Let’s Go: Israel!
(Formerly known as the East Bay Summer Youth Experience in Israel
and the BJE Summer in Israel Youth Program)

June 24 - July 22, 2009

The Summer of your life!!
A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity
For a Month of Fun and Learning!

Safety: Our #1 Priority
Safety and security are our #1 priority. International travel on El Al, the safest airline in the world. All land travel on private chartered buses. Accommodations in beautiful, rural youth villages, field schools, hotels, and kibbutzim. Extensive supervision by a large, experienced staff of youth educators, both Israeli and American.

Looks Great! How Much Does it Cost?
The cost is $6,895, which includes round-trip airfare from the Bay Area, all lodging, meals, tour costs, and fees.* We will fly from the Bay Area to New York or LA, where we will board an El Al flight to Tel-Aviv. All meals are kosher; vegetarians are accommodated.

Also included are several pre-trip meetings and one weekend retreat for everyone to get to know one another before the trip leaves. Meals at the retreat are vegetarian.

With the exception of your $100 registration fee, deposits and fees are fully refundable with no penalties through May 9th. Thereafter, a $200 fee will be charged to cover the costs.

*Final cost may be subject to modest adjustment.

Is Financial Aid Available?
Yes. For a confidential financial aid application (deadline for application April 9), please contact:

East Bay: Polly Zavadivker, 510.839.2900 ext. 210 or polly@jfed.org

San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula: Janet Rothman, 415.751.6983 ext. 107 or jrothman@bjesf.org

Silicon Valley: Jyl Jurman, 408.357.7512 or jylj@jvalley.org

Sacramento: Michal Kohane, 916.486.0906 ext.307 or mkohane@jewishsac.org

The Summer of Your Life Begins Here!
Northern Israel: After a moving “Shechechianu” welcoming ceremony, we will begin our summer of a lifetime on the shores of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). We will visit the inspiring ancient city of Tzfat (Safed) and explore the origins of the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and the roots of Judaism’s spirituality. We will play water sports and go kayaking on the Jordan River. Join us as we learn about life in the Golan Heights from its residents, learn about the early pioneers who founded Israel’s kibbutzim and enjoy horseback riding. We’ll taste Israel’s cultural diversity through visits to Druze and Muslim communities; visits to the Bahai temple, a Carmelite monastery, an Achmedi mosque and a Tunisian synagogue.

Mifgashim (Building Relationships): Meet Israelis your own age in our sister-city regions of Kiryat Malachi/Hof Ashkelon and the Upper Galilee. Teens from these areas will join us for part of our trip and open their homes to us. You will also dialogue with Israeli Palestinian teens, getting an in-depth look at the challenges facing Palestinian Arabs in the Jewish State.

Learning about Israel (Contemporary Society and History): We will attend seminars on Israeli-Arab coexistence and the peace process. Our day trip to Tel-Aviv will allow us to explore Old Jaffa and Rabin Square as well as visit the site where Israel’s independence was proclaimed.

Southern Israel: See a new side of Israeli life while visiting the real kibbutz, Ketura. We’ll visit Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, to hike, swim, snorkel, and explore one of the world’s most enchanted seas, and to shop and hang out on the promenade. Finally, we will dance the night away on a disco boat.

Choose one of these four-day options:
1. Gadna – Experience army life while in an authentic Israel Defense Forces uniform. Take the chance to learn how and why Israeli teens serve in the army. A trip favorite!
2. Social Action/Community Service – Work with olim (immigrants) from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia in one of Israel’s many absorption centers. Give back to the community!
3. Outdoor adventure – Enjoy a hands-on, wilderness experience while learning about Israel's natural beauty. You and your friends will cook your own food, sleep under the stars and hike through some of the country's most beautiful terrain.

In the Judean Desert, we’ll hike, ride a camel and, at sunrise, climb Masada, the site of one of Jewish history’s most poignant 2,000-year-old dramas. We'll float in the Dead Sea, the lowest elevation point on Earth, and enjoy Bedouin hospitality and culture.

Jerusalem*
Tour and explore the Jewish quarter, visiting the Kotel (Western Wall,) where we will conduct our spiritual “Brit Olam” ceremony, and its other historic, archaeological and culturally significant sites, including the Southern Wall excavations. We will tour the Israel museum and see the ancient Dead Sea scrolls; visit Yad Vashem and participate in a Holocaust seminar; walk through the Knesset and the Supreme Court. Just outside Jerusalem, we’ll take part in an archaeological dig and go caving.

Before leaving Israel, we’ll enjoy a HUGE goodbye party!

*security conditions permitting

ARE YOU READY TO GO?

For teens in the East Bay, Sacramento and the Silicon Valley, please contact:
Tali Lipschitz, Israel Trips Director
Israel Center
Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay
510.839.2900 ext. 255
tali@jfed.org
www.jfed.org

For teens in San Francisco, Marin, the Peninsula and Sonoma counties, please contact:
Gabi Lazar, West Bay Coordinator
Let's Go: Israel!
Bureau of Jewish Education of San Francisco, Marin, the Peninsula and Sonoma Counties
415.751.6983 ext. 123
glazar@bjesf.org
www.bjesf.org