GIVE

GIVE

GIVE (Girls Israel Volunteer Experience) is a program for teenage girls who want to focus their summer experience on making a difference by doing chesed for needy people in Israel. While on the program, you will have the opportunity to help out at a food bank and a hospital, to be part of a camp for children who have been the victims of terror, to collect clothing for the poor, as well as many other volunteer opportunities.

Sample daily schedule:

7:00 wake up
7:30 davening
8:00 breakfast
9:30 volunteering #1
12:00 lunch
1:30 tour/hike/activity
4:00 volunteering #2
7:30 dinner
9:00 guest speaker/learning sessions
9:30 night activity/free time
12:00 curfew





Sample Itinerary

Day 1
13:30 Arrival
16:00 Kotel (the Western Wall) - Sometimes called the “Wailing Wall” or the “Western Wall”, the Kotel is part of the remains of the Temple Mount - on top of which stood the Temple.  The Temple Mount ("Mount Moriah") is the holiest place on earth to the Jews. Over the centuries the Kotel became a symbol of the destroyed Temple and was one of the only parts of the Temple Mount that we could approach.
18:00 Haas Promenade (Hatayelet) - The promenade offers a breathtaking overlook of Jerusalem from the South, supposedly the spot from which Abraham first saw Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount.
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 2
09:00 Orientation
11:30 Volunteering - Yad Sara
13:30 The Jewish Quarter - The past and present Jewish presence in the Old City of Jerusalem comes to life in the ancient Cardo, the unique synagogues, the narrow alleys and the modern living quarters, court yards and schools of the Old City.
14:30 City of David - Many archaeological wonders can be found on the site of King David’s capital city, including houses, castles and guard posts, pieces of the old city wall, and the daring enterprise of King Hezekiah’s amazing water tunnel.
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 3
09:00 Volunteering- Medical Clowns Course
15:00 Swim in the ocean
20:30Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 4
09:00 Volunteering- Medical Clowns Course
14:30 Me’ea Shearim
16:30 Preparation for Shabbat
19:30 Kabbalat Shabbat
22:00 Oneg Shabbat
Overnight:  Jerusalem Gates Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 5
Group Shabbat
13:00 The Knesset - Named for “Anshei Knesset Hag’dola” (Men of the Great Assembly), the representative Jewish council convened in Jerusalem by Ezra and Nehemiah in the 5th century BCE, the Knesset, located in Jerusalem is the legislative branch of the Israeli government. MKs gather here to debate legislature and the debates can become quite lively!
17:00 Madrich Activity
Havdala
Evening Activity
Overnight:  Jerusalem Gates Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 6
11:00 Caesarea - Situated about 10km. north of Hadera, Caesarea is an ancient port named after the Caesar Augustus. It was the largest city in Palestine during the Roman Period, and excavations have unearthed an amphitheatre, large statues, an ancient theatre with mosaic floors and an aqueduct. 
14:00 Akko (Acre) - A city on the shore of the Mediterranean, on the north of the Akko bay. It has an ancient walled city and a fisherman’s wharf. Main attractions include the Crusaders’ Crypts, the Great Mosque and the fortress. The remains of a crusader port can be found in the southeastern part of the city.
16:00 Rosh Hanikra - An incredibly beautiful, unique, white chalk cliff that plunges into the Mediterranean Sea. The waves, bashing against the soft chalkstone, create caves and tunnels called grottos (-in Hebrew: NIKRA). Rosh Hanikra is found on the Israel-Lebanon border.
21:00 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Chispin Hotel

Day 7
09:00 Volunteering- “Simchat Halev” - Hospital in Tzfat
11:30 Kayaking
16:00 Katzrin - An urban village in the Lower Golan Heights. Ruins indicate that Katzrin is the site of a Jewish settlement from the Mishna and Talmud times.
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Chispin Hotel

Day 8
09:00 Volunteering- outdoor volunteering
14:30 Jeep Ride
17:00 Tiberias - Named after the Roman Emperor Tiberias, this 2000-year-old town is situated on the sea of Galilee, and is one of the four cities holy to the Jews (Tiberias, Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed). Tiberias is the ancient burial sights of many scholars, including the Rambam and Rabbi Akiva.
17:00 Kivrey Tzadikim
18:00 Kinneret cruise-Sea of Galilee-a sweet water lake in the northern Jordan valley. Its main sources are the Jordan rivers flowing from the mountains and rain water.
Overnight:  Chispin Hotel

Day 9
09:30 Volunteering- outdoor volunteering
14:00 Mount Ben Tal Observation pt. - Site of a former Israeli bunker, Mount Ben Tal is an observation point over looking the Golan Heights and Israel’s Northern borders.
15:30 Nachal El Al/ Jilabun - A hiking trail with beautiful waterfalls in the southern part of the Golan Heights.
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Chispin Hotel

Day 10
10:00 Volunteering - Old Age Home
13:30 Arbel Caves - Caves on the cliffs of the Arbel Mountain in the lower Galilee, about 5 km. north-west of Tiberias
15:30 Tzippori - An ancient city in the Galil, best known as the place where Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi wrote and edited the Mishna during the 2nd century.
17:30 Kfar Kedem - Experience a re-creation of day-to-day life of a Galilean village from two thousand years ago including a donkey ride over ancient trails and a Biblical style lunch !
21:00 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Chispin Hotel

Day 11
10:00 Nachal Amud - Begins on the southeast side of Mt Meron at an altitude of 1150 meters above sea level, and it reaches the Kinneret at 212 meters below sea level less than 20 kilometers away. Because of the drastic incline and also since it cuts its way through dolomite cliffs, canyons, waterfalls, beautiful rock formations and delightful natural pools have resulted.
12:30 Mt Meron - Meron was an ancient city which was important in the days of the Mishna and the Talmud. Mount Meron is especially well known as the grave site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and many other Tanaic Sages.
12:30 Rashbi’s Tomb
13:00 Shopping
16:00 Preparation for Shabbat
19:30 Kabbalat Shabbat
22:00 Oneg Shabbat
Overnight:  Ron Hotel, Tzfat

Day 12
Group Shabbat
13:00 Tzfat (Safed) - The city of Jewish mysticism, Kaballah, was home to many illustrious Jewish sages and mystics during the 16th century, including Rabbi Yosef Caro and Rabbi Yitzchak Luria. Walking through the alleys of Tzfat, let yourself absorb its unique atmosphere, sense the spirituality of the town, its kabbalists, its beauty and art and unique people.
Havdala
Overnight:  Ron Hotel, Tzfat

Day 13
10:30 Volunteering- Medical Clowns Course
14:00 Atlit- Located on the coast near Haifa, Atlit is the site of one of the “illegal” immigrant camps used by the British to imprison tens of thousands of Jewish refugees, who attempted to immigrate to the Land of Israel during and after the Holocaust.
15:30 Zichron Ya’acov - A settlement in the south of Mount Carmel, established in 1882 and named after Baron de Rothschild’s father Jacob, Zichron unveils the dramatic story of the Aharonson family and is also home to the beautiful Baron Gardens.
21:00 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 14
11:30 Volunteering- Table to Table - Food for the needy
14:30 Ayalon Center
16:00 Sand dunes
Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 15
09:30 Volunteering- Soup Kitchen
13:30 Sataf - an ancient agricultural site in the Judean hills. In the middle of a path, grow pleasant orchards watered by two springs, one of which is coming out of a small cave.
16:30 Burma Road - A bypass road built to break the siege of Jerusalem in 1948 with the help of foreign volunteers such as West Point graduate Colonel David “Mickey” Marcus.
16:30 Bike Ride
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 16
09:45 Volunteering
14:30 Beit Guvrin Caves - A cluster of caves in the area of Beit Guvrin, thought to date back to the Roman and Hellenistic eras.
14:30 Archeological Seminar
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 17
Fast
09:30 Yad Vashem - Located on Har Hazikaron (the Mountain of Remembrance) in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem is dedicated to documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving the memory and story of each of the six million victims, and imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come through its archives, library, school, museums and recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations.
14:20 Burnt House - Archaeological ruins and audiovisual presentation of life in the Upper Old City of Jerusalem at the time of the destruction of the 2nd Temple.
15:30 Kotel (the Western Wall) - Sometimes called the “Wailing Wall” or the “Western Wall”, the Kotel is part of the remains of the Temple Mount - on top of which stood the Temple.  The Temple Mount ("Mount Moriah") is the holiest place on earth to the Jews. Over the centuries the Kotel became a symbol of the destroyed Temple and was one of the only parts of the Temple Mount that we could approach.
16:00 Rest
End of the Fast
21:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 18
10:30 Depart for Free Shabbat

Day 19
Free Shabbat

Day 20
09:00 Volunteering- Kiryat Gat Ulpan
15:00 Machtesh Gadol - A natural crater in the Negev Mountains, between Dimona and Yeruham.
15:00 Colorful Sands
18:00 Mamshit- Camel Ride
Overnight:  Mamshit

Day 21
10:00 Masada - Remains of a large 2nd Temple fortress situated in the Judean Desert, 17km. south of Ein Gedi. Seized by the rebels during the revolt against Rome, it became the last Zealot stronghold after the fall of Jerusalem. The siege at Masada lasted three years.
13:00 Dead Sea - See if you can float in the Sea of Salt, the lowest place on earth! The mineral-rich Dead Sea is located in the South of the Jordan Valley, the lowest spot on earth (398m below sea level!!!).
15:00 Ein Gedi - Easy walk in one of the most beautiful nature reserves along the desert oasis of riverbeds and waterfalls.
Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 22
09:00 Volunteering- Kiryat Gat Ulpan
14:00 Mt. Hertzl- Israel’s national cemetery is also Jerusalem’s military cemetery, where soldiers of past and present are buried. Mt. Hertzl is the burial place of many dignitaries and prominent figures of the Jewish people such as Theodore Hertzl, Yitzchak Rabin, Channa Sennesh and Yoni Netanyahu. The new Hertzl Museum is located at the entrance to the site.
16:00 Hertzl Center
18:00 Mifgashim
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 23
10:00 Tel Aviv - The commercial and entertainment capital of Israel, Tel Aviv, originally names “Achuzat Bayit” was the first Hebrew city to be established and lies on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
10:00 Jaffa (Yaffo) - A city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Tel Aviv. Yaffo is an artists’ colony and entertainment center with many buildings and historical sites from the Canaanite and Medieval periods.
10:00 Azrieli Mall
11:30 Rabin Square - The heart of Tel Aviv, and site of assassination of Prime Minister Itzchak Rabin.
13:30 Palmach Museum - Exciting interactive museum, examining one of the most thrilling chapters in the Jewish Nation’s struggle for a State.
16:30 Independence Hall - The story of the house in which Israel’s independence was declared and the fantastic tale of the people who made it happen.
20:30 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 24
09:00 Volunteering- Kiryat Gat Ulpan
15:30 Southern Excavations of the Temple Mount - Learn the secret of the stairs leading up to the Hulda Gates and to the southern entrance of the Temple Mount. Explore the remains of storehouses and ritual baths in the Temple Mount environs and find out more about 2nd Temple period Jews as you visit the basement of an Ottoman Palace.
17:00 Kotel Tunnels - Discover buried and hidden parts of the Kotel (The Western Wall) on a fascinating tour through tunnels dug under houses in the Old City.
21:00 Evening Activity
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 25
09:30 Kfar Etzion - A kibbutz located in the Gush Etzion region, south of Jerusalem, at the site of the ancient “Path of the Patriarchs” midway between Hevron and Jerusalem. The kibbutz, established in 1934, was destroyed during Arab riots but later rebuilt. After heavy fighting, the Kibbutz, along with the rest of the Etzion Bloc, fell during the War of Independence and after the Six Day War in 1967, was once again rebuilt
11:00 Hebron - A city in the Judean hills, 36 km, south of Jerusalem, Hebron is one of the most ancient cities in the land of Israel. Biblical names for the city include Kiryat Arba and Mamreh, and the city is the site of The Cave of the Patriarchs, (Ma’arat Hamachpela), where, according to tradition, the patriarchs and the matriarchs (excluding Rachel) were buried. Legend has it that Adam and Eve were also buried there.
11:30 Tomb of the Partriatcs
14:00 Rachel’s Tomb
16:00 Preparation for Shabbat
19:00 Kabbalat Shabbat
22:00 Oneg Shabbat
Overnight:  Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 26
Group Shabbat
13:00 Mishkenot Sha’ananim - Enjoy a relaxing, easy Shabbat walk in this picturesque neighborhood, the very first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of the old city walls.  Tour the quaint houses and beautiful alleys and see Sir Moses Montefiore’s amazing project - the Jerusalem windmill! 
Rest
17:00 Madrich Activity
Havdala
Overnight:  Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 27
09:30 Volunteering- Medical Clowns Course
12:00 Shopping
15:00 Tree Planting
16:00 Mini Israel - Israel’s brand-new miniature park offers you a birds-eye view of sites and cities in Israel, as you stroll through the country, North to South, in less than 2 hours.
20:00 Farwell Party
23:00 Kotel (the Western Wall) - Sometimes called the “Wailing Wall” or the “Western Wall”, the Kotel is part of the remains of the Temple Mount – on top of which stood the Temple.  The Temple Mount ("Mount Moriah") is the holiest place on earth to the Jews. Over the centuries the Kotel became a symbol of the destroyed Temple and was one of the only parts of the Temple Mount that we could approach.
Overnight:  Reishit Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh

Day 28
DEPARTURE