A Journey of Renewal and Resilience

March 8-12, 2026

DESTINATION

Israel

Who’s Going

Young Judaeans, Friends and Family

Trip Type

Mission

Duration

5 Days/4 Nights (Extension Avail.)

Group Size

20-30

Price

Based on Double Occupancy

Please note: This itinerary is a work in progress. YJ and Mayever are continuing to refine and expand it daily to ensure it fully aligns with our mission’s vision and provides a deep, meaningful, and relevant experience. We warmly welcome your feedback.

Your Journey

Discover Israel Again, For the First Time

A five day exploration of identity, resilience, and belonging

This mission is crafted exclusively for Young Judaea alumni who seek a thoughtful, insider’s view of Israel in a moment of profound change. It is designed for alumni who are seasoned travelers, deeply engaged leaders, or people who bring a sophisticated understanding of Israel and want a journey worthy of that experience. Every day offers access to places, perspectives, and conversations that go far beyond the familiar.

Through meaningful encounters, curated narratives, and moments of personal reflection, participants step into the complexity and humanity of life in Israel today. At the center of the journey is a guiding question that shapes each encounter: Who are we now, as individuals, as a global Jewish community, and as part of Young Judaea’s continuing legacy.

5 Core Identity Questions for the Mission

1. How do we understand an Israel still living with the trauma, fear, and uncertainty unleashed on October 7 — and how does that reality reshape our own sense of safety, solidarity, and Jewish identity?

Participants want to understand how Israelis are navigating trauma and recovery, how the security landscape continues to evolve, and how those lived realities should inform the way diaspora Jews connect to Israel today.

2. How do we hold love and critique at the same time — embracing Israel as a homeland while confronting the moral, political, and leadership failures that trouble us?

This captures tensions around government policies, democratic health, racism, accountability, and what it means to be both committed and critical as engaged Zionists.

3. How do Israelis themselves grapple with moral responsibility — from the return of the hostages to the toll of war on civilians in Gaza — and what can their debates teach us about our own ethical commitments as Jews and Zionists?

Participants seek to understand the full moral landscape: grief, anger, empathy, accountability, and the ethical dilemmas shaping Israeli discourse across its many communities.

4. What does resilience look like in a country stretched between grief and renewal — in its economy, culture, creativity, and everyday life — and how does witnessing that resilience challenge or inspire our own sense of Jewish identity?

This reflects interest in economic recovery, community rebuilding, the arts as expressions of pain and hope, and the human capacity to rebuild meaning after loss.

5. In a moment of global polarization, rising antisemitism, and deepening divides within Israeli society, how do we make sense of our identities as American Jews, as Zionists, and as part of a global Jewish narrative shaped by competing stories and overwhelming information?

This encompasses concerns around polarization, misinformation, religious/ethnic divides, diaspora–Israel misunderstandings, and the heightened vulnerability of Jews worldwide.

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Your Experience Maker

Julia

Julia is the one who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes . Her expertise is group tours and multi-generation family tours. Her focus is on fulfilling your travel dreams.

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Trip Highlights

Everyday Life at the Edges - Revealing a New Israel


Discover dimensions of Israel even seasoned travelers rarely encounter. Step into communities that live at the intersection of stability and vulnerability. From agricultural villages to urban alleys, border regions to coastal neighborhoods, witness how Israelis create meaning, continuity, and hope in the most unlikely places.

Conversations That Challenge and Inspire


Engage directly with Israelis at the forefront of social change, resilience, and creative rebuilding. Through intimate dialogues and multi-narrative encounters, explore the questions shaping Israel’s identity and our own: Who are we now?

A Space for Personal and Group Reflection


Through curated conversations, reflective moments, and shared experiences, participants reconnect with their values, their stories, and their relationship to a changing Israel together.

A Culinary Journey Through a Country in Renewal


Experience Israel through its cuisine — markets, farmers, bakers, vintners, and chefs whose food carries history, memory, and reinvention. Each meal reflects the flavors and stories of a nation rebuilding from the inside out.

Itinerary

DAY 1: Sunday, March 8

ברוּכים הבאים לישראל - Arrival and Opening Dinner
The journey begins with intention rather than activity. After settling into the hotel, the group gathers in the evening for a welcome dinner that sets the tone for the days ahead. It is an invitation to meet Israel in its current moment with curiosity and openness. The conversation unfolds gently but meaningfully, giving participants space to articulate what they bring to this experience and what they hope to understand. It is a warm, grounded beginning, signaling that this journey values depth over pace and meaning over motion.

Highlights
• Welcome reception at hotel where we will meet each other and the guide before heading to dinner (~6:30 PM)
• At dinner, we will continue to get to know each other and our guide will provide a overview for our week together.

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DAY 2: Monday, March 9

Jerusalem: Layered Narratives and Buried Histories
Jerusalem offers no single story, especially in a moment when fear, grief, and unresolved trauma shape daily life across the country. Today invites participants to encounter how multiple narratives coexist within the same physical spaces, often in tension and sometimes in silence. Through a dual narrative walk led by Palestinian and Jewish Israeli guides, we explore how lived memory, loss, and identity shape the city today and how October 7 has deepened existing fractures while amplifying questions of belonging and security.

The afternoon turns our attention to the layers beneath the surface. By examining Jerusalem through the lens of the 16th to 19th centuries, we step into a period before modern nationalism, borders, and conflict frameworks took hold. This historical grounding allows participants to see how competing claims and identities evolved over time, helping contextualize today’s fears and narratives without collapsing them into inevitability.

Conversations connected to Israel’s current political sphere bring these questions into the present, offering insight into how history, trauma, and governance intersect in shaping Israel’s future. The day ends not with answers, but with a deeper understanding of the complexity Israelis live with every day and what it asks of us as Jews in relationship with Israel.

Highlights
• Depart Tel Aviv for day in Jerusalem
• Morning: Dual narrative walking tour with Palestinian and Jewish Israeli guides through symbolic spaces in and around the Old City, such as Jaffa Gate and the Tower of David, shared religious sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and vantage points including a rooftop in the Jewish Quarter overlooking the Dome of the Rock, exploring how the same places are experienced through two layered narratives.
• Lunch on your own
• Afternoon: Archaeological and historical exploration of Jerusalem focused on the 16th to 19th centuries, with sites that may include Mount Zion, Ottoman era Muslim architecture within the Old City, and Jewish synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, examining how daily life, empire, and religious communities shaped the city prior to the modern conflict.
• Time permitting: visit to the National Library of Israel or a special exhibition at the Israel Museum, or a conversation with a senior journalist, political analyst, or former public official exploring the intersection of history, narrative, and contemporary political reality in Jerusalem
• Return to Tel Aviv
• Dinner on your own
• Post Dinner Conversation with YJ Alum/Panel

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DAY 3: Tuesday, March 10

The South: The Face of Resilience
Today brings us south to encounter resilience not as a slogan, but as lived reality. In communities near the Gaza region, including a brief visit to the Nova site for reflection and remembrance, participants encounter how loss, responsibility, and renewal exist side by side. Through conversations with local residents, business owners, educators, and community leaders, we hear firsthand how people navigate grief and choose to remain rooted to place in the aftermath of October 7.

Throughout the day, participants meet individuals who rebuilt livelihoods and community life as an act of commitment rather than optimism. Whether through agriculture, small businesses, or communal initiatives, each encounter highlights how resilience emerges through relationships, presence, and shared responsibility. The day invites reflection on resilience not as triumph, but as persistence, and on what it means to stand alongside communities choosing to rebuild their future.

Highlights
• Travel to the Gaza Envelope
• Visit to the Nova site for reflection and remembrance and possibly one of the Kibbutzim impacted on October 7.
• Conversations with individuals rebuilding community life through small businesses, agricultural work, creative or educational projects, and other initiatives rooted in memory, resilience, and responsibility
• Return to Tel Aviv for dinner and a evening cultural performance (TBD).

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DAY 4: Wednesday, March 11

Emek Hefer and the Narrow Border Region: Quiet Frontlines and Everyday Life
Emek Hefer: Community, Border, and Belonging

The Hefer Valley offers a quieter, more intimate lens on Israel. Life here unfolds at a gentler pace, yet always in proximity to the border—shaping how communities live, trust, and imagine their future. Through encounters with local residents, farmers, business owners and thinkers, participants explore how stability and vulnerability coexist. Personal stories open into national questions of security, responsibility, and resilience, creating a day that is both grounded and searching.

Program Highlights

• Conversations with Jewish and Arab residents of the Hefer Valley, exploring shared space, community trust, and the lived realities of life near a sensitive border
• Visits to family-run farms and local businesses, offering a firsthand look at rural Israeli life, sustainability, and everyday innovation
• Engagement with local entrepreneurs and community leaders, examining how economics, cooperation, and values shape regional resilience
• Geopolitical exploration of the narrow border region, connecting the physical landscape to national security concerns and regional dynamics
• Guided visit to the Intelligence Heritage Center, framing Israel’s intelligence history alongside ethical questions of protection, responsibility, and survival
• Conversation with prominent journalists from the Times of Israel, Haaretz and/or the Jerusalem Post about Arab Jewish relations and regional realities.
• Spending time with the current Year Course participants

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DAY 5: Thursday, March 12

Tel Aviv: The Walls Speak and Communities Respond
The final day brings us into Tel Aviv, where the city’s emotional and political pulse is visible everywhere in its art, its streets, and the ways Israelis are responding to this moment. A guided graffiti walk reveals a raw and unfiltered portrait of Israel today, with expressions of grief, protest, resilience, and hope layered across buildings and alleyways. That artistic lens continues into the afternoon through curated exhibitions using photography, video, or testimony to capture how Israelis are documenting and processing current realities. Alternatively, depending on availability, the afternoon may pivot to a focused conversation with a senior Israeli public thinker or former policymaker, offering a political lens on the current moment and its broader implications. The day concludes with a closing dinner and guided conversation inviting participants to reflect/process on their experiences of the week.

Highlights
• Graffiti walk capturing the emotional voice of post October 7 Israel
• Encounter with Dana Dvorin of Rays of Light, an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition that tells the heroic stories of women who faced unimaginable horrors on October 7th.
• Visit to a curated exhibition using photography, video, or testimony to reflect this moment in Israeli society..
• Time permitting, conversation with a leading public intellectual, journalist, or former public official.
• Closing dinner and guided reflection with YJ and communal leaders.

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Add-Ons to Look Forward To

L’dor V’dor Encounter
• We will join Year Course programming on Tuesday or Wednesday for a meaningful Young Judaea intergenerational moment, offering participants a living connection between past and present voices within the movement.

• Unique opportunities to engage with Young Judaea alumni serving in influential roles across Israeli society through intimate conversations and panel discussions that bring the movement’s multigenerational impact to life.

Cultural Programming
• We will include cultural experiences such as theater, dance, or contemporary art exhibitions.

Restaurant Highlights
• We are also curating a selection of standout kosher restaurants for dinners throughout the trip, offering participants the chance to experience Israel’s vibrant and evolving culinary scene in meaningful, locally rooted settings.

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Who You’ll Encounter

The following are examples of the types of individuals we hope to engage throughout the tour.

Chef JJ Jalil,an American-born chef trained in molecular gastronomy and seasoned in Tel Aviv’s top kitchens, is the co-founder — together with his partner Daniel Mauda — of Lucky Bun, Ein Rafa’s first kosher restaurant and a rare Jewish-Arab culinary partnership. Opened in the heart of the village during one of Israel’s most difficult periods, Lucky Bun embodies what Haaretz called “the art of the possible”: a place where American-Palestinian-Israeli flavors, from crispy chicken to deeply comforting makluba, meet openness, quality, and everyday warmth. Now living in Ein Rafa with his wife and two sons, Chef JJ brings a philosophy of simplicity, transparency, and shared community to his cooking, offering a grounded and hopeful expression of Israeli life today.

Neil Lazarus is an internationally recognized expert in Middle East politics, public diplomacy, and effective Israel advocacy, known for delivering fast-paced, highly engaging presentations to students, educators, diplomats, and community leaders around the world. A veteran consultant to government ministries, NGOs, and global Jewish organizations, he specializes in explaining complex geopolitical realities in clear, accessible language while equipping audiences with practical tools for navigating media bias, misinformation, and public discourse around Israel. With a trademark mix of insight, humor, and strategic communication training, Neil has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the field, helping diverse audiences better understand the region and communicate with confidence.

Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning Arab-Israeli journalist and longtime reporter on Palestinian affairs, known for his clear, independent, and deeply sourced coverage of the Middle East. For more than three decades he has written for outlets such as The Jerusalem Post, produced investigative reports for international media including the BBC, and served as a trusted voice for understanding political dynamics inside the West Bank and Gaza. Fluent in both Palestinian society and the Israeli media landscape, Abu Toameh is widely respected for his direct, unfiltered reporting and his commitment to giving readers an accurate picture of realities often obscured by politics. His work provides audiences with rare access, nuanced context, and a grounded understanding of one of the region’s most complex arenas.

Dana Dvorin is the creator of Rays of Light, a volunteer driven documentation project committed to preserving the heroic stories of women during the events of October 7. Her work gathers testimonies, photographs, and personal narratives to honor acts of courage that might otherwise remain unseen. Dana’s project has become a powerful platform for elevating women’s voices in Israel’s unfolding story, ensuring that their bravery and resilience are remembered with dignity and depth.

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Pricing & Accommodations

5 STAR ACCOMMODATIONS

Price per Participant in Double Occupancy

  • 20+ Participants = 3500 USD

Single Supplement:

  • +792 USD per person

*Based on a minimum of 20 participants
**Should the number of participants fall below 20 Mayever reserves the right to update the price per person

Includes all land costs and meals as outlined in the itinerary. See below terms for what else is and isn't included.

Note on Pricing - Trip costs are based on the NIS-to-U.S. dollar exchange rate as of December 1, 2025. Final prices will be recalculated using the exchange rate at the time of payment and may be adjusted accordingly. Any changes will be communicated to the group by email.

TEL AVIV

5 STAR: Royal Beach

(or similar)
March 8-12 (4 nights)

Standard Room

View hotel

Terms & Conditions

Payment & General Conditions

Payment Conditions
  1. Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of 500 USD per person is required to register and secure your spot. (The deposit is non-refundable but remains as credit for future use for an unlimited time). Due by January 19, 2026.
  2. Final Balance is due by February 2, 2026
  3. All participants must travel with valid passport expiration dates that are at least 6 months from date of departure from Israel or other destination.

Note on Pricing - Trip costs are based on the NIS-to-U.S. dollar exchange rate as of December 1, 2025. Final prices will be recalculated using the exchange rate at the time of payment and may be adjusted accordingly. Any changes will be communicated to the group by email.

General Conditions

**The schedule, activities, volunteering, and speakers are subject to confirmation and can still change throughout the trip due to unforeseen factors, including, availability, supplier updates, weather conditions, government restrictions, and other necessary adjustments based on on-site conditions. **

Flights

Travelers are responsible for their own flight arrangements. If you need assistance, please feel free to reach out to us at info@gomayever.com to connect you with our partners.

  • March 8 - You should make your travel arrangements to arrive with time to meet guide at 6:30 PM at the hotel.
  • March 12 - You will be transferred to airport by 9 PM for a late night flight. (i.e. 12 AM between March 12-13).

Cancellation Conditions

All cancellations must be made in writing via email to Mayever.

  1. On or before January 19: Full refund, less the 500 USD non-refundable deposit.
  2. January 20 – February 16: Refund available minus the 500 USD deposit and any non-refundable supplier penalties.
  3. February 17 – February 22: Cancellations receive a 10% refund of the total trip cost.
  4. February 23 onward (14 days or less before March 8): No refunds will be provided.

Unused services during the tour: No refunds will be granted for any unused services while in the destination.

Hotel Cancellations - if a participant cancels for any reason outside of Israel not allowing ‘visitors’ - participant will pay the hotel cancellation fee.  (We will provide this once hotel updates cancellation fees - as they may vary based on how close to travel date cancellation occurs)

Travel Insurance

We highly encourage all our group members to purchase travel protection.To give you peace of mind and financial protection, we offer two travel insurance options. Each provides a different type of coverage and flexibility. Please review both below to decide which best suits your needs.

Option 1: Mayever’s In-House Land Cost Insurance

Price: $500 per person
Coverage: Land tour cost only (does not include flights or medical coverage)

Key Benefits:

  • Cancel your tour for any reason and receive a full refund of the land cost, minus your deposit.
  • Your deposit is converted into a travel voucher for future use.
  • No medical forms, documentation, or paperwork required—simple and stress-free.

Example:

  • Tour cost: $6,100
  • Deposit: $500
  • You receive:
  • $5,600 refund (no questions asked)
  • $500 travel credit for future use

Important Notes:

  • To explore this option, contact your tour’s Experience Maker within 21 days of your initial deposit. 
  • This insurance is designed for flexibility, not for medical emergencies.
  • Flights and any medical-related issues are not covered.
Option 2: Comprehensive Travel Protection

Price: Will Be Advised
Coverage: Trip cancellation, medical emergencies, and more

Key Benefits:

  • Trip cancellation coverage due to unforeseen medical illness (of you or a family member).
    Medical expense protection while traveling abroad—especially valuable since most U.S. health plans do not cover international travel.
  • Additional coverage includes:
  • Trip interruption or delay
  • Lost or delayed baggage
  • Medical evacuation
  • 24/7 emergency assistance
  • And more

Important Notes:

  • Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage is available—but must be purchased within 13 days of your initial payment. Contact Liana today!

Available only to U.S. residents, due to licensing requirements.

Services Included

  • Meals as outlined on the tour
  • 5* Hotel in Tel Aviv, including breakfast
  • 1 professionally licensed guide educator with the group on 24/7 basis
  • 1 deluxe motor coach with air conditioning daily 
  • Entrance fees, activity costs and meals according to sample itinerary
  • Gratuities for guide and driver
  • Constant contact with "moked" security room for the duration of the trip 
  • Tour Operator on call 24/7
  • VAT for IL staff where applicable (accommodation)

Services Not Included

  • International flights 
  • Porterage at airports and hotels
  • Expenses related to any participants/outside guests joining at intervals throughout the trip
  • Last minute changes and expenses (up to 60 days before the beginning of the trip)
  • Hotel incidentals
  • Travel and luggage insurance 
  • VAT is not included, however should the law change and require tourists to pay VAT then  costs will be updated accordingly

Important Information

ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization)

Visitors from visa-exempt countries (including the U.S.) must obtain an ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) before entering Israel.

Key Points:

  • Required starting January 2025
  • Simple online application (about 10 minutes)
  • Cost: NIS 25 per traveler
  • Valid for 2 years or until passport expiration
  • Allows multiple entries, up to 90 days per visit

Click here to apply for an ETA-IL
Click here to learn more.

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ENTRY VISA:

Please keep the entry visa you get at the airport on arrival, if you can’t present it at the hotels you will be charged 17% VAT by the hotels. According to Israeli law, tourists do not need to pay this tax, the entry visa is the only way to prove it and you will be asked to show it at each hotel.

Ready to book

Embark on an unforgettable Young Judaea journey through Israel, created for alumni and friends who want to reconnect, explore, and be inspired. This thoughtfully curated experience blends incredible food, unique encounters, and deep conversation, offering new ways to experience Israel and each other. Whether you join with friends or come on your own, you’ll return with renewed connections, fresh perspective, and memories that stay with you long after the trip ends.

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