Solidarity Mission to Israel 

Tentative Itinerary
for OU/RCA Israel Solidarity Mission

Summer, 2002 - July 21 - 28

(The features of this itinerary are only available to those registered in the optional Touring Package; all features are to be considered as tentative and subject to change due to security concerns, and calendar of speakers)

July 21 Departures from JFK, Newark, Los Angeles & Miami (Chicago – July 22)
July 22 Arrive in Israel; Shacharit, breakfast (JFK Passengers), and tour at Neot Kedumim Nature Preserve. Welcome by Aharon Domb, Director-General, Ministry of Tourism. Continue to Jerusalem, check into Jerusalem Sheraton Plaza Hotel. Mincha at the Kotel, followed by a welcome cocktail party and rooftop dinner reception at the Dan Pearl Hotel, with the beautiful view of the Old City Walls; welcoming message by Ehud Olmert, Mayor of Jerusalem. Arvit at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel
July 23 Daf Yomi, Shacharit, and breakfast at Sheraton Plaza; address by Rav Benny Elon, former Minister of Tourism; Head of Yeshivat Beit Orot and the Shimon Hatzadik Neighborhood Development in Jerusalem. Old City tour, including: Western Wall Tunnels, Old Jewish Yishuv, Davidson Center, Ir David, Mincha at newly developing Shimon Hatzadik Neighborhood. Evening: Cocktail Party and Dinner at Jerusalem Plaza; Address by Hon. Daniel Kurtzer, US Ambassador to Israel. Arvit at Sheraton Plaza Hotel.
July 24 Daf Yomi, Shacharit, and breakfast at Sheraton Plaza. Address: Natan Sharansky, Minister of Housing and Construction, and Deputy Prime Minister. Depart for Eretz Binyamin – Meet with Pinchas Wallerstein, Head of the Binyamin Regional Council, during visits to: Psagot, Ofra, and Eli, several strategically important communities in the Binyamin Area, with a very special Tu B’av Celebration and Festival at Shilo. Arvit at Sheraton Plaza.
July 25 Daf Yomi, Shacharit, and breakfast at Sheraton Plaza. Address: Eli Suissa, Minister for Jerusalem Affairs. Depart for Gush Etzion, with visits to: Kever Rachel, Tekoa, Efrat, and Hevron. Meetings at each site with community leaders, as well as terror victims and their families. Mincha at Mearat Hamachpela. Evening: Dinner at Renaissance Hotel, with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Arvit at Sheraton Plaza.
July 26 Daf Yomi, Shacharit, and breakfast at Sheraton Plaza. Reception at Beit Hanassi with President Moshe Katzav. Afternoon at leisure for shopping and visiting with relatives and friends. Evening: Festive Shabbat Services at The Kotel, followed by Dinner and Zmirot, and Divrei Torah, in the presence of Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau.
Shabbat, July 27 Tefilat Shabbat at the Seymour Abrams OU World Center, with Drasha by Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, followed by gala kiddush. Famous Jerusalem Sheraton Plaza Shabbat buffet lunch; Address by Chief Rabbi Lau. Afternoon shiurim at Sheraton Plaza, followed by Seudah Shlisheet, Arvit and Havdala. Evening: at leisure.
July 28 Daf Yomi, Shacharit, and breakfast at Sheraton Plaza. Check out of Sheraton Plaza, and depart for Netanya. Visit Laniado Hospital Trauma Center for explanation of how this Hospital handles aftermath of terror attacks; visits to patients. Lunch at Park Hotel in Netanya, site of Pesach Seder attack. Depart for Ben Gurion Airport (JFK passengers.) Continue to visit in Tel Aviv/Yaffo, dinner in Petach Tikvah; then on to airport.

PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary will be continually updated as the date for the Mission approaches. Please keep checking this site for the latest available information.

Solidarity Mission Information

www.ou.org