Shalom Friends,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the world of Oranim Educational Initiatives. We are proud to introduce you to our home, and believe that a long term program in Israel is the very best way to get in touch with the land of Israel and our Jewish family

I was born and raised in Israel. As the father of two daughters in their twenties I understand the importance of taking the right precautions in the face of life's uncertainties. The safety of our participants is the primary factor in our trip planning. As Israel’s premier tour organizer for young adults, we must meet the highest security standards and strict safety requirements. Our commitment to security is expressed in part by the fact that Oranim has consistently placed in the top 5% of all trip organizers on quality assurance ranking by Taglit-Birthright Israel which includes a critical safety assessment.

Another point of significance is that my entire team and I are Israelis. Many members of the Oranim team are native Israelis, while still others came to Israel on their own volition. Since we live here - day in, day out - we are keenly aware of the security situation.

Oranim constantly reviews all security measures for all of our trips and implements the most stringent security measures at all times throughout the program. These precautions include:

• Careful Itinerary Planning - Our tours do not travel to or through areas of the West Bank, Gaza or East Jerusalem. We do visit the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.
• 24/7 Emergency Hotline - Full online contact with the proper authorities to provide assistance as necessary.
• Detailed Security Orientation - Upon arrival each group is given a detailed safety and security orientation. In addition, the tour educators and counselors of each trip brief participants regularly regarding special security arrangements for particular trips or days. The orientation and briefings include guidelines for free time and general travel safety.
• Security Escort - An Israeli security escort accompanies every Oranim group whenever they are on trips..
• National Monitoring Room – Oranim is in updated in real-time by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) which runs the Monitoring Room and coordinates all tours for the Ministry of Education and other official bodies in Israel, and with the Army, Police and other security services. The Tour Educator will be in touch with the Oranim Educational Initiatives Office where he will receive updates. The itinerary is subject to change without prior notice in the case of a security reason decided upon by Oranim Educational Initiatives.
• Flexibility - We will not hesitate to change and modify the group's schedule at the slightest hint of any security or safety issue..

Again, our primary concern is the safety of participants. Please feel free to contact me personally if you have specific security related questions or concerns. I will be happy to take your call to address any questions or concerns that you may have about our programs.

I look forward to seeing you in Israel!

Sincerely,

Shlomo (Momo) Lifshitz
Founder and President
Oranim Educational Initiatives
28 Ha'taas St. - POB 2135
Kfar Saba 44641, Israel
Tel: +972-9-767-4477
Mobile: +972-54-4610062
Email: momo@destinationisrael.com