Celebrate 2002 in Israel with Jewish National Fund's CAARI (Canadian - American Active Retirees in Israel) Program

Jewish National Fund
Monday, 4 June 2001

June 4, 2001 – New York, NY – CAARI (Canadian-American Active Retirees in Israel), a Jewish National Fund program to visit Israel designed especially for seniors aged fifty and over, has an extraordinary itinerary planned for 2002. The program offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to tour the country, attend social and cultural events, participate in gratifying work alongside Israelis and explore parts of Israel "off the beaten path". This year's trip, A Mosaic of Israel, will embark on January 22, 2002, and return on March 13, 2002. There will also be a two-week "pre-program" called Wonders of the Negev, which will take place from January 8 to January 22. Two- and four-week versions of the Mosaic of Israel program are also being offered.

Last year's CAARI program was enjoyed by over 50 seniors from across the United States and neighboring Canada. The program has been sending participants to Israel for over 17 years, offering an affordable and alternative winter vacation for seniors who are looking for an active way to enjoy their retirement. Many participants enjoy their experience so much that they return year after year. "A piece of my heart stays in Israel each time I visit (13 times)," says Leah Weinkselbaum of Forest Hills, New York. Sheila Fedder of Toronto, Ontario adds, "We [she and her husband] have already joined the CAARI group three times and this winter hope to make it a fourth. We had such a wonderful time, met so many interesting people, saw so much of Israel - places that I think even the Israelis don't know about - and the work with Israelis was so fulfilling."

This year's CAARI trip promises to be just as rewarding for participants, with tours of ancient and modern Israel, relaxing visits to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and the chance to get actively involved with life in Israel by tending to trees in JNF's many forests and volunteering at various JNF sites.

CAARI participants are also given the opportunity to take part in cultural activities, and are given access to sites and experiences that are not normally available to tourists, like helping to open a cave that had remained closed for almost two thousand years. As Jewish National Fund prepares to celebrate its 100th Anniversary as caretaker of the land of Israel, the organization is able to offer a unique perspective on Israel's natural resources and raw beauty that is unique to CAARI and other JNF-organized tours.

The CAARI program attracts a number of seniors each year. Although this is not the only program offered to seniors as an organized trip to Israel, CAARI is set apart from the others by its emphasis on traveling to different areas of Israel as well as in its hands-on approach. For CAARI participants like the late Miriam Baum, a 94 year-old woman from Toronto and a Holocaust survivor who participated in four CAARI trips, working with the group and caring for the land of Israel had a great deal of meaning, providing her with a sense of family and community, as well as a chance to have a real impact on her homeland through volunteering in a way she never could have on a traditional Israel tour.

"Whether it's by teaching English to young children, helping the disadvantaged in hospitals or other community facilities or learning about the environment and the development of JNF's water reservoirs and dams, retirees are happy to give and help preserve their homeland," says JNF Executive Vice President Russell F. Robinson. "And their contributions to JNF's work in Israel are invaluable."

The CAARI program offers an in-depth view of Israel by providing CAARI attendees with the opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture, connect with Israel's vibrant people and visit sights of profound significance to the Jewish community. The program cost includes hotels, meals, tips, airport transfers in Israel, medical insurance, touring, coach transportation, guides, entrance fees to sites and much more. Costs range from $2,200 for a two-week program to $5,425 for an eight-week program. For more information about the CAARI program or to receive a video with live coverage of past trips, please call 888-563-0033 x284.

For more information, or to contact Jewish National Fund, see their website at: www.jnf.org