Honeymoon Israel

[bonzo2012]

For those of you who are Jewish/married someone Jewish, have you seen this program? Has anyone done it? DH and I are going to an info meeting tonight to find out more, but of course first hand experience is always helpful!

if you haven't heard of it, it's a subsidized Israel trip for couples who have been married for less than 5 years. At least one partner must be Jewish, and they say they're very welcoming of interfaith couples. It looks like a neat way to travel to Israel for the first time. I can report back with more info after tonight if anyone is curious!

[missjenniebean]

Not Jewish, but sound like an amazing trip.

[bonzo2012]

DH is a lot more excited about the idea of going to Israel after going to this info meeting. I think it helped that we ran into a friend there!

If anyone is curious, here's the website: honeymoonisrael.org/

At least one partner has to identify as Jewish, and you have to have been married for 5 years or fewer. And at least one partner has to be between 25-40 years old. Other than that, they are really open which I think it great, especially for those of us navigating interfaith relationships.

We are planning to apply this weekend. I hope we get to go!

[toratoratori]

OH MY GOD THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THIS I WANT TO GO

[toratoratori]

Okay so, I looked at the website and it doesn't say on there that you have to be married for 5 years or less. I'm a little concerned - we're coming up on our 5th anniversary in September, but I don't see any upcoming trips for the Seattle area. I'm worried our eligibility will expire before a trip for our area is offered

Did you end up applying? Which trip?

[bonzo2012]

I want to say it said 5 years or less on the eligibility portion of the website. I can't remember for sure, so I'll double check. The lady at the info meeting also said it. Maybe you can call to see if you could be eligible for a future Seattle trip?

We've done most of the application, finishing it up tonight to submit it. We're applying for the March 2017 trip from Denver.

[bonzo2012]

toratoratori, I found it, the 5 years or less requirement is under "About the Trip." Confusingly, it is NOT listed on the dedicated eligibility page. Hopefully this means there is some wiggle room?

[pittpurple]

This sounds amazing, I wonder if it's an extension of the Birthright trips?
We have been married way too long but am going to send this round a few friends of mine.

I'm Jewish and DH isn't. We spent a couple weeks in Israel about 10 years ago and it was an amazing trip - hope you get to go!

[bonzo2012]

Mar 2, 2016 12:10:35 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

This sounds amazing, I wonder if it's an extension of the Birthright trips?
We have been married way too long but am going to send this round a few friends of mine.

I'm Jewish and DH isn't. We spent a couple weeks in Israel about 10 years ago and it was an amazing trip - hope you get to go!

They are not at all connected to Birthright. It's actually one of the things I like about HMI. I'd heard from a lot of friends who did Birthright that its very "marry Jewish, raise Jewish kids" focused, and especially as the kid of an interfaith couple that made me really uncomfortable so I never went. HMI is super open to interfaith and LGBTQ which are both typically brushed under the rug by Birthright and similar groups.

[toratoratori]

Mar 2, 2016 20:17:14 GMT -5 bonzo2012 said:

Mar 2, 2016 12:10:35 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

This sounds amazing, I wonder if it's an extension of the Birthright trips?
We have been married way too long but am going to send this round a few friends of mine.

I'm Jewish and DH isn't. We spent a couple weeks in Israel about 10 years ago and it was an amazing trip - hope you get to go!

They are not at all connected to Birthright. It's actually one of the things I like about HMI. I'd heard from a lot of friends who did Birthright that its very "marry Jewish, raise Jewish kids" focused, and especially as the kid of an interfaith couple that made me really uncomfortable so I never went. HMI is super open to interfaith and LGBTQ which are both typically brushed under the rug by Birthright and similar groups.

Really?? I did Birthright in college and they never once talked to us about marriage, kids, or anything of the sort. The whole trip was focused on Israeli culture and exploration and I had a total blast. I wish it had been longer!

[bonzo2012]

Mar 16, 2016 22:21:35 GMT -5 toratoratori said:

Mar 2, 2016 20:17:14 GMT -5 bonzo2012 said:

They are not at all connected to Birthright. It's actually one of the things I like about HMI. I'd heard from a lot of friends who did Birthright that its very "marry Jewish, raise Jewish kids" focused, and especially as the kid of an interfaith couple that made me really uncomfortable so I never went. HMI is super open to interfaith and LGBTQ which are both typically brushed under the rug by Birthright and similar groups.

Really?? I did Birthright in college and they never once talked to us about marriage, kids, or anything of the sort. The whole trip was focused on Israeli culture and exploration and I had a total blast. I wish it had been longer!

I hope your experience was more of the norm! Maybe it varies by trip? I don't know firsthand, since I didn't do it myself, I just know people in college who said that the trip leaders could be very lecture-y.


edited because autocorrect is not my friend tonight