ISRAEL 2015
Service Project, Filmmaking, Sightseeing & more!
June 13-27, 2015
Read the blog and click to watch the film students made about the 2014 trip!
$2850 per person includes all expenses for 14 days: Meals, lodging, private guide, multicultural immersion, site fees and unforgettable experiences! Does not include airfare.
Download and print the flyer.
Don’t miss this trip that will become a wonderful Waldorf high school tradition.
- Trip leader: Waldorf parent, filmmaker and educator, Gail Evenari
- Lodging and all meals for 14 nights in shared accommodations
- Charter van to and from Tel Aviv airport, Harduf, to all sites
- Video training, equipment and supplies
- American/Israeli tour guide, Gary Kamen
- National parks and site entrance fees and activities
- $300 tax-deductible donation to Tamrat El Zeitoun
Student participants are required to raise a portion of the expenses themselves. They will be assisted with fundraising tools and ideas.
This extraordinary adventure starts with a short filmmaking workshop followed by a school week working on a service project with students at Tamrat El Zeitoun, the first Arab Waldorf school in Israel. We’ll be staying at Kibbutz Harduf, home of Israel’s pioneer Waldorf school, where our evenings will be spent working on our video and getting to know members of the Harduf community.
For more information, visit the website we created for the school: tamratelzeitoun.org
And here's the video about Tamrat El Zeitoun, filmed and produced by the students:
The sightseeing tour begins in the Galilee with lunch and a tour at Beit Uri, an anthroposophical residential community for developmentally disabled children and adults. From there we will enjoy six days full of hikes, history, sites, food, scenery, friendships and unforgettable experiences.
ITINERARY
June 13: Departure from USA
June 14: Arrival in Tel Aviv
Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
- Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
- Transport to Kibbutz Harduf
LODGING: Jutka’s guest house with private group rooms at Kibbutz Harduf
Monday, June 15: Film Boot Camp Part 1
Students will make a video about their service project at Tamrat El Zeitoun and their experiences traveling in Israel. Students and World Wise Adventures will share the video on social media to promote global awareness and support for Tamrat El Zeitoun, the first Arab Waldorf school. The Boot Camp Part 1 teaches skills and tools of the trade.
We will be staying at a beautiful guesthouse on the grounds of Kibbutz Harduf, (the oldest Waldorf School in Israel) operated by Jutka Harstein, whose restaurant offers delicious organic vegetarian cuisine from her cookbook!
LODGING: Jutka’s guest house with private group rooms at Kibbutz Harduf
June 15-19: Volunteer Service at Tamrat El Zeitoun (Arab Waldorf School in Shefa 'Amr)
Students will make a video about their service project at Tamrat El Zeitoun and their experiences traveling in Israel. Students and World Wise Adventures will share the video on social media to promote global awareness and support for Tamrat El Zeitoun, the first flourishing Arab Waldorf school in Israel.
Service actitivies include
- Teaching English to students while collaborating on art installation.
- Singing songs with students.
- Building structure on campus.
- Planting a garden with students.
TEL AVIV LODGING: Hayarkon 48 Hostel private group rooms located one block from the beach
June 20: The Galilee
Mt. Arbel Look out over the entire Galilee onto the Golan Heights and climb down the cliffs on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, stopping to explore ancient caves along the way.
Lunch at Beit Uri, an anthroposophical residential home for about 120 mentally challenged people aged between 6-55, runs a special needs school for younger members and for the adult community there are a variety of rehabilitation studios producing high-quality handicrafts, as well as a resident-managed café serving delicious, sustainable food.
Tzippori Visit an ancient Roman/Jewish city with a story that includes tolerance, cooperation, and the codification of the first Jewish law book. The site includes a Roman theatre, mosaic floors and water tunnels to explore.
June 21: Jerusalem
Old City of Jerusalem morning walking tour.
- Jaffa Gate
- Mount Zion, pilgrimage site of the Last Supper
- Dormition Church, the site where the Virgin Mary is said to have died
- King David’s Tomb
- Zion Gate
Jewish Quarter and the Cardo The Cardo was a double-columned main thoroughfare that traversed many Roman cities from north to south. Jerusalem’s Cardo starts at what is today the Damascus Gate in the north, traversing the city southwards up to today’s Zion Gate.
Western Wall (Kotel) The holiest site in the world for Jews, the Western Wall’s history dates back 2000 years, when it was part of a vast renovation project of the Second Temple, initiated by King Herod. Today, The Western Wall is a center of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and Israel’s exile.
Muslim Quarter, the largest and most populated of the four quarters in the Old City, was developed by Herod the Great, organized by the Christian ByzantineEmpire, and then occupied by the Christian Crusaders. This area today preserves some of the finest medieval Islamic architecture.
Holy Sepulchre Church is identified as the place of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus.
Dome of the Rock Mosque (Qubbat as-Sakhrah) The most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem is an impressive and beautiful edifice that can be seen from all over Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Promenade Take in the views of the Old City and modern Jerusalem from this panoramic lookout point.
Havdalah Service with our guide, Gary Kamen. Havdalah is a Jewish ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. The ritual involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine and smelling sweet spices.
June 22: Jerusalem
Israel Museum, lunch and scavenger hunt
Mahane Yehuda, “The Shuk” the vibrant and exciting outdoor market
Yad Vashem Israel’s Holocaust Memorial on Mt. Herzl.
Temple Mount, one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, has been used as a religious site for thousands of years by Jews, Christians, Roman Catholics and Muslims.
City of David – Hezekiah’s water tunnel hike.
The security barrier. Take a walking tour of East Jerusalem and see the security barrier.
Jerusalem at Night Take in the sights and sounds of Jerusalem’s popular downtown area.
Jerusalem Lodging, June 20-23: Sunset View Apartment, located in the upscale community of Holyland in the heart of Jerusalem, has six spacious, private bedrooms and 2.5 Bathrooms.
June 23: Masada, Dead Sea and Bedouin Experience
Masada (Hebrew for fortress) is a place of gaunt and majestic beauty that has become a symbol as the place where the last Jewish stronghold stood against Roman invasion.
The Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, is about 400 meters below sea level and has the world’s highest concentration of minerals.
Bedouin Experience After a hearty feast, we’ll learn about Bedouin life and culture and then spend the night in an authentic Bedouin tent and wake up for a camel ride in the desert.
Overnight – Chen HaShayarot (Bedouin tent)
June 24: Camel Trek and the Agriculture in the Desert
Desert Camel Trek Explore the desert from the back of a camel!
Shvil HaSalat (the Salad Trail) Learn about how Israel made the desert bloom, followed by a hands-on culinary experience.
Natural Cliff Formations at the Ein Ovdat Preserve Learn about the ancient significance of this desert oasis, and prepare for a brief, but challenging ascent out of the gorge!
Return to Tel Aviv
Final Discussion and Dinner Time to share reflections on the experience.
LODGING: Hayarkon 48 Hostel, Tel Aviv
June 25-26: Film Boot Camp and Beach
Edit the film with the students and teachers at Masachim, an innovative Tel Aviv high school that leverages the study of communications – television, film and new media – to create a unique and nurturing alternative educational framework for youth-at-risk.
Relax on the Beach Enjoy time to swim in the Mediterranean Sea and take in Tel Aviv beach culture.
Old Jaffa Enjoy the art galleries and Jaffa’s famous humus while getting a glimpse into Tel Aviv nightlife.
Final Discussion and Dinner Time to share and reflect on the experience.
LODGING: Hayarkon 48 Hostel, Tel Aviv
June 27: Return to US
June 27: Departure for US
Download PDF of the ITINERARY.
