Day 1: Wednesday, October 19, 2022: DEPARTURE

• We depart the United States on our overnight flight to Israel.

Overnight flight

Day 2: Thursday, October 20, 2022: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• Welcome to Israel! Our time in this incredible land has officially started, and our excitement mounts as we set off on the adventure ahead. For those of us on the group arrival: just beyond passport control, an Ayelet representative will meet us in the baggage claim area and assist us through customs.
• We begin by ascending to Jerusalem and pausing at the Haas Promenade to say Shehecheyanu as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• We check into our hotel and have a chance to refresh before a welcome orientation and dinner this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Friday, October 21, 2022: JERUSALEM OF OLD AND NEW

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a meeting with Anat Hoffman of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) for an in-depth discussion of religious tension and issues of church and state currently confronting Israel. We learn about the struggles for equality, pluralism, and social justice in Israel, and take part in their Olim (immigrant) program.
• We continue to the Old City to see the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall.
• Optional: Explore the famed Machane Yehuda open-air market, filled with fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and delicious treats.
• Lunch on own.
• Next, we head below ground for a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels, where we discover the archaeological wonders that once remained untouched for centuries.
• We return to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat.
• As the sun begins to set, we gather to welcome Shabbat at Kehilat Har-El, followed by Shabbat dinner with members of the community.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Saturday, October 22, 2022: SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM

• Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning we travel to see the different ethnicities of Jerusalem through the Shabbat morning services, beginning at the Jerusalem High synagogue and continuing through the Moroccan, Italian and Sephardic synagogues. As we travel between the communities, we discuss the origins of their arrival in Jerusalem and the diversity in this fantastic city.
• Following services, we enjoy Shabbat lunch at the Hebrew Union College (HUC) campus.
• We return to the Old City to walk along the Via Dolorosa. The final station of the Via Dolorosa is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where Jesus is believed to have been crucified. This church is one of Christianity's great pilgrimage sites and a testament to the remarkable diversity of the Christian world.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Sunday, October 23, 2022: DIALOGUE FOR CHANGE

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, scholar Rachel Korazim joins us at our hotel to share her story and lead us in a discussion entitled “Preparing for Change.”
• Next, we visit Yad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, an essential emotional and educational experience. Your guided tour will include:
o The Avenue of the Righteous, where trees symbolic of the renewal of life have been planted and plaques honoring brave non-Jews who saved Jews during the Shoah.
o The Historical Museum, a state-of-the-art interactive display reflecting
o decades of research and educational expertise. The story of the Holocaust, with an emphasis on individual victims, is told through survivor testimonies, original artifacts, and personal possessions saved from the ghettos and camps.
o The Children's Memorial, where candles shine like stars in the sky to commemorate the 1.5 million children lost during the Holocaust.
o A memorial service where we will pay tribute to those who were lost.
o Personal reflections: At the end of our visit, we'll come together to share feelings and thoughts and discuss what we have experienced and learned at Yad Vashem.
• Lunch on own.
• This afternoon, we travel to Gush Etzion to dialogue with Ali Abu Awwad and Rabbi Shaul Yudelman, founders of Shorashim/Roots. This program fosters a grassroots movement of understanding, non-violence, and partnership between Israelis and Palestinians.
• Dinner on own.
• Optional: Sign up for dinner at Machneyudah (reservation made nine months in advance; pay on own between $120-$250 per person).

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Monday, October 24, 2022: THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN DIVIDE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we visit the current capital of the Palestinian Authority, Ramallah, to discuss the current status of the area with local representatives and meet with young start-up entrepreneurs (pending security clearance).
• Next, we visit the settlement of Psagot for lunch together and a meeting with a local resident to discuss the centrality of the settlement enterprise to their being an Israeli.
• We travel to Rawabi, Palestine's first planned city, for a glimpse at this unique project; a synthesis between private enterprise and public resources to create a new urban reality in Palestinian society. We meet with developer Bashar el Masri, founder and Chairman of Massar International (pending security clearance).
• We travel to the Galilee to check in to our kibbutz and refresh before dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 7: Tuesday, October 25, 2022: THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We start our day with an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights, stopping in Katzrin to view the ruins then ascending to the top of Mount Bental, a former Israeli bunker overlooking the ruins of Quneitra and the Valley of Tears. As the entire vista comes into view, we reach a deeper understanding of both the past and present complexities facing Israel in the Middle East.
• We continue to the Druze village of Buq'ata, where we meet Naseeba and hear her story while enjoying a traditional Druze hospitality lunch.
• We continue to Kibbutz Malkia, located along the Israel-Lebanon border. We meet with an IDF unit and security personnel to learn about the steps they take to protect this frontier community.
• We complete our day with dinner together at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 8: Wednesday, October 26, 2022: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• Perhaps it's the combination of mysticism and art, or maybe it's the mountain air in Israel's highest city - entering Tsfat, there is a sense of something uniquely Jewish but not quite of this world. Here, you'll:
o Visit the H'Ari Synagogue and share in the inspiration and innovation that moved Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Holy Ari) and his fellow mystics. In Tsfat they developed the Kabbalah, the esoteric insights of Judaism and created Kabbalat Shabbat, the prayers sung on Friday evenings to welcome the arrival of the Sabbath.
o See the Caro Synagogue, built originally, like the H'Ari, in the 16th century. It is where Rabbi Joseph Caro, one of the greatest of all Jewish legal authorities, taught and lived. Hear the story of how he was visited by a maggid, an angelic messenger, who revealed secrets of the Torah.
o Walk through the cobbled streets and alleyways to the Artists' Colony with its galleries, shops and studios.
• Our next stop is Haifa, where we drive to the top of Mount Carmel to take in the panoramic views overlooking the beautiful Bahai Gardens.
• We enjoy lunch on own before we head to Beit Hagefen, where Jews and Arabs co-exist.
• We continue along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, the former Roman capital of the area, to view the ancient Roman theater and aqueduct.
• We travel to Tel Aviv to check into our hotel and refresh before dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 9: Thursday, October 27, 2022: ALIYAH AND TEL MOND

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart Tel Aviv and travel north to meet with Smadar Dromy, the Head of Matnasim in East Netanya, and also with the local teens of the Volume Music Project to discuss the difficulties of being olim and olah in the modern age.
• We continue to lunch with the locals at a Tripolitanian Restaurant and hear about the diversities within Netanya with the different Aliyot.
• Next, we travel to Herzliya to visit one of Israel's leading academic institutes, Reichman University (formerly known as IDC Herzliya). Here we meet with students participating in their unique Israel at Heart Scholarship Program, which provides an opportunity for Ethiopian candidates with high leadership potential to earn an undergraduate degree at the university (time permitting).
• This afternoon we travel to our sister city, Tel Mond. Here, we will enjoy a short tour after which we will see a dance performance and have dinner together.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 10: Friday, October 28, 2022: MODERNISM IN TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We start our day with a tour of ANU: Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Diaspora Museum), recently renovated and featuring interactive audio-visual exhibits that bring life and color to the vibrant history of the Jewish people outside the land of Israel following the destruction of the Second Temple. The exhibit focuses on the unique music, melodies, art and food of the different communities.
• Lunch on own.
• Next, stroll through the charming Nachalat Binyamin Craft Fair, a biweekly market featuring Israeli artisans and entertainers who bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life.
• Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, relaxing on the beach or exploring on own.
• As day turns to night, we welcome Shabbat with the Beit Daniel community, including Shabbat dinner together.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 11: Saturday, October 29, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM WITH BEIT DANIEL!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Explore the Agam Museum in Rishon LeZion, showcasing six decades of the groundbreaking artist's kinetic art and sculpture.
• Stroll through Tel Aviv's White City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to see one of the largest concentrations of Bauhaus-style architecture in the world.
• Lunch on own.
• We meet with Jerusalem Post Palestinian Affairs correspondent, Khaled Abu Toameh, for a lecture entitled “A Snapshot of Palestinian Society.”
• Dinner on own or sign up for Dinner in the Dark at the Nalagaat Center for an experience that will tantalize your senses followed by a performance of Not by Bread Alone, featuring actors who are both visually and hearing-impaired (additional cost).

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 12: Sunday, October 30, 2022: INNOVATION IN ESHKOL

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Our day begins with a drive to Netafim to learn about their innovations in drip irrigation, and to learn about life on a kibbutz.
• We make our way through the Salad Trail on a very hands-and-mouths-on agricultural tour of this innovative farm specializing in growing delicacies in the desert sand. We will pick and taste fruits and vegetables from the hothouses, dodge hanging strawberries (in season), release homing pigeons and sample herbs in their gardens.
• We head south to Moshav Nativ HaAsara and learn about the Path to Peace, a community-created mosaic along the border wall separating Israel from the Gaza Strip. We have an opportunity to add a piece to the mosaic and put our own imprint on this project of hope.
• In nearby Sderot, we tour the Protected Playground, the police station, and the storage depot containing rockets launched from Gaza into Israel.
• We return to Tel Aviv for an evening at leisure and dinner on own.
• Optional: Experience dinner at Manta Ray this evening (pay on own).

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 13: Monday, October 31, 2022: TOURING TEL AVIV / FAREWELL

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we delve deep with Elifelet, an organization dedicated to supporting refugee children in South Tel Aviv. Elifelet's vision is to save refugee children from the suffering in which they are entrapped, by ensuring their physical and emotional well-being, advancing their development and facilitating their adjustment to the Israeli school system.
• Lunch on own.
• Next, we tour the Israeli Innovation Center at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, founded by President Shimon Peres. The center is a non-political, non-governmental organization focused on building a more prosperous Israel and a more peaceful Middle East, through innovation, technology and cutting-edge coexistence programs.
• We return to our hotel to check out.
• This evening, we enjoy a festive farewell dinner prepared by “Women Who Cook,” featuring women from a variety of culinary traditions -?Moroccan, Tunisian, Ethiopian and many more. This initiative?was created to empower women and allow them to be?economically independent and preserve their rich cultural traditions.
• We transfer to the airport for our overnight flight back to the United States, arriving tomorrow morning.

Overnight flight

OR JOIN OUR
DUBAI EXTENSION

Day 13: Monday, October 31, 2022: EXTENSION BEGINS

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 14: Tuesday, November 1, 2022: WELCOME TO DUBAI!

• Ahlan wa Sahlan — Welcome to the United Arab Emirates! Our journey through this enchanted land has officially begun and our excitement mounts as we set off on the adventure ahead. An Ayelet representative will meet us at the airport and assist us to our hotel transfer.
• We check into our hotel and have time to refresh before rejoining for a delicious welcome dinner at a local restaurant with the opportunity to sample traditional delicacies, meet our local guide and orient ourselves to our new land and travel companions.

Overnight in Dubai

Day 15: Wednesday, November 2, 2022: DISCOVERING DUBAI

• Breakfast at our hotel before departing on a guided tour through the expansive suks (markets) of Dubai. Beginning in the shimmering Gold Suk, we walk in awe past the wall-to-wall storefronts selling endless variations of gold jewelry. We continue to the Spice Suk where the dazzling hues of spices and incense carry the eye into the distance.
• We board an abra (a traditional wooden boat) to cross the Dubai Creek to the al Fahidi District. Here, we visit the Sheikh Mohammad Center for Cultural Understanding for a delicious Emerati Fuala lunch featuring traditional dishes such as aseed (porridge), balalit (Emirati pancakes), lugaymat (dumplings served with date syrup) and more. The fuala (deriving from the Arabic word for “good omen”) represents the authentic generosity of greeting family, neighbors and guests.
• Filled with fascinating artifacts from over 5,000 years of history, we tour the Crossroads of Civilization Museum and discover Dubai's legacy as a hub of trade. Our visit includes a stop at the “We Remember” exhibition, the only Holocaust museum in the Arab world.
• Our evening is at leisure with time for dinner on own.

Overnight in Dubai

Day 16: Thursday, November 3, 2022: ISLAM IN-DEPTH

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We explore the beautiful Sarjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, containing exhibits focused on the world through an Islamic point of view: faith, science and technology, art and more.
• We continue to the Blue Suk, an expansive and authentic gallery of traditional shops selling all sorts of wares, from metals to fabrics to jewelry to antiques.
• Next, we tour Al Noor Mosque, a spectacular building of white stone built in the Ottoman style that overlooks Khalid Lake in the Sharjah section of the city.
• Lunch on own.
• After lunch, we visit Dubai's Frame, a huge square arch built for Expo 2020 that frames picturesque views of Old and New Dubai. Ascend to the Sky Deck towering 48 floors over the city and stroll through the glass walkway revealing Dubai from above.
• We return to our hotel for free time before dinner.
• We enjoy a sumptuous farewell dinner at a local restaurant and recall the amazing sites, tastes, smells and sounds that accompanied us on our journey through this distant land.
• We transfer to the airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Overnight flight

Day 17: Friday, November 4, 2022: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.