ATID is the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis advanced leadership program. Part of every ATID class is a trip to Israel. These are accounts from the partcipants of ATID IV, who are traveling through Israel in February 2016.

Post written by Stacy Segal

Sunday was spent with our Partnership friends. We began the day at the Western Galilee College and General Eival Giladi shared with us information about the college as well as the current political and security in the area. In touring the campus, we were able to see the mixed population that the college serves. He also shared with us growth plans of the college which includes on campus living.

After visiting the college, we took a short ride to the Galilee Medical Center. We got a complete tour of the hospital including the underground areas and saw that the hospital treats all populations in the area. In addition to touring, we learned about how the Syrians use the hospital rather than going to a physician office like we would in the US.

It was nice to view the the mosaic project created by our local artist, Joani Rothenberg and know that many members of our group had participated in the project. We even had the opportunity to contribute to the new piece being created.

During lunch at the Breakfast Club, many friends from our Partnership joined us. While enjoying a delicious meal prepared by Chef Morris, who has spent some time in Indianapolis, we were able to engage in conversation with the folks that joined us. This opportunity gave folks time to connect and learn more personal stories about living in the area.

Although full from lunch, we continued our day into the old city of Akko. This tour provided insight into the days of the Crusades to present day Israel.

We concluded our day in our partnership area at the Jam Bar where we learned about life on the Urban Kibbutz. We head different storied from the kibbutzim about their lives and how they are helping incorporate various aspects of education into lives of the greater community.