June 2025

• Depart the U.S.

Overnight: Flight

• Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and meet your Tour Educator.
• Check into the hotel and have lunch on your own.
• Kabbalat Shabbat with your cohort.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Meals: Dinner

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The Five-Legged Table: Reflections on the Jewish Family: This session will provide a thought-provoking framework for the trip and for understanding the foundational aspects of Jewish identity and community.
• Israel 101 Overview.
• Set off for a walking tour along the beach to the ancient port city of Jaffa. Reflect on Jaffa’s rich legacy from its vantage point overlooking the Mediterranean before enjoying free time and lunch on your own. Return to the hotel by foot (Shabbat practice) or by bus.
• Honeymoon Israel Conversation #1 “The Individual”: Dedicated time for the group to process experiences, explore big questions, and build community. This will be followed by a memorable Havdalah ceremony to end Shabbat together.
• Dinner on own and evening at leisure. (Refer to HMI’s Eat Your Way Through Israel guide for recommendations).

Meals: Breakfast Overnight: Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv: Faces of Israel: Courage, Culture, and Creativity Sun. Jun 22 / Jul 20 (Note: The original text listed “Sat. Jun 22 / Jul 20” which appears to be a typo as Day 3 is Saturday. Assuming this should be Sunday.)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, join a fascinating journey that portrays the memory of the Jewish people, a story that stretches across generations and up to the present time. The Museum represents the diversity of the Jewish people and highlights the creativity and culture that has allowed Jewish communities to thrive in different places and across different periods of history.
• At ANU, we will have the privilege of hearing the testimony of a survivor of the Nova Music Festival. This powerful personal account will give us a deeply human perspective on the tragic events of October 7, as the survivor shares their experience and reflections on that harrowing day and the days since.
• For lunch we will experience a tasting tour through the trendy area where the colorful outdoor Carmel Market, Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian craft market, and Sheinkin Street meet in central Tel Aviv to sample the diverse food and cultures that combine in this unique modern metropolis.
• Embracing the Diverse Israeli Family: We’ll meet Ashager Agaro, an Ethiopian-Israeli woman born in Ethiopia and brought to Israel as an infant during Operation Solomon. Ashager will share the powerful story of her family and community, as well as her devotion to preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of Ethiopian Jews in Israel.
• Return to the hotel and refresh before grabbing dinner on your own and meeting us for a nightlife tour through the Florentin, one of Tel Aviv’s edgy and colorful neighborhoods. We’ll visit buzzing night spots, where we’ll meet local musicians, drag performers, and graffiti artists, and experience the city’s electric creative energy firsthand.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight: Tel Aviv

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out. 
• As we head north, we will meet the Yahel Initiative Service Project for a day of volunteering program with local communities where they train, support and inspire individuals and organizations to take part in responsible and sustainable volunteering in Israel alongside local community members. 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.
• After lunch, we will continue our service work, deepening our understanding of the communities we are supporting.
• Continue driving north through the scenic landscapes and arrive at the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), an area rich in natural beauty, history, and spiritual significance. We will check into the hotel and settle in. 
• Dinner at your leisure at the hotel which was originally founded by members of a kibbutz (a collective community based on agriculture that is a cornerstone of Israel’s early development). 

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 — no question is too small or too big.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight: Sea of Galilee

• After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we’ll meet for our next Honeymoon Israel Conversation to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re headed.
• Then we’ll lace up our hiking shoes and ascend Mt. Meron, one of Israel’s tallest peaks, offering breathtaking views and a chance to connect with the natural beauty of the north.
• Next, we’ll explore the mystical city of Tzfat (also spelled Safed), famous for its rich history in Jewish spirituality, Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), and vibrant artist community. You’ll have free time to wander its charming alleyways, buy art and souvenirs, and find lunch on your own.
• In the afternoon, we’ll drive south to Jerusalem, a city sacred to so many around the world.
• We’ll stop at the Haas Promenade, where generations of travelers have paused to celebrate their first glimpse of this remarkable city. Here, we’ll take in a sweeping view of the Old City and surrounding neighborhoods, offering a powerful moment of arrival, reflection, and blessing.
• Afterward, we’ll check into our hotel, where the evening is yours to relax and enjoy dinner on your own.

Meals: Breakfast Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel 
• We’ll start our day with a briefing from geopolitics speaker COL (Ret.) Miri Eisin. COL (Ret.) Eisen is a Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism following her service in the Israeli intelligence community. Over her twenty-year career in the military, she served as the deputy head of the combat intelligence corps, the personal assistant to the director of Military intelligence, and as the intelligence officer in combat units and research departments. After retiring from the military COL (Ret.) Eisin served as the Israeli Prime Minister’s international media advisor from the Second Lebanon War until the end of 2007. Over the last ten years, COL (Ret.) Eisin has been one of Israel’s main presenters, speaking on regional geopolitics and security-related issues.
• Four Quarters, Three Religions, One City: Enjoy a walking tour through the Old City of Jerusalem, we will explore the various quarters, to witness diverse communities, their history and holiness. This will include:
  • The Kotel (Western Wall), Judaism’s holiest site on the exterior of the ancient Temple. Each year over one million visitors place notes containing prayers and wishes are placed in the cracks of the Wall.  Be sure to bring a pen and paper if you want to participate in this ritual by placing your own prayers in the wall.
  • The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is traditionally identified as the site of the crucifixion of Jesus; the church is one of Christianity’s greatest pilgrimage sites and a testament to the remarkable diversity of the Christian world.
  • The Temple Mount, one of the holiest places on earth for Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. Here, history, faith, and politics intertwine in powerful ways. 

Return to the hotel to refresh and have dinner on your own. Optional transportation will be provided to the Machane Yehuda Market if you’d like to explore the lively restaurants inside and nearby for your meal.

Meals: Breakfast Overnight: Jerusalem

• Optional: Start your morning with an invigorating running tour of Jerusalem with Yael Goodman — a powerful way to experience the city’s ancient beauty waking up with the sun.
• Breakfast at the 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.
• Enjoy a free afternoon before we meet for a Honeymoon Israel Conversation at the hotel.

In the evening, slip on your dancing shoes and your favorite festive outfit as we head to HMI’s 10th Anniversary Party at Atura. Join members from six other HMI cohorts, the HMI team, and our dedicated partners and donors to celebrate this milestone and reflect on the journey ahead for HMI. Enjoy drinks, a lavish buffet, and a live band playing your favorite Israeli and Jewish hits — sure to get everyone on their feet and dancing the night away!

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel 
• Meet peace advocates Ibrahim Abu Ahmed and Amira Mohammed, Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel and hosts of the wartime podcast Unapologetic: The Third Narrative. Together, we’ll explore Palestinian narratives, the experience of Arab citizens of Israel, and the broader regional dynamics. 
• As Low as It Goes: We’ll leave Jerusalem and journey down to the Dead Sea Basin — 1,412 feet below sea level — the lowest place on earth. As we drive, we’ll take in the breathtaking beauty of Israel’s desert landscapes.
• We’ll “swim” (really, float effortlessly!) in the Dead Sea, whose salty waters and mineral-rich mud are famous for their healing properties. Cover yourself in mud — a joyful, time-honored tradition — and feel the magic for yourself. We’ll also enjoy a buffet lunch by the water.
• Afterwards, we’ll return to Jerusalem and relax before welcoming Shabbat.
• 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.

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. We’ll be joined by Avraham Infeld, leading Jewish educator and HMI inaugural Board member, who will give us a preview of his morning talk.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight: Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel (don’t miss the special Shabbat bread, jachnun – a Yemenite delicacy!) 
• The Five-Legged Table: Reflections on the Jewish Family with Avraham Infeld will provide a thought-provoking framework for our trip and for understanding the foundational aspects of Jewish identity and community. 
• Light Shabbat lunch at the hotel and a processing session to further understand and consider the Five-Legged Table educational framework
• Spend your afternoon relaxing at your own pace or choose from optional guided experiences:
  • Explore the renowned Israel Museum, home to treasures like the Dead Sea Scrolls and a world-class collection of art and archaeology.
  • Wander through the charming Rehavia neighborhood, known for its elegant streets and rich cultural history and visit Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the Old City walls, offering stunning views and a glimpse into Jerusalem’s modern beginnings.
• Late check out and meet for Honeymoon Israel Conversation, followed by a memorable Havdalah service overlooking the beach and marking our transition back home.
• Dinner at the hotel.
• Transfer to the Ben Gurion airport and check in for your return flight 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight: Flight