March 27 to April 3, Atlanta Women s Mission Women s Faces of Israel

Transcription

1 Draft Itinerary

2 Atlanta Women s Mission Women s Faces of Israel March 27 to April 3, 2016 Sunday March 27 Land at Ben Gurion Airport. Transportation will be arranged for all from Airport to Hotel. Optional: For those arriving early, optional tours will be made available to Tzfat and/or Rabin Museum or other locations 5:00 pm -- Opening cocktail hour followed by dinner at 7:00 pm at Lumina by Chef Meir Adoni Overnight: Tel Aviv Dan Panorama Monday March 28 Breakfast After breakfast briefing about the evolution of Israel to modern times at the hotel with Joanna Landau, Kinetis Israel as a Hitech powerhouse: Meet with Wendy Singer of Executive Director of Start Up Nation Central, for a briefing on the roots of Israeli entrepreneurship and a roundtable conversation with representatives of innovative companies working for social good. The meeting will take place at The Library, a co-working space for the Tel Aviv startup community. Literary lunch: Join well-known author Naomi Ragen for a discussion about her newest book Devil in Jerusalem, featured in this year s MJCCA Annual Book Festival. (There will be an opportunity before the mission to attend this book festival event as a group.) Join Galit Reisman for a tour through some of the city s best kept secret and designer shops OR visit the workshop of Maya Negri Walking tour of Bauhaus Tel Aviv the style that earned Tel Aviv the name White City Free time for shopping and dinner on own in Tel Aviv Overnight: Tel Aviv Dan Panorama 2

3 Tuesday, March 29 Breakfast Miri Eisin, formerly of the IDF Spokesperson s Office, will outline the current security concerns of the country in her inimitable style. OR Panel with MK Anat Berko and social welfare columnist Ruti Sinai: Can women in government make a difference to women s lives and opportunities? Depart Tel Aviv for Yokneam/Megiddo Arrive in Atlanta s partnership community in Yokneam/Megiddo and join in on activities that highlight girls and women s empowerment. Enjoy the Ethiopian Girls Dance Troupe and meet with the dancers, their mothers and grandmothers after the performance. Check in to hotel and freshen up before proceeding to a special all-women s dinner with our friends from the region. Overnight: Dan Carmel Wednesday, March 30 Breakfast in the hotel Visit to Sindyanna of Galilee visitors center (due to open in September) having re-located from Kfar Manda. The center aims to expose visitors to their vision of promoting fair trade and economic opportunities for Arab women The lunchtime challenge, choose one option: Lunch and communication with the Yemenite cooking ladies in the region Cooking lessons in a Druze or Circassian village home Master chef cooking competition in the forest Board ATV s in the village of Binyamina and drive through the vineyards for wine tasting with local expert and personality Valerie Hecht Enjoy an early dinner at the Mataim restaurant in Yad Hanadiv, Zichron with speaker who will discuss Israel, the Myth and the Reality of Gender Equality. Musical entertainment by a very special Ladino singer. Return to hotel. Overnight: Dan Carmel 3

4 Thursday March 31 Breakfast and check out. Drive south to the Otef Aza regions of the country. The conflict in the summer of 2014 affected the entire nation, but no parts of the country were as affected as the inhabitants of the areas immediately surrounding Gaza. Meet with women such as Anat Hefets from Kibbutz Nirim, leading the struggle of the women in this area to receive more government recognition and assistance in child psychology, reparations for the damage caused and the need for more security in their day to day existence just yards from the border. Conditions permitting, drive along the border and explore one of the uncovered Hamas tunnels. Visit the community of Netiv Hasara, a community that was once situated in Sinai but was re-located into Israel following the peace accords with Egypt in Tour this moshav, which is situated on the southern border with Gaza, and learn how this community continues despite the frequent missile and mortar attacks that it faces from Gaza. Tour the border wall with local artist Tzameret, who has turned the wall into a wall of peace with her unique ceramics. Overview of the Gaza Strip from the Black Arrow outlook, followed by lunch with some of the IDF women soldiers who observe the border via the security cameras strategically placed so as to cover every inch of the fence. Sderot has achieved fame from the long endured rocket attacks from Gaza, but in Israel is also well known for its lively music scene. Experience a different side to the town: meet with Laura Bialis, film maker, who came to live in the town, met and married a local musician and has recorded the experience in her documentary: Rock in the Red Zone. Drive to Jerusalem and proceed directly to the Western Wall: Shehehiyanu on site and meet and tour with Anat Hoffman, leader of the Women of the Wall. Check in to hotel Free evening Late night option: Visit Haredi women in their homes and join them in a challah baking workshop Overnight: Jerusalem Dan Panorama 4

5 Friday April 1 Breakfast speaker: Rachel Frankel, mother of one of the three murdered youths in June 2014, on her life before and since Meet the children at the Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem, one of the rare institutions in this city where Jews and Muslims and Christians study together Visit Susan s House, where youths who have dropped out of the school system meet with social workers, instructors and each other to regain their sense of self worth Stroll through the Machney Yehuda Market for a grazing lunch Free time for shopping and relaxing Private Kabbalat Shabbat service overlooking the Old City with Nava Tehila Ensemble Festive Shabbat Dinner at the King David Hall of the Mt Zion Hotel with Lone Soldiers Overnight: Jerusalem Dan Panorama Saturday, April 2 Morning options: Shabbat morning services at local synagogues Old City walking tours Israel Museum Rest and relaxation 3:00 pm: The Four Faces of Israel. Dramatic Educator Helen Gottstein presents an interactive, original one woman show on Modern Day Israel: its challenges, its division, its history, passions and people. 4:30 pm: Reflections. A group discussion & sharing about the experiences of this mission. Packing and check out 6:00: Farewell Dinner at Yvel, a high-end store (with a cool wine cellar) that trains Ethiopian young adults on the art of making jewelry. Meet the owners, the Levys, and hear their incredible story of determination and success. Transfer to airport for return flights Overnight: Jerusalem Dan Panorama (for those remaining another night) Sunday, April 3 Departing flights either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, returning to Atlanta. Flights to Poland leave later Sunday morning. 5

6 Pre- and Post- Mission Options 1. Israel Pre-Mission Trip: Arrive in Israel on Thursday, March 24. After check in at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv and a group dinner that evening, the following program will run from Friday morning through 3:00pm on Sunday, March 27. a. Independence Hall b. Palmach Museum c. Caesaria d. Tzfat e. Rabin Museum f. Sarona g. Dead Sea / Masada (Cost will be determined based on number of participants) 2. Post-Mission Trip to Poland: Depart Israel and arrive in Poland on Sunday, April 3; Return to Atlanta on Thursday, April 7. a. Warsaw Ghetto, Synagogue, and Museum of the History of Polish Jews b. Karakow JCC, Synagogue, and Cemetery c. Auschwitz - Birkenau d. Majdanek e. Lublin (Cost will be determined based on number of participants) 3. Post-Mission Preferred Flights (to Israel and Poland): a. Depart Atlanta on Saturday, March 26 on Air France flight #681 at 7:15pm; 1 hour 25 minute layover in Paris; arrive in Tel Aviv on Sunday, March 27 at 4:20pm on Air France flight #1620 b. Depart TLV on Sunday, April 3 on Lot #152 at 6:00am; arrive in Warsaw at 8:55am c. Depart Warsaw on Thursday, April 7 at 6:30am on Air France flight #1247; 2 hour 25 minute layover in Paris; arrive in Atlanta at 2:25pm on Air France flight #682 6

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