Participants should be reasonably fit. We won’t be running marathons or engaging in prolonged fitness regimens, but note that Haifa is a hilly city, and participants must be able to climb stairs. We have several short hikes planned over the course of the trip. (Keep in mind that Israel does not have the same accommodations that we are used to in the United States.)

We will be staying in The Diana Seaport Apartments, an apart-hotel. Each fully furnished room is equipped with a private bathroom, kitchenette, sleeping area, and much more. The apart-hotel is recently renovated, clean, and includes a lounge area and 24-hour concierge service.

For the two-week program, a full refund minus the deposit (15% of program cost) will be given until October 1, 2022. Due to the intimate nature of our program, no refunds will be possible after October 1, 2022.

For the 30-day program, a full refund, minus the deposit (15% of program cost) will be given until January 10, 2023. Due to the intimate nature of our program, no refunds will be possible after January 10, 2023.

If the entire program must be cancelled due to COVID-19, participants will be given a full refund.

In order to protect yourself in the event that you are personally unable to participate due to COVID-19, it is strongly recommended that you purchase travel insurance that includes coverage for COVID-19 related cancellations or expenses.

Finding North is not a tourist trip and doesn’t include visits to places like Jerusalem, Masada, Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, etc. If you are interested in these, on the two-week program, we encourage you to make time for these trips before or after Finding North.

The 30-day program includes two free Shabbatot to use any way you’d like, including visiting other parts of the country. The free Shabbatot on the 30-day program are Thursday-Sunday, February 23-26, and March 9-12. Free time begins in the late afternoon/early evening on Thursdays and the program resumes at 4:00 pm on Sundays.

Dekel Tours will be happy to help you set up tours or other leisure day activities, as well as private transportation, lodging when you’re away from Haifa, and more.

Finding North is not a traditional course of study. The sites and environs of Haifa will serve as our classroom. We may find ourselves examining Jewish texts and sharing our stories in an artist colony, rummaging through our past in a flea market, examining what we choose to display in a museum, exploring our path in a forest, even searching for new perspectives from a university rooftop tower.

Finding North is not a mission. Our days consist of immersive learning experiences in Haifa’s diverse settings, engaging with local communities, crafting stories, and enjoying meals together. Participants step out of their lives, reflect, reorient, and return with renewed energy and focus. Finding North offers a mix of vacation and reflection, study and exploration, a time out from life’s routines.

On the two-week program most meals are provided.

On the 30-day program, we will eat lunch together on programmed days and dinner together as noted and during our Shabbatot together.

Because we understand that everyone has their own particular eating styles, preferences, and habits, we have chosen to stay in apartments that have kitchenettes, so participants will have the flexibility to prepare what they like. (And it’s fun to go grocery shopping while living abroad!) The apartments are equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, an electric burner, and basic kitchen equipment.

Options for dining out in the neighborhood and around Haifa are plentiful.

Average daytime temperatures in Haifa during October/November are in the 60s and 70s, and it typically dips into the 50s at night. Sporadic rain and brief hot spells aren’t unheard of.

Average daytime temperatures in Haifa during February/March are in the 50s and 60s and it can dip into the 40s at night. Sporadic rain and brief hot spells aren’t unheard of.