Visiting Israel, Interfaith Couples Find Jewish Roots
Source: The Times of Israel
A privately funded organization has taken on the challenge of preventing Jewish identity from eroding among assimilated US Jews, by providing subsidized trips for interfaith couples to explore their Jewish roots in Israel.
The Honeymoon Israel organization brings married couples in which at least one spouse is Jewish to Israel, for a tour during which participants get to sample everything from local food to ancient Jewish religious sites. During the nine-day tours the couples are taken to Jewish religious sites, given presentations on Jewish and Zionist history, and encouraged to sample the local cuisine, for an experience reminiscent of those provided by the popular Birthright visit to Israel for those 18-26 years of age.
Couples pay $1,800 for the trips, which are currently booked through the end of 2016, with a long waiting list.
Honeymoon Israel provides highly subsidized, 9-day trips to Israel for groups of couples from the same city. Couples must be in their first 5 years of marriage or lifelong, committed relationship, have at least one Jewish partner and be ages 25-40 (at least one partner must be 40 or under at the time of the trip). Honeymoon Israel is a completely inclusive program -- we welcome Jewish-Jewish, interfaith and LGBTQ couples.
See the Honeymoon Israel website for more information.