Afternoon arrival at Ben Gurion. Transfer to Tel Aviv and check into the hotel. Drive to Hostage Square for the opening ceremony and brief discussion on the importance of the site throughout the war. Continue to local restaurant for dinner and an opportunity to share thoughts as we begin this experience together. Overnight: Tel Aviv (D)

After breakfast, drive to Shalom Tower, original site of Gymnasia Herzliya school, with model of Ahuzat Bayit (early Tel Aviv) and beautiful Nahum Gutman mosaic showing the development of Tel Aviv. Continue to Old Jaffa for short walking tour and panoramic view of the Tel Aviv coastline. Drive to Peres Center for Peace and Innovation for tour of site, learning about Israel as Start-Up Nation. Drive to Carmel Market for lunch on own and time to shop in the arts & crafts fair on adjacent Nachalat Binyamin Street. Return to hotel to rest. Weather permitting, gather on beach for Kabbalat Shabbat service and then return to hotel for dinner. Overnight: Tel Aviv (B/D)

After breakfast, drive to ANU, Museum of the Jewish People for a guided tour of this fascinating museum. Drive to Tel Aviv port for lunch on own. Opportunity to walk back to hotel on own or be driven back by bus. In late afternoon, gather for Israel Update by guest speaker followed by Havdalah and dinner on own. Overnight: Tel Aviv (B)

After breakfast, drive to Kibbutz Nir Oz for walking tour of the community in which over a quarter of its residents were either kidnapped or killed on October 7th, 2023.  From there drive to Re’im Campground site of Nova music festival near, where hundreds of participants were murdered by Hamas terrorists. Drive to Ofakim for lunch on own. Continue to Karmei Gat, where members of Kibbutz Nir Oz are living temporarily. Meet with member of Nir Oz who was taken hostage on October 7th (tentative). Return to Tel Aviv for dinner at BlackOut Restaurant at NaLaga’at Center. Overnight: Tel Aviv (B/D)

After breakfast, check out of hotel and drive to Citrus & Salt to volunteer preparing food for soldiers and go on culinary tour of Levinsky open-air market. Drive to art gallery in Umm el-Fahem (www.ummelfahemgallery.com). Meet with gallery director, Said Abu Shakra, on the unique history and place of the gallery on the Israeli artistic landscape followed by guided tour of gallery and light lunch. Drive north to Kiryat Shmona for bus tour and meeting with civic leader to learn about how the city has rebounded after its near total evacuation during the war. Drive to kibbutz and check into hotel. Dinner at hotel. Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel (B/L/D)

After breakfast, meet with representative of Alma (https://israel-alma.org/about) for security briefing beginning at panoramic overview in Metulla looking into Lebanon. Then, guided by Avraham, drive along the northern border. Conclude security briefing at the top of Mt Bental, overlooking the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Visit Golan Heights Winery for tour and wine tasting followed by lunch on own in Druze restaurant in Golan Heights. Continue to Old Tsfat for free time to visit galleries. Return to hotel for dinner. Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel (B/D)

Check out of the hotel and drive to Kochav HaYarden National Park for tour of Belvoir Fortress, a Crusader castle providing spectacular view of the Jordan Valley, Jordan and the southern Golan Heights. Continue to Beit She’an National Park, site of one of the most important cities in the region in antiquity. Tour the site, including the Roman theater and bath house. Lunch on own in Beit She’an. Continue south in the Jordan Valley and then drive up to Jerusalem, stopping at Mt Scopus for a panoramic view of Old & New Jerusalem. Drive to hotel and check in. Dinner on own. Overnight: Jerusalem (B)  

After breakfast, drive to Old City. Walk on the walls of Old City. Continue on walking tour of Jewish Quarter and the Kotel (Western Wall).  Continue walking tour of Old City through the Muslim and Christian Quarters ending up at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Depart Old City and drive to Cinema City for lunch on own in food court. After lunch drive to offices of Chief Rabbinate to meet with ultra-Orthodox educator Yehoshua Pfeffer about ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel and their general opposition to doing any kind of national service. Return to hotel. Time to rest and freshen up followed by meeting with Israeli screenwriter Galit Roichman on Israeli society post October 7th as reflected in Israeli cinema (tentative). Dinner on own. Overnight: Jerusalem (B)

After breakfast, meet with representative of Breaking the Silence (or Rabbis for Human Rights) on issues concerning Jewish settlement in the territories. Then, drive to Jewish settlement south of Jerusalem to meet with leader in settler movement for overview of the movement’s past, present and future. Return to Jerusalem for lunch on own in Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s open-air market. Return to hotel on own. In late afternoon gather for Kabbalat Shabbat service and Shabbat dinner at hotel. Meet after dinner for group Oneg Shabbat and processing session. Overnight: Jerusalem (B/D)

After breakfast, meet with Racheli Rosenfeld, head of the Whistleblower Division at the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, for discussion on the ongoing attempt by the government to weaken the judiciary. Then, drive to Israel Museum for visit to scale model of Second Temple period Jerusalem and Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea scrolls. Free time to visit other exhibits in the museum. Lunch on own at museum café. Return to hotel for time to pack or walk around Jerusalem neighborhoods of Rehavia or Talbiya. In late afternoon gather for final group discussion session. Check out of hotel followed by festive final dinner in local restaurant. Transfer to airport for flight back to US. (B/D)

Land back at LAX Airport