An Unmatched Community Building Experience

Day 1: Tuesday, April 18, 2023: DEPARTURE

Leading up to the trip, you’ll meet and mingle with your small Spark group, make new friends and connections, learn and share, and prepare for the trip of a lifetime. You’ll book your own flight(s) to Israel and CJP will take care of all of the details from the moment you touch down in Tel Aviv.

• Depart from Boston on various flights

✈️ Traveling to Israel has never been easier: Delta Air Lines and El Al Airlines have nonstop flights from Boston to Tel Aviv.

Day 2: Wednesday, April 19, 2023: WELCOME TO ISRAEL

• Welcome to Israel! You made it!
• Meet the staff, grab an iced coffee, and begin to make your way to Haifa
• Arriving early? Consider tasting your way through the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood in Haifa before our opening event. Or, visit the trendy Talpiot neighborhood for shopping and people watching.
• Check in to our 5-star hotels
• Let’s go! We open our week together at a joyful dinner event with special guests, VIPs, dignitaries, partners, friends, food, and entertainment.

Day 3: Thursday, April 20, 2023

• Boker tov! It’s our first full day and we will spend it in Haifa and the Western Galilee.
• Touring all day in Haifa & the North under the lens of shared-society. Explore the life and history of Jews, Druze, Arabs, Ethiopians and more living in the North as you see, hear, sip, taste, meet, ride, and rappel your way around the Galilee.
• Plans may include Akko, boating at Achziv Beach, exploring Rosh Hanikra, visiting Tzippori, taking a food tour, seeing the Technion, learning in a Druze cooking workshop, and so much more.
• Lunch or dinner at a local winery

Day 4: Friday, April 21, 2023

• Make our way to Jerusalem for a day filled with wondering and wandering, with surprises and special guests around every corner.
• Arrive at the Old City for a special private Boston event at the Davidson Center with lunch by the Kotel.
• Explore the Old City with your group and guides.
• Check-in to 5-star Jerusalem hotels and refresh for dinner.
• Enjoy a special Kabbalat Shabbat experience followed by a memorable Shabbat dinner with special guests and music.

Day 5: Saturday, April 22, 2023

• Attend Tefilot, Shabbat Services, at one of the many synagogues in Jerusalem. You will be accompanied to the synagogue of your choice from the offered options.
• Walking tours of the Old City of Jerusalem and surrounding neighborhoods of this holy city.
• Wake up early and head to Masada, Ein Gedi, and The Dead Sea: Begin the day at Masada, ascending via a cable car and touring the fortress which dates to King Herod’s time, taking in incredible views across the Dead Sea region and the Judean Desert. Next, we will head to Ein Gedi, where you will be able to walk through the oasis that sits here in the middle of the desert. Continue to the Dead Sea, where there will be a chance to bathe in the muds and float in the waters of this salty lake which is the lowest point on Earth.
• Visit Gan HaShlosha, the “Sachne,” undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Israel. Located in the Lower Galilee, some believe that Gan Hashlosha is the real-world location of the garden of Eden, and, once you visit, you might understand why.
• See ancient artifacts at The Israel Museum, the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel that is ranked among the world's leading art and archaeology museums. Or visit the museum’s Jewish Ethnography Wing and learn about Jewish communities from all over the world that make up the mosaic of Israel society.
• Conclude Shabbat with a musical community Havdalah service overlooking the city of Jerusalem.
• Enjoy a free evening on your own in Jerusalem – visit Ben Yehuda Street, dine at a local restaurant and more!

Day 6: Sunday, April 23, 2023

• Experience Jerusalem and Israel at 75 your Choose from a menu of exciting options ranging from adventure to food and wine to social justice to arts and culture, and more! Tracks may include:
  • First timers – Visit Yad Vashem, Mt Herzl, Ir David, and Shuk Machane Yehuda
  • Outdoors & Adventure – Spend the morning at Caliber 3, the leading Counter Terror & Security training academy in Israel, followed by an ATV ride through the Jerusalem hills.
  • Arts & Culture, Food & Wine – View the bustling art scene in Jerusalem, meet famous local artists, explore Meah Sha’rim and Machane Yehuda market, make chocolate truffles or cook with a local chef.
  • Social Entrepreneurship - Meet and learn from local leaders who have helped repair Israeli society.
  • Shared Society & Dialogue - We will visit sites along the seamline to gain a better understanding of this land and its impact on the political situation.
  • Spirituality & Learning– Reflect and learn with the greatest Jewish thinkers of our time at the Shalom Hartman Institute.
  • Security, Politics, Geopolitics - Explore Israel’s government, tour the Knesset, hear from political figures, meet with dignitaries.
• Proceed to Tel Aviv, check into our 5-star beachfront hotels, and enjoy a free evening to discover Israel’s incredible dining and nightlife.

Day 7: Monday, April 24, 2023

• It’s Innovation Monday!
• Israel is known as Start-Up Nation. Today, you’ll learn why!
• Be amazed on a private tour of The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation.
• Meet with young entrepreneurs and Israeli Startups.
• L’chaim! Take a tour of the Milk and Honey Distillery, Israel’s first whisky distillery. Tasting is, of course, included!
• Explore the connection between food, history, and sustainability at the Asif Culinary Institute and tour the rooftop garden.
• Commemorate Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Remembrance Day, as we remember those lost fighting for the state of Israel at Latrun, Israel’s official memorial for soldiers from the Armored Corps who fell in combat, which also happens to be one of the largest and most diverse tank museums in the world.

Day 8: Tuesday, April 25, 2023

• Yom HaZikaron to Yom Ha’atzmaut – From sadness to celebration. Today we explore the people of this great land – their stories, their achievements, their dreams.
• Spend the day exploring the modern city of the Middle East. Throughout the day, you’ll meet, taste, smell, see, and experience the bustling city of Tel Aviv and all it has to offer.
• Take a tasting journey through either the Carmel Market or Levinsky Market, two of Tel Aviv’s famous markets where you'll find a combination of food and sweets from all over the Mediterranean and hear the unique stories of the individuals who sell them.
• Walk through the streets of southern Tel Aviv admiring and learning about the city’s vibrant street art and graffiti scene as you hear compelling stories behind the artwork.
• Explore Nachalat Binyamin Market. Located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, it’s one of the best places in the city to find original, handmade items and different arts and craft products.
• Tour of Jaffa (also known as Yaffo), the ancient port city from which Tel Aviv has now grown. Gain a better understanding of the fragility of this city's daily life, a city that is challenged by gentrification and extremists from both sides of the political map. Peruse the wonderful flea market, artists, and museums in Jaffa as well as the bustling market and scene at the Tel Aviv port. Taste fresh knafe and the best coffee in town.
• Put on your party shoes and get ready for the party of the year!! We’re taking over one of the hottest nightclubs in Tel Aviv for an amazing Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration at Hangar 11 with food, fun, and fireworks you’ll never forget.

Day 9: Wednesday, April 26, 2023

• Our final day together – let’s start with morning yoga or a stroll on the beach
• Don’t forget, it’s Yom Ha’atzmaut – this is a day of celebration
• Tour the incredible ANU Museum – the Museum of the Jewish People, the largest Jewish museum in the world portraying the story of the Jewish people throughout the generations up to present day
• Hear from surprise guest speakers who will share their stories and their love for Israel
• Or, spend time in the lively streets of Tel Aviv where you could visit the fashionable Neve Tzedek area, walk around the Port’s farmers market, or view a rare exhibit at a local museum
• We’ll make our way to a gorgeous outdoor location and join friends from around North America for a Yom Ha’atzmaut BBQ, including live music, food, friends, and a memorable closing party
• Optional Caesarea event - a musical celebration sponsored by Miami.
• Pack your bags, hug your friends, and make one final stop for souvenirs
• Depart for Ben Gurion Airport for various departure flights to the U.S.
• L’hitraot! 

Day 10: Thursday, April 27, 2023

• Arrive in Boston…
• OR, depart for Dubai