June 2026 Track A

• Depart the U.S.

Overnight: Flight

• Drive from airport to Tel Aviv
• Welcome to Tel Aviv: Kick things off with Guru Zuzu, a silent disco through the heart of urban Tel Aviv. Through music, movement, and a quite memorable dance experience, you’ll break the ice, connect with each other, and step into the trip feeling open, energized, and ready for what’s ahead.
• Check in to the hotel and relax.
• HMI Welcome and Israel Geopolitics Update: Come together for a warm HMI welcome over light bites, followed by a thoughtful update on Israel today. This opening conversation offers geopolitical context and sets the stage for deeper understanding and meaningful dialogue throughout the trip.
• Dinner on your own. Check out our Restaurant Guide for ideas!

Meals: Light bites before dinner

Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Spend an active morning at the beach with HaGal Sheli (My Wave), a leading Israeli nonprofit that uses therapeutic surfing to create a safe space for healing. Enjoy a surfing workshop, stand-up paddleboarding, beach volleyball, and more—movement, connection, and purpose by the sea.
• Rest and refresh at the hotel.
• Enjoy free time to wander the shuk (market) and Nachalat Binyamin craft market, browse handmade art, sample local flavors, and soak up the sights, sounds, and energy of Tel Aviv at your own pace.
• We’ll visit the ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. This vibrant interactive museum tells the ongoing story of the Jewish people across time, place, and culture. Through cutting-edge exhibits, it celebrates diversity, heritage, and Jewish identity in all its forms.
• Honeymoon Israel Conversation #1 “The Individual”: During our journey, there will be four Honeymoon Israel Conversations, which is dedicated time for the group to process our experience, explore big questions, and build a sense of community.
• Dinner on own and evening at leisure. (Refer to HMI’s Eat Your Way Through Israel guide for recommendations).

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• As we head south, we will join our partners at Yahel, a non-profit organization dedicated to responsible and sustainable volunteer experiences in Israel, for a day of volunteering and service learning that addresses real needs in Israel. Tikkun olam (repairing the world) is a core value in Judaism. Volunteering – working to repair the brokenness in our world – is a powerful outward expression of Jewish values.
• Visit the Nova Music Festival memorial site for a moving and reflective experience. Together, we will take time to process what we’ve seen and heard, creating space for shared reflection and conversation.
• Return to Tel Aviv for dinner on your own.
• Step into a guided nightlife tour that reflects one of Tel Aviv’s defining truths: the ability to balance grief and joy, to carry memory while choosing life. Experience the city’s energy, culture, and social scene after dark.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out
• Drive to Jerusalem
• Four Quarters, Three Religions, One City: Set off for a walking tour through the Old City of Jerusalem, we will explore the various quarters, to witness diverse communities, their history and holiness.
• Lunch on your own in the Old City
• Check into the hotel
• Meet peace advocate, Nivine Sandouka, Reginal Director of Alliance for Middle East Peace. She will speak on Palestinian identity and her experiences as an East Jerusalem resident and coexistence leader.
• We will meet for Honeymoon Israel Conversation #2 “The Couple” at the hotel.
• Dinner on your own

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at hotel
• Our morning will be spent at Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust museum and memorial. Here, we’ll honor the memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust (Shoah in Hebrew) and reflect on how this history shapes the Jewish story — and the world — today.
• Lunch on your own at Mahane Yehuda Market — Jerusalem’s famous shuk (market), now also a hub of lively cafés and hidden eateries.
• As the evening approaches, we’ll come together for Shabbat Candle Lighting and Kabbalat Shabbat (the welcome to Shabbat), marking the transition into a time of rest and reflection.
• Got Questions? Throughout the week, you may have gathered new thoughts, wonderings, or questions about Judaism, Israel, or identity. This is a warm, open space to bring them all. Our Jewish Educator will guide an honest, inclusive group conversation at the hotel.
• We’ll gather for a Shabbat Dinner at the hotel with the other HMI groups, sharing a beautiful meal to celebrate the beginning of Shabbat.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel 
• The Five-Legged Table: Reflections on the Jewish Family: This session will provide a thought-provoking framework for understanding the foundational aspects of Jewish identity and community.
• Picnic lunch in Gan Sacher to give us time to reflect on the morning session.
• Spend time at the Israel Museum, exploring art, archaeology, and history that illuminate the many stories of the Jewish people. This visit invites reflection on culture, creativity, and identity, and creates space for shared questions and conversation along the way.
• We’ll then come together for a memorable Havdalah service marking our transition to a new week.
• Dinner on your own

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Begin the morning at the Dead Sea with time to float, relax, and take in the dramatic desert landscape. Continue to Ein Gedi for a refreshing nature stop that offers a moment of grounding and awe.
• Travel north through changing landscapes and enjoy lunch on your own in Beit She’an, with time to explore local flavors at your own pace.
• In the afternoon, we’ll hear from the Task Force on Arab Citizens of Israel. This group of Arab and Palestinian leaders foster honest exchange, mutual learning, and meaningful engagement. They’ll share their stories, insights into their work as change-makers in Israeli society, and vision for their communities.
• Check in to the hotel and unwind. Dinner will be provided, offering a chance to relax and reconnect as a group.
• End the day with a boat ride featuring music, dancing, and shared celebration, a joyful close to a full day of travel, reflection, and connection.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Northern Israel

• Breakfast at the hotel 
• We’ll travel to Tsfat (Safed), the mystical city nestled in the Galilee mountains and a center of Kabbalah and Jewish spirituality for centuries. As we wander its winding alleys, we’ll explore ancient synagogues, vibrant artist quarters, and breathtaking views that make Tsfat unlike any other place in Israel.
• Lunch on your own
• We’ll then come together for our final meaningful Honeymoon Israel Conversation and dinner marking our transition back home.
• Transfer to airport

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner