Encounters on the Israel Trail

This year's theme is: How do we know if there’s hope? We’ll know when we get there!

This year the journey will serve as a beacon of hope and healing to the many communities that were evacuated from their homes when war broke out. 

We will march with the men and women of evacuated kibbutzim, moshavim, and cities, together with anyone who wants to participate, in memory of the fallen, and the murdered, for our communities, for the hostages, and for our future. 

At the heart of this year’s program will be how to rebuild an Israeli society that will be worthy of the ethical legacies that fallen soldiers left us, and that the victims of October 7th would have wished to see in their beloved Israel.

Encounters on the Israel Trail was established in 2002 by Raya Effner in memory of her son, Staff Sergeant Avi Effner, and 72 of his comrades, who died in the helicopter crash disaster of 1997. The project has since expanded to commemorate all our fallen IDF heroes. Every year, hundreds of hikers, bereaved families, youth movements, pre-army programs, and the wider public participate in the experience of a lifetime. 

In 2022, the Effner family chose the Hannaton Educational Center to expand the program, deepen its impact on Israeli society, and ensure the fulfillment of their original vision.

Additional Information:

• Encounters on the Israel Trail lasts ~60 days from February to April. Participants can sign up for the entire event or for program sections (register here).
• Encounters has a wraparound logistical framework so participation incurs a nominal fee.
• Encounters has an annual theme and incorporates a structured program of daily study, and meeting academics, educators, rabbis, public figures, activists, and public figures.
• Encounters includes landmarks off the beaten track and Jewish holidays and Shabbat are considered. 
• Encounters dedicates days to volunteering with special needs populations.

 

The 2024 Encounters on the Israel Trail will take place despite the security situation in line with all Home Front Command directives. Outdoor sleeping will not be an option this year. There will be alternatives available in communities or at KKL-JNF camp sites. All 2024 routes have been adapted to use safe areas.

A Day on the Encounters on the Israel Trail

• Morning ceremony: Each day begins with a brief introduction to those who are joining for that day. We share the names of the fallen in whose memory that day’s walking is dedicated, a blessing for the day, and a brief explanation of the day’s route and theme.
• Daily study: A 45-minute break for group study using short texts related to the annual theme. These breaks are designed to facilitate dialogue between the day’s participants.
• Daily encounter: At the end of each day we meet with an individual who represents a central position or concern in Israeli society. We meet academics, educators, rabbis, journalists, artists, social activists, communities and social enterprises that have contributed to our lives since the establishment of the State of Israel.
• Landmarks: We stop at communities and landmarks to meet their people and hear their stories.
• Events: Several events are set in stone: Purim, a day in Jerusalem, Day Out Day in Yarkon Park with special needs populations, and a Kabbalat Shabbat by the Jordan river.

Procedural Information

• Departure time between 6:30-7:00. Check the Encounters website daily for precise information.
• Arrival: 16:00 (4:00 pm) – 17:00 (5:00 pm). On Fridays, we finish at least three hours before Shabbat begins.

Staff Responsibilities:

• Security guard and medic
• Returning drivers to their vehicles
• Drinking water supply
• Transporting hikers’ heavy equipment if choose to stay overnight

Participants’ Responsibilities:

• Personal insurance and registration
• Arrive at the day’s starting point on time. You can get there by car; there are arrangements to transport drivers back to their cars at the end of the day. Please use the Encounters on the Israel Trail Driving and Tremping group on Facebook to find a ride.
• Participants must wear suitable walking shoes (not Crocs or sandals!).
• Participants bring their own food and at least three liters of water for the day.

To register click here.

Endorsements for Encounters on the Israel Trail

Elisa Sabedner

This is the second year that I have participated. I am a Zionist who made aliyah from the United States five years ago. Sometimes I need these moments to remind me why I am here, and this program is one such moment. It is proof that Zionism is alive and that there are people who understand the values on which the country was founded.

Edna Bitan

We jump into discussions which seem strange and disconnected. What do I know about philosophical discussions, and with people I have never met, from ages 8 to 80, from sectors I have nothing in common with and no desire to talk to. What can I say? But how fascinating it was, it makes you think, you get to know people. It was a real harmonization of hearts. It’s not just because we talk about something; it is the process of talking when it all happens. Divisions fall, you discover wonderful, value-oriented people who care so much. I, as a Tel Avivian, was sure that people like this had passed away a long time ago.

Maya Beitner

After the first time I participated, I continued my journey to my identity. Everything I have done since then has been inspired by Encounters on the Israel Trail. Thank you, for helping me understand that they are all part of me, and I am part of them. And we are all Am Yisrael. I understand the path you charted and still chart to fix our world, and I say that without any exaggeration.

Ariel Altman

I compare the connection between me and this land to a marriage. Couples do things together that strengthen their bond. I had a personal crisis with “my partner”, my country. This program was my marriage counseling that came at the perfect time. A successful journey doesn’t end when the miles run out; it remains with you. I finished with a feeling of gratitude, as if the road itself had passed through me. Thank you so much for this intense experience – I hope to see you all again on the trail!

For more information: https://www.avi-beshvil-israel.org.il