A tour of Tel Aviv and Independence Trail following the stories of the establishment of the first Hebrew city in light of Herzl's vision, weaving together the dilemmas of Zionism in its early years with contemporary dilemmas.

Objectives:

• Vision – Participants will learn about Herzl's social vision and the city of Tel Aviv, whose establishment was a far-reaching and bold attempt to realize that vision. Participants will discuss the relevance of the Zionist vision to our times and will be able to experience the center of Israeli society.
• Reality – Familiarization and learning about trends that challenge social cohesion today and exploring ways to strengthen it.
• We, the participants, will examine the extent to which these trends affect us and our unit, and will explore ways of dealing with this situation through our professional, educational, and value-based worlds. Participants will deepen their awareness that they play important roles that affect Israeli society as a whole, and that their actions can contribute to social cohesion.

Optional stops on the tour:

• Herzl Street and the "My Beloved Tel Aviv" mosaic: Start of the tour, introduction to Herzl's Zionist vision.
• Beit Akiva Aryeh Weiss: Learn about the history of Tel Aviv's founding and its early days, and how it relates to Herzl's vision.
• Shalom Tower – Tel Aviv Exhibition in Awareness: A discussion on the role of the younger generation in shaping society through Bialik's story "The Trial of Youth.".
• The Great Synagogue / Ohel Moed Synagogue: Stories of the establishment of the first synagogues in the city, different approaches to coexistence in a multicultural society, and a discussion on ways of dealing with this challenge today.
• The Defense Museum: Familiarization with the founding principles of the establishment of the defense organization, foremost among them general voluntary recruitment, service to the people and its institutions, and a discussion of the people's army today in light of this vision.
• Founders Square: Tel Aviv and the Zionist idea as a joint creation of the Jewish people across the Diaspora, a discussion about the ability of different people to weave a vision together.
• Nahum Gutman's mosaic "Little Tel Aviv": The history of Tel Aviv.
• 46 Rothschild Boulevard: The splendor and wealth of Tel Aviv then and now, a discussion of economic disparities and the dilemmas of preservation and renewal.
• The first kiosk: The debate about the character of the young city and its culture.
• The One People School: The place of education in Herzl's vision and in the early days of Tel Aviv, with an emphasis on education as a creator of shared identity. Discussion of education in the IDF in this context.
• Dizengoff Statue (near Independence Hall): Declaration of the State and the Declaration of Independence.