We Are All One Family

Jewish Grandparents Network’s Fall 2024
Volunteer and Solidarity Experience in Israel

November 11-18, 2024

We will do and we will listen Exodus, 24:7

We Will Do: 

Engage in meaningful volunteer experiences to support Israelis and Israeli soldiers.

We Will Listen: 

Hear experiences and stories of tragedy, hardship, and resilience.  

Features

Interact:

Hear the stories of Israeli grandparents from across the religious and political spectrum in mifgashim (“encounters”).

Volunteer:

Make a difference in the lives of Israelis and Israeli soldiers through action.

Visit: 

Travel to sites that tell the story of October 7 and the aftermath and the broader Israel experience.

Learn from:

Meet with:

Distinguished Israeli grandparents who will join us during the mission:

  • Anat Hoffman – Former Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and Founding member of Nashot HaKotel, Women of the Wall.
  • Doron Krakow – President and CEO of the JCC Association of North America who moved to Israel to care for his grandchildren after October 7. 
  • Yitzhak Sokoloff – Founder of Keshet Tours who at the age of 69 joined the IDF to serve along the Gaza Border. He is now sharing grandparenting responsibilities with his wife Ruti as their children and their spouses are still in reserve duty. 
  • Liz Trakeniski-Bennett – Representative of the Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds in Israel whose son, a major in the IDF, was killed by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri while evacuating civilians. Liz’s first grandchild was born weeks later. 

Click HERE to read their biographies. 

 

View the Full Itinerary HERE

(Note: the schedule for each day of the mission has yet to fully finalized) 

Important Details

Safety:

  • The Israeli government’s Ministry of Defense, Touristy, and Education has set up a Situation Room. Keshet is in contact with them daily. 
  • The government has all Keshet trip itineraries and proactively informs them of any required changes. 

Financial Considerations:  

  • Registration for the trip requires a $500 deposit per person. If you choose to withdraw from the trip before September 20, 2024, you will receive a refund of $450. This fee is required to cover Keshet’s administrative fees.  This is for first-time enrollees.  There is no down payment required of those who signed up for the May trip.
  • Upon registration, Keshet will send you a confirmation of payment to use if you require a refund from trip insurance.  Those who signed up for the May trip can use this confirmation to receive a refund from a travel insurance company.
  • Full payment for the trip will be due by September 20, 2024. 
  • If you choose to withdraw from the trip before October 14, you will be refunded your payments minus $1,600.  This fee is required to ensure that the trip costs for other trip members will not increase. 
  • There will be no refund for trip cancellation after October 14, 2024 
  • We strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance. Travel Guard through AIG offers travel insurance to Israel with an option for “cancel for any reason” that will refund 50% of paid expenses. 

Flights:

  • Our Keshet partner recommends traveling on El Al as the airline offers the greatest flexibility in rebooking flights. Consider either a direct El Al flight from the States or a connecting flight through Europe (El Al has recently added new flights to Israel from Europe to Israel. 
  • Keshet’s travel agent Claude Hakim mrfield@verizon.net is available to assist you with your flight arrangements. 

Trip Cancellation: 

  • The trip requires a minimum of 15 participants to proceed. 
  • Keshet will only cancel the trip if: 
    • All of Israel’s airports are closed. 
    • Major airlines including El Al cancel all flights to Israel 

Click HERE to view the pricing information. 

 

Click HERE to watch the recording of the Pre-Trip Informational Briefing with Geoff Winston of Keshet Tours and David Raphael, CEO of the Jewish Grandparents Network.

For more information contact David Raphael, JGN Executive Director, david@jewishgrandparentsnetwork.org  

Organized in partnership with Keshet Educational Journeys