MISSION TO POLAND & ISRAEL APRIL 24 - MAY 3, 2017 fidf.org/missions fidf@fidf.org 1-888-318-3433
***** Optional Pre-arrival package to Warsaw, Poland on Saturday April 22 - Monday April 24, is available for interested participants. Please find all related details in the appendix of this itinerary. MONDAY, APRIL 24: ARRIVAL IN KRAKOW, POLAND Afternoon - Participants arrive in Krakow, Poland, and check in at the Sheraton Krakow Hotel 08:00pm - Opening delegation dinner alongside concentration camp survivors and IDF Witnesses in Uniform delegation at the hotel together with the IDF Chief of Staff. (Participant dress code: Business casual) OVERNIGHT: SHERATON KRAKOW HOTEL, 7 POWISLE STREET, KRAKOW PHONE: 48-12-662-1000 TUESDAY, APRIL 25: COMMEMORATING JEWISH HERITAGE IN HISTORIC KRAKOW 07:30am - Breakfast at the hotel 09:00am - Tour of the Krakow Jewish Ghetto in Kazimierz where Jews were forced to live during the Nazi occupation. The tour will culminate with a moving memorial ceremony at the ghetto square 11:00am - Prayer service at the itzaak Synagogue together with the IDF Chief Cantor 12:00am - Lunch at the Galicia Museum, which commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and celebrates the Jewish culture of Polish Galicia 01:30pm - Visit the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Krakow and learn about its significant Jewish community, which thrived from the 14th century until its decimation in the Holocaust 05:30pm - Hear firsthand recounts of being Jewish in pre-wwii Poland through an in-depth retelling by a Holocaust survivor who will share personal memories and experiences 07:30pm - Delegation dinner at the hotel (Participant dress code: Business casual) OVERNIGHT: SHERATON KRAKOW HOTEL 1
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26: REMEMBERING THOSE WHO PERISHED IN TARNÓW AND ZBYLITOWSKA GÓRA 06:30am-07:30am - Breakfast at hotel 09:15am - Tour of Tarnów, the town that was home to thousands of Jews who ultimately faced unspeakable suffering at the hands of the Nazis 11:00am - Depart for Zbylitowska Gora Village and Buczyna Forest to retrace the steps of many Jews, including over 800 children, who were executed and buried by the Nazis 12:30pm - Participate in a stirring memorial ceremony at the Children's Grave with the IDF Delegation 01:30pm - Lunch at Tarnovia Hotel 04:00pm - Return to Hotel 05:00pm - Moving personal testimonies by a Holocaust survivors at the hotel 07:45pm - Dinner at the hotel with the IDF delegation. (Participant dress code: Business casual) OVERNIGHT: SHERATON KRAKOW HOTEL THURSDAY, APRIL 27: REMEMBER THE PAST, MARK THE PRESENT, AND LOOK TO THE FUTURE AT AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU 06:30am - Breakfast at hotel 07:30am - Depart to Auschwitz 2 Birkenau. Auschwitz, a complex of several camps, was the largest Nazi killing center. Birkenau, also known as Auschwitz 2, was the largest and most lethal of the Auschwitz camps 09:30am - Participate in a historic and unforgettable march into Birkenau, led by survivors and IDF officers 2
10:30am - Hear a powerful continuation of a Holocaust testimony from a survivor who will share his experience and memories of the concentration camp to his liberation 12:00pm - Hold a memorial ceremony in Birkenau led by the commander of the IDF delegation, remembering those who perished in the genocide 01:15pm - Lunch 02:15pm - Enter the main Auschwitz Concentration Camp, where 1 million Jews were killed. Participate in small-group guided tours of the camp, established as a museum and UNESCO World Heritage site in 1947 07:00pm - Return to Hotel 08:00pm - Group dinner at the hotel marking the transition from Holocaust to Independence, beginning to the inspirational journey to Israel alongside the IDF delegation. (Participant dress code: Business casual) OVERNIGHT: SHERATON KRAKOW HOTEL FRIDAY, APRIL 28: DEPART FOR TEL AVIV VIA AN ISRAELI AIR FORCE JET, ACCOMPANIED BY THE IDF OFFICERS 6:30am- 7:15am - Breakfast at hotel and check-out 07:30am - Take a once-in-a-lifetime flight to Israel aboard an IAF jet, accompanied by Israel s own IAF pilots and IDF officers 02:00pm - Welcome ceremony at the Air Force Base 04:00pm - Arrive to the King David hotel 08:00pm - A moving Welcome to Israel Shabbat dinner celebrating the transition from darkness into light with our arrival in Jerusalem. (Participant dress code: Shabbat clothes) OVERNIGHT: KING DAVID HOTEL, 23 KING DAVID ST., JERUSALEM +972-2-620-8888 3
SATURDAY, APRIL 29: SHABBAT IN THE HOLY CITY Breakfast at hotel. Choose from one of the following options to experience Israel s history: Take a walking tour of the historic Old City of Jerusalem with an emphasis on Christian history or Take a neighborhood tour of Rehavia and Nahlaot. The tour will tell these neighborhoods histories from the British Mandate until present day or Ascend to Masada for a breathtaking tour of this historic fortification. Inhale the unique beauty of Israel s landscape with unimaginable panoramas and then visit the Dead Sea (minimum of ten participants required; at additional cost) or Afternoon leisure time to create your own special memories experiencing Israel The mission continues for everyone: 05:00pm - Receive an-depth geopolitical briefing from a top Israeli military expert 07:45pm - Participate in an unforgettable Havdalah service in the holiest city on earth Free evening to enjoy the incomparable beauty of Jerusalem at night OVERNIGHT: KING DAVID HOTEL SUNDAY, APRIL 30: EXPERIENCE THE PRIDE OF A NATION THE IDF LEADING INTO YOM HAZIKARON, ISRAEL S MEMORIAL DAY 07:00am - Breakfast at hotel 08:30am - Depart hotel 4
09:00am - Visit the soldiers at the Judea and Samaria Division for an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how soldiers serve to keep Israel safe under any circumstance 02:30pm - Return to the hotel 05:30pm - Early dinner at the hotel 06:30pm - Attend the official memorial ceremony dedicated to fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism at the Kotel with state officials. (Participant dress code: Business attire/white top recommended) 09:00pm - Return to the hotel OVERNIGHT: KING DAVID HOTEL MONDAY, MAY 1: EXPERIENCE YOM HAZIKARON AS ISRAELIS DO, REMEMBERING FALLEN SOLDIERS 07:00am - Breakfast at hotel 08:15am - Depart hotel 09:00am - Visit Yad La-Shiryon, the Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun and participate in an unforgettable Memorial Ceremony where we will mourn, remember, and honor the brave IDF soldiers with the people of Israel. (Participant dress code: white top recommended) 12:30pm - Visit to the 9/11Memorial, the only place outside of the United States that recognizes the names and countries of origin of the people who were killed on 9/11 02:00pm - Return to the hotel 08:00pm - Join the Israeli people in transitioning from mourning into joy and celebration as we mark Israel s 69 Independence Day at a special dance party for the delegation. (Participant dress code: Business causal) OVERNIGHT: KING DAVID HOTEL 5
TUESDAY, MAY 2: CELEBRATE YOM HAATZMAUT, ISRAEL S INDEPENDENCE DAY, ISRAELI-STYLE 08:00am - Breakfast at hotel 10:15am - Depart hotel 11:00am - Celebrate Israel's 69th Independence Day with an incredible visit with the Kedem Search and Rescue battalion. Enjoy a barbecue lunch, and singing and dancing with the brave men and women who protect the independence we celebrate 01:45pm - Return to the hotel 03:00pm - Depart for the official residence of the President of the State of Israel, Beit HaNasi. TBD (Passports required) (Participant dress code: Business attire) 04:00pm - Take part in an official diplomatic reception at the residence of the President, Mr. Reuven "Ruby" Rivlin, the charismatic and beloved head of the state of Israel. 07:00pm - Celebratory farewell dinner at the King David Hotel to conclude our remarkable and unforgettable experience together. (Participant dress code: Business Casual) OVERNIGHT: KING DAVID HOTEL WEDNESDAY, MAY 3: OFFICIAL CONCLUSION OF THE FIDF DELEGATION TO POLAND AND ISRAEL AND OUR JOURNEY FROM HOLOCAUST TO INDEPENDENCE. Departure Itinerary is subject to change 6
Appendix A: ***** Optional Pre Arrival package to Warsaw, Poland Saturday April 22nd - Monday April 24th SATURDAY, APRIL 22: ARRIVAL TO WARSAW, POLAND 08:00am - Welcome Dinner OVERNIGHT: BRISTOL HOTEL, KRAKOWSKIE PRZEDMIESCIE 42/44, WARSAW +48 225 511 000 SUNDAY, APRIL 23: WARSAW SIGHTSEEING Get a close look at Warsaw s historical sites, including: The Royal Castle (former residence of Polish Kings), the Old Town quarter, Market Square, the Barbican, and medieval defense walls. We will continue with a visit to the Lazienki Park & Palace, the largest park in Warsaw and a private residence of the Polish king. Next we will visit the Palace of Culture and Science (a gift from Stalin), located in the former Ghetto area, and we will then continue down memory lane to the Monument to the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto to Transportation Square. The day will conclude with a visit to the Jewish cemetery on Okopowa Street, the most valuable monument of Jewish culture in Warsaw OVERNIGHT: BRISTOL HOTEL, KRAKOWSKIE PRZEDMIESCIE 42/44, WARSAW +48 225 511 000 MONDAY, APRIL 24: ARRIVAL IN KRAKOW FROM WARSAW, POLAND Morning visit to the newly opened Jewish museum in Warsaw, The Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews, followed by lunch Afternoon transportation to Krakow 08:00pm - Opening celebratory dinner with the Witnesses in Uniform delegation at the hotel (Participant dress code: Business casual) 7
Their job is to look after Israel. Ours is to look after them.