Day 1: Tuesday, October 20, 2020: DEPARTURE

• We depart Boston on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Wednesday, October 21, 2020: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel and are met by our Ayelet Tours guide.
• We transfer from the airport to Jerusalem.
• Upon arrival in Jerusalem, we stop at the Haas Promenade to recite a special “Shehecheyanu!” blessing while overlooking the City of Gold.
• We check into our hotel and have time to refresh before our welcome dinner this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Thursday, October 22, 2020: HEALING THROUGH SONG

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust, where we view the many moving exhibitions, including their exhibit on Holocaust Art.
• We continue to Hadassah Hospital to view the amazing Chagall windows and to give a concert at a related nursing home.
• This afternoon/evening, a chef leads us through the popular Machane Yehuda market for a sensual immersion, engaging with the vibrant colors, smells and flavors that will be found in this bustling marketplace. We wander through the pyramids of spices, bright-colored exotic vegetables, nuts, olives, and delicious halva creations. Our chef will introduce us to the most characteristic ingredients of the local cuisine and to the Israeli food habits, while we prepare dinner together with our purchases.
• We view the beautiful street portrait art on the closed stall shutters.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Friday, October 23, 2020: BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH MUSIC

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We enjoy a songfest at Yad L'Kashish, the Lifeline for the Aged. This is an artisan workshop which empowers and supports hundreds of elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents.
• We continue our pre-shabbat day exploring the power of Jewish ideas, texts and values during a hands-on music & art workshop with Rabbi Matt Berkowitz of Kol HaOt. • This evening, we join one of the local Progressive congregations for Kabbalat Shabbat services, followed by Shabbat dinner at our hotel.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Saturday, October 24, 2020: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we enter the Old City for a walking tour through the different quarters, beginning at the David Citadel Museum to the Jewish quarter, continuing to the Arab market (shuk), followed by a stroll along the Via Dolorosa through the Christian quarter.
• We enjoy lunch on own in the Old City.
• This afternoon, we tour the renovated Israel Museum. The galleries range from pop and modern art, back through the Renaissance and Classical periods, with a strong emphasis on Jewish and Israeli archeological history with evidence going back thousands of years. We walk through the iconic Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, and see the impressive miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period.
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Sunday, October 25, 2020: HIGH-TECH & HAUTE ARTS

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we travel to Tel Aviv, the exciting metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea.
• Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we explore Israel's high-tech advances at the Taglit Innovation Center. This cutting-edge center allows us to learn about the new advancements Israeli start-ups are making in the fields of science, medicine, security and space through their interactive exhibitions.
• Following lunch on own, we meet with Jerusalem Post Palestinian Affairs correspondent, Khaled Abu Toameh, for a lecture entitled “A Snapshot of Palestinian Society”.
• Time to relax (and enjoy the beach!)
• We enjoy a night out at Dinner in the Dark, an experience that will tantalize all of your senses, followed by a performance of Not by Bread Alone, at the Nalagaat Center, whose actors are both visually and hearing impaired.

Overnight Tel Aviv

Day 7: Monday, October 26, 2020: TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit a local nursing home for a songfest.
• We continue to the Palmach Museum, where we “join up” with the paramilitary forces from Israel's pre-statehood days.
• This afternoon, we stroll along Nachalat Binyamin, where the artists and entertainers bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life.
• This evening, we enjoy dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 8: Tuesday, October 27, 2020: ISRAEL'S TECHNICOLOR TAPESTRY

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we visit the multi-media Rabin Museum, tracing the life of one of Israel's greatest leaders as it intertwines through the history of Israel and world events.
• We continue to Haifa to check into our hotel, followed by practicing our arrangements.
• We visit Elifelet - Citizens for Refugee Children, a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the children of asylum seekers from Africa, to hear about their amazing work.
• While here, we visit the Elifelet Daycare Center, where we bring gifts for the children.
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 9: Wednesday, October 28, 2020: SINGING & CHANTING

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we meet with a local piyyutim organization to share our love of music and to explore the differences between singing and chanting.
       o The piyyutim organization locates ancient songs from Poland, India, China, and other countries to make sure they are not forgotten. Piyyutim have been written since Temple times. Although most were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, most follow some poetic scheme such as following the order of the Hebrew alphabet. Some are changed into chanting, some piyyutim are modernized.
• This afternoon, we visit Beit HaGefen, where we tour the Arab-Jewish Cultural Center and get an insider's look into the diverse community of Haifa, as well as the various projects, both musical and otherwise, that are in place to bring Arabs and Jews together.
• Dinner on own.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 10: Thursday, October 29, 2020: ISRAEL'S HUMAN MOSAIC

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we travel to Atlit, site of the British Internment camp for thousands of Jewish refugees, who were caught attempting to immigrate to Israel during the British Mandate period.
• We continue to Akko, where we explore the Crusader-era fortifications and British prison as we learn about this historically important port.
• We perform a selection of songs for an area nursing home, fulfilling the mitzvah of bikur cholim and bringing music and brightness to their day.
• We enjoy a panoramic view from atop Mt. Carmel, including the Bahai Temple and Persian Gardens.
• We return to our hotel and enjoy dinner on own.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 11: Friday, October 30, 2020: THE PULSE OF THE NATION

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we enjoy a special performance by members of Heartbeat. Heartbeat unites Israeli and Palestinian youth musicians to build critical understanding, develop creative nonviolent tools for social change, and amplify their voices to influence the world around them. As a positive alternative to the normalization of segregation, violence, and racism, Heartbeat creates spaces and opportunities for Palestinian and Israeli youth musicians to build critical awareness, respect, and trust while harnessing creative nonviolent tools for self-expression and social change. Engaging in a sustained music, dialogue, and empowerment process, Heartbeat youth musicians become agents of change; harnessing the tools of creativity to imagine possibilities, ask questions, and publicly address systemic problems such as violence, oppression, and inequality — partnering to create a safe, equitable future for all.
• Next, we visit Rambam Medical Center- the world's largest subterranean hospital. Rambam is the only tertiary hospital in the north of Israel, serving a population of 2 million. We'll meet hospital leadership and learn firsthand their challenges & accomplishments.
• As the sun sets, we join our sister congregation, Ohel Avraham, for Shabbat Services followed by Shabbat dinner together.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 12: Saturday, October 31, 2020: SHABBAT SHALOM/DEPARTURE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We begin traveling north along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, the former Roman capital of the area, to experience the acoustics in the ancient theater.
• We continue to a Druze village, where community representatives will offer us insight on their unique culture and how they fit into the Israeli mosaic. We enjoy lunch together here.
• Next, we visit Ein Hod, an artist's village located at the foot of Mt. Carmel. We enjoy a special workshop, where we create a piece of art under the auspices of a resident artist.
• We continue to Old Jaffa, an ancient port city, where we learn about the story of Jonah and his whale, Andromeda, Napoleon and others. We explore the cobblestone alleyways and art galleries and take in the beautiful views of the sea. • This evening, we enjoy a festive farewell dinner at Haj Kahil, as we recall all that we have experienced together on this journey of discovery, music, cuisine, and art.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 13: Sunday, November 1, 2020: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in Boston this morning.