Event Detail
Independent with Jookender! Travel and give back to the community - Jookender/Tivnu collaboration
Dear Friends!
Welcome to our – yet, another! – Independent with Jookender Tour! It’ll take place in August, after all overnight camps are dismissed. Our program will have a core part - brought to you in collaboration with Tivnu.org – a Jewish Social Justice organization for Teens in Portland, OR. We invite families with kids 9-19 years old to participate in this unforgettable journey to the Northern West Coast of USA.
If you’re not familiar with our unique method of traveling, you’d better read this first. It’s not for everyone and you must understand the “Pros” and “Cons” before moving forward. First of all, Jookender is not a Travel Agency. We do not offer air tickets, hotels, and car rentals. These parts are completely on you. We may offer you some advice, as where to stay (in the area) to be closer to each other, but it’s totally up to you what you chose at the end. As long, as you’re on time for our tours and activities, we don’t have any issues with the place you chose to stay or the flight you’re taking. This allows many families to use their collected points and miles – and earn new ones. Our schedule is very flexible, and allow you to choose which activities to do with us, and which to pass. We mind the space issue, and try to build our journey the way, so you don’t have to be all the time with the group, but spend some – as you please, and still get the most of the trip.
This particular trip involves quite a lot of driving. Having 2 drivers in a car – is a good idea, so you can take turns. Both, Washington and Oregon States are quite long and underdeveloped. While our Journey combines both, a city life and a wilderness, the wilderness and beautiful surroundings will prevail, so if you’re not an outdoorsy family, this trip might not be for you at all.
The other thing on this trip is that this trip requires 2 days of your work toward the local community. You’ll be working less than 6 hours each day, including lunch time, but you have to report to work activities, whether you like it or not, and spend some time, working with your own kids/teens, as a team.
The core part is focused on Social Justice and the importance of Giving Back to the Community. Kids, together, with their parents, as a team, will participate in construction of Tiny Houses for Homeless and work at the farm. In addition to collaborative activities with Tivnu, Jookender will bring you to a few tours, showing famous Japanese and Chinese Gardens, introducing the Food Carts system, treating you with not-to-miss-portland-only VooDoo Donuts. We’ll also visit the Powell’s Book Store – one of the largest book stores on the West Coast, featuring old and used books; take an air tram to see the city, walk at the largest pedestrian bridge, and drive along the gorgeous river, overlooking a number of magnificent waterfalls. The core program includes all admissions and tours, 2 lunches, 3 dinners, and Voodoo Donuts 😊. Upon completion of the core program (after we return from our journey), eligible children born between 1999 and 2010 will receive a subsidy of up to $350 to cover their RT and/or Core Program Cost. The subsidy cannot cover air tickets purchased with points, stay in the hotel, rental car, or other expenses.
Attention: You must participate in the entire Core Program and be on time for work assignments to be eligible to a subsidy. Birth Certificate and a proof of purchasing RT Ticket with money (not points or earned miles) for the dates of the travel would be required to receive a subsidy. The RT Ticket can be direct Boston-Portland-Boston, or indirect Boston-Seattle, Portland-Boston.
The Core Program will include the following Points of Interests:
- Dignity Village or Similar
- Jewish Walking Tour
- Japanese Garden
- Powell Book Store
- Zenger Farm or Similar
- Chinese Gardens
- Outside the Frame
- Voodoo Donuts
- RT Air Tram
- Tilikum Crossing Bridge
- Latourell Falls
- Multnomah Falls
- Columbia River Gorge
- Painted Hills at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
We have also included 2 lunches and 3 dinners on the Core Program. Upon registration, closer to the event, we will be sending out the complete schedule and pinpoint you to the hotels in the area. We reserve the right to change some points of interest, on conditional base in all 3 pieces of our Journey.
To participate in the Core program, you must arrive in Portland by 8/20. The program starts earlier in the morning of 8/21 and lasts 3 full days, from earlier morning, to late night. The Cost of Core program is the following:
Adult (13+) - $199, Child (under 12) - $160, Senior (65+) - $190. We do not recommend that tour to younger than 9 y.o. siblings.
If you went that far, why don’t you come earlier and stay longer to catch the most of it?
Our first addition starts on 8/17. If you’re planning on taking this part, you should get your RT Ticket from Boston to Seattle, WA, and from Portland, OR to Boston. We recommend you to arrive to Seattle on 8/16, because we start the program earlier next morning. This program has included and optional points of interest. For the ultimate experience, we would recommend you to include both.
| Included Points of Interest | Optional |
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We will be arriving to Portland, OR on 8/20 – right on time to start the core program fresh and renewed!
The cost of that first addition is the following: $180 adult (13+), $170 Senior (65+), $130 (child under 12)
The second additional part happens right after the core program. The next morning after we finish our Core program, we’re heading South, and visit waterfalls, natural hot springs, Crater Lake National Park, and Mount Hood Adventure Park on our road. This part of the trip is real rejuvenation! We travel 8/24-8/26, and our complete program ends at 6pm on 8/26. We’ll be approximately 1 hour and 25 min from Portland, and you would have a choice to stay longer in the last beautiful location, or go back to Portland the same day and take a flight home. Remember, most of the schools start on 8/28 and you need a few days to re-group!
The cost of that 2nd addition to the tour is the following: $110 Adult (13+) , $80 Child (under 12), $95 Senior (65+)
You must take care of rented car, hotels, and RT Tickets on your own! We will just pinpoint you to the best hotels and prices! The idea of where you’d need hotels and for how many nights will be mailed to you based on the journey you’ve chosen, soon after your payment, but the full schedule will be available to you after your purchasing this trip and at least 2 month prior to it. We would also recommend you to purchase trip insurance, as we will not be able to refund our part of the program.
National Parks and Monuments. When enter to any, they would require a payment from $5 to $30 per car. Because of the logistics and the fact that we will be all arriving in different times, it’s better, if everyone pays on its own. If you have a 4th grader in your household – then you are allowed to enter any national park in the US for free. I am not sure if it affects the entire family of the 4th grader, or just him. If you’re planning to take the entire trip with us – the core and 2 additions to it – we recommend you to purchase Annual National Parks Pass online. To read more about National Parks and Monuments and to decide whether you need an annual pass, or will just pay their fees at the entrance, please, read the following information: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
Any questions? Email them to Sasha jookender@gmail.com
About Tivnu:
The Tivnu Gap Year is nine months of hands-on Jewish social justice engagement. Participants create a community living together, discovering the Pacific Northwest, and exploring the bond between Jewish life and social justice while working with Portland’s cutting-edge grassroots organizations. As a Tivnu Gap Year participant, you’ll connect Jewish life and social justice through individualized internships, discover the Pacific Northwest, and create a home together in Portland, Oregon. Tivnu: Tools to build a better world. To learn more, visit https://tivnu.org
Registration Deadline is May 15th.
Cancellation policy: 100% refund on program purchase before 05/14/2019. No refund is after that date.
Please, consider purchasing an additional travel insurance outside of Jookender.