Dates, Flights and Accommodations

DATES
Seminar 2012 is scheduled to depart from New York Area on Tuesday, July 3, 2012 (arriving in Israel on July 4) and is due to return to the New York Area on Sunday evening, August 12, or early morning Monday, August 13. Details regarding flights and schedules will be provided in the future.

The dates for the Poland Seminar are June 24-July 3, 2012. Flights will depart the NY Area on Sunday, June 24 and the group will arrive in Israel on Tuesday July 3.

BASIC ITINERARY
Following is the basic division of time spent at each of the above bases and in other contexts as noted:

  • 18 days in Jerusalem at the Chava: including old and new Jerusalem and its environs, Masada, Tel Aviv, and special activity days.
  • 9 days at Hodayot in the Galilee: including field trips to the northern coast, the Golan Heights, and different parts of the Galilee.
  • 7 days in the South: 6 days exploring the Negev desert (including Shabbat), hiking, and visiting a kibbut & 1 night sleeping in a Bedouin tent.
  • 4 days of ETGAR Options (see explanation).
    2 days: one weekend Host Shabbat (July 20-22, 2012) with relatives, family friends or Ramah hosts, from approximately Friday at noon to Sunday at 9.

In Camp Ramah terms, every day of the Seminar is like a Yom Meyuchad (a day specially-planned around a theme) at camp. Each day provides you with a window through which you can glimpse a different view of Israel, and inspires you to explore further. See the Sample Calendar for more details.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS

Where Does Seminar Take Place?

The six weeks of Seminar are spent throughout Israel, exploring the north, south and center of the country. Ramah Seminar is based at two principal sites: the Israel Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem (in Hebrew: Havat Hanoar Hatzioni, commonly referred to as the Chava) and the Hodayot Youth Village, adjacent to Kibbutz Lavi near the Sea of Galilee.

The Chava, a lush, tree-lined campus that includes athletic facilities, a library, infirmary, an indoor pool and a kosher dining room, is our home base for the 18 days of the program spent during Jerusalem and its environs, including the Masada and the Dead Sea region and Tel Aviv. For the rest of the program, the groups are housed in a variety of places, including nine days at Hodayot, a youth village down the road from Kibbutz Lavi in the Galilee for the field trips to the northern coast, Golan Heights and the Galilee.

You will spend seven days down South, hiking in the Negev desert and staying at two different kibbutzim and one night in a Bedouin tent. Four days of Seminar are spent on ETGAR, the special interest segment during which all participants choose a ‘challenge.’ Seminar participants also spend one full Shabbat weekend with friends, family or specially selected Ramah hosts, allowing them to experience life in an Israeli home and atmosphere.