will show us where her son was buried and share her story with us.
Afterward, we will proceed to Park Nesher for a special dedication ceremony of the educational trail in memory of Uri Binamo that was built with the generosity of JNF’s Women’s Campaign for Israel. While we are here, we will also learn how this park’s design helped to both rehabilitate the polluted areas Park Nesher and link together the surrounding neighborhoods. We’ll also enjoy a lovely picnic lunch before boarding the buses and heading towards Jerusalem.
We will then continue to Jerusalem and participate in a traditional Shehechyanu ceremony upon our arrival.
This evening we’ll go to Ben Yehuda Street for a night at leisure with time to shop, dine and enjoy Jerusalem’s nightlife at our own pace.
Ben Yehuda Street at night Overnight, King David Hotel, Jerusalem
FRIDAY MARCH 5 JERUSALEM
This morning we will go to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum for a guided tour. As a special highlight, the tour will focus on women’s experiences in the Holocaust as a female Holocaust survivor will be joining us.
After this emotional visit, we will take a driving tour of Jerusalem’s neighborhoods before heading to the lively Machane Yehuda Market,
Yad Vashem where fresh fruits, produce and other items are sold.
Later this afternoon, we will return to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat. This evening we will go to the Kotel for Kabbalat Shabbat followed by a traditional Shabbat dinner with Israeli friends at our hotel.
Overnight, King David Hotel, Jerusalem
Machane Yehuda Market
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SATURDAY MARCH 6 SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM
Today will be at leisure in honor of Shabbat with optional Shabbat services at the hotel. There will be an optional day tour to Masada that will include a cable car ride to the top of the Herodian Palace Complex. This the location of the ancient fortress where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans before committing suicide in 73 AD.
This evening, we will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in Jerusalem. Joining us as a guest speaker will be Ido Aharoni, Head of the Ministry of Foreign Cable Car Ride over Masada Affairs’ Brand Management Team.
Overnight, King David Hotel, Jerusalem
SUNDAY MARCH 7 JERUSALEM
We will spend our morning on a guided tour of Jerusalem’s Old City. After entering the city through the Jaffa Gate we will begin with a visit to the Kotel, the last remaining wall that enclosed the Temple Mount. We’ll continue with a guided exploration through the Western Wall Tunnels, an incredible labyrinth of tunnels, arches and passageways that expose Jerusalem’s rich history, archeology and topography.
Kotel After the tour, we will head to the Davidson Center to see how the Second Temple would have looked in the days of Herod. We’ll also explore the Southern Wall Excavations, where remnants of ancient houses and the original steps that lead to the Temple Mount are located. Following a leisurely stroll down the Cardo, the main street in Jerusalem 2000 years ago, we’ll spend some time shopping in the colorful Arab Shuk.
Following a falafel lunch, we will continue to Yad Kennedy Memorial, built
Western Wall Tunnels 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. Here, we will each have the opportunity to plant a tree and contribute to JNF’s ongoing afforestation efforts in Israel.
We’ll then head to Tel Aviv. This evening, we will take a private cooking lesson and learn how to prepare a few authentic Israeli dishes.
Overnight, Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv Planting a Tree
MONDAY MARCH 8 NEGEV
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MONDAY MARCH 8 NEGEV
After breakfast, we’ll drive south to Nitzanim, where many battles were fought in the war for Israel’s independence. Known for the memorial to Jewish Female Heroism, Nitzanim is an important memorial site commemorating the bravery and heroism of Jewish female soldiers. A representative will discuss the lives of Deborah Epstein, Mira Ben-Ari and Shulamit Dorczin, three women who lost their lives fighting for Israel’s independence. We will also learn about the woman’s role in war throughout Jewish history, allowing us to understand how Jewish Female Heroism Memorial Nitzanim serves as a connecting thread for all Jewish women who have fought in honor of the Jewish people and Israel.
From here we will continue to Sderot, a town plagued by frequent rocket attacks that hold life at a standstill for its many 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. A municipal representative will join us to discuss on the current situation and the impact and consequences suffered by Sderot during the recent Indoor Playground in Sderot conflict with Hamas.
Afterward, we’ll visit the new Indoor Playground, the largest indoor playground in Israel, which was built by JNF. This all-inclusive indoor recreation center provides Sderot’s youth with a safe, secure place to have fun and simply be children. Here, we will meet with female Sderot residents and understand how the indoor playground has enriched their daily lives.
We will then meet with filmmaker Laura Bialis, who made Aliyah from Los Sderot Indoor Playground Angeles and currently lives in Sderot. She will show us a screening of her emotional documentary featuring life in Sderot.
Following lunch, we will depart Sderot and proceed to Be’er Sheva, the capital of the Negev. We’ll stop at Nahal Be’er Sheva, the centerpiece of JNF’s efforts to provide a means for a renaissance of the entire city of Be’er Sheva. Here we will meet with Itai Freeman, Director of the Be’er Sheva River Project, who will explain the current reality of life in the city and how this extensive water, environment and economic development project is focused on revitalizing the Nahal Be’er Sheva as of 01/2009 Be’er Sheva River.
We will continue to Sansana, a new community in the Negev, and meet with a modern-day female pioneer to hear about her experiences forging a new life in the Negev while she takes us on a tour of some of the homes.
This evening we’ll go to a Bedouin tent to enjoy an authentic Bedouin dinner and hafla with belly dancers and music for entertainment.
Belly Dancer & Entertainment Overnight, Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv
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TUESDAY MARCH 9 TEL AVIV x EN ROUTE
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll hear from a guest speaker and learn about her perspective on a female’s role in modern Israel, and then discuss the many complexities and intricacies of femininity in today’s world.
Afterwards, we’ll explore more of Tel Aviv’s best shopping areas. We’ll start at the enormous market, Nahalat Binyamin, and then continue to Tel Aviv’s own Soho, Shenkin Street. We’ll walk down the famous Rothschild Boulevard Shopping in Tel Aviv before ending at the open-air Carmel Market.
We’ll then visit the multi-media Palmach Museum for an interactive tour. A female member of the Haganah will explain what it was like to fight for Israeli independence and be part of the renowned Israeli army as a woman.
Late this afternoon, we will participate in a women’s workshop where we will explore several complex issues facing Jewish women today, such as our responsibilities within our family, society and to future generations of the Jewish people. We will have the opportunity to share our individual understanding of what it means to be a Jewish woman. After some time for personal reflection, we will share our experience in Israel this past week as a group. Following our Palmach Museum workshop, we will enjoy an early farewell dinner at a restaurant in Tel Aviv’s port before being picked up and transferred to the airport for our return flight departing at 1:00am.
Overnight, En route
WEDNESDAY MARCH 10 ARRIVAL IN USA Our flight will land at JFK International Airport at 6:00am this morning.
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