Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and The Village Temple
Mission to Israel

Led by Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Rabbi Rena Rifkin

Mar 21, 2024 - Mar 29, 2024

  • DESTINATION Israel
  • Who’s Going Our Community
  • Trip Type Congregational
  • Duration 9 DAYS
  • Group Size 20+
  • Price From $5,456
Program is tentative and subject to change. Connect with our Customer Care Team by calling: (888) 230-6008 Mon.-Thur. from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

YOUR journey

J² crafts journeys of inspiration, education, and Jewish connections to Israel and worldwide. We are guided by a simple but powerful concept: No two trips are the same; each experience should be personal, meaningful, and backed by superb service. Travel is not just about the places you visit, but the connections you make along the way.

Coming to Israel today is a special act of solidarity and of Jewish peoplehood. Israel has never faced more challenging times. We hope that your solidarity mission is about encountering and understanding where the people of Israel stand – in our hurt, in our healing, and in our hope. The mission is about bringing comfort and being comforted. It is an act of empathy and a confirmation of shared memory and destiny. Above all, the solidarity mission is about what each one of us chooses to do to make a difference on the day that we return to our communities from Israel.

 

The itinerary is tentative and may be adjusted based on the actual circumstances on the ground in Israel.

  •   Current Affairs
  •   Social Justice
  •   Special Access
  •   Local Specialists

Program Itinerary

DAY 1
ON OUR WAY
Thu. Mar 21, 2024
  • Depart the US.
Overnight: Flight
DAY 2
BRING IN THE SHABBAT
Fri. Mar 22, 2024
  • Arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport.
  • Check in to your hotel.
  • Kabbalat Shabbat at Beit Daniel.
  • Private Shabbat dinner in Tel Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Dinner
DAY 3
SHABBAT IN TEL AVIV | EREV PURIM
Sat. Mar 23, 2024
  • Morning free to join a local Shacharit (optional).
  • Afternoon briefing with local journalist.
  • Meeting with Israeli diplomat and writer.
  • Depart Tel Aviv and drive to Modi'in.
  • Participate in a Havdalah ceremony and Megillah reading with the community of Kehillat Yozma in Modi’in, led by Rabbi Nir Barkin.
  • Return to Tel Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4
FROM PROTEST TO BROTHERHOOD | PURIM
Sun. Mar 24, 2024
  • Hear from individuals leading the Civilian Efforts that are working to help the thousands of misplaced families from the North and the South.
  • Project 24 – The New Kibbutz Reim - tells the story of communities displaced by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023. Meet how the members of Kibbutz Re'im are working to keep community alive, supply meaningful outlets for youth and adults, and keep the dream of returning home alive.
  • Meet the families and the activists worried and working to bring all of Israel's hostages home. Hear their stories and ask what can I do to help.
  • Get an update on the current situation in Israel through a dialogue with a military expert.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5
BUILDING RESILIENCE
Mon. Mar 25, 2024
  • Depart Tel Aviv for the day and drive south.
  • Celebrate Allegra's Bat Mitzvah.
  • Visit Sderot, located on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip and meet with a local resident.
  • Lunch on own en route.
  • Visit one of the villages in the Gaza envelope where you will bear witness to the atrocities of October 7th.
  • Stop at the site of the Nova Festival massacre near Kibbutz Re'im.
  • Return to Tel Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6
THE STRUGGLE OF THE COUNTRY
Tue. Mar 26, 2024
  • Due to a reduced workforce, join local farmers to help harvest their seasonal crop.
  • Learn about advances in medical and psychological care during this challenging time.
  • Visit with a non-profit organization created by wounded soldiers from Israel’s elite units.
  • Evening briefing at the hotel with local journalist.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7
HEAR, PRAY, LOVE
Wed. Mar 27, 2024
  • Morning briefing with a politician and senior military officer who has been in active reserved service since October 7th.
  • Depart Tel Aviv and drive to Jerusalem.
  • Meeting with an expert on Jewish Law to discuss Jewish approaches to the Ethics of War.
  • Visit the newly opened campus of a National Institution and hear how their faculty has been utilized in the aftermath of October 7th.
  • Return to Tel Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8
OUR VOICE
Thu. Mar 28, 2024
  • Morning free for time to explore Tel Aviv and to prepare for you evening departure.
  • Late morning briefing with former Member of Knesset.
  • Debrief session as we reflect on our journey before we return home.
  • Late check out followed by a Private Farewell Dinner in Tel Aviv.
  • Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the US.
Overnight: Flight Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 9
TILL WE MEET AGAIN
Fri. Mar 29, 2024
  • Return to the US.

RATES & LODGING

participants
20+
Cost p/p in double room
$5,456
Cost p/p in single room
$6,746
Child As 3rd (Reduction)
- ($-1,018)

Tel Aviv: Dan Tel Aviv Hotel

  • Nights: 6+LCO
  • Room Category: EXECUTIVE Sea View Room
  • Hotel Website

What to expect

  • 6 nights' accommodations. Late check out until 6:00 p.m. on the day of departure is included.
  • 7 days of touring with a J² Expert Educator (guide), 7 days of touring in a luxury, air-conditioned bus.
  • Daily breakfast & 2 dinners.
  • The J² adventures App available on the App Store & on Google Play (active 7 days before your departure and throughout your trip).
  • Water on the bus.
  • Porterage at the hotels.
  • All site entrance fees & program fees as per your final program.
  • Tips to the tour educator and driver.
  • Credit card fees.
  • Flights to & from Israel.
  • Late check out past 6:00 p.m. on the day of the departure.
  • COVID related expenses, including tests.
  • Evening transportation when dinner is not included.
  • Amendments to the program: In the event that any sites, programs or meals etc. are added to the program, an additional fee may be required.
  • Personal extras: Items of personal nature such as laundry, wines, mineral water, beverages, coffee, tea, food other than the table d’hotel menu, passport and visa fees, insurance, and foreign port taxes, unless otherwise specified.
  • US and foreign airport taxes, Q fuel surcharge and border taxes when applicable.
  • Value Added Tax is currently not applicable to tourists visiting Israel. Should the law change, you will be notified accordingly, and VAT will be added to your final invoice.
  • Peace of Mind Travel Protection Program (POM).
  • Please review our terms & conditions (T&C’s) or request that we send you our full T&C’s. Until you do that, here is the small print, and other stuff you may want to know:
  • Validity | All prices quoted are based on exchange rates as of the proposal date and are subject to change without notice. Rates are per person and are based on shared twin room occupancy.
  • How to Make a Reservation | The quickest way to make a reservation is to register online or contact us by email. We accept VISA, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required in order to complete the registration process.
  • For any assistance with this registration process or other trip-related queries, please email Customer Care: customercare@j2adventures.com.
  • Payments | The balance of your payment is due 90 days before your trip begins, or as specified in your invoice. You will receive an email reminder 2 weeks before this date. Various payment options are available as follows:
  • Credit card | We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Please check with your credit card provider regarding international processing fees. We are unable to process payments of over $1,000 over the phone. Please submit payment online via a credit card or by wiring funds via your bank.
  • Domestic bank wire transfer | Payment should be wired in the same currency that is listed on your invoice. Please add the name of your group or invoice number as a reference and forward a copy of the transfer receipt by email. The bank transfer should clearly state the beneficiary’s name on the wire transfer.
  • J² Adventures reserves the right to automatically cancel your reservation on that date and it may be subject to reconfirmation should the final payment not be received.
  • Cancelation Policy | All cancelations need to be made in writing. The cancelation fee depends on the date when we receive written notification of your request to cancel your booking. Please note that the deposit is non-refundable.
  • Cancelation fees | Cancelations made 90 or more days prior to departure incur the loss of the deposit. Cancelations made 89 to 46 days prior to departure incur the loss of 50% of the full trip cost. Cancelations made 45 days or less prior to the departure incur the loss of 100% of the full trip cost.
  • Cancelation fees may also include: Hotel or supplier cancelation fees. J² Adventures reserves the right to adjust its terms of payment, including cancelation policies and initial deposits.
  • Mobility: Solidarity missions are specifically strenuous, and our visits include places that are inaccessible to people who may have mobility challenges. You should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces. PLEASE NOTE: In some cases you may need to run to a shelter, if you have questions regarding this matter please speak to a J² representative.
  • Protect your investment for $495 p/p: Should you cancel your trip up to 5 days before your departure for any reason, our POM program offers you a trip refund. Call 888-230-6008 or e-mail: customercare@j2adventures.com.
  • Please click here to view our full terms (T&C’s). These T&C’s apply to all reservations created within J2 Adventures.

DISCOVER NEW WORLDS.

JEWISH JOURNEYS.

A family vacation to Israel. An adventure of a lifetime traveling with friends to Morocco. A  trip to Poland or Portugal with your community. What do these trips have in common? No matter where you go, you will come back with a fresh perspective and appreciation of the place you visited as well as a heightened awareness of your identity as part of the global Jewish community. 

J2 STUFF.

We have everything you need to know before you go. Check out our Instagram my_j2adventures for cool updates and interesting tidbits.

 
 

Just like you we're concerned for the future. And like you, J2 stands for equality, tolerance, pluralism, and true democracy.