Galaxy Formation 2008 Home Participants Offices, Phones Program Social Activity General Info Restaurants

General Information

Upon arrival in Ben Gurion airport, it may be useful to have available a letter of invitation (an e-mail printout will do), to show the security people.

Exchange Rates:
1 dollar = 3.2 shekel
1 euro = 5.0 shekel
1 shekel = 0.31 dollar = 0.2 euro

Transportation to Jerusalem:
Tel-Aviv Ben-Gurion Airport is located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, about a 15-minute ride from Tel Aviv and 40 minutes to Jerusalem. An effective way to get to Jerusalem is by a shared door-to-door shuttle service, called Nesher Taxi Service to Jerusalem. It operates 24 hours a day, and can be easily found on the right as one exits the arrivals terminal. There is a set price of 49 shekel (or $15). No reservation is needed. Alternatively, one can take a taxi to Jerusalem, which would cost about 170 shekel. Either way, ask the driver to be dropped off at your desired testination. The guest house is Mishkenot Sha'ananim, in Yemin Moshe. For the Institute for Advanced Studies, ask to be dropped off at the main pedestrian gate of the Safra - Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University.

The Institute for Advanced Studies:
The workshop activities will be held at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), on the Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Institute is in Feldman building, the third building on the right from the main pedestrian gate, about 100 meters from the gate. If you arrive with a taxi, ask to be dropped off at the main pedestrian gate. The main phone of the IAS is +972-(0)2-6584884, active 8 to 4 during Sunday to Thursday. Givat Ram Campus map Givat Ram Campus map (zoom in)

Accommodation:
Mishkenot Sha'ananim is located not far from the old city and the center of town. About 10 minutes by taxi, or something like 45 minutes walk, to the IAS at the Givat-Ram campus.

Weather:
The weather in June can be pleasent, but it could also be quite warm. It is usualy dry (average dew point 51F), so one feels better than in more humid areas (such as Tel Aviv or New York). The temperatures in Jerusalem in June are average high 26C (79F) and average low 15C (60F), but they can easily rise to above 30C (86F) in hot days. The warmest ever was 35C (95F) and coldest ever was 10C (50F). This means light clothing during the day, and sometimes a light jacket at night. The IAS building is comfortably airconditioned.

Meals:
A full self-service lunch is available in the Faculty Club, Beit Belgia, for 44 shekels. The food is quite decent there, better than it used to be. We will tend to go there as a group at 13:00. Alternatively, there are other food places and sandwich/coffe places around the campus.
There will be several organized dinners, as specified in the program and social program pages. Some paid by the workshop, and others self paid by the participants who desire to attend. Otherwise, a list of restaurants in town can be found under Restaurants, or in other guide pages.

Offices and Computer Connections:
Every participant will be assigned a desk in a shared office at the IAS (see Offices, Phones). There is a wireless and wire connection for your laptop.
For computer help, the IAS system manager is Ofer Arbeli, located in the second floor of the IAS, or at ofer@prism.as.huji.ac.il.
In your browser, define an automatic proxy: http://pac.huji.ac.il/proxy.pac . Instructions for printing at the IAS will follow.

Sports Facilities:
Access to the Gym, tennis courts and swimming pool on campus can be arranged. Please get the details in the IAS office upon arrival.