Day Two and Three: Tel Aviv and Haifa

WOW! Days two and three on the ground in Israel have been packed! The entire group visited Independence Hall and really got wonderful framing for our experience together in Israel - especially after a brief history lesson on the streets of Tel Aviv. Check out the pictures below! After Independence Hall everyone had some free-time shopping and browsing Nachalat Binyamin. YAY Seattle for jump starting the Israeli economy!! During the lunch hour, our group toured the Hiriya Environmental and Recycling Center in the Ariel Sharon Ayalon Park and learned about JDC - the Joint Distribution Committee (see photos). For our afternoon breakouts, the group visited the Yitzhak Rabin Center and Museum, walked through Tel Aviv's gorgeous Bauhaus architecture and experienced the Palmach Museum. Dinner was free and our afternoon activity included a performance by NaLaGaat Theater Company - the ONLY deaf and blind acting troup in the world.

We headed up north towards Haifa bright and early the next morning. With our bags packed and our time in Tel Aviv coming to a close, the group enjoyed its last unbelievable breakfast spread at the Carlton Hotel and began the next stage of our journey together. Some travelers drove along the Trans-Israel Highway for a close-up view of the security barrier with a special presentation by an IDF Spokesperson. The other group experienced the Hadassah Neurim Youth Aliyah Village and learned of innovative ways Israel and JAFI (Jewish Agency for Israel) work together to bring at risk youth into the mainstream Israeli society. It was AMAZING! This group then visited Caesarea and went back in time to King Herod the Great's period of ruling while the other group visited Given Imaging - a biomedical engineering company which develops and produces ingestible micro-cameras for medical examinations. Everyone came together again for a memorable and VIP visit to the Haifa Naval Base and heard from Zev Almog - former head of the Israeli Navy and close friend of Seattleite, Herb Bridge (Thanks for arranging our visit, Herb!). One group went up to S'fat to briefly experience Israel's center of Jewish Mysticism (Kaballah) and its known art galleries while the other group learned of an amazing JAFI program in Israel. Everyone reunited at Kibbutz HaGoshrim Guesthouse, ate a delicious dinner, Israeli danced and collapsed into bed. On to adventure day in the north! Hopefully with a good night's sleep under our belt.

Our entire group together at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv	Bus Two (called Chaverim) learning about Tel Aviv's history just after visiting Independence Hall.
Visiting Hiriya Environmental and Recylcing Center	Recycled artwork in the Education Hall