Where
The workshop will be held in the Drory Auditorium in the Physics Building on the Weizmann Institute of Science campus in Rehovot, Israel.
Registration and accommodation
Please register via the Workshop Indico page:
https://indico.cern.ch/event/288835/registration/
There you can request a room in the Weizmann Guest House on campus (if rooms still remain), in the Leonardo Hotel, about a 20 minute walk (1.5km) to the workshop or in the close-by Reisfeld Residence. We will make the reservations for you. Payment will be made directly to the guest house or hotel upon check-in by cash or credit cards.
- Weizmann Guest House (see map here)
Price: single/double occupancy: NIS195/NIS230 (~$51/$61) per night
The price includes breakfast, free wireless, refrigerator+kettle, air conditioning, swimming pool.
We will make the reservations for you.
For more information: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/sites/weizmann.ac.il.home/files/InfoGuesthouse.pdf Guest House reception phone number:+972-8-934-3385.
- Reisfeld Residence (see map here)
Price: single/double occupancy: NIS270/NIS320 (~$70/$82) per night.The price includes free wireless, refrigerator+kettle and air conditioning.
Please pay attention, breakfast will be served in Weizmann Guest House.
We will make the reservations for you.
Address:
Reisfeld Residence
Faculty of Agriculture
Reisfeld Residence manager phone number:+972-8-948-9658, +972-54-882-0398
- Leonardo Hotel (see map here)
Price: $175/$200 per night for single/double occupancy (special Weizmann Institute visitor rate).The price includes breakfast, free wireless, access to the business lounge (that offers warm and cold drinks and snacks at no cost from 7am to 10pm) access from the gym.
We will make the reservations for you.
Support might be available on request.
Hotel address:
Leonardo Boutique Hotel, Rehovot, 2 Oppenheimer Street, 76701 Rehovot
Tel.: +972-8-919-2800 Fax: +972-8-919-2820
Entering the Institute
An envelope with a campus access card will wait for you at the main gate or in your hotel room. You can use it to enter the campus through the glass gate in the main entrance (card reader is mounted on the wall next to the gate) or through the revolving gate near the train station. You will also need the access card when exiting through the unguarded revolving gate.
If you don’t have the card with you, or if you need directions, tell the guard that you are heading to the “Physics meeting in the Physics building”. In case of problems, ask the guard to call Hadar Alper or Hadar Lappin at phone numbers 3836, 4054.
Important notice
The weekend, Shabbat, in Israel is from Friday afternoon until shortly after sundown on Saturday. Keep in mind that most shops, restaurants, public transportation and campus services will be closed from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. Hotels operate as usual, and there are several restaurants and bars nearby that will be open during ‘Shabbat’.
Social Activities
23/6 - workshop reception
24/6 - excursion to Jerusalem: - "Jerusalem- Then and now"
Archeology at its best – Tour The city of David - It all started on a small hill next to Mount Moriah three thousand years ago, when a red head shepherd became one of the most famous kings of the Jewish people. Along the tour we will hear some of the most familiar Biblical stories, see some of the fascinating archaeological digs and more. We will also talk about the comparison between the stories of the Bible and the various archaeological artifacts found during the excavations. We will end the tour of City of David with walking in refreshing water through the "Shiloah Tunnel"- one of the engineering wonders of the ancient world- leading water underground from one place to another.
Ramparts Walk - walking along the ancient walls surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem, we get a unique perspective on what is happening both inside and outside the walls. We will hear about the walls that surrounded Jerusalem throughout the history as well as the building of the current one. We will talk about the four quarters of the old City, and hear why the Armenian quarter is the most mysterious one. We will see the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the walls over 150 years ago and end the tour at Zion Gate where we will hear about Mt. Zion – its uniqueness and importance to the three religions.
25/6 - excursion to Tel-Aviv
Please let us know if you have any special diet requests.
Dining
Coffee breaks and lunches will be provided on the workshop days.
For other nights, there are many restaurants and pubs near the train station and Leonardo Hotel and on Herzl Street (left after you go out the main gate). Some of our favorites are:
- Vinona, 219 Herzl Street
- Emilia, 213 Herzl Street
- Dublin Irish Pub, 1 Hamada Street
- Cezar Bistro bar, 3 Pekeris Street
- Landver Cafe, right next to the Leonardo Hotel
- Tuk-tuk, Asian-sushi-Thai, 10 Oppenheimer Street
- River noodle bar, 6 Hamada Street
- Black Bar’N’Burger, 6 Hamada Street
→ If you are up to some big-city excitement go to Tel-Aviv (30 minutes by taxi or by train+taxi). Nice and fun places to visit are:
- Neve-Tzedek
- Hatachana (http://www.hatachana.co.il/Home)
- the port complex (http://www.namal.co.il/en/default.aspx).
Transportation
Invitation letter
Let us know if you need one for a visa application or for border control.
Visas
All visitors entering Israel are required to have a valid passport for at least six months from their arrival date, and for some countries a visa is required. For more information please contact your travel agency or the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
- Included in the list of countries whose nationals DO NOT require a visa are: Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA.
- Included in the list of countries whose nationals DO require a visa are (Ask us for a letter of invitation): China.
- For other countries please check (the rightmost columns of): http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/05664082-4C0C-4C2E-A593-C9D0C0B20C2A/0/VisaRequirements.pdf
Getting to Israel
Ben Gurion International Airport is about 30 minutes drive from Rehovot. There are many European and American carriers flying here, including some low cost airlines (e.g. EasyJet from Geneva, Norweigen from Stockholm and AirBerlin).
Getting to Weizmann from the airport
The ride should cost you approximately 125-135 shekels (~$30-$35), (150 shekels at night) and takes about half an hour. You can change currency in the airport. Upon arrival at the Ben Gurion airport at Lod, step outside EXIT 03 and go to the taxi line about 50 meters to your left (facing away from the terminal). A steward will ask you for your destination and get you into a taxi. Ask the driver to operate the meter and request a receipt at the end of the trip. Do not use unauthorized “taxis”.
Depending on where you want to go, ask to be dropped of at:
- San Martin Guest House at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot
- The Physics Department at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot
- Leonardo Hotel near the train station in Rehovot (The hotel is new so the taxi driver might not know it. It is right across from the railway station.)
- Reisfeld Residence at the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot.
During your stay
A car is not needed during the workshop. If you plan to travel before or after, you can either rent a car or use public transportation. (Keep in mind that there are no buses or trains during the weekend: Friday afternoon through after sundown on Saturday.)
Lost your way?
Give us a call. The phone number in the department is: +972-8-934-4054. You can also try to call for one of us, Aielet +972-05-7230090, Liron +972-54-6252256 or Yotam +972-52-8575068
Other useful information
Dress
Dress is casual everywhere, except in Christian, Jewish and Muslim holy places, where modest attire should be worn (no short pants or exposed shoulders).
Work Week
The work week is Sunday-Thursday. Many business will be closed from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, including public transportation and some restaurants. Sunday is a regular working day.
Weather
For the end of June, highs are expected to be 31°C, lows 20°C, humidity 50% to 60%.
Almost all buildings are air conditioned. Rehovot is less humid than Tel Aviv. In high areas like Jerusalem, the temperature can drop to about 17°C at night.
Time Zone
Israel is an hour ahead of central Europe, i.e. UTC/GMT +3 hours in the summer.
Language
Almost everybody can speak English in Israel. People are usually very friendly and happy to help.
Electricity
Electrical equipment in Israel is 220 volt A.C., single phase, 50 cycles.
The 2-pin Swiss plug works in both sockets. American and 3-pin Swiss and European plugs need an adapter.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in public buildings, restaurants, cafés, etc. in Israel.
Currency
The currency in the State of Israel is the New Israel Shekel (NIS). We recommend using the local currency although most expenses in Israel may be paid with major credit cards. Local currency can be withdrawn from most ATMs using your credit card. There is one in the Jubilee Plaza, near Physics. The current (November 2012) exchange rates are 1 US dollar = 3.5 NIS, 1 euro = 4.8 NIS, 1 CHF = 4.0 NIS.
Tipping
10% of your bill is a reasonable tip at restaurants. All hotel prices include a 15% service charge, so anything additional you wish to leave is totally voluntary, with the exception of bell boys and the concierge. It is not necessary to tip taxi cab drivers unless they carry luggage or parcels for you.
Other things to do and see
