ITINERARY – BILZIN / ADLER BUS
Tentative - Subject to change
(tbc) = to be confirmed
SUNDAY, APRIL 22 – DEPART MIAMI
3:00 pm
Approximate time of El Al charter departure.
MONDAY, APRIL 23 – ARRIVE IN ISRAEL
10:00 am
El Al charter flight arrival in Israel at Nevatim Airforce Base (estimated time).
Celebrate your arrival in Israel with soldiers on the IDF base. Hear from the Commander in
Chief of the Israeli Air Force and/or other high-level speaker (tbc).
Watch an impressive aerial demonstration or other IDF display.
1:30 pm
Arrive at Yad LaShiryon, the Armored Corps memorial site and museum at Latrun initially
funded by the Arison Family from Miami. Each stone has a story to tell about the sacrifice and
heroism of the fighters who fell in their prime, allowing us, the generation that follow, to learn
about the values of sharing and brotherhood, resourcefulness and immortality.
Welcome by a high-ranking official (tbc).
Picnic lunch. You may plant a tree in the previously established “Miami Forest” to continue
the connection between our community and our historical roots to this land.
430 pm
Shehecheyanu at Haas Promenade by bus.
We will celebrate our arrival in the glorious city of Jerusalem with the Shehecheyanu blessing of
thanksgiving. This is the place where King David declared the capital of the Israelite kingdom
over 3,000 years ago and where David’s son Solomon built the First Temple. Together, we
recite these words of praise and drink l’chaim, to life, to mark this unforgettable place and time
in our journey through Israel.
6:45 pm
Arrive at Safra Square for the Shehecheyanu blessing, including welcome remarks by
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Ofer Bavly, former Consul General of Israel to Florida
and Puerto Rico (tbc).
7:30 pm
Opening MEGA EVENT #1
March in a special parade with live music and dancing down Jaffa Street to the Jaffa Gate.
Enjoy a spectacular surprise performance and buffet-style delicious local delicacies and
wine.
Optional:
 Walk to the Kotel (Western Wall) with Mission guides and take a moment for private
reflection as we begin our journey.
 Tour the Western Wall Tunnels. Head underneath the Old City’s maze of buildings for a
different perspective on the history of Jerusalem. The excavated tunnel is one of the city’s most
phenomenal sites.
Overnight: David Citadel
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TUESDAY, APRIL 24 – A DAY IN THE CITY OF GOLD
Shacharit at your hotel
Breakfast at your hotel with a morning speaker who will give an Israel update
Begin the day by participating in a hands-on project in a Jerusalem neighborhood with
the Joint Distribution Committee (JCD) and the Jerusalem Municipality.
See the The Hurva Synagogue is a historic synagogue on Hurva Square in the Jewish
Quarter of Jerusalem, whose extensive reconstruction after being completely destroyed
by the Jordanians was completed in March 2010. It has been rebuilt in the same NeoByzantine style as the original, with a central plan and a large dome over the main hall.
Tour the One Last Day Museum – The last day refers to May 28, 1948, the day before
the Jewish Quarter was surrendered to the Jordanians during Israel’s War of
Independence. The events of that day can be seen in the exhibition of the photographs
of John Phillips, and Englishman who accompanied the Jordanian Legion.
Stop for lunch in the Old City
Visit Ir David, the Jebusite citadel captured by King David in order to build his capital.
The city was well fortified with its own water source; it had never belonged to any of the
Israelite tribes and was, therefore, unlikely to provoke jealousy among them. In spite of
the fact that it was not on a major thoroughfare or centrally located to all the tribes,
Jerusalem was a perfect site for the new kind of nation state that David envisaged.
See the newly opened tunnel beginning at the Siloam Pool and running northward the
Givati excavation area right under the walls of the Old City and emerging through the
buckled Herodian street beneath Robinson’s Arch, at the southwest corner of the
Haram al-Sharif/ Temple Mount.
Stop at the Haas Promenade, the place where King David declared the capital of the
Israelite kingdom over 3,000 years ago and where David’s son Solomon built the First
Temple. See the Holy City spread out before you, caressed by the soft light of the
Judean sunset, white stone glowing with subtle flame. According to Jewish legend, it
was from the location of today's promenade that God showed Abraham where one day
his descendants would build their holy city
5:30 pm
Join IDF soldiers on their base for a moving ceremony for Yom Ha’Zikaron,
memorializing Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism.
6:30 pm
Have dinner together and get an understanding of what this day means to them.
7:50 pm
Join soldiers for the official opening ceremony of Yom Ha’Zikaron, honoring the
fallen. Pay respect by joining the entire country as everything comes to a standstill at
the sound of the siren at 8 pm. Each bus will lay a wreath in honor of the fallen.
9:30 pm
Late evening option – National Evening of Song at the Knesset in memory of fallen
soldiers.
Overnight: David Citadel
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 – YOM HA’ZIKARON
Shacharit and breakfast at your hotel
7:30 am
Depart hotel
8:00 am
Visit Yad Vashem – As the Jewish people’s living memorial to the Holocaust, Yad
Vashem safeguards the memory of the past and imparts its meaning for future
generations. Established in 1953, as the world center for documentation, research,
education and commemoration of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem is a dynamic and vital
place of intergenerational and international encounter. There will be various tour
possibilities, accommodating both first-time and returning visitors as well as a special
visit for those who participated on the Poland pre-mission.
10:30 am
Close the visit to Yad Vashem with a ceremony overlooking Jerusalem commemorating
the loss millions of victims of European Jewry during the Holocaust and honoring
Israel’s brave fallen soldiers.
11:00 am
The siren sounds. Throughout the entire country, bereaved families come together at
military cemeteries and pay tribute to their loved ones. As the mourning siren is heard,
cars stop, life comes to a stand still and every citizen bows their head for two minutes of
silence.
12:00 pm
Lunch with a guest speaker at Ma’aleh Ha’Chamisha (tbc).
Afternoon – “In the Footsteps of Israel’s Independence Fighters”
Known as Givat Ha’Tachmoshet in Hebrew, Ammunition Hill was the most heavily
fortified Jordanian stronghold from 1948 to 1967. It was also the site of one of the
fiercest battles during the Six Day War. When the Israeli paratroopers captured the hill,
the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem was possible.
Lay a wreath at the monument for the fallen soldiers of the Palmach's Harel Brigade.
Mount Scopus?
We will meet with a fighter from one of Israel’s wars or with a family member of a soldier
who fell in one of Israel’s wars.
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6:00 – 9:15 pm
MEGA EVENT #2
From Mourning to Celebration: Between Yom Ha’Zikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut – A spectacular
evening event on the grounds of the Israel Museum celebrating Israel’s 64th year of independence
The Israel Museum is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and is ranked among the
world’s leading art and archaeology museums. Founded in 1965, the Museum houses encyclopedic
collections, including works dating from prehistory to the present day, in its Archaeology, Fine Arts,
and Jewish Art and Life Wings, and features the most extensive holdings of biblical and Holy Land
archaeology in the world. Galleries of the Israel Museum will open for a private tour with
docents.
Enjoy food and wine as you stroll around the Model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period,
which reconstructs the topography and architectural character of the city as it was prior to its
destruction by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Visit the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead
Sea Scrolls, the oldest biblical manuscripts in the world, as well as rare early medieval biblical
manuscripts. Participate in a meaningful ceremony. Hear from a high-level guest speaker. Sing
along to “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” with legendary Israeli singer Shuly Nathan, who made this
song internationally famous.
Watch the magnificent fireworks display by the Municipality of Jerusalem above Mount Herzl as Yom
Ha’Atzmaut begins. Take your goodie bag filled with silly string and boppers into the city streets and
join the people of Jerusalem as they dance, cheer and celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut!
As the country goes from mourning to celebration, mission participants will too join in the joyous
Independence Day activities and blue-white celebrations.
Overnight: David Citadel
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26 – YOM HA’ATZMAUT
Shacharit at your hotel
Breakfast at your hotel
Depart your hotel for the Negev, a large desert that covers the entire southern half of
Israel. The least populated area in Israel, it is a home to (among others) the nomadic
desert people known as the Bedouin. The Negev offers some truly breathtaking scenery
and is home to some fascinating sites and places.
Travel to Sde Boker, the kibbutz where David Ben Gurion, one of Israel’s founding
fathers and first prime minister, retired to in the desert setting in the Negev after
dedicating his life to settling the land and making the desert bloom.
The Negev, a particularly dry area, was a popular area for growing vines in ancient
times and has been planted with new vineyards in the northern Negev hills. Relax and
enjoy a stop at a local Negev winery.
Travel to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s partnership city Yerucham for lunch:
Join a Yom Ha’Atzmaut BBQ with members of a young community.
4:00 pm
Yom Ha’Atzmaut atop Masada!
Atop a lone rock cliff at the western end of the Judean Desert lies Masada, combining
natural beauty and deep meaning. Together, we will ascend and tour King Herod’s
private fortress which, following the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, became a base
for a small band of Jewish zealots in revolt against the Romans. Although the rebels
held their own, they were eventually overcome by a Roman siege, and according to
historian Josephus, chose mass suicide over surrender. Masada has come to symbolize
the fierce determination of the people of Israel, but its tragic history also raises
questions about the price of freedom. Reach the mountaintop by cable-car or climb to
watch the sunset against the dramatic desert backdrop.
Tour Masada with your guide then optional Group B’nai Mitzvah Ceremony at the
ancient synagogue.
6:30 pm
Participants come together atop Masada with our Miami rabbis to pray for the security
and welfare of the State of Israel in a meaningful ceremony. We will raise our voices
in song and our eyes to the sky for a beautiful surprise!
7:20 pm
Participate in a torchlight descent by foot down the Roman Ramp to our next event.
8:15 pm
MEGA EVENT #3
As night falls, and with the spectacle of Masada glowing with lights, enjoy dinner in the
desert under the stars.
Enjoy an extraordinary musical performance by dynamic Israeli singer Einat Sarouf
that will get you dancing and singing long into the night.
Return to Jerusalem
Overnight: David Citadel
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FRIDAY, APRIL 27 – (OPTIONS DAY)
Shacharit at your hotel
Breakfast at your hotel
Depart the hotel and switch to your bus of choice (pre-selected).
Participants will choose from diverse track options, each providing a unique perspective and
following a path of special interest.
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First timers
Art and Culture
Art and Artists
Explore Tel Aviv
Fashion and Shopping
A Taste of Israel – The Food and Wine Trail
Nature/Ecology/Conservation
“Start Up Nation” – High-Tech
Archaeology and History
Extreme Adventure A & B
Medical
Volunteerism
Legal
Thousands of Years of Jewish History in Hebron and Gush Etzion
Mind, Body and Spirit (spa services available at an additional cost)
Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea (spa services available at an additional cost)
Return to Jerusalem and preparation for Shabbat.
5:15 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat – Welcome Shabbat in the Old City at the Davidson Center.
Walk to the Kotel and join the diverse Jewish communities praying at this holy site,
welcoming Shabbat.
8:00 pm
Festive Shabbat dinner with students from Miami who are participating in Federationsupported programs in Israel (MASA, Nativ and the March of the Living) and Lone
Soldiers. The dinner will be led by Miami rabbis and cantors followed by an Oneg
Shabbat and a learning experience.
Overnight: Jerusalem David Citadel
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SHABBAT, APRIL 28 – A DAY OF REST, REFLECTION AND EXPLORATION
Shacharit at your hotel
Breakfast at your hotel
Optional Shabbat activities in Jerusalem:
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Walk to the different synagogues and minyanim with your rabbi and join services
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‘You will love it!’ – Traditional Shabbat lunch at the David Citadel (additional cost)
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Text study – enhance your Jewish learning
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Explore the city on various walking tours with mission guides
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Enjoy a hike in the beautiful Judean Hills (additional cost)
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Bus tour to Masada and the Dead Sea (additional cost)
Lunch and Dinner on own: Our hostesses will provide you with recommendations and will make
your reservations.
7:58 pm
From “Kodesh to Chol” – Havdalah ceremony facing the Old City Walls
Optional evening activities:
Enjoy the spectacular Sound and Light Show at the Tower of David
The walls of the Tower serve as a stage for a nighttime show, which is a celebration of sights and
sounds. Amidst the archaeological remains in the Tower’s courtyard and to the sound of original
music, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through giant, breathtaking, virtual reality images (additional
cost).
Tour the Western Wall Tunnels. Head underneath the Old City’s maze of buildings for a different
perspective on the history of Jerusalem. The excavated tunnel is one of the city’s most
phenomenal sites.
Overnight: Jerusalem David Citadel
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SUNDAY, APRIL 29 – TRACKS NORTH TO THE LOWER GALILEE
Early morning: Pack an overnight bag for the North.
Shacharit at your hotel
Breakfast at your hotel
Visit Beit Issie Shapiro, Ra’anana – a facility for special needs and handicapped
children and young adults
Drive to the Katzir Scenic Lookout – A Jewish community in the heart of an IsraeliArab population will open a window to understanding the diversity of the Israeli society.
On the border of the Green Line, this observation point overlooks Wadi Ara and Um AlFahm, a region in Israel highly populated with Israeli-Arabs.
Stop for lunch at Katzir and then enjoy a visit to a winery.
Participate in a Navigation Rally with Jeeps in the Jezreel Valley
5:00 pm
MEGA EVENT #4
“Time Stands Still” – A Magical Evening at the Stunning Beit She’an
Archaeological Park
An ancient city comes alive with a street fair of bustling stores and stands by artists and
craftsmen from the Golan, Galilee and Pardes Channa-Karkur for your purchasing
delight. Street performers and an array of unique food stands featuring traditional and
contemporary fare, from meats to pastries and sweets, wine, music and even a horsedrawn carriage will take you back in time.
A magical, musical evening with the illustrious Broadway and stage entertainer Dudu
Fisher, who will perform traditional and contemporary songs in this 2,000-year-old
Roman theater. (Invite your family and friends to be our guests).
Overnight: Galei Kinneret/Ramot Holiday Resort/Kibbutz Lavi/Ma’agan Holiday Village/HaOn Holiday
Village
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MONDAY, APRIL 30 – THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Shacharit at the guest house
8:00 am
Breakfast
Lunch
All buses join together for a presentation by Dr. Daniel Gordis (tbc)
Performance by Pardes Channa-Karkur Dance Troupe and Ethiopian Scouts
Caucus by bus
Spend the late afternoon in Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast, about midway
between Haifa and Tel Aviv. Archeological excavations during the 1950s and 1960s
uncovered remains from many periods, in particular, a complex of fortifications of the
Crusader city and the Roman theater.
6:30 pm
Farewell party at S’dot Yam, a kibbutz near Haifa, on the shore of the Mediterranean
Sea. Watch the sun set over the water as you enjoy dinner and drinks at this closing
celebration.
8 pm
For those departing on late evening flights – Bus to Ben-Gurion Airport
OR
For those on the charter flight return to your hotel in Jerusalem for overnight before
departing for home the next morning.
OR
Poland pre-mission group departing May 1 - Departs for Jaffa to freshen up before 1am
departure to Ben-Gurion Airport
OR
For those on the Poland group departing May 2 – Depart for Tel Aviv for 2 overnights.
shalom ve' lehitraot!
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