Friday, January 9, 2009

UPDATED ITINERARY

Below is the most up to date itinerary.


JNF Rabbinic Solidarity Mission to the Negev: Giving Chizuk, Getting Chizuk
January 13- January 15

Sponsored by the Jewish National Fund

Co-sponsored by: Rabbanei Tzohar, Hadassah, Chicago Israel Philanthropic Fund, Rabbi Josh Lookstein, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation, United Orthodox Synagogue of Houston, TheWilliam and Sarah Siegel Foundation, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, Rabbinical Council of America, Anonymous for Jerusalem, East Hill Synagogue, Temple Sholom of Chicago.

Participants include: Yonatan Cohn, Rabbi Zvi Engel, Ephraim Epstein, Joel Finkelstein, Marc Gitler, Barry Gelman, Asher Lopatin, Jason Herman, Akiva Herzfeld, Yamin Levy, Jonathan Muskat, Zev Reichman, Don Seeman, Hyim Shafner, Adam Starr, Brian Thau, Uri Topolosky, Daniel Yolkut, Mr. Bud Levin, Dr. Don Kramer, Mr. Brian Haimm. In Israel: Ruby Spolter, Yair Silverman, David Mescheloff, Irene Mescheloff


Tuesday, January 13:


6:00 PM: Leave Ben Gurion Airport in dedicated bus. We will have a personal security briefing both on the bus and when we arrive in Ashdod.

6:45 PM: Arrive at Yeshivat Hesder Neve Dekalim in Ashdod for dinner and learning with the Talmidim. Neve Dekalim was evacuated from Yamit, evacuated from Gush Katif, and now under missile threat.

8:00 PM: Program with Rabbanei Tzohar: 20 of the leading Rabbanei Tzohar will meet with us for discussions on topics relevant to Israel’s current situation. Reports from the field. If there is, chas veshalom, a shiva house, we will visit it.

9:30 PM: Bus to Yerushalayim for Ma’ariv at the Kotel. On the bus, Dr. Jeffrey R. Woolf Senior Lecturer, Talmud Department Director, Center for the Study of Post-Talmudic Halakhah Director, The Rashi Project Bar-Ilan University, our chaveir will speak to us. Walk through the Old City to the Kotel to be greeted by rabbanim in Yerushayim and talmidim of Yeshivat Hakotel. Ma’ariv, Tehillim, singing, dancing. Meet with a group of Ethiopian Jews representing the southern town of Gedeira who will be receiving school supplies sent with us from America.
Overnight at the Dan Gardens in Ashkelon, double occupancy

Wednesday, January 14:

6:20 AM: Shacharit (Neitz is at 6:42 AM)

7:15 AM: Breakfast

8:00 AM: Depart with Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon for Nitzan, a settlement of the refugees of Gush Katif. Meet with the residents, have a “aruchat eser”, hear from Rav Rimon. Opportunity to distribute food and items to the residents who really need them.

10:00 AM: Groups will be splitting up. Half will depart for Soroka Hospital, Be’er Sheva to visit the injured, meet with members of the municipality to express support. The other half will pay a shiva visit.

12:00 Noon: Lunch in Soroka Hospital where the hospital staff and students who have remained on campus at Ben Gurion University will be our guests.

12:45 PM:
Head for S’deirot with Rav Menachem Waldman as a guest and make a stop in Carmit on the way: Breaking ground for a new city in the Negev with 10,000 residents. First 400 homes built by summer of 2011. “Terrorist missiles will not stop our dream of building up Eretz Yisrael.”

1:30 PM: Arrive at the outskirts of S’deirot to freshen up at the community center and then see the JNF Protected Multi Use Center.

1:45 PM: On the bus, the lead social worker for Operation Embrace will organize five home visits. We will be splitting up into 5 groups to visit five homes of traumatized people. (I have been assured that this is helpful for the people – it will provide chizuk.)

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Bus drops rabbis off at five locations, each group led by a social worker, going into S’deirot homes. Then by 2:45 PM the bus picks rabbis up.

3:00 PM – 9:00 PM: We are guests of the Yeshivat Hesder, Rav David Fender, Rosh HaYeshiva. Meet with soldiers, at a base near Sdeirot, see Sdeirot itself. Dinner with the talmidim and rabbanim. Learning and shiurim with chevrei hayeshiva. Opportunities for distributing needed items. If, chas veshalom, there is a shiva house, we will visit it.

9:00 PM: Concluding program organized by Rabbanei Tzohar

10:00 PM: Kumzitz with our rabbis and members of the yeshiva in the bomb shelter of the yeshiva.

Overnight on the Yeshiva campus, in safe missile proof shelters fully equipped by the Yeshiva.

Thursday, January 15: AM:

Three taxis and minivans will take participants to the airport throughout the night and early morning.

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