Archive for June, 2009

Dig For A Day: Archeological Seminars 

Beit Guvrin National Park 02-586-2011

This is a great family activity outside of Jerusalem on Tel Maresha in Beit Guvrin. The Dig for a Day program runs three hours. The activity includes: digging, sifting, pottery examination and touring the National Park of Beit Guvrin with an exciting crawl through unexcavated cave systems. Excavations are of the Hellenistic or Second Temple level.  Wear clothes that can get dirty and closed shoes, and bring water to drink. Do not bring valuables with you.  Children under five years old are the parents’ absolute responsibility.

Opening Hours:
Call for reservations and times. 02-586-2011
or email office@archesem.com

Ticket Prices:
For the Dig for a Day (doesn’t include park entry)
Adults: $30
Children (5-14) $25

National Park Beit Guvrin
Adult 23 NIS
Child 12 NIS

Meeting Place:

Meet at the Beit Guvrin gas station.  There your guide will greet you and lead you (still in your vehicle) up through the National Park to the dig area.  Digging is done in rain or shine since it is in underground caves.

How To Get to Dig for A Day…

By Car: From Jerusalem take highway 1 going towards Tel Aviv. Exit at Beit Shemesh. This road becomes Route 38.  Continue straight (past Beit Shemesh, kibbutzim and moshavim, etc.) on this road for about 30 minutes, until you come to a ‘T’ junction.  There you turn RIGHT towards the Beit Guvrin National Park (orange Park sign, route 35 on a map). Continue about 700 meters, or two minutes, up the road.  On your right you will see a large gas station (Delek) with a restaurant. That is the meeting place.

By Taxi: If you take a taxi to the dig, you must arrange return transportation in advance, as there are no taxis at Beit Guvrin.  Have the driver wait with you at the gas station while you are checked in and then follow our staff car into the National Park.  The driver who picks you up at the end of the activity (three hours later) must pick you up at the same place in the Park and not at the gas station.

Mini Israel

1-700-559-559

Visit all of Israel in 1 hour. Come to the Mini Israel attraction park to see miniature displays of your favorite cities and places in Israel. Electric mini karts are available for rental. Keep in mind that Mini Israel can be very hot. Although there is some shade, consider bringing an umbrella or renting a covered kart. During holiday times they have additional attractions like jumpy castles, ride on toys etc.

Opening Hours:
July-August
Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 10:00am-10:00pm
Friday 10:00am-2:00pm

September-October
Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 10:00am-7:00pm
Friday 10:00am-2:00pm
Closed Saturday

November-March
Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 10:00am-6:00pm
Friday 10:00am-2:00pm
Closed Saturday

April
Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 10:00am-7:00pm
Friday 10:00am-2:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-9:00pm

May-June
Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 10:00am-8:00pm
Friday 10:00am-2:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-9:00pm

Ticket Prices:
Adult 69 NIS
Child (5+), Senior Citizen, Soldier 59 NIS
Child (2-5yrs old) 15 NIS
Individual Audio guide + The site Catalog 25 NIS

How To Get To Mini Israel…
By Car:Take Route 1 towards Tel Aviv and exit at Latrun. At the traffic light turn right and Mini Israel will be on your left. It is a 30 minute trip from Jerusalem.

Gush Etzion Foundation

02-941-0124

Nestled in the Judean Hills bordering the Judean desert, the Gush is only a 15 minute drive from Jerusalem. The Gush has a variety of tourist attractions for families. The Gush has a variety of festivals throughout the year for families to enjoy including the Cherry Picking Festival and the Path of the Patriarchs on Pesach.

Attractions: Call 02-941-0124 for Reservations
Elazar Experience Center: Petting zoo with entry into the cages for feeding (Elazar)

Deer-land:A large wildlife park. Visitors can circulate among the animals. Two ziplines (the longest in Israel), suspended obstacle course (Kfar Etzion)

Moshe’s Farm: Pony rides (Efrat)

Gush Etzion Wineries:Tour of the winery and tasting (Gush Etzion Junction)

Sound and Light Show:Recounting the fall of Gush Etzion prior to the establishment of the State of Israel. Ages 8+ (Gush Etzion Junction)

Biyar Aqueduct (the Shaft Riverbed): An underground tour of the aqueduct (Efrat)

Gush Etzion Farm: Horseback Riding Tours

Lior Jeeps: Jeep Tours

Caliber Three: Combat training and sports shooting (Industrial Park) 
Hiking:
Gush Etzion’s Springs – A short walk to one of Gush Etzion’s five springs and bathing in one of them.

Shopping:
Teva Naot Factory Store:shoes discounted all year round for the whole family, luggage and clothing (Kfar Etzion)

Food:
Chifon Bakery: Neve Daniel

Gavna: Dairy Restaurant, Old Massuot Yizhak

Gush Winery: Lovely Dairy Restaurant

Eretz Breishit: Genesis Land

02-997-4477

Enjoy an ancient experience at Eretz Breishit when you are greeted by Eliezer and brought into the tent of Avraham. Be a part of the Biblical story when you ride a camel to the tent and partake in some light refreshments from the couple known for their hospitality. Meet Joseph and his brothers, Issac and Rivka. Eretz Breishit is a 20 minute drive outside of Jerusalem near Maale Adumim. There is an option to stay overnight if reserved in advance.

Advanced Booking is Required

Opening Hours: During daylight. Reservations are required
Closed on Saturday

Ticket Prices: $20

Activities and Creative workshops: 
Parchment Writing: Write a letter in ancient Hebrew script on parchment using a quill and ink. 

Pita Baking: Make your own pittas and bake them in a fire. 

Mosaics:  Create a picture from colored mosaic stones. 

Pottery:  Mold clay to create beautiful dishes and jugs. 

Pottery Restoration: Reconstruct a piece of pottery from its shards. 

Hafla:  Ancient meals in the tent. 

“With Timbrel and Dance”: Watch the sun set over the Judean Desert accompanied by the music of drummers’ hands. 

Camel Rides:  Camel trekking from Genesis Land along the ridge above the spectacular riverbed of Wadi Kelt. 

Jeep Rides:  Thrilling jeep rides across the endless desert landscape.  

En Mabua:  An oasis, a peaceful place with cool refreshing spring and explanations, a short tour and herbal tea. 

Eretz Breishit is handicap accessible.

How To Get to Eretz Breishit…
By Car: Call for directions

Top Thirteen Places for Teens to Volunteer in Jerusalem this Summer: By a&a

Shalva

6 Ibn Denan st.
02-651-9555
info@shalva.org

Shalva provides services to more than 500 participants with special needs, including infants, children, adolescents and young adults via a plethora of tailored programs and round-the-clock therapies, seven days a week. Shalva accompanies the child and his/her family from birth to adulthood. Individual programs are designed so that each participant reaches his/her full potential. By placing an emphasis on social interaction, the special needs child can better integrate into the community.

יד אליעזר  Yad Eliezer

Polansky14,Jerusalem.
02-581-3370
 
This organization helps families and individuals suffering from financial hardship, by providing material assistance in the form of loans, grants, counseling and monthly distribution of the basic food items.

חזון ישעיה  Hazon Yeshaya

Rashi 60,Jerusalem
02-538-1411
Sunday to Thursday 8:30am-13:30pm
volunteers@hazonyeshaya.org

Hazon Yeshaya is a leading humanitarian organization that is fighting poverty and hunger by encouraging and supporting Hazon Yeshaya Soup Kitchens in Israel. Hazon yeshaya is an organization dedicated to providing daily, hot, nourishing meals to people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds, immigrants and locals, healthy and ill, as well as children from broken or abusive homes, battered women fleeing abusive relationships, Holocaust survivors, and victims of terror and their families. The volunteers cook, peel, bake and set the tables and also serve the food.

מאיר פנים    Meir Panim  

Yirmiyahu 78, Jerusalem
02-501-1444
office@mifalchaim.org

Meir Panim’s food and social service programs help to alleviate the harmful realities of poverty in the short-term and provide long-term, proactive solutions to assist needy Israelis to break out of the cycle of poverty and become active, self-sufficient members of Israeli society.

שכן טוב  Shachen Tov(“The good neighbor association”)

shachentov.org@yahoo.com
052-5389991

The “Good Neighbor Association” provides food to approximately 1000 families around the country. Each week, the volunteers collect closed food packages from grocery stores and schools, and bring it to a distribution center. The volunteers then organize the food in boxes and drive them to the families’ houses. Coffee shops “on wheels”. The “Good Neighbor Association” operates coffee shops for those who are unable to leave their home by themselves, and for those who are unable to leave the institution which they reside in.

The volunteers come to these locations and operate a coffee shop for the benefit of the tenants in the home. The volunteers function as waiters and serve hot/cold beverages and pastry, which a local coffee shop donates each week. Usually, some sort of social activity is integrated into the coffee shop, such as singing, games, or arts and crafts. The coffee shops are located in Jerusalem, Beit She’an and Be’er Sheva.

Coffee Shop for youth at risk: The “Good Neighbor Association” operates a regular coffee shop in Jerusalem’s in a neighborhood which is mainly populated by lower-income families and by immigrants from Ethiopia, and the Former Soviet Union. The coffee shop provides food and hot/cold beverages at low prices and the volunteers, function as waiters. The volunteers serve as a sympathetic ear for the youth. The goal of this activity is to provide the teenagers in this neighborhood with a friendly, safe and affordable place to relax, to mediate between the teenagers and social services workers and to take them off of the street and keep them out of trouble.

 

יד שרה   Yad Sarah

Department of Volunteer Coordination at 02-644-4411 (Fax 02-644-4496).
volunteering@yadsarah.org.il
Arnonam@yadsarah.org.il

Yad Sarah gives its volunteers ongoing training, guidance and a feeling of belonging to one big, warm family. There are also special social and cultural activities for volunteers. Thousands of people find challenge, satisfaction and pleasure in volunteering at Yad Sarah. If you want to volunteer: Walk into the Yad Sarah branch nearest your home, or call.

Tourists who want to volunteer:
If you are here for an extended period and would like to volunteer, Call Yad Sarah and talk about the possibilities. Be aware that the minimal commitment required for overseas volunteers is three months, elementary Hebrew skills are essential, and that Yad Sarah does not provide accommodation.

 

איל”ן  ILAN

מרכז איל”ן ILAN Center:
רח’ י.ל. גורדון 9 תל-אביב 63458
03-5248141 
ilan@ilan-israel.co.il

ILAN, Israel’s Foundation for the Handicapped, cares for thousands of physically impaired adults and children suffering from diseases that affect the muscles and nerves such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular diseases. ILAN enables those it cares for to enjoy cultural activities, such as wheelchair dance, ‘youth encounters’, and theatre.  Focusing on providing solutions for those special needs which are not catered for by the official authorities, ILAN arranges grants to the disabled and their families for the purchase of essential rehabilitative and educational equipment. To volunteer for ILAN, apply to ILAN Center and you will be directed to the branch or area of activity in your own community that is most suited to you.

 

Kav Lachayim

15 Gonen St. Petach tikva.
03-9250500

“Kav Lachayim” was established in 1989 and persists ever since in assisting disabled children who suffer cancer, muscular dystrophy, cerebral paralysis, and other chronic diseases. Thousands of members and volunteers of this organization are involved in improving the social quality of life of the sick children and their families, trying to respond to a variety of special needs. “Kav Lachayim’s” motto is “A slight smile of happiness will conquer a huge disease”.”kav Lachayim” activates thousands of healthy young people volunteering with sick people of similar ages, developing social responsibility among young people and fortifying Israel’s social strength.

Amit

15 Yad Harutzim,Jerusalem
02-673-8360
joffice@amit.org.il

AMIT enables Israel’s youth to realize their potential and strengthens Israeli society by educating and nurturing children from diverse backgrounds within a framework of academic excellence, religious values and Zionist ideals. Founded in 1925, AMIT operates more than 70 schools, youth villages, surrogate family residences and other programs, constituting Israel’s only government-recognized network of religious Jewish education incorporating academic and technological studies.

משפחה אחת One Family

28 Rachel Imenu, Jerusalem
02-539-9000
info@onefamilyfund.org
OneFamily collects not only money, but all human resources – bringing together people who have suffered through terror attacks, along with caring people who thankfully haven’t. Onefamily connects people in Israel with people in almost every country around the world. Onefamily responds just as any loving family member should.

Ezrat Avot

7 Tarmab Street

Tamara: 052-479-9839

Ezrat Avot is looking for volunteers on most afternoons throughout the summer from approx. 2:30-4:30pm to help package hot meals for our Senior-to-Senior program. The meals are delivered for free to sick, homebound, and financially strained elderly throughout Jerusalem. Please call Tamara: 052-479-9839 or e-mail: tamara@ezratavot.org if you can help.

 

Yad LaKashish

Located behind Safra Square (14 Shivtei Yisrael St.)

(02) 628-7829

Yad LaKashish is a non-profit organization that provides creative work opportunities and support services to over 300 needy elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents. VOLUNTEER IN OUR CARPENTRY WORKSHOP where you will have the opportunity to use your woodworking skills and be a part of Yad LaKashish’s tzedakah and chesed activities. Come in one day a week or every day! Sunday-Thursday, 8:30 am-12 pm. For more information, please contact Elana: (02) 628-7829 or lifeline@netvision.net.il

 

Melabev

Plugat Hatankim 4, Jerusalem

Volunteer Coordinator: Naomi Edelman: 052-7203039

melabev1@gmail.com
Melabev provides day care and home care for elders in Jerusalem ( and Beit Shemesh) who have some form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. In one of Melabev’s 9 day care centers volunteers of all ages can socialize with the elders and help out during some of the specialized activities such as art therapy,dance therapy, pet therapy, gardening therapy, or computer therapy. They can also come to share a specific talent of theirs such as playing an instrument. Melabev runs groups in English, Hebrew or Russian. It’s a great place to practice Hebrew by talking to the elders. At Melabev we concentrate on what the elders are able to do and try to give them a fun, exciting , meaningful day. Giving them an opportunity to share their lives with others such as teenagers letting them teach about history of this country helps give meaning to their lives.