Winter Israel Seminar Schedule

Florence Melton Adult Mini-School
Winter Israel Graduate Seminar

FATEFUL ENCOUNTERS THROUGH JEWISH HISTORY

December 30, 2002 - January 9, 2003 * 25 Teveth - 6 Shvat, 5763

Monday, Dec. 30 (25 Teveth)
Introduction to Seminar Themes

• Seminar commences at 1:30 p.m. at the Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem.
• A visit to The Hebrew University, Mount Scopus:
  Campus or Sanctuary: Between Ideals and Reality
• 19:30 Opening Dinner - Faculty Club of Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus
• Reflections: Who Are We and Why Are We in Israel?
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Tuesday, Dec. 31 (26 Teveth)
Fateful Decisions During the First and Second Temple Periods

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Field Trip: Overview of Jerusalem's Earliest History.
• Study session overlooking City of David
• Field Trip to the Herodian Mansion and Jewish Quarter in the Old City
  Possible Exploration of the Western Wall Tunnels
• Group lunch at Beit Ticho
• Meeting with David Horowitz, Editor of The Jerusalem Report
• A visit to the Israel Museum and the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Shrine of the Book
• Dinner at leisure.
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Wednesday Jan. 1 (27 Teveth)
From Jerusalem to Yavneh - Leadership in the Wake of Hurban

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Study Session: Responses to the Destruction of the Temple (led by Steve Israel)
• Field trip to Yavneh: Who is to Lead the Jewish People?
• Group Lunch
• Bar Kochba: Messianic Redeemer or False Star?
• Archaeological Dig at Beit Guvrin and Exploration of Caves from Time of Bar Kochba Revolt
• Reflections: What do We Dig up From Our Past?
• Dinner at leisure
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Thursday, Jan. 2 (28 Teveth)
Fateful Decisions: New Cities from Old: Jewish Culture Redefined in a Changed Reality

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Visit Neve Tsedek, Earliest Tel-Aviv Neighborhood
• Visit Independence Hall, Tel Aviv - Site of the Signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence
• Lunch at leisure
• Visit Beit Bialik and Central Tel Aviv
• A Visit to Kikar Rabin in Tel-Aviv
• Reflections at Tel Aviv Seafront
• Group Dinner
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Friday, Jan. 3 (29 Teveth)
Fateful Decisions - The Citizens' Perspectives

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Study Session: Symbols and Signs - Mapping Jerusalem's Multi-faceted Population
• Field Trip to Jerusalem Suburbs.
• Lunch at leisure
• Afternoon Free

Shabbat Evening

• Candle Lighting - 4:10 at King David's Tomb on Mt. Zion
• Evening service at the Kotel
• Traditional Shabbat Dinner
• Group Discussion and Reflections
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh (Va'Erah)

• Services at Synagogue(s) of Choice
• Parshat Hashavua: A Look at the Torah Portion (led by group members)
• Lunch
• Walking Tour (weather permitting) or Study Session
• Havdalah at 5:27 p.m.
• Dinner and evening at leisure
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Sunday, Jan. 5 (2 Shvat)
Fateful Decisions: In the Wake of the Destruction of the Second Temple

• Day commences at 7:30 a.m.
• Trip to Keren HaCarmel: Elijah and the Prophets of Ba'al
• Visit Beit Shearim: Study the Development of the Mishna and Talmud and Their Influence upon the New Jewish Reality
• Group lunch
• Travel to Tiberias, Resting Place of the “Great Eagle”, the Rambam
• Proceed to Tsfat
• Group Dinner
• Evening study session: Tsfat - A New Agenda for a New Society
• Overnight in Rimonim, Tzfat

Monday, Jan. 6 (3 Shvat)
The New (Zionist) Jew

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Exploration of Synagogues of Tsfat
• Free time to Explore the City
• Field trip to Rosh Pinah
• Lunch at leisure
• Field trip to Kinneret Farm: What Motivated the New Jew?
• Kinneret Cemetery - Encounter with Rachel's Poetry and its Reflection of a Generation's Yearnings and Hopes
• Group Dinner in Tiberias
• Overnight - Nof Ginossar Hotel

Tuesday, Jan. 7 (4 Shvat)
Contemporary Fateful Decisions - Territorial Compromise?

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Study Session: Options on the Syrian Front
• Meeting in Katzrin, “Capital” of the Golan, to Examine the Issues Emanating From the Possibility of Territorial Compromise
• Lunch at leisure
• Meeting with Resident of Golan Willing to Compromise if Needs Be
• Reflections
• Return to Jerusalem
• Dinner (en route - in Zichron Yaakov)
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Wed. Jan. 8 (5 Shvat)
The Question of Sovereignty and its Price

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Study session: Israel and the Holocaust
• A Visit to Yad Va-Shem, Reflecting the Holocaust and the Meaning Which it has Been Given in Israeli Collective Memory
• Lunch at leisure
• A Visit to Har Herzl
• Late Afternoon Meeting with Local Residents of Efrat, in the Etzion Bloc
  OR Meeting with Israelis Representing Various Viewpoints: What Are Israel's Greatest Challenges?
• Group Dinner
• Reflections
• Overnight - Inbal Hotel

Thursday, Jan. 9 (6 Shvat)
The Future of Israel

Day commences at 8:00 a.m.

• Depart for Hebrew University, Mount Scopus
• Meet with President of the University, Prof. Menahem Magidor
• Talpiot: From Foe to Friend? Visit Beit Agnon
• Tree planting in the Beit Shemesh Region
• Lunch at leisure
• Evaluation of Seminar
• Closing dinner