AJMA Ilene Serlin ז”ל Trauma Mission to Israel

• Depart US for Israel.

The first day’s itinerary is subject to change depending on the flight arrival.

• Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport, with VIP assistance by a Makor Educational Journeys representative.
• Drive to Jerusalem.
• Check in to the hotel.
• Opening dinner with Danny Brom, founding director of the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psycho-Trauma of Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem. Welcome remarks and musical opening.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with Karin Eliyahu Perry, and a round table of professionals for a briefing on Israel’s psychological warfare.
• Continue to the Ministry of Health for a conversation with Adam Cutler, deputy director of the International Affairs department, and other professionals.
• Drive to Tel HaShomer, with lunch on your own en route.
• Psychological Care in the IDF Post October 7 in the IDF central psychological treatment center, Tel Hashomer, with Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Michal Lifshitz, Head of “Ta’atzumot” (fortitude) initiative in the mental health services department of the IDF Medical Corps.
• Program with HealthIL, the leading Healthcare Innovation Ecosystem in Israel, aiming to foster technological transformation in healthcare systems in Israel and globally, facilitated by Yoav Fisher, Director of Technological Innovation.
• Return to Jerusalem.
• Dinner and evening on own.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Opening welcome by Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute.
• Israeli Society’s responses to the National Trauma of October 7, Beit Midrash Hevruta Session, with Rabbi Shoshana Cohen.
• Lunch at the Shalom Hartman Institute.
• Jewish Responses to Trauma, with Elana Stein Hain.
• This Moment in Israeli-Palestinian Relations, with Rabbi Elhanan Miller.
• Internal Processing program.
• Dinner and evening on own.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Drive to Tel Aviv and check in to the David Intercontinental Hotel
• Meet with Professor Aner Govrin of Bar Ilan University and the Tel Aviv Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis.
• Meeting with IDF Reserve Soldiers and Spouses for a conversation on the challenges of balancing army and home realities since October 7^th, in conjunction with HaOgen (the anchor) for Drafted Families with HaOgen founder, former MK Rachel Azaria.
• Visit the Nachalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Fair, with lunch on own in the Carmel Outdoor Market.
• Check in to the hotel.
• Free time to explore Tel Aviv as it winds down from the week and winds up for Shabbat/weekend.
• Shabbat home hospitality dinner, hosted by Israeli colleagues.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Optional Shabbat services.
• Free time to explore Tel Aviv: Jaffa, Bauhaus buildings, Tel Aviv beach.
• Shabbat lunch at the hotel.
• Afternoon for rest and relaxation.
• Havdallah.
• Dinner and evening together in Tel Aviv.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Depart for the Western Negev.
• Visit the town of Sderot, a symbol of Israel’s longstanding conflict with Hamas, with a short visit to the site of the demolished police station and a conversation with Ayelet Shimon, director of the new International Resilience Center.
• Visit the Animal-assisted Therapy and Resilience Center in
• Lunch in Kibbutz Alumim.
• Introduction by Jeff Saperstein with presentation by Avrom Dworsky (resident of Kibbutz Alumim) and tour of kibbutz museum.
• Stop and pay tribute at the site of the Nova Festival at Re’im Park. Introduction by Steve Stein.
• Meeting with filmmaker Philippe Bellaiche and students from the Sapir College in Sderot at the Sderot Cinemateque Film Festival.
• Drive to Moshav Emunim for dinner and a processing session at the Space
• Drive back to Tel Aviv.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• “The Gender Violence of October 7” with Ruth Halperin Kaddari, an Israeli legal scholar and international women’s rights advocate. Panel with Marilyn Safir, Janet Baumgold-Land and others.
• Round Table and discussion at the hotel with Professor Naama Atzaba-Poria, a developmental child psychologist, chair of the Israeli Association of Infant Mental Health and head of the developmental psychology track at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
• Lunch on own en route.
• Afternoon program with ICAR, a collective which brings together leading experts in medicine, psychology, public health, philanthropy, and investment, to accelerate trauma healing to safeguard the health, productivity, and security of Israel.
• Processing session.
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner and evening on own.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Drive to the Ono Academic College for a visit and panel focusing on creative methods for the treatment of trauma, with Professor Tova Hartman, Dean of Humanities at Ono Academic College and Sam Schwartz, Director of Resource Development and International Programming at Ono Academic College. Introduction by presentation by Dr. Hod Orkibi, researcher at the School of the Creative Arts Therapies at the University of Haifa.
• Lunch in the Ono Academic College.
• Drive to the Reichman University, “Terror and Trauma”, a workshop with psychologist Eleanor Pardess and Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisen.
• Discussion with introduction by Daniel Burston.
• Visit to NATAL, the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center of the Israel Trauma Coalition. Presentation by Judith Recanati, founder and CEO of NATAL.
• Visit to Hostage Square with concluding remarks.
• Festive farewell dinner in Tel Aviv with a wrap-up conversation.
• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport.

Program is subject to change, pending confirmations.