2024 ASUH Solidarity Mission to Israel

• Opening and Orientation – Meet your group members and tour guide.
• Israel Update: A Talk with a University of Haifa Professor – Leave with a better understanding of current events in the region and gain insights into the complexities and key players involved.
• Science & Innovation: Marine Science Lab – Meet faculty members and learn about their fascinating new research.
• Lunch at a Local Restaurant with Reservists from the University – Meal will be accompanied by University of Haifa students and faculty members serving in the IDF. Hear first-hand about their service and personal experiences.
• Embark on a Unique Journey of Hope with Maoz Inon – Walking the enchanting streets of Nazareth’s Old City, amidst individual and communal challenges, you’ll experience the transformative power that cross-community partnerships can yield, and Maoz’s personal experience in Nazareth is a true testament to that power. Inspired by the partnerships you will observe, you will see a lasting vision of hope and cooperation. Inon’s parents were murdered in their home on October 7 by Hamas terrorists, yet amid his grief, the tragic loss and war have not quashed his compassion and his hope for peace.
• Traditional Druze Dinner with Druze Soldier – Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy what you learned to cook. Get to know your hosts and their culture and history and hear about the strong allegiance of the Druze community to the State of Israel, as well as their extraordinary contributions to the IDF.

Lunch and Dinner included. Overnight in Haifa. Hotel not included. See below for our recommended hotels.

• Volunteer at a Local Farm – HaShomer Hachadash is a youth volunteer program dedicated to safeguarding the land in the Negev, the North, and across the entire country. Join them on one of the farms and pick vegetables, supporting Israeli food and nutrition security as well as supporting local farmers who are dealing with a shortage of workers during the war.
• Meet the Journalist Amir Tibon at Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek – Learn about the history of the Kibbutz and the members of Nachal Oz who have been relocated here. Hear first-hand Amir’s personal October 7th story, the process of assimilating into a new community, and enjoy a discussion about the future (a donation to the rebuilding of Nachal Oz is included).
• Meet with Mohammad Darawshe – Mr. Darawshe is a graduate of University of Haifa and a leading political analyst and expert on Jewish-Arab relations inside Israel.
• The Square of the Kidnapped and Missing in Tel Aviv – See powerful art created by various artists, including the Shabbat Table set for the missing hostages, as we show support and shine a spotlight on the importance of rescuing the lives of those abducted to Gaza. (Hopefully, by the time of this mission, all of the hostages will have been released and back home with their families.)

Lunch included. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Tel Aviv hotel included.

• Pay Respects to the Nova Festival Memorial Site – We will visit the site of the Nova Music Festival, now a memorial site, and bear witness to the horrors that happened on October 7th while paying our respects to the 364 Israelis murdered by Hamas here.
• Geo-Political Tour of the Gaza Envelope – Stop at key lookout points, including the town of Sderot, for an in-depth discussion of the complexity of the Gaza Border situation.
• Authentic Meal and Home Hospitality in Ofakim – Meet Osi Lankri, one of Ofakim’s “Culinary Queens”, and enjoy a home-cooked meal in her home. Hear about her life in Ofakim, where she was born and raised, and where some of October 7th’s worst atrocities took place.
• Treating Trauma – a Talk with Prof. Roy Salomon – Dr. Salomon, Professor of Psychology at University of Haifa, is a board member and head of research at SafeHeart, a non-profit initiative committed to supporting survivors of the Nova Music Festival massacre through emergency mental health services. Dr. Salomon will share some stories as well as methods they are using to help survivors.
• Wrap-up while Enjoying Local Wine and Cheese
• Group Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport

Breakfast, Lunch & Light Farewell Meal Included.