Join us for

​Israel Exploration
November 7-18, 2021

One should always be in the Land of Israel . . . for whoever is in the Land of Israel can be considered to have an intimate relationship with God. – Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ketubot 110b 
B’nai Tikvah is delighted to announced that its congregational trip to Israel will be held this November, led by Rabbi Leonard Gordon and Kayla Ship of Keshet Educational Journeys. Highlights of the trip, which will combine history and current reality, spirituality and politics, include: 
  • Modern Tel Aviv: learn about Israel as “start-up nation”
  • The Galilee: cradle of rabbinic Judaism and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism)
  • The Kibbutz experience and Israel’s “green revolution”
  • Shabbat in Jerusalem
  • Meet Israeli-Palestinian dialogue partners and learn about Israel’s Arab population
  • Explore Masada and the Dead Sea
  • Learn the story of the Ethiopian immigration and absorption
  • Discussion of Religious Pluralism
  • Tour Hadassah Hospital and the Supreme Court Building in Jerusalem
  • Optional opportunities for learning and prayer, shopping and personal time
Click here for detailed itinerary.

The rabbis tell us that being in Israel can be magical – it puts us in closer contact with God (as the expression goes, in Israel calling God is a local call) and connects us to the world Jewish community, to our past and our future. 
We hope many B’nai Tikvah members will share this journey with us. The trip is open to non-members and we especially welcome you to invite family members. ​

June 1 Information Session
To help you decide about joining us, we will hold a special Zoom session on Tuesday, June 1 at 8 pm following Minyan. Our guide, Kayla Ship, and Rabbi Gordon will walk us through the trip and answer questions.

Zoom Link Information
Meeting ID:  812 6158 0609
Passcode:  iKvy97

Click here for pricing information.
Click here for registration form.

Dr. Guy Ben-Porat talk from June 13th

Professor Guy Ben-Porat of Ben Gurion University has a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins and is Professor of Politics and Government. His expertise is in the area of religion and politics. He is the author of Global Liberalism, Local Populism: peace and conflict in Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland and Between State and Synagogue: The secularization of contemporary Israel.  Thank you to Stan Zoll for arranging this program.

Dr. Elan Ezrachi's talk from June 7th

Dr. Ezrachi is a third generation Yerushalmi who has written about the city since 1967, Elan served as a helicopter pilot in the Israeli Air Force and then pursued a career in Jewish education. He teaches and writes about the relationship between Israelis and American Jews and is the author of Awakened Dream – 50 Years of Complex Unification of Jerusalem. Elan is married to Rabbi Naamah Kelman,
the first woman rabbi ordained in Israel.