Birthright Israel Study Abroad: Science & Technology
Sample Itinerary

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Thursday, December 28
  • Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport: Welcome to Israel!
  • Pick up pre-ordered cell phones and change money.
  • Drive north to Jerusalem and check into the hotel, followed by free time and dinner.
  • Welcome to Israel: Orientation, security briefing, and ice breakers.
Overnight: Jerusalem
 
Friday, December 29
  • Drive to the Haas Promenade and stop for an overview of Jerusalem and a Shehechiyanu Celebration.
  • Machine Learning 1 – Hebrew University, Givat Ram Campus
  • Intro to Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
  • Intro to Deep Learning and applying computer vision and artificial Intelligence for the new generation of robotic surgeries.
  • Stroll through the Machane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem’s legendary open-air market, as residents prepare for Shabbat, with lunch on own.
  • Return to the hotel and prepare for Shabbat.
  • Festive Shabbat Dinner at the hotel.
  • Oneg Shabbat with stories, singing and food.
Overnight: Jerusalem
 
Shabbat, December 30
  • Shabbat morning programs.
  • Festive Shabbat Lunch
  • Hillel Conversation
  • Shabbat Menucha (rest).
  • Havdallah: Bein Kodesh Le Hol – A Transition: From Shabbat to the regular week.
  • Living Jewish, with Avraham Infeld, President Emeritus of Hillel International.
  • Free time in downtown Jerusalem at the Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall, with dinner on own.
Overnight: Jerusalem
 
Sunday, December 31
  • Machine Learning 2 – Hebrew University, Givat Ram Campus
  • Intro to Computer vision, 3D Cameras and Computer Vision
  • Technology Presentation by Intel
  • Guided visit through the Old City of Jerusalem, exploring the 3000 years of history hidden in stories behind the stones.
  • Tour at the Center for Bioengineering, Nanoscience Center and the 3D printing Center.
  • Israel Update - an update on currents in Israeli society, from geopolitics to daily life.
Overnight: Jerusalem
 
Monday, January 1
  • Machine Learning 3 – Hebrew University, Givat Ram Campus
  • Autonomous Driving, The Future of Virtual Reality - From New Worlds To Emphatic Machines.
  • Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence.
  • Visit Orcam, one of the leaders in the field of advanced, wearable artificial vision.
  • Visit Mobileye, developer of vision-based advanced driver-assistance systems providing warnings for collision prevention and mitigation.
Overnight: Tel Aviv 
 
Tuesday, January 2
  • Big Data 1 – Tel Aviv
  •  Intro to Data Science
  • New frontiers in economic growth - emerging markets and virtual currency.
  • Visit Nachalat Binyamin, a unique arts and crafts fair in the center of Tel Aviv, with lunch on own.
  • Visit the R&D Center of Autodesk, maker of software for hi-tech products.
  • Learn about the challenges and triumphs of the startup scene in Israel at the Taglit Innovation Center.
  • Visit Independence Hall, originally one of the first homes built in Tel Aviv, which later became the Tel Aviv Museum, where the state of Israel was declared in May 1948.
  • Night out in Tel Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
 
Wednesday, January 3
  • Big Data 2 – Tel Aviv
  • Industry 4.0 - How Predictive Analytics Is Changing Industries.
  • Implementations of Big Data technologies in Cyber Security and Future Challenges in Big Data.
  • Guided walk through Tel Aviv exploring the old and new, and what makes Tel Aviv what it is today. Possible visits include Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard and the Sarona.
  • Visit Evogene, a plant genomics company that utilizes a proprietary integrated technology infrastructure, to enhance seed traits underlying crop productivity.
  • Visit Stratasys, a manufacturer of 3D printers and 3D production systems.
Overnight: Jerusalem
 
Thursday, January 4
  • Bio-Engineering 1- Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem
  • Future directions for bioengineering - from brain sciences to bionic tissues and artificial meat.
  • The new industrial revolution: from computer-aided design to 3D printing.
  • Visit the Yad Vashem memorial complex, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Shoa (Holocaust), including the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations, the Historical Museum and the Children’s Memorial.
  • Experience traditional Bedouin Hospitality and a traditional Hafla Feast at the Kfar Hanokdim Encampment.
Overnight: Kfar Hanokdim, Negev

Friday, January 5
  • Ride camels and then ascend Masada via the Roman Ramp for a guided visit and dialogue about the significance of the Masada story in contemporary Israeli society.
  • Float in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea.
  • Festive Shabbat Dinner at the hotel.
  • Oneg Shabbat with stories, singing and food…
Overnight: Dead Sea Area
 
Shabbat, January 6
  • Shabbat morning programs.
  • Festive Shabbat Lunch
  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony
  • Shabbat Menucha (rest).
  • Havdallah: Bein Kodesh Le Hol – A Transition: From Shabbat to the regular week.
  • Drive to Jerusalem for a night out in the Machane Yehuda Market.
Overnight: Dead Sea Area
 
Sunday, January 7
  • Bio-Engineering 2 - Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem
    • Liver on chip technologies.
    • Stem cells research. 
  • Innovation in Hospitals, From Biological to Computer Vision.
  • Mount Herzl: Visit Israel’s national cemetery where the leaders of the nation are buried, alongside fallen soldiers from all of Israel's wars.
Overnight: Jerusalem

Monday, January 8
  • Bio-Engineering 3 – Hebrew University, Givat Ram Campus
  • Nature inspired engineering: from architecture to flying robots.
  • Genetic Engineering - Technology and Ethics.
  • Visit Cyberspark, Deutsche Telekom Innovation Laboratories, JVP Cyber Labs and Incubit.
Overnight: Jerusalem
 
Tuesday, January 9
  • Breakfast and checkout of the hotel.
  • Drive to Ben Gurion Airport and depart back to NYC.

Learn more about the trip here!
For more information, please contact Ilana Ellison, iellison@hillel.org or 202.449.6573.