GREATER NAPLES CULTURAL MISSION TO POLAND & ISRAEL
The Jewish Federation of Greater Naples is proud to offer an exclusive community mission to Poland & Prague with an optional connection to Israel
This is your opportunity to travel beyond the ordinary – to experience our heritage and culture with all your senses. Whether you're drawn to Jewish culture/culinary delights, seek to better understand the arc of our history, or feel called to tap into Israel's remarkable resilience during a pivotal moment, our trip offers something profound. Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of Jewish renewal in both Europe and Israel.
PROGRAM DATES
JUNE 22-JUNE 29, 2026 | Europe Only
JUNE 22-JULY 5, 2026 | Europe + Israel
JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2026 | Israel Only
For registration and travel questions, contact register@authenticisrael.net. For other questions, contact Jaime Cohen, Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, Executive Assistant & Board Liaison (direct line: 239-449-8379)
REMEMBRANCE IN POLAND
Journey to the heart of Jewish Europe as we explore the rich tapestry of Poland's Jewish heritage from Warsaw to Krakow and on to Prague. We'll trace the arc of Jewish life, from flourishing pre-war centers of scholarship, creativity, and commerce, through the devastation of the Holocaust, to today's remarkable renaissance. From magnificent synagogues and museums to contemporary cultural centers, we'll discover how European Jewry is reclaiming its legacy and building a dynamic future rooted in tradition and innovation.
RENEWAL IN ISRAEL
Continue your journey to Israel at a pivotal moment. Following the return of October 7th hostages, Israel has begun to rebuild and renew. Together, we will tap into the Jewish Homeland's resilience firsthand. We'll immerse ourselves in Israel's vibrant cultural scene and sample its mouth-watering culinary delicacies. We'll volunteer where it's needed most and connect with diverse Israeli communities. Finally, we'll spend a deeply moving Shabbat together in the mystical city of Tzfat. More than a mission, this is an opportunity to stand with Israel during a defining chapter and to witness how a people transform adversity into artistry, trauma into triumph.
AN ACTIVE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
Travelers should be comfortable walking several miles throughout the day, often over uneven surfaces, cobblestones, and stairs. While we strive to accommodate individual needs, rest stops may be limited. Please consider your physical fitness and stamina when deciding if this mission is right for you. For questions, please contact the Jewish Federation.
PROGRAM ITINERARY
Explore our projected itinerary, subject to reasonable change based on local considerations
PART I | REMEMBRANCE & RENEWAL IN EUROPE
Monday, June 22, 2026
- Arrive in Warsaw on a self-booked flight before noon
A designated community flight will be recommended. Hotel extension options will be offered for those arriving on June 21 - Meet up with our program staff team for a group orientation at the hotel
- Explore the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery – one of the biggest Jewish cemeteries in the world –and be inspired by the life stories of Jewish leaders from preceding generations
- Uprising! – Explore the Warsaw Ghetto remains and learn about the famous Jewish communal revolt along the Route of Heroes and the Rappaport Memorial
- Umschlagplatz – Gathering place before transfer to Treblinka Death Camp
- Evening: Welcome dinner and meet with a Jewish communal leader
OVERNIGHT: The Westin, Warsaw (or similar)
Meals Included: Dinner
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
- Morning: Encounter with the contemporary Jewish community of Warsaw – tap into the renaissance of Jewish life in Poland
- This afternoon we, travel to Tykocin – an example of a Jewish community that lived in a shtetl – followed by a visit to the Lopuchowo Forest where most of the town’s Jews were murdered
- This afternoon, we travel north for a solemn visit to the stark Treblinka Death Camp
- Return to Warsaw and enjoy a free evening and dinner on your own in Old Town Warsaw
OVERNIGHT: The Westin, Warsaw (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast & Boxed Lunch
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
- Depart Warsaw and head south to Krakow
- Break along the way in Kielce and Nowy Korczyn – Visit a synagogue where only the walls remain
- Afternoon: Walking tour to Kazmierz – Krakow's historic Jewish Quarter, where we honor the proud legacy of Polish Jewry dating back to the 14th century – including stops at the Remu Synagogue, the Tempel Synagogue, old Jewish cemetery, and Jozefa Street
- Evening: Dinner is included at a local restaurant
OVERNIGHT: Qubus Hotel, Krakow (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Arrive at the grounds of Auschwitz II-Birkenau where the full horror of the extermination of 1.5 million Jewish People is palpable
- Continue to Auschwitz I, where we will tour the watchtowers, fences, cell blocks, wall of death, crematoria, and Arbeit Macht Frei Gate
- Close out the day visiting the surviving synagogue of Oswiecim, located just minutes from Auschwitz, to honor what was lost and to process the experience together
- Return to Krakow – Dinner on own followed by a group night out at Old Town Market Square – the biggest Medieval plaza in Europe – and view Wawel Castle
OVERNIGHT: Qubus Hotel, Krakow (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast & Boxed Lunch
Friday, June 26, 2026
OPTION #1: Ride for the Living – Ride, Run, or Walk! [separate enrollment]
OPTION #2: Tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Wieliczka Salt Mine
Evening: Reunite as a group for Shabbat dinner at the Krakow JCC, now the center of Jewish life in Krakow, where we'll meet with Executive Director, Jonathan Ornstein
OVERNIGHT: Qubus Hotel, Krakow (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Saturday, June 27, 2026
- Free morning to rest or explore Krakow on your own
- Trace the Holocaust's history at the Krakow Ghetto, view the Oscar Schindler Factory, and visit the former grounds of the Plaszow forced labor camp
- Evening: Group dinner and cultural experience in Krakow (TBD)
OVERNIGHT: Qubus Hotel, Krakow (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Sunday, June 28, 2026
- Depart for Prague, stopping in the Czech town of Brno along the way for lunch on own
- Afternoon: Explore the impeccably preserved Prague Jewish Quarter and Old Town
- Evening: Attend a classical music performance at the Spanish Synagogue
- Dinner is included at a restaurant in Prague’s Old Town
OVERNIGHT: Hilton Hotel Old Town, Prague (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Monday, June 29, 2026
- OPTION #1: Board a non-stop EL AL flight from Prague to Tel Aviv (see Part II)
Projected group flight for those continuining to Israel departs Prague at 11:00am - OPTION #2: Arrange your own onward travel home or destinations beyond
Meals Included: Breakfast
PART II | CELEBRATING THE JEWISH HOMELAND
Monday, June 29, 2026
- Arrive to Tel Aviv as 3:45pm (projected)
- Welcome to Israel – Ascend to Jerusalem and proceed to the Old City for an emotional welcome ceremony at the Kotel
- Celebrate our arrival in Jerusalem over a memorable dinner at the historic Between the Arches restaurant in the Jewish Quarter
- Check in to our hotel at the base of Ben Yehuda Street Pedestrian Mall
OVERNIGHT: Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
- Morning: Visit to the groundbreaking Yad L’Kashish – Lifeline for the Elderly Center
- Volunteer cooking project in support of IDF soldiers
- Afternoon: Guided tour and sampling menu at Mahane Yehuda open-air marketplace
- Explore literary treasures of the Jewish People at the newly established National Library of Israel
- Evening: Group night out and dinner on your own at the Jerusalem First Station Market and attend a local theater or musical performance (TBD)
OVERNIGHT: Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- Depart Jerusalem and travel to the Gaza Envelope region
- Visit Moshav Netiv HaAsara – Meet with a member of the community and learned about how this peace-loving town was ransacked on October 7th
- Continue to Sderot – View of the Gaza frontier and visit the destroyed police station
A cultural lunch experience is included in Sderot - Pay respects to the many young people who were lost at the Nova Festival Memorial
- Travel to Tel Aviv – Check-in and processing session at our hotel along the coast
OVERNIGHT: Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Thursday, July 2, 2026
- Morning Options:
- Port-to-port bike tour from Jaffa Port to the Tel Aviv Port (round-trip)
- Spend the morning in Jaffa: Explore the Ilana Goor Museum and share traditional Arabic coffee with Doris Hifawi
- Explore the Jaffa Flea Market and grab lunch on your own in the old city of Jaffa
- Discover the complexity of Hebrew graffiti art on a walking tour of Tel Aviv’s Florentine
- Visit ANU – the Museum of the Jewish People – on the campus of Tel Aviv University
- Evening: Enjoy a gourmet meal in the dark with new senses at Blackout, followed by a theater performance at Nalagaat, a groundbreaking cultural center for the deaf and blind artists
OVERNIGHT: Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Friday, July 3, 2026
- Depart Tel Aviv and head north for the Galilee
- Arrive to Tsfat – Explore the historic center of Jewish mysticism in the Galilee hills
- Meet a local artist and learn how principles of Jewish mysticism are incorporated into the local art scene
- Bake Challah for Shabbat in the 16th Century Beit HaKahal site at Livnot U’Lhibanot
- Check in to our hotel and prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime Shabbat in Tsfat
- Evening: Experiende an authentic Kabbalat Shabbat service in Tsfat and dinner at the hotel
OVERNIGHT: Ruth Hotel, Tsfat
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Saturday, July 4, 2026
- This morning is a relaxed day to attend local services or explore Tsfat on your own
- Afternoon: Walking tour of Tsfat, including a visit to the Tsfat Citadel
- Evening: Attend a traditional klezmer concert in Tsfat
OVERNIGHT: Ruth Hotel, Tsfat
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Sunday, July 5, 2026
- Depart Tsfat and head toward the Mediterranean Coast
- Break in Haifa for a tour of the Bahai Temple & Gardens
- Travel through the Carmel Mountains, stopping in the historic early Zionism town of Zichron Yaakov for lunch on your own and a tasting & tour at Tishbi Winery
- Visit to the Neve Michael Children's Village
- Our journey concludes at Caesarea Port for a closing dinner at Aresto Restaurant
- Evening: Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to board overnight flights home or onto Tel Aviv for those extending
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Airport transfers for those traveling on the recommended flight and other similar-timed flights
- A Jewish educational guide accompanies the group throughout
- A local tour manager and an armed security escort accompany the group in Poland
- Guide is armed in Israel
- Centrally located modern hotels
- Meals as noted in the itinerary
Included meals are kosher or kosher style - Luxury private touring bus with A/C
- All programming costs per the itinerary
- Remote audio headsets
NOT INCLUDED
- International flights
An optional group flight from Prague to Tel Aviv is available for those continuing to Israel - Travel Insurance
Protect your investment and plan ahead for the unexpected with a travel protection plan - Medical insurance
- Staff gratuities
- Hotel incidentals
ARRANGING TRAVEL
Travelers arrange their own trans-Atlantic incoming and outgoing flights. Recommended flights are designated for travelers wishing to travel to and from Europe together. These flights are recommended based on the availability of connecting flights from many North American airports. Complimentary airport transfers are provided for travelers flying on the recommended flights or similarly timed flights.
NOTE: Travelers wishing to arrive early can be accommodated at our hotel based on the group hotel rate and according to availability.
DATES & COSTS*
Program costs reflect the actual travel expenses and are paid exclusively to Authentic Israel, the tour operator.
*Eligible travelers commit to a minimum $1,000 contribution to the 2025-26 Jewish Federation of Greater Naples Annual Campaign
ENROLLMENT TERMS
Sign up for the Greater Naples Mission using this Registration Form
- To reserve your spot, a $500/person fully refundable deposit is due at the time of your registration (all program costs are listed in US Dollars)
- The deposit becomes non-refundable as of January 15, 2026
- The balance is due April 1, 2026, after which all payments are non-refundable, and exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis at Authentic Israel's discretion
- Full payment for the optional group flight from Prague to Tel Aviv is due in full as of March 1, 2026, after which it is non-refundable
- The main program is subject to a minimum participation of 20 travelers registered by January 16, 2026. We encourage travelers not to purchase non-refundable flights until the program is fully confirmed.
- Cancellations must be made in writing, and we encourage you to obtain a travel insurance policy
- Payments may be made by check or credit/debit card, however, a 3.50% processing fee applies for credit/debit card payments (does not apply to the initial $250 deposit). Note: credit card fees are not refundable
- Authentic Israel reserves the right to deny acceptance on the tour according to their sole discretion
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