ויקיפדיה:ויקימניה 2011/מכרז

דף זה הוא דף ארכיון של דיון או הצבעה שהסתיימו. את המשך הדיון יש לקיים בדף השיחה של הערך או הנושא הנידון. אין לערוך דף זה.

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Wikimania Haifa Logo

Haifa, its district and metropolitan area's location within Israel

Haifa (חֵיפָה; حَيْفَا) is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 264,900.

Haifa has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs. It is also home to the Bahá'í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is built on the slopes of the majestic Mount Carmel and along the beautiful Mediterranean beaches of the Haifa Bay. It has a history dating back to Biblical times (The earliest known settlement in the vicinity was a small port city established in the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE)).

In the year 2011, Haifa will celebrate its jubilee - 250 years since the establishment of the new city. In 1761 Dhaher al-Omar, Bedouin ruler of Acre and the Galilee, destroyed the old city of Haifa and rebuilt the town in a new location, surrounding it with a wall. This event is marked as the beginning of the town's modern era.

Today, the city is a major seaport located on Israel's Mediterranean coastline. It is located about 90 km north of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of northern Israel. Two respected academic institutions, the University of Haifa and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, are located in Haifa,

The city hosts dozens of cultural and artistic festivals every year, festivals which celebrates the diversity of the city's inhabitants and the peaceful coexistence between the members of the various religions who live in it. The proposed venue is the Haifa Auditorium which has been hosting the Haifa International Film Festival for the last 26 years.

The wonderful Mediterranean coasts - which are among the best in Israel, and its proximity to various religious, cultural and historical sites make the city a center of tourism in the north of Israel.

• Country: Israel
• City proposed: Haifa
• Venue: The Haifa Auditorium and the Hecht Building
• Proposed dates: August 4-7, 2011
• Contact persons: Deror Avi

Location

About Haifa

Haifa on Wikipedia: en ar be-x-old bg ca cs da de el es eo et eu fi fr he hr hu id io is it ja jv ka ko la lad lb lt mr ms nl nn no oc pl pt ro ru sc sco sk sr sv tl tr uk uz vi yi zh

Geography

Panorama of Haifa at sunrise

Haifa is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain, the historic "via Maris" - the ancient road between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The city is split over three tiers: The lowest is the center of commerce and industry including the Port. The middle level is on the slopes of Mount Carmel and consists of older residential neighborhoods, while the upper level consists of modern neighborhoods looking over the lower tiers. From here views can be across the Western Galilee region of Israel towards Rosh HaNikra and even Mount Hermon.

Panorama of Haifa. View from Mt. Carmel

Climate

Haifa has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool rainy winters. The average temperature in summer is 26 °C. Humidity tends to be high all year round, and rain usually occurs between October and April.

Weather data from www.ims.gov.il
Month	July	August
Mean temperature - maximum	31.1°C (87.98°F)	31.4°C (88.52°F)
Mean number of days with max temp > 30 deg C (86 F)	23.7	26.2
Mean temperature - minimum	23°C (73.4°F)	23.6°C (74.48°F)
Mean number of days with min temp < 5 deg C	0	0
Mean total precipitation	0 mm	0 mm
Mean days with rainfall	0	0

Brief History

Haifa has been controlled by several civilizations, including the Canaanites, Israelites, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottoman Turks and the British.

The city is first mentioned in Talmudic literature around the 3rd century CE, as a small fishing village and the home of Rabbi Avdimos and other Jewish scholars. Under Byzantine rule, Haifa continued to flourish, although never grew to great importance due to its proximity to Acre.

The Byzantine ruled the settlement until the 7th century, when the city was conquered – first by the Persians, and then by the Arabs. In 1100, it was conquered again by the crusaders, after a fierce battle with its Jewish and Muslim inhabitants. Under crusader rule, the city was a part of the Principality of Galilee until the Muslim Mameluks captured it in 1265.

The Carmelite order was founded at, and named after, Mount Carmel, in the 12th century.

In 1761 Dhaher al-Omar, the Bedouin ruler of Acre and Galilee, rebuilt the town in a new location, surrounding it with a wall. This event is marked as the beginning of the town's modern era. After El-Omar's death in 1775, the town remained under Ottoman rule until 1918, except for two brief periods: in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Haifa as part of his unsuccessful campaign, but withdrew in the same year; between 1831 and 1840, the Egyptian viceroy Mehemet Ali governed, after his son Ibrahim Pasha wrested control from the Ottomans.

The arrival of the German Templers in 1868, who settled in what is now known as the German Colony of Haifa, was a turning point in Haifa's development. It was in the late 19th century that the area rose to importance in the Bahá'í Faith as the remains of the Báb were moved in 1909 to Haifa.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Haifa had emerged as an industrial port city and growing population center.

Culture, Tourism and Leisure

Haifa has 13 hotels with a total of 1,462 rooms. The city is a coast city with 17 kilometers of beaches.

Haifa's main tourist attraction is the Bahá'í World Centre, with the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb and the surrounding gardens. Between 2005 and 2006, 86,037 visited the shrine. The restored German Colony, founded by the Templers, the Stella Maris Monastery and Elijah's Cave also draw many tourists.

Located in the Haifa district are the Ein Hod artists' colony, where over 90 artists and craftsmen have studios and exhibitions, the Mount Carmel national park, with caves where Neanderthal and early Homo Sapiens remains were found. Also nearby are the Druze villages where a majority of the Druze population in Israel is located.

The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space in Hadar

Despite its image as a port and industrial city, Haifa is the cultural hub of northern Israel. The Haifa Cinematheque, founded in 1975, hosts the annual Haifa International Film Festival during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday.

The most popular museum is the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space, which recorded almost 150,000 visitors in 2004. The museum is located in the historic Technion building in the Hadar neighborhood. The Haifa Museum of Art houses a collection of modern and classical art, as well as displays on the history of Haifa. The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art is the only museum in the Middle East dedicated solely to Japanese art.

Other museums in Haifa include the Museum of Prehistory, the National Maritime Museum, the Hecht Museum, the Dagon Archeological Museum, the Railway Museum, the Clandestine Immigration and Navy Museum, the Oil Industry Museum, and the Mane Katz Museum.

About Israel

Israel (officially the State of Israel) is a country in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.

Israel has a population of about 7.5 million people, of whom approximately 5.7 million are Jewish. The largest ethnic minority group is the segment denominated as Arabs, while minority religious groups include Muslims, Christians, Druze, Samaritans, most of whom are found within the Arab segment.

Israel approximately 20,770 square kilometers (8,019 sq mi) in area, of which two percent is water.

Despite its small size, Israel is home to a variety of geographic features, from the Negev desert in the south to the mountain ranges of the Galilee, Carmel, and the Golan in the north. The Coastal Plain on the shores of the Mediterranean is home to seventy percent of the nation's population. East of the central highlands lies the Jordan Rift Valley, which forms a small part of the 6,500-kilometer (4,040-mi) Great Rift Valley. The Jordan River runs along the Jordan Rift Valley, from Mount Hermon through the Hulah Valley and the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the Earth.

Venue

The Haifa Auditorium Complex. View from the garden. On the left is Rapaport Hall, in the centre - the Auditorium, and on the right - the Hecht Building

The Haifa Auditorium has been the annual host of the Haifa International Film Festival for the past 26 years, and the nearby Hecht building and Auditorium complex has hosted numerous conventions and events. The Auditorium has three large lecture halls, and the Hecht Building has seven smaller halls.

The Hecht building is a renovated historic building originally built as a hotel by the Templers during the late 19th century.

Nearby is the Carmel Center shopping and leisure district, which has several hotels of all values. The Carmelit (Haifa's metro) has a station nearby, making access simple and easy.

Student dorms of the Port Collage and the Haifa University are located near the Carmelit stations, enabling visitors who stay at the dorms to reach the Auditorium with great ease.

Provided for Wikimania's use, will be:

• The Main auditorium (for the opening event and Wiki Academy) - seating 1,139 (may be extended to 1,453)

• The Rapaport Auditorium - seating 450

Enterence Hall

• The Haifa Cinematheque - seating 160
• The Hecht House:

The Hech House contains:

• 1 room of 120 seats
• 3 rooms of 60 seats
• 3 rooms of 30 seats
• Meeting room for VIP Guests and press room

• The Center's garden for opening welcome cocktail.

• Lounge open 24 hours

• Reception area for exhibition - which can hold 500

• • All rooms set up for presentation (and simultaneous translation) and taping of the proceeding (with possible simultaneous webcast)
  • All rooms are air conditioned.

The Auditorium has facilities for check-in (receiving the delegates packs) and on-site guidance, and provides all security services.

On-site is a small shopping mall where restaurants and supplies can be found.

The Auditorium is located at the heart of the Carmel Center shopping and leisure district, in which there are cinemas, dozens of coffee shops and restaurants and many pubs, some of which are open 24 hours.

The entire site allows easy access to mobility-reduced participants, as well as aids to persons with limited visibility.

further details to be provided

Accommodation

We have received the sponsorship of both the Haifa University and the Municipal College who will provide dorms at no cost.

For the budget traveler, the city has several budget hotels - all with bed and breakfasts. The densest collection of hotels is within walking distance from the Haifa Auditorium. Three of these hotels are four and five-star hotels. Several luxury boutique spa hotels are also within walking distance.

Most hotel rooms in the vicinity are accessible to the disabled.

In the Carmel Centre area there are 8 hotels of varying standards. Several hotels are located in other parts of the city. Als Haifa hosts four dormitories, all of which can accommodate about 300 people.

Wikimedia Israel is negotiating with the Hotels in order to arrange low cost accomodations for the period of the conventions.

Arange will be made with the dorms to accomade participants for free or for very low costs.

Shattles will be arranged throughout the day to shattle people from the dorms to the convention area.

All carmel center hotels are within 15-10 minutes walk from the convention area.

Student dormitories

Technion Dorms

Technion Campus

The Technion has nine different dormitory villages, each with its own personality. In all, the Technion has more than 4,000 dorm rooms.

Address: Technion Campus

Map: path by car from dorms to convention area

Cost:

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes by car.

Beds: 8,000

Regular Busses:

Shattle Service:

Germen Collony

Address: 85 Alenby St.

Map: path by car from dorms to convention center

Cost:

Distance from the conference venue:ca. 15 minutes drive

Beds: 100

Regular Busses:

Shattle Service:

Haifa University Dorms

• 
  Haifa University Dorms - View from Park Nesher
• 
  Haifa University Dorms - View from Park Nesher

Talia Dorms

Address: Haifa University Campus

Map: path from dorms to conference area

Cost:

Distance from the conference venue:ca. 20 minutes drive

Beds: 50

Regular Busses:

Shattle Service:

Shikma Dorms

Address: 14 Shikma st., Romema

Map: path by car from dorms to conference area

Cost:

Distance from the conference venue:ca. 10 minutes drive

Beds: 50

Regular Busses:

Shattle Service:

Port Campus Dorms

Address:

Map:

Cost:

Distance from the conference venue:

Beds:

Regular Busses:

Shattle Service:

Hostels

Shalom Hotel

Address: 110 Hanassi Ave., P.O.B 6208, Haifa 31061, Israel

Tel. +972 4 837 74 81, Fax: +972 4 837 24 43

Map: path from hotel to conference center

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 30 rooms

Price: 50$ per night per person BB, two people in each room

Hotels

Four Star Hotels

Mount Carmel (****)

Hotel facade

located within 10 minutes walk from the Carmel Center, at the very heart of Haifa

Address:103 Derech Hayam St. Haifa

Tel: 972-4-8381413/4/5

Fax: 972-4-8381763

Map: path from hotel to conference area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: 98 rooms

Price:

Facilities: The Spa - health and sports center including an indoor, heated swimming pool, gym, saunas

Dan Gardens (****)

Address: 124 Yaffe-Nof Street

Haifa 34454

Tel: +972-4-8302020

Fax: +972-4-8302021

Email: dangardenshaifa@danhotels.com

For reservations contact:

The Dan Gardens Hotel Haifa

Tel: 972-3-5202552

Fax: 972-3-5480111

Toll-free from UK, Germany, France, Belgium: 00-800-32646835

Toll-free from USA: 1-800-2237773/4

Email: Reservations-T.DanGardensHaifa@DanHotels.com

Map: hotel location of google map and path to convention area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 31 Modern guestrooms. max 2 Persons in one room.

Price:

Facilities:Guestrooms at the newly redecorated Dan Gardens Haifa are attractively furnished in contemporary style and feature TV, direct dial telephone and fast plug play Internet connection. An electric kettle with tea and coffee making accessories as well as a refrigerator add a thoughtful touch. Bathrooms are appointed with the latest amenities. Several rooms have balconies. Guests staying at the Dan Gardens have free access to the swimming pool and children's pool at the nearby Dan Panorama Hotel. Use of the sauna and the fitness center (for a fee). Tennis and squash courts can be reserved near the hotel (for fee). The Dan Gardens hotel offers guests an excellent and varied breakfast menu; all guest rooms have tea and coffee making facilities and a small fridge. The hotel has three small conference rooms (maximum 50 persons) and a terrace with a coffee shop, overlooking the Haifa Bay.

• Trip Advisor Review

Nof (****)

Nof Hotel - view from the Haifa Auditorium

The hotel sits on top of Mount Carmel with all its rooms overlooking the Haifa Bay, the Bahai' shrine and western Galilee

Address: 101 Hanassi Ave., Haifa, 34642,

Tel: 04-8354311, Fax: 04-8388810

Map: path from hotel to conference area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 90 rooms all with bay view

Price: 4 Nights - 294 USD

Facilities:All the rooms are equipped with bath room, hair dryer, 220v electricity sockets, direct dial telephone, cable TV, individual control air condition, mini bar and coffee corner.

Five Star Hotels

Dan Carmel (*****)

The Dan Carmel Hotel sits high up on Mount Carmel amidst breathtaking views of Haifa Bay and the Mediterranean coastline. This hotel is situated on the prestigious, tree-lined Hanassi Boulevard only meters away from the Bahai Temple. The hotel is also just a couple of minutes walk from the Carmel Center.

Address:The Dan Carmel Hotel Haifa

85-87 Hanassi Avenue

Haifa 34642

Tel: +972-4-8303030

Fax: +972-4-8303040

Email: dancarmel@danhotels.com

For reservations contact:

The Dan Carmel Hotel Haifa

Tel: 972-3-5202552

Fax: 972-3-5480111

Toll-free from UK, Germany, France, Belgium: 00-800-32646835

Toll-free from USA: 1-800-2237773/4

Email: Reservations-T.DanCarmel@DanHotels.com

Map: hotel location on google maps and path to Convention area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 20 minutes on foot

Beds: 224 rooms including 20 Suites, 1 Presidential Suite, 1 Royal Suite

Price:

Facilities: The hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool, a children’s pool, fitness center, sauna, a choice of dining options, a lobby-lounge and piano bar, and various shops. For business guests, a full range of facilities is available (including secretarial services for a fee) and, guests staying in executive rooms and suites , can use the special VIP King David Lounge on the 10th floor.

Dan Panorama (*****)

Dan Panorama

Dan Panorama Hotel is a twenty-one stories high tower on the summit of Mount Camel, offering views of Haifa Bay and all of northern Israel. The hotel is directly linked to the fashionable Panorama Mall, with its fine stores, cafes and cinemas

Address: The Dan Panorama Hotel Haifa

107 Hanassi Avenue

Haifa 34632

Tel: +972-4-8352222

Fax: +972-4-8352235

Email: panoramahaifa@danhotels.com

For reservations contact:

The Dan Panorama Hotel Haifa

Tel: 972-3-5202552

Fax: 972-3-5480111

Toll-free from UK, Germany, France, Belgium: 00-800-32646835

Toll-free from USA: 1-800-2237773/4

Email: Reservations-T.PanoramaHaifa@DanHotels.com

Map: google map - path from hotel to convention area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 266 rooms including 46 "Rooms Plus" with kitchenette,

3 Bay View Suites.10 Executive floors (10-19)

Price:

Facilities: The hotel's facilities include a swimming pool, children's pool, sauna, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an excellent kids club, and entertainment for the whole family. Guests staying on the executive floors can enjoy the special VIP Carmel lounge and there are excellent business services including secretarial services (for fee) covered private parking is available (for fee). The adjacent shopping mall provides a variety of elegant stores, a pharmacy, jewelry shop, beauty salon, cafes and a cinema.

Crown Plaza (*****)

Crowne Plaza Haifa hotel is located on top of Mount Carmel offering a breathtaking view of the Haifa Bay.

Address:111 YEFE NOF ST.

HAIFA, 34454 ISRAEL

Hotel Front Desk: 972-4-8350835

Hotel Fax: 972-4-8350836

Map: path from hotel to convention area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 100 Guest Room

Price:

Facilities: The Health Club features an indoor pool, dry and wet saunas, Jacuzzi and a fully equipped gym.

Vila Carmel (*****)

Spa Boutique Hotel.

Address:1 Heinrich Heine St. Haifa (Off 30 Moriah Blv

Tel. +972-4-8375777/8

Fax: +972-4-8375779

info@villacarmel.co.il

Map: path from hotel to convention area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 20 minutes on foot

Beds: 15 suites

Price:

Facilities: Most rooms feature a Jacuzzi or computerized jet shower; the rooftop sundeck is outfitted with a large Jacuzzi and sauna.

Leonardo (formerly: Le Meridién)(*****)

Leonardo Hotel on the Carmel Beach

Located on the shore of Carmel Beach

Address: 10 David Elazar Street

35081 Haifa

Tel.: +972 (4) 8508888

Fax: +972 (4) 8501160

Email: info.haifa@leonardo-hotels.com

www.leonardo-hotels.com

Map: Path by car from hotel to conference area

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 20 minutes by car

Beds: 197 guest rooms, 110 of them are suites.

Price:

Facilitiesconference centres in Haifa, including a state-of-the-art business lounge and indoor pool. Each rooms has a kitchenette including refrigerator, dining area, cable TV, telephone and voice mail, central air conditioning and personal safe. Each room includes connection options to PC and Internet.

Transportation

Getting to Haifa

A direct train links Israel's Ben Gurion Airport with Haifa. The train rides take about an hour and a half. A cab service enables reaching the city of Haifa from the airport within 1 hour and ten minutes.

Haifa has its own airport, Haifa Airport, which serves domestic flights to Tel Aviv and Eilat.

Air Travel to Israel

All the prices quoted below are the two options of the two cheapest available round trip tickets for adults, without extra charges.
If the Nonstop flight is the cheepest option - only the non stop option is displayed. If the difference between the cheepest option and the second cheepest is more than USD 100, only one option is displayed.
Travel time includes waiting time for connecting flights. If the cheapest flight took unreasonably long without a large price difference, it was omitted.
Information Source: All info is from expedia web site. We have chosen the dates of 4th August 2010 to 8th August 2011 as a rough estimate for these dates in 2011.

Air connections to Ben Gurion Airport from European cities

City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Amsterdam	USD 456/ USD 604	Tarom-Romanian Air Transport/ LOT	1	Warsaw / Bucharest	8h15/ 6h50	-
Athens	USD 476 / USD 488	Turkish/ El Al	1/ 0	Istanbul/ Non stop	6h30/ 1h55	-
Budapest	USD 529/ USD 546	Alitalia/ El AL	1/ 0	Rome/ Non Stop	7h20/ 3h10	-
Brussels	USD 558/ USD 574	Czech Airlines / LOT	1	Prague / Warsaw	8h10/ 7h20	-
Frankfurt	USD 371	El Al	0	Non Stop	4h05
Helsinki	USD 545/ USD 569	Czech Airlines/ LOT	1	Prague / Warsaw	11h55/ 7h10	-
Liverpool	USD 646	KLM	1	Amsterdam	7h45	-
London	USD 525/ USD 545	Alitalia/ EL AL	1/ 0	Rome/ Nonstop	6h25/ 4h55	-
Madrid	USD 636	Iberia	0	Nonstop	4h40	-
Moscow	USD 402/ USD 589	Aerosvit Airlines/ El AL	1	Kiev/ Non stop	9h10/ 4h0	-
Paris	USD 610	Swiss International Air Lines	1	Zurich	6h10	Non stop option by Air France or El AL is USD 825 and takes 4h25
Prague	USD 517/ USD 546	Aerosvit Airlines/ Turkish Airlines	1	Kiev/ Istambul	12h35/ 5h40	An EL AL nonstop flight costs $581 and takes 3h50
Rome	USD 523	Turkish Airlines	1	Istambul	5h45	An Alitalia nonstop flight cost USD604 and takes 3h10
Istanbul	USD 430	Turkish Airlines	0	nonstop	4h05	-
Stockholm	USD 438	Austrian Airlines	1	Vienna	6h55	-
Vienna	USD 621/ USD 635	Alitalia /Lufthansa	1	Rome/ Frankfurt	6h35/ 6h35	An Austrian Airlines direct nonstop flight costs USD675 and takes 3h25
Vilnius	USD 540	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt am Main	7h25	-

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Air connections to Ben Gurion Airport from African cities

City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Cairo	USD 635/ USD 685	Royal Jordanian / El Al	1/ 0	Amman / Nonstop	6h00/ 1h20
Dakar	USD 1,135	Iberia	1	Madrid	16h05	-
Johannesburg	USD 955	Ethiopian Airlines	1	Addis Ababa	12h35	-
Nairobi	USD 779	Turkish Airlines	1	Istunbul	11h25	-

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Air connections to Ben Gurion Airport from Asian cities

City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Beijing	USD 1,241	Turkish Airlines	1	Istanbul	19h20	-
Hong Kong	USD 1,125	Cathay Pacific, Royal Jordanian	2	Bangkok, Amman	19h15
New Dehli	USD 714	Turkish Airlines	1	Istanbul	12h00	-
Riyadh	USD 2,160	Etihad Airways, Royal Jordanian	2	Abu Dhabi, Amman	12h50	-
Seoul	USD 2,064	Thai Air International	1	Bangkok	19h00	-
Tokyo	USD 2,041	Swiss International Air Lines	1	Zurich	21h20	-

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Air connections to Ben Gurion Airport from Australian cities

City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Perth	USD 2,389	Qantas Airways, Swiss International Air Lines	2	Singapore, Zurich	28h00	One stopover in Hongkong with Cathay Pacific and El Al costs USD 2,639 and takes the same amount of time.
Sydney	USD 2,222	Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian	2	Bangkok, Amman	21h50	One stopover flight with Cathay Pacific and El AL costs USD 2,481 and takes 22h35

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Air connections to Ben Gurion Airport from North American cities

City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Chicago	USD 1,278	Iberia	1	Madrid	15h05	-
Dallas	USD 1,392	Iberia	2	Chicago, Madrid	18h15	-
Los Angeles	USD 1,575	Air Canada	1	Toronto	17h00	An El AL nonstop flight costs USD 1,878 and takes 14h30
Mexico City	USD 1,708	British Airways Continental	1	London Newark	23h45 18h40	-
Miami	USD 1,278	Iberia	1	Madrid	15h40	-
New York	USD 1,191	LOT	1	Warsaw	21h40	An Iberia flight through Madrid costs USD 1,441 and takes 13h25 A Delta nonstop flight costs USD 1,490 and takes 10h50
San Francisco	USD 1,575	Air Canada	1	Toronto	17h00	-
Toronto	USD 1,464	US Airways	1	Philadelphia	20h16	A nonstop Air Canada flight costs USD 1,664 and takes 10h55
Vancouver	USD 1,829	UNITED, Swiss International Air Lines	2	San Francisco , Zurich	24h30	A one stop Air Canada flight through Toronto costs USD 2,049 and takes 17h00

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Air connections to Ben Gurion Airport from South American cities

City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Bogota	USD 1,631/ USD 1,732	Iberia	1	Madrid	24h45 16h20	Same company - USD 100 difference for the shorter wait
Buenos Aires	USD 1,473	American Airlines, El Al	1	New York	27h00	-
Rio de Janeiro	USD 1,562	TAM Brazilian Airlines, KLM	2	Sao Paulo, Amsterdam	28h15	A one stop Iberia flight through Madrid costs USD 1,811 and takes 16h05

By Train

Haifa is well connected by train lines to Tel Aviv, Akko (Acre), Beer Sheva and the Ben Gurion International Airport. The cost of the travel from Ben Gurion to Haifa is 37 NIS / $ 9.92 / € 7.24 / £ 6.37. The trip takes a little over an hour and during peak hours there are as many as 3-4 services hourly.

There are 4 train stations in Haifa:

• Hof ha-Carmel — close to the bus terminal that serves the lines connected to the cities south of Haifa and local buses.
• Bat Galim — close to Elija's Cave and the cable car to Stella Maris Carmelite monastery.
• Haifa Merkaz - Ha-Shmona — near Haifa port, the Carmelit underground funicular which connects this station to the Carmel Center and the Haifa Auditorium,lower entrance to the Bahá'í garden, German colony, and the downtown.
• Lev ha-Mifratz — close to bus terminal that serves the lines connected to the North area of Israel.

From Haifa Merkaz Station, the cost of the Carmelit ride to the Carmel Center is 5.5 NIS / $ 1.48 / € 1.08 / £ 0.95. A bus ticket from Hof ha-Carmel Station to the Carmel Center is also 5.5 NIS / $ 1.48 / € 1.08 / £ 0.95; a cab ride is approximately 30 NIS / $ 8.05 / € 5.87 / £ 5.16 (including extra charge for laggage).

By Car

From the south, route 2 is the coastal highway which links Haifa with Tel Aviv. This journey from the airport to Haifa takes up to one and a half hours.

Special Shuttle Service

Wikimedia Israel will attempt to arrange buses from Ben Gurion Airport to the convention area on the day of the convention.

Currency

The currency used in Israel is the New Israeli Shekel (₪). There are currency changing offices everywhere, and some stores even allow payment in US dollars.

Cost of living

Food McDonald's "BigMac" Meal (with fries and a drink) 29.90 NIS / $ 8.02 / € 5.85 / £ 5.15 3 course meal with a glass of wine at a high-end restaurant 200 NIS / $ 53.65 / € 39.15 / £ 34.42 3 course meal without wine at a high-end restaurant 155 NIS / $ 41.58 / € 30.34 / £ 26.67 "Pizza Hut" personal pizza with 3 toppings 30 NIS / $ 8.05 / € 5.87 / £ 5.16 "Pizza Hut" Large pizza with 3 toppings 92 NIS / $ 24.68 / € 18.01 / £ 15.83 "Snickers" candy bar, 57g 4 NIS / $ 1.07 / € 0.78 / £ 0.69 Large Sandwich 24 NIS / $ 6.44 / € 4.7 / £ 4.13 Almond Croissant 15 NIS / $ 4.02 / € 2.94 / £ 2.58 Burekas cheese / potato 13 NIS / $ 3.49 / € 2.54 / £ 2.24 Large Tuna Salad 34 NIS / $ 9.12 / € 6.65 / £ 5.85 Large Chicken Salad 39 NIS / $ 10.46 / € 7.63 / £ 6.71 Breakfast (2 eggs, 2 cheeses, salad, hot and cold drinks) 39 NIS / $ 10.46 / € 7.63 / £ 6.71 Inside-out Sushi with Salmon (8 units) 30 NIS / $ 8.05 / € 5.87 / £ 5.16 Thai Noodles with Meat 48 NIS / $ 12.88 / € 9.39 / £ 8.26

Drinks Sprite/ Coca Cola 8 NIS / $ 2.15 / € 1.57 / £ 1.38 Short Espresso 7 NIS / $ 1.88 / € 1.37 / £ 1.2 Double Espresso 10 NIS / $ 2.68 / € 1.96 / £ 1.72 Cappuccino 11 NIS / $ 2.95 / € 2.15 / £ 1.89 Hot Chocolate 15 NIS / $ 4.02 / € 2.94 / £ 2.58 Tea 11 NIS / $ 2.95 / € 2.15 / £ 1.89 Chai Latte 14 NIS / $ 3.76 / € 2.74 / £ 2.41 Beer 17 NIS / $ 4.56 / € 3.33 / £ 2.93 Iced Tea 10 NIS / $ 2.68 / € 1.96 / £ 1.72 Turkish Coffee 8 NIS / $ 2.15 / € 1.57 / £ 1.38 Mineral / Sparkling Water 8 NIS / $ 2.15 / € 1.57 / £ 1.38 Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice / Lemonade 12 NIS / $ 3.22 / € 2.35 / £ 2.06 Freshly Squeezed Carrot Juice 14 NIS / $ 3.76 / € 2.74 / £ 2.41

Suggested Itinerary

We suggest the following Itinerary for the leisure activities of the event:

• Wednesday night - Early comers Gala Cocktail at the Japanese gardens of the Tikotin Museum
• Thursday Morning - Opening meeting at the Haifa Auditorium, following which the third Wiki Academy event will take place alongside the Wikimania meetings.
• Thursday night - Opening Gala Cocktail at the gardens of the Auditorium center
• Friday Morning- Reception for VIP's at the City Council Hall.
• Friday Night:
  • Festive Shabbat Dinner
  • Later at night - shuttles will take the party goers to Tel Aviv with its numerous pubs, discotheques and parties

• Saturday
  • Saturday afternoon and evening - beach party

• Sunday: Wikimedia Israel is planning to provide the attendants with various entertainment and educational options:
  • Organized tours to the north of Israel and the numerous religious sites there and around the Sea of Galilee

• • Guided tours to the city of Jerusalem

• • Guided tours to Acre

• • Tours of the Bahai Gardens and other sites in Haifa

• Monday: for visitors who wish to stay an additional day, and have chosen to tour the city of Haifa on Sunday:

• • Tours of Acre and Nazareth

Budget and Financing

The Haifa Municipality and Haifa University have agreed to provide financial support to the event, as well as visibility, and both will assist in raising local sponsorships and support.

Several companies have already agreed to support the event.

further details to be provided

Visa requirements

Visa requirements for Israel are detailed on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism [1], an updated list of visa requirements for each country is available on website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs [2], and is the basis of the following information. All information refers to regular passports in usual circumstances.

General requirements

All visitors to Israel must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months ahead. Visa-free or regular tourist-visa visitors are usually allowed to stay in Israel for up to 90 days.

Visa-free access

Citizens of the following countries have visa-free access to Israel:

Africa

Central African Republic

Lesotho

Malawi

Mauritius

South Africa

Swaziland

Asia

Hong Kong

Japan

Korea (Republic of)

Macao

Mongolia

Philippines

North America & the Caribbean

Bahamas

Barbados

Canada

Dominican Republic

Grenada

Haiti

Jamaica

Mexico

St. Kitts & Nevis

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Central & South America

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Ecuador

El Salvador

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Guatemala

Honduras

Suriname

Uruguay

Europe

- All member states of the European Union

Albania

Andorra

Croatia

Gibraltar

Iceland

Liechtenstein

Macedonia (F.Y.R.)

Monaco

Norway

Russia

San Marino

Switzerland

Oceania

Australia

Fiji

Micronesia

New Zealand

Visa required

Citizens of the following countries are required to get a visa in one of Israel's consulates around the world. Visa issuing costs US$ 17.

Africa

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Chad

Comoros

Rep. of Congo

Dem. Rep. of Congo

Côte d'Ivoire

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

The Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya

Liberia

Libya

Madagascar

Mali

Mauritania

Morocco

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

São Tomé and Príncipe

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Asia

Afghanistan

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Burma (Myanmar)

Brunei

Cambodia

China (People's Rep. of)

Rep. of China (Taiwan)

Georgia

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Korea, North

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Lebanon

Malaysia

Maldives

Nepal

Oman

Pakistan

Syria

Tajikistan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Seychelles

Singapore

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Caribbeans

Antigua and Barbuda

Belize

Cuba

Dominica

Saint Lucia

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

South America

Guyana

Venezuela

Europe

Belarus

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Serbia

Kosovan passports are accepted, visa is required

Montenegro

Moldova

Turkey

Ukraine

Oceania

Marshall Islands

Nauru

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Samoa

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Our Team

Nick	Areas of responsibility	Skills	Languages	Experience
Deror Avi	Coordination, Venue	Attorney	he-N, en-N	Public speaking, Wikimeets organizer, Head of the Elef Milim Project, translator and tour guide, co-organized the Israeli Wiki-Academy
Shay Yakir	Coordination	Chairman of Wikimedia Israel	he-N, en-3	Public speaking
Liron Dorfman	Coordination, Accommodation		he-N, en-5
Itzik Edri	Media coverage and public relations	Spokesperson of Wikimedia Israel, co-organized the Israeli Wiki-Academy	he-N, en-4	Media coverage and public relations
Asaf Bartov	Organization	Head of the Ben Yehuda Project (the Hebrew Gutenberg Project);	he-N, en-N	Co-organized the Israeli Wiki-Academy in 2009
Hana Y.	Coordination, Venue	Holds several BAs - in Economic, Accountancy, Business Administration and Archaeology, all from Haifa University. On Wikipedia, Hana contributes mainly in the Archaeology of Ancient Near East field.	he-N, en-5	Now a retiree, Hana worked as financial controller and CFO in several companies in Israel and served also as an implementer of Oracle ERP Finance module.

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