TENTATIVE ITINERARY FOR AFSI CHIZUK MISSION - April 22-May 1, 2012

SUNDAY, APRIL 22 - Depart from Newark, NJ on El Al flight LY028 at 1:30 P.M.

MONDAY, APRIL 23 - Arrive in Ben Gurion airport 7 A.M. - Meet group at arrivals building approximately 8 AM, depending on variable factors. Board our special bus with our driver, AMI. Drive to Rishon Le Zion for a tour of the historic sites related to the first pioneers to arrive in Palestine. On to the Ashkelon area for meetings with Dror Vanunu and our Gush Katif friends, the Sapersteins, Anita Tucker, and more. If time permits, we'll have a brief tour of the biblical archeology in the Ashkelon area. Overnight at the Holiday Inn, Ashkelon

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 - Drive to Givat Gal for a visit to the outskirts of Kiryat Arba with our good friends, Yifat and Shalom Akobi. Then on to Hebron fortouring with David Wilder., and dedication of the Herbert Zweibon Memorial Hall. We'll meet Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover for planting near Efrat. We'll continue on to Kever Rachel in Bethlehem for prayers with Mother Rachel where we will meet with Chaim Silberstein. Chaim will guide us to some special sights in Yerushalayim, and then on to the King Solomon Hotel in Jerusalem where we will stay for three nights. We may be invited to a special ceremony at the Knesset on the eve of Yom HaZikaron.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 - YOM HAZIKARON - 7:30 A.M. visit to the Temple Mount with Rabbi Richman for those who wish to participate. 10 A.M. program at the military cemetery at Mt. Herzl . Era Rapaport, guide extraordinaire, will join us for the day, as well as for the latter part of our trip. Glenn Richter's nephew, Alon Nardi, an officer in the IDF Rabbi Corps Reserves, will meet us for an explanation of the day and the ceremonies. In the afternoon we will travel to Kibbutz Yitav, not far from Mev'ot Yericho for some fresh organic peppers, grown by Anita Tucker's sons, former farmers from Netzer Hazani. We'll go to Qasr al Yahud on the Jordanian border, newly renovated by the Israel's Ministry of Tourism, and if possible, visit the Shalom al Yisrael synagogue in Jericho itself. That evening we'll be back in Yerushalayim where special prayer events usually take place for Yom HaAtzmaut. There may be a Bridge event, straddling Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut for which we are hoping to get tickets.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 - YOM HA'ATZMAUT. We'll have a morning tour of the Old City of Yerushalayim with Dan Luria of Ateret Cohanim. An exploration of Zedekiah's Cave will be included. We'll travel to Kidmat Zion for a traditional holiday luncheon BBQ. Late afternoon plans are in the works. Dinner will be on our own. Those who wish may gather at Sacher Park at 8 P.M. for a continuation of the YH celebrations.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27 - Leave Yerushalayim, driving north to Netanya where we will be the guests of Zion Oil and Gas. We'll learn about exploring for oil in Israel. From there we will travel to Daliat al Carmel/Usfiye. Their Yad L'Banim memorial to the fallen Druze soldiers is located there. Jeff Daube's friend, Riad Hassoun will hopefully be available to speak to us, as well as Druze MK Ayoob Kara. We'll then drive east to Nazareth Illit where Aharon Pulver's Israel Independence Fund supports the Yeshivat HaHesder. Aharon plans to meet us there. The Moshav of Ilaniya is on the way to Tiberias on route 65. The Moshav has a fascinating story of converts who came from Russia over a century ago. We'll then travel on to Tiberias for Shabbat , checking into the Prima Galil hotel. Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

SHABBAT, APRIL 28 - Morning services at a synagogue of your choice. Lunch will be at our hotel. We'll have a Shabbat afternoon tour of Tiberias with Era and a local guide followed by Shalosh Seudot and Havdalah. A special evening event will include a cruise on the Kinneret.

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 - Depart Tiberias, swinging south, east and north to Gamla, re-visiting the amazing history of the area. Drive up to Har Hermon for amazing views of Syria and Lebanon from the cable cars. Drive south through the Golan, stopping in Avnei Eitan to meet with Maayan Yadai, originally from Netzer Hazani, and other Gush Katif families who have located there. We'll visit the new Gush Katif museum in the community. On to Hispin, staying at the Midreshet HaGolan, which we have enjoyed in the past.

MONDAY, APRIL 30 - Drive down the Jordan Valley heading to the Shomron. We'll stop in Elon Moreh. We'll visit the Shomron community of Itamar, where we will meet with Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith and his wife Leah, and our displaced Torah scroll. Brought to Itamar by Jack Ross, and deposited in the ark at Givat Aryeh, it was taken from there when Givat Aryeh was demolished by order of the Israeli government. We'll proceed on to Yitzhar, constantly under threat, and then to K'dumim where our Chizuk member, Leon, has arranged a special treat for us. Dinner at Kefar Saba, and then on to Ben Gurion and/or Yerushalayim.