8:30am – 9:30am
Pre-Yad Vashem visit with Dorit Raviv, Deputy Director of the Overseas Education and Training Department at Yad Vashem International School for Holocaust Studies.

9:45am – 12:00pm
Guided tour of Yad Vashem, the national Jewish memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It features survivors' testimonies, personal belongings of victims, and state-of-the-art displays that preserve the stories of the six million victims. Designed by the worldrenowned architect Moshe Sadie, Yad Vashem’s dramatic structure cuts through the mountain like a spike and highlights powerful exhibits like the labyrinthine Valley of Communities. We will conclude our visit with a memorial ceremony at the Yizkor tent.

12:30pm
Light lunch at Café Shalva, an equal-opportunity, inclusive work setting where people with disabilities work as managers, waiters, and hosts. Shalva – Israel Association for the Care, and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities provides a complete range of services for thousands of people with disabilities from infancy to adulthood and their families.

1:45pm
Drive to Afula-Gilboa, Hartford and New Haven’s sister region in the north of Israel.

8:30am - 9:30am
Learn about the current challenges facing Israel’s political system with Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), an independent center of research and action dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Israeli democracy.

10:30am – 11:30am
In the Middle East, water isn’t only a vital natural resource; it’s also a wellspring of shared history. See where Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into Israel, and visit Qasr El Yahud – the site where Christians believe Jesus was baptized. You’ll also learn about the rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River with Orit Zuaretz, Chairperson of the Board of EcoPeace Middle East, which brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists to protect our shared environmental heritage. Proceed north via the Jordan Rift Valley

1:30pm – 2:30pm
Visit Naharayim (“two rivers”), where Israel’s first hydroelectric power station was established nearly 100 years ago by Pinhas Rutenberg – and you can still see the remains of the original plant. You’ll also learn about the unique history of the “Island of Peace” located in the Jordan River. Drive to Afula-Gilboa, Hartford and New Haven’s sister region in the north of Israel.

9:15am – 11:15am
Visit Vertigo Eco-Art Village, a living and emerging cultural laboratory dedicated to sustainability and minimizing our ecological footprint. The village’s garden functions as a part of a system that supports not only human endeavors but also the entire natural world.

11:45pm – 1:30pm
Say l’chaim with a light lunch at the Flam Winery in the heart of Martyrs’ Forest. Since 1998, winemaker Golan Flam and his family have captured the unique, mineral-rich terroir of the Judean Hills with an emphasis on sustainability and minimal intervention.

3:00pm – 3:45pm
Enjoy a tour and tasting at Mosco Beer, a boutique brewer of unfiltered, unpasteurized ales made from only natural ingredients. Located in the Judean Mountains, Mosco was established in 2012 by two childhood friends.

8:45am – 9:45am
Visit Mobileye, an Intel company, which was launched in 1999 with the belief that visionsafety technology will make our roads safer, reduce traffic congestion and save lives. Mobileye is a leading supplier of software that enables Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), with more than 25 automaker partners including some of the world’s largest.

11:15am – 1:15pm
Agritour and light lunch at Kibbutz Magal. Netafim Greenhouse Park showcases cutting-edge greenhouse technology at work. You’ll see vital experiments, climate controllers and a variety of greenhouses – from simple smallholder greenhouses for Africa to advanced glasshouses specifically designed for cold climates.

1:30pm – 2:30pm
Visit Moona – A Space for Change Socio-technological
Innovation Center at Baqa el Gharbiyye and hear from Asaf Brimer, Founder and CEO how Moona (Space, in Arabic) creates an innovative space that brings together different sectors and ages and develops technological change leaders through action-based pedagogy. Drive to Afula-Gilboa, Hartford and New Haven’s sister region in the north of Israel.

10:15am – 10:45am
Overlooking the Lebanon border, including the memorial monument for the Southern Lebanon Army (SLA) in Metula.

11:00am
Nature walks through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, including a guided visit of the ancient city. Tel Dan is one of the largest ancient tels (prehistoric settlement mounds) in Israel, with the remains of a 5,000-year-old city. The height of the city’s development was during the Canaanite and Israelite periods.

12:00pm
Ascend Golan Heights via Jeep to gain a better understanding of the region’s strategic importance. You’ll meeting with IDF soldiers serving by the Syrian border (subject to IDF approval) and enjoy a light picnic lunch at Odem Forest.

3:00pm
At the highest village in Israel, Majdal Shams, we will learn about the Druze community and its unique religion and culture. Proceed to Dubrovin Farm for a festive dinner and cultural celebration.

10:15am
You’ll overlook the Lebanese border accompanied by Colonel (Res.) Kobi Marom – an expert on Hamas, Hezbollah, and other radical movements operating in the Middle East and a research associate at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University. Then stop at the memorial monument for the Southern Lebanon Army (SLA) in Metula.

11:00am
At the Helicopters Memorial you’ll hear Col. (Res) Marom’s personal story of one tragic night in February 1997 that was the trigger event for IDF withdrawal from South Lebanon.

11:45am – 12:45pm
Visit Ghajar – once a Syrian-Alawi village and now half Israeli and half Lebanese.

1:00pm
Picnic lunch at Odem Forest followed by a wine tasting at Odem Winery.

3:30pm
Visit a Druze village in the northern Golan Heights. You’ll meet Druze community members and learn about their unique religion and culture. Proceed to Dubrovin Farm for a festive dinner and cultural celebration.

10:15am
You’ll overlook the Lebanese border accompanied by Colonel (Res.) Kobi Marom – an expert on Hamas, Hezbollah, and other radical movements operating in the Middle East and a research associate at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University. Then stop at the memorial monument for the Southern Lebanon Army (SLA) in Metula.

11:30am – 1:00pm
Meet new immigrant artists from Ukraine and young Israeli artists at one of the kibbutzim in the Upper Galilee.

1:15pm
Picnic lunch

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Wine tasting at Galilee Mountain Winery, a gorgeous facility that overlooks vineyards and mountains in all directions. Learn about the entire wine production process – from sustainable wine grape cultivation to pouring and tasting the remarkable final product.

4:30-5:30pm
Visit Hargol FoodTech Lab and meet with CEO and Co-Founder Dror Tamir. Hargol uses unique technologies to grow and harvest large quantities of grasshoppers in captivity quickly, efficiently, and under sanitary conditions. The result is a reliable, sustainable, high quality, kosher protein source. Hargol’s products include grasshopper protein powder, food additives, nutritional supplements, and pet food. Proceed to Dubrovin Farm for a festive dinner and cultural celebration.

10:15am – 11:15am
Visit MIGAL Galilee Research Institute Ltd., a regional research and development center of the Israeli Science and Technology Ministry, and meet with Bar Neve, CEO of MIGAL’s CAMANEX cannabis research arm. Learn about current research into the effectiveness of cannabis for treating cancer and inflammatory disease.

12:00pm – 2:30pm
Visit the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University in Safed. Established in 2011 in the heart of the Galilee, Azrieli has quickly climbed the ranks, leading in research and Israeli medical education. It promotes and develops healthcare services for the
culturally diverse community of the Galilee. Includes a light lunch.

3:30pm – 4:30pm
Visit an IDF base along the border to see cutting-edge technology in action (pending IDF permission).

9:00am
Spiritual journey through the old city of Safed. Meander through cobblestone alleys and stop at the Ari Synagogue, Rabbi Yosef Karo Synagogue and Abuhav Synagogue. You’ll also visit the art galleries for which Safed is famous.

10:00am – 11:30am
Meet a local Kabbalah artist from Ruach Tzafat (a Jewish Agency beneficiary of Federation’s Annual Campaign) at his studio. Learn about the power behind your Hebrew name and the importance of the letters in many Hebrew words we take for granted.

12:00pm
Lunch at Japanika Restaurant, a Jewish Agency Loan Fund recipient, in Rosh Pina. Jewish Agency Loan Funds have helped many of Israel’s best new vintners, brewers, chocolatiers,
bakers, and restauranteurs launch their businesses. Many of these entrepreneurs have fascinating personal stories as well; they include immigrants, Ethiopian Israelis, Arab Israelis, haredi Jews, and second-career professionals.

3:00pm
Visit the ancient Roman port city of Caesarea, built by King Herod circa 25-13 BCE. You’ll see the Roman amphitheater, the Hippodrome, and Herod’s Palace amongst pillars, sculptures, frescoes, and stone seating. Travel along Israel’s coastal road to Tel Aviv–Jaffa.

8:15am – 9:15am
Get a glimpse into the life of Jewish nationalists on the front lines during the pre-state Zionist period at the Beit Hashomer Museum and the Haganah Arsenal (Slik) in Kfar Giladi.

10:15am – 11:15pm
Visit Palsan to hear firsthand how a small Israeli kibbutz on the border of Lebanon has changed the face of security and combat forces in the Middle East.

11:30am – 12:15pm
Get an overview of southern Lebanon and the main battlefields of the Second Lebanon War with Lt. Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zahavi, a retired intelligence officer and the founder of Alma, an independent nonprofit research and education center specializing in Israel’s security challenges on its northern borders.

1:00pm – 2:30pm
Enjoy the lighter side of life with lunch and drinks at Jullius, the first artisan distillery in Israel. Your host is the distillery’s founder, Yuval “Joov” Hargil – who produces only the spirits that he enjoys drinking.

3:00pm – 4:30pm
Experience a “War Room” simulation of a security crisis with Lt. Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi. Travel to Tel Aviv–Jaffa.

9:00am – 11:00am
Attend an open rehearsal at Ga’aton Dance Village and meet Masa Dance Journey participants at the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, one of the leading dance companies in the world. Artistic Director Rami Be’er’s unique choreographic style has become KCDC’s trademark in Israel and around the world.

11:30am – 1:00pm
JDC Eshel’s “Photography with Joy” program in Western Galilee uses photography as a therapeutic tool to help Holocaust survivors cope with past traumas and share their stories. You'll see photographs exploring themes of courage during the Holocaust, love, Jewish existence, and life itself.

1:00pm
Lunch at Alto, a family-run dairy farm specializing in goat milk cheeses. Its product line includes more than a dozen mature and fresh cheeses and thick, non-sour yogurts.

2:30pm
Tour the city of Akko, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll the market, explore the Crusaders’ fort and the Turkish Hammam (bath house) and, if time permits, visit the former British Prison dedicated to the Jewish underground movement. Travel to Tel Aviv–Jaffa.

8:30am – 11:00am
Meet with Nissan Ze’evi, CEO of Margalit Start-Up City, and high-school entrepreneurs. Margalit Startup City’s Galil Innovation Center is a groundbreaking hub where investors,
multinationals, developers, entrepreneurs, and academic researchers are collaborating to create the next big foodtech and agritech startups—innovations that will change our
world.

12:30pm – 2:00pm
Lunch with the Hashomer HaChadash volunteer organization and Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ram Shmueli, a social and educational entrepreneur. Hashomer HaChadash was established by local moshav and kibbutz residents to protect over 145,000 acres of farmland from seizures, theft, arson, and vandalism while teaching over 11,000 youth to love the land each year.

3:30pm – 6:00pm
Experience F-16 and F-35 flight simulators under the guidance of former IDF pilots. Drive to Tel Aviv–Jaffa.

10:00am
Walking tour of Old Jaffa, “the gateway to the Land of Israel,” tracing its story from Biblical times through the newly developed Jaffa Port.

11:30am – 1:00ppm
Visit the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation to witness the incredible story of Israel, the innovation nation.

1:30pm
Lunch at Dr. Shakshuka

Walk through Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood founded in 1887 by businessmen who relocated from crowded living quarters in Jaffa. The neighborhood consists of many turnof-the-20th-century homes and retains much of its old charm. Continue along Independence Trail to hear the stories of the founding families of the city that arose out of the sand dunes in 1909. The trail ends at Independence Hall, where the first Jewish state was declared on May 14, 1948.

10:00am – 11:30am
Visit the Jewish Agency’s Youth Futures program in Jaffa and participate in a hands-on workshop with local youth. Youth Futures strengthens children, teens, families and communities through Youth Futures Mentors – young adults trained to guide a group of 16 children through personal, familial, social, and educational interventions over 3 to 5 years, in partnership with their parents.

12:15pm – 2:15pm
VIP visit to the IDF Home Front Command Simulator with Colonel Amir Ben David (subject to IDF approval) including lunch.

Falafel / Street Lunch

3:30pm
Brothers in Arms “speed-meet & greet” with IDF soldiers who have graduated from JDC’s Blue Dawn program, which helps immigrants, haredi Jews, at-risk youth and other marginalized communities integrate into army service; the Jewish Agency’s Wings program, which embraces and supports lone soldiers; and the Jewish Agency’s Mechinot – pre-army service learning programs that prepare minority youth for military service.

10:00am – 11:00am
Visit the Old Cemetery on Trumpeldor Street to visit the graves of Tel Aviv’s founders

11:30am – 1:30pm
Take a tasting journey through Tel Aviv’s famous Levinsky Market where you'll find a combination of foods and sweets from all over the Mediterranean and hear the unique stories of the individuals who sell them.

2:30pm – 4:00pm
Participate in a social innovation workshop with Masa participants at BINA, The Jewish Movement for Social Change. BINA is an Israeli-born movement at the intersection of Jewish education and social activism. BINA works to advance democracy, pluralism, and justice in Israel and the Jewish world through limud (study), ma’ase (action), and kehilla (community), emphasizing Jewish culture and tikkun olam (repairing the world).

10:00am – 11:30am
Visit the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, which presents the incredible story of Israel, the innovation nation.

12:00pm – 2:00pm
Enjoy a “101” session with cybersecurity entrepreneurs and startups, including a light lunch at the Edna Urban Oasis in Jaffa.

2:30pm – 3:30pm
It’s five o’clock somewhere… and it’s time for you to visit Milk and Honey, an urban whisky distillery and Israel’s first! Located in one of Tel Aviv’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, M&H has become a part of the city’s fabric.

7:30 am
Depart hotel

10:00 am-12:00 pm
Masada

12:30 pm -2:00 pm
Lunch & Float / Mud Fest