Come to Israel, Now
Dear Friends and Members of the Board,
This image for me captures our entire story and the story of our beloved campus and the sacred work that we are privileged to do.
On October 31, 2025, we will ordain six new rabbis - all women - who are ready to serve our people and our communities, and continue the sacred chain of our movement, from generation to generation, evolving and bettering our world.
This moment marks another milestone in our unwavering commitment to inclusivity, equality, and the continued flourishing of Jewish scholarship and leadership. We are incredibly proud of these inspiring women and their dedication, resilience, and spirit. Your presence here, celebrating and learning with us, underscores your unwavering commitment to our mission and vision. We are truly honored to have this opportunity to engage with you, share our progress, and explore the exciting path that lies ahead.
In the days that lead to ordination, we have prepared a rich and meaningful program designed to offer a deep dive into the heart of our academic and transformative programs, taking place on our campus and across Israel. We invite you to engage with our faculty, staff, and students, and to experience firsthand the innovation and passion that define our institution.
Thank you for finding the time in your busy schedule to be with us. We look forward to inspiring conversations, shared learning, and strengthening our partnership.
We hope your visit is both uplifting and fulfilling!
Sincerely,
Dr. Nachman Shai
Dean, Jerusalem Campus, Hebrew Union College
Contents
Day-By-Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Bruchim HaBaim and Welcome to Israel - Friday, Oct 24, 2025
Arrival and welcome to Israel
Check-in with the Routes staff at the hotel
Kabbalat Shabbat and Tefillah together with Beit Daniel local community
Shabbat dinner at Beit Daniel with the local community and HUC Israeli alumni
Overnight: Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Day 2 - Shabbat, Oct 25, 2025
- Breakfast at the hotel
Torah study with Rabbi Talia Avnon
Lunch on own
- Afternoon tour of Tel Aviv
Havdalah Ceremony
Dinner on own
Overnight: Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Day 3 - Sunday, Oct 26, 2025
- Breakfast at the hotel
Option #1
Visit Beersheva and Ben Gurion University
Journey to the Gaza Envelope
Lunch – TBC
Return to Tel Aviv
Reflection circle at the hotel
Option #2
Visit to the local congregation in Caesarea with Rabbi Dr. Ayala Samuels
Visit to the Caesarea Ancient archaeological site – 1 hour with Rabbi Dr. David Levine– TBC
Opening session with the Board of Governors
Dinner on own
Overnight: Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Day 4 - Monday, Oct 27, 2025
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart Tel Aviv for Haifa
Visit to Leo Baeck Education Center and meet Rabbi Ofek Meir, Managing Director
Meeting with Rabbi Miriam Klimova (HUC-JIR Class of ’23) and members of the Russian and Ukrainian Jewish communities
Lunch – TBC
Visit to University of Haifa and meet Prof. Mouna Maroun, Vice President and Dean of Research & Development and Prof. Gur Alroey, President of the University of Haifa
Cocktails and dinner with Rabbi Dahlia Shaham and HUC alumni, Northern Israel community leaders
Depart Haifa for Tel Aviv
Overnight: Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Day 5 - Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart Tel Aviv to the north
Visit to the local communities in the Megiddo region and meet with Rabbi (or Rabbah) Michal Ken Tor
Lunch and meeting with Mayor and Druze Leader Rafik Halabi in Daliat El Carmel
Visit to Druze Yad LeBanim Memorial in Daliat El Carmel and meet with a bereaved family
Return to TLV
Dinner on own
Overnight: Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Day 6 - Wednesday, Oct 29, 2025
Breakfast at hotel and check out
Drive to Jerusalem
Visit to Antiquities Authority
Tour and lunch at the National Library
Check into hotel
Visit to Tower of David and reception
Dinner on own
Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
Day 7 - Thursday, Oct 30, 2025
Breakfast at hotel
Campus activities with HUC faculty and Year-in-Israel students
Lunch on campus
Meeting with Jerusalem Mayor -TBC
7:00 pm Ordination dinner on campus with guests
Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
Day 8 - Friday, Oct 31, 2025
Breakfast at hotel
11:00 am Ordination Ceremony & Graduation followed by light reception
Lunch on own
4:00 pm Kabbalat Shabbat and Tefillah
Private Friday night dinner
Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
Day 9 - Saturday, Nov 1, 2025
Breakfast at the hotel
Shabbat Morning services with Kehilat Har El
Lunch at the hotel
Free time
Havdalah with Year-in-Israel Students at the hotel
Check out
Depart for airport
Overnight: David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
Rates (Land Only)
$7,750 USD
Price per person sharing a double room
$ 1,815 USD
Single Supplement to reserve a room for individual occupancy
Accommodation
David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
3 nights
Sheraton Grand Hotel, Tel Aviv
5 nights
Featured
Included
- 5 nights’ accommodation at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Tel Aviv
- 3 nights’ accommodation at the David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
- Daily breakfast, 6 lunches, 5 dinners
- 8 days of touring in a deluxe air-conditioned bus
- Entrance fees and program fees as per the final itinerary
- Program booklets for all participants
- Water on the bus (One bottle per person, per day)
- Porterage at hotels
Excluded
- International Airfare
- Personal extras: Including, but not limited to, items of personal nature such as laundry, extras charged to hotel rooms, drinks and alcohol, insurance coverage for any risk, liability or otherwise
- Value Added Tax (“VAT”). VAT is currently not applicable to tourists if they are not Israelis. Should laws change you will be notified accordingly, and VAT will be added to your final invoice.
Guidelines for Payment and Cancellation
Payment policy:
▪ A non-refundable deposit in the amount of $ 500 USD per person is due upon registration and is fully applicable to the Program Package Price.
▪ A second payment in the amount equivalent to 50% of the Program Package Price is due two months before commencement of the Tour (i.e. no later than August 24, 2025).
▪ Full payment (including Single Supplement if applicable) will need to have been received no later than one month before commencement of the Program (i.e. no later than September 24, 2025).
- Please note that the second and third payments will be automatically charged to the same credit card used for the deposit. An email will be sent to you regarding these charges before being processed.
▪ Please note that a 3.7% processing fee is charged to any amount paid by credit card (other than the initial $500 deposit).
▪ Payment via Bank Wire Transfer is also accepted.
Cancellation
All cancellations must be made in writing and addressed to Michal: [email protected]. The cancellation fee depends on the date when Operator receives written notification of Customer’s request to cancel Customer’s booking.
▪ Cancellation received no later than by August 24, 2025, is subject to a cancellation fee in the amount of $500 USD.
▪ Cancellation received later than August 24, 2025 but no later than September 24, 2025 is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to 40% of the Tour Package Price (and of Single Supplement if applicable).
▪ Cancellation received later than September 24, 2025 but no later than October 5, 2025 is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to 70% of the Tour Package Price (and of Single Supplement if applicable).
▪ Cancellation received later than October 5, 2025, is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to 100% of the Tour Package Price (and of Single Supplement if applicable)
VAT (Value Added Tax)
Israeli VAT not applicable to non-Israeli tourists for a variety of services and is therefore not included in our prices. In this connection, please note the following:
- Should any members of your group be either holders of an Israeli passport or residents of Israel, they are subject by Israeli law to Israeli VAT (Value Added Tax) which is 18%, a tax which is not included in the above prices since non-Israeli tourists are exempt from this tax on key services. If we are informed of the participation of Israeli citizens/residents in advance, we can bill accordingly from the outset. Otherwise, any Israeli passport holders and/or residents regardless of where they reside, will be charged VAT by the hotel reception.
- With respect to tourists, although current regulations continue to exempt them from VAT on key services, this could change at any time, in which case VAT would have to be added by law to the services provided.
Travel Protection
More than ever, Travel Insurance is a vitally important feature of any planned travel and safeguards against unexpected developments. Comprehensive travel insurance helps to protect you from many otherwise unavoidable financial implications which could result from cancellations, illness, and/or other causes. In view of the Covid pandemic, it is particularly important to cover as many pandemic related events as is possible including the various travel, financial and medical consequences of sickness and/or quarantine prior to, during or following the planned tour. We very strongly urge you to travel with appropriate and comprehensive travel and medical insurance. For more information about travel insurance, please contact us.
