A VISIT TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

OF MBALE

EAST AFRICASPIRITUAL JOURNEY

VALLEYWIDE MISSION TO VISIT THE ABAYUDAYA COMMUNITY

15-DAY TOUR OF UGANDA & KENYAJuly 8-23, 2018

SPONSORED BY:

ON THIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, WE WILL VISIT EASTERN UGANDA TO LEARN ABOUT THE ABAYUDAYA COMMUNITY IN MBALE AND GAIN INSIGHT INTO GLOBAL JEWISH OBSERVANCE.Our time in Mbale will include an unforgettable Shabbat with Rabbi Gershom Sizomu at the new Stern Synagogue in Nabugoye Hill, a visit to the Delicious Peace Coffee Cooperative, tours of Hadassah Primary School and Semei Kakungulu High School, and a volunteer Mitzvah Day to help with community projects and deepen our relationship with our Ugandan family.

The second half of our trip will take us into neighboring Kenya to behold the East African landscape andstunning wildlife. Our second Shabbat will be in Nairobi, a bustling cosmopolitan area, where we will get a glimpse into city life. The accommodations in both Uganda and Kenya are respected upscale properties, and provide all needed amenities such as delicious Western-style meals, WiFi, ensuite baths with hot running water and toilets, comfy beds, cocktails, door-to-door transportation and unparalleled African hospitality.

TR IP SUMMARY

UGANDAKENYA

ETHIOPIA

TANZANIA

RWANDA

INDIANOCEAN

Dar es Salaam

EntebbeKampala

Mbale

Queen ElizabethNational Park

Murchison FallsNational Park

Nairobi

Arusha

LAKEVICTORIA

Mount Kilimanjaro

SerengetiNational Park

Maasai MaraNational Reserve

Lake Nakuru

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DAY 1INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT // SUNDAY-MONDAYDepart USA and travel overnight to Entebbe, Uganda. On arrival, we will be welcomed at the airport and transferred to Protea Hotel by Marriott on the banks of Lake Victoria, where we will enjoy a warm meal, hot shower, and have the evening to rest.

DAY 2 ENTEBBE, KAMPALA // TUESDAYAfter a good cup of African coffee, we will head out for the day towards Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. A brief stopover at the old Entebbe airport will give us a chance to see the famed location of the 1976 Israeli Defense Forces raid, in its successful effort to rescue Israeli hostages. A short 1-hour drive will take us into Kampala where we will have the opportunity to meet with Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and visit the Ugandan Parliament. Rabbi Sizomu will give us an overview of the history of Jews in Uganda and will share his vision for the community and the country at large. We will take a Kampala city tour, and end our day with dinner and overnight at Kampala Serena.

THE JOURNEY TOMBALE BEGINS...

UGANDAKENYA

ETHIOPIA

TANZANIA

RWANDA

INDIANOCEAN

Dar es Salaam

EntebbeKampala

Mbale

Queen ElizabethNational Park

Murchison FallsNational Park

Nairobi

Arusha

LAKEVICTORIA

Mount Kilimanjaro

SerengetiNational Park

Maasai MaraNational Reserve

Lake Nakuru

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DAY 3 KAMPALA, MBALE // WEDNESDAYWe will be collected from Kampala Serena and will begin our road journey to Mbale. The drive will take roughly 5 hours and will offer some fascinating views of the Eastern Ugandan landscape and interesting sights as we pass through smaller villages en route. We will have the opportunity to stop in a town called Jinja, and experience the Nile River at its source via a short boat cruise. After a picnic lunch, we continue on to Mbale, where we will check into our rooms at Mbale Resort Hotel. Our stay at Mbale Resort will include full meals. Outdoor pool, and other amenities including WiFi are readily available.

DAY 4 MBALE // THURSDAYAfter breakfast, we will be collected from the hotel and make a stop at the Tobin Health Centre in Mbale, a clinic provided to the Abayudaya by Jewish community partners. Then we will make our way up to Nabugoye Hill, where the center of Uganda’s Jewish community is located. We will enjoy a tour of the Delicious Peace Coffee Cooperative and will have an opportunity to visit Jewish Schools in the Nabugoye Hill area, including Hadassah Primary School and Semei Kakungulu High School. After lunch in Mbale, in the late afternoon, we will have some free time and dinner at Mbale Resort Hotel.

MBALE

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“We are here in the middle of Uganda, in the middle of Africa. And being a small Jewish community we always feel good receiving people from all over the world — to share with us the joy of Judaism; to come and identify with us so we don’t feel isolated.”

— RABBI GERSHOM SIZOMU

DAY 5 MBALE // FRIDAYWe will head up to Nabugoye Hill for a day of Shabbat preparation and community volunteering. Abayudaya women will take us to the local marketplace to shop for produce and provisions. Those who enjoy culinary activities will help with Shabbat dinner preparation. Other hands-on volunteer opportunities will be available. Box lunches will be provided. Our Shabbat dinner with the Abayudaya will feature some typical local fare including Matoke (plantains), beans, sauteed greens, and kosher goat stew. Tonight’s Shabbat dinner and services with the Abayudaya is sure to be the highlight of our trip. Transportation will be provided back to Mbale Resort Hotel after an evening of learning, prayer, and good company. Overnight housing is available in the Abayudaya guest house for participants who are Shomer Shabbat. Laila Tov.

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“IF YOU WANTTO GO QUICKLY, GO ALONE. IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER.”

— AFRICAN PROVERB

MBALE

DAY 6 MBALE // SATURDAYShabbat Shalom! We will head out in the morning to join the Abayudaya at the newly constructed Stern Synagogue for Saturday morning services and Kiddush lunch. A shuttle will be provided after Kiddush for those who need a Shabbes nap at the hotel. For those wanting to stay in the village—adult learning sessions, informal conversations, refl ective walks around Nabugoye Hill, or private time to read and enjoy the green Ugandan hillside will fi ll your Shabbat afternoon experience. We will conclude Shabbat with a vegetarian catered dinner, Havdalah, and a community sing. Transport back to our hotel. This is a Shabbat we will never forget.

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DAY 7 MBALE, ENTEBBE, NAIROBI // SUNDAYShavua Tov! We embark from Mbale in the morning and head back to Entebbe for our short fl ight to Kenya. We will have a drink and dinner on the shores of Lake Victoria at the Protea Hotel before our fl ight. Overnight at The Lazizi Premiere near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

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DAY 8 MAASAI MARA // MONDAYAfter breakfast, we will begin our road journey to the Maasai Mara, Kenya’s famous National Reserve; the Northeastern section of the Serengeti ecosystem. We will be welcomed at Basecamp Eagle View safari camp overlooking the Naboisho Conservancy. At dusk we will cap off our fi rst evening in the African landscape with a nice gin & tonic by the fi re, and a fi rst class 3-course meal. We will sink into bed tonight listening to the sounds of nature all around us.

MAASA I MARA

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DAY 10-11 MAASAI MARA // WEDNESDAY / THURSDAYEach morning, we will watch the African sunrise with hot coffee brought directly to our tents. On today’s game drive, we may encounter a pride of lions, watch hippo bathe alongside crocodile in the river, or watch a territorial wildebeest chase off his rivals. At midday, our guide will fi nd a shaded spot for a picnic lunch. Dinner back at camp.

DAY 9 MAASAI MARA // TUESDAYGood morning. The adventurous among us will rise before dawn, and head out with a guide for a special optional add-on activity - a hot air balloon ride over the Maasai Mara to see the sunrise. After the stunning bird’s-eye view, participants will continue game driving through the Mara and head back to camp in time for lunch. The Mara’s dusty plains host the most diverse collection of wildlife in the world, ranging from giraffes and zebra, to elephants and lions. We will enjoy the view from a 4x4 Landrover vehicle, designed for prime viewing and spectacular photography. After a leisurely alfresco lunch back at camp, we will have time to relax, read, watch the resident birdlife or enjoy a nap. As usual, evening cocktails will be unforgettable in a picturesque spot as we watch the sun sink below the horizon.

MAASA I MARA

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DAY 14 NAIROBI // SUNDAYToday we will have the entire day to explore Nairobi, visiting the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, the Karen Blixen Museum and world-famous Giraffe Centre. There are some fantastic local craft shops here in the Karen environs, including Kazuri Beads, a small factory run entirely by women. Everyone will have a free night on the town for dinner.

DAY 15 NAIROBI/INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT // MONDAYToday we will have a leisurely walk and picnic in Karura Forest in Nairobi and a visit to Africa Houseto view a stunning collection of African art before dinner and our departing international fl ight this evening. Shalom, Africa! We’ve had the time of our lives.

NAIROB I

DAY 12 NAIROBI // FRIDAYAfter a last early-morning game drive, we will say farewell to the Maasai Mara, and head towards the African metropolis Nairobi. Mid-afternoon, we will arrive at The Fairmont Norfolk Hotel in the heart of the city. Candlelighting and Kabbalat Shabbat services will be held at the hotel, followed by a catered Shabbat dinner.

DAY 13 NAIROBI // SATURDAYGood morning! After breakfast, we will be able to walk to shul at the nearby Nairobi Hebrew Congregation. The Jewish Community of Nairobi is unique, comprising Jewry from all corners of the earth. Everyone will enjoy free time at the hotel during the afternoon. After sundown, we will head to the lovely Nairobi suburb of Karen for dinner at the locally famous restaurant Talisman.

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MINDY HARRISManaging Director

Mindy Harris lives in Boston and now owns Vineyard, a marketing consulting fi rm that provides a wide range of communications services to companies in the food, tourism, consumer goods, sustainability, and non-profi t sectors. After a trip to Tanzania in 2015, Mindy fell in love with the people, landscape, and animals of East Africa, and came back to the states on a mission to bring Americans to Africa to see all the glorious experiences the region has to offer. She recently returned from a second solo trip—this time to Kenya—and has developed business relationships that give her the opportunity to travel to the region regularly. She is the founder of the African Forum for Business & Culture, and an advisor to the African Bridge Network; both initiatives aim to provide professional development and support for African nationals living in Boston. In December 2016, Mindy partnered with Kristin Jessup, an East Africa travel specialist, to consult on client projects, including specialty trips in Africa.

KRISTIN JESSUPSales & Marketing Associate, Travel Industry

Kristin’s love for Africa started in when she moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to serve as Residential Coordinator for the US State Department. Upon moving back to the US, she joined one of the world’s leading tour operators, Audley Travel, and helped launch their US offi ce in Boston. At Audley, she designed African holidays as a senior specialist, and led her team with a comprehensive knowledge of Southern Africa, Tanzania and Seychelles. She has a solid product background and managed an A-list client portfolio with a large percentage of repeat clients. Kristin now handles sales, product support, competitor research, and customized itineraries for Vineyard.

YOUR TRIP PLANNERS

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For more information about the East Africa Spiritual Journey and to book your trip, pleasecall Vineyard Journeys: (310) 663-0054 or email info@eastafricaspiritualjourney.com