"Honeymoon Israel serves as gateway to Jewish community for diverse couples" "We were really attracted to Honeymoon Israel because we loved the idea of having a community to come back to," Sorkin said. The Phoenix Holdings Ltd was founded in 1949 and is based in Givatayim, Israel. It was so important to both of us that he feel welcomed into my Jewish 'family,' and after our experience with Honeymoon Israel, we now have that! “For people outside the community, this connection they have to Israel is something that can be quite challenging,” she notes. They include Jewish women and men married or engaged to non-Jewish men and women, Jewish women and men married or engaged to converts, converts in long-term relationships with non-Jews, a transgender couple, a disabled reality television star and an expectant mom. We will ensure that all groups are following the most updated safety and security guidelines in Israel. Valley Beit Midrash has been selected as a partner to pilot a new national initiative, Honeymoon Israel, which will bring 20 Phoenix couples, ages 20-45, on a trip to Israel. The two groups are traveling separately. %PDF-1.5 This was the third cohort to go to Israel through Valley Beit Midrash. The couples from Los Angeles are a diverse bunch. Inspired by the success of Birthright, he thought it would be a good way to provide couples on the fringes of Jewish life with an experience to keep them connected and engaged. Adoption Journeys with Honeymoon Israel: A conversation with other HMI couples on adoption journeys and joys, facilitated by East Bay Director of Community Engagement Curtis Sechrist and NYC alum Katie Foley. “We’re still thinking about it,” replies Mia. “The other day we walked into an Orthodox synagogue, and these women were dancing and I joined them. �V@�7���m-ۻ�À�*����.�6�YM�u(��}q_��r�ܚ�+�f|�_- ��e7ֵ+>Ÿ���Ʊn��0_���E��i�ɮ�g%05����:Lf�*�Nk Of the $10,000 cost of the trip, they pay only $1,800. Honeymoon Israel’s two pilot trips, from Los Angeles and Phoenix, arrived in late May with 20 couples each. Ari Kadim was raised in an ultra-Orthodox home in Brooklyn, and Mary Davis grew up Christian. OVERVIEW. )��܏�:��T�M]��jC�UكjS�G�7�]A*�`�5�+T��~��Ъ����Ph�L|��"�=|�/�1\�j�}u]���-�L� ��dM;@�V;"�����71��f-����& For many of the diverse participants this was their first exposure to the Holy Land. Start your new life in style in a Arizona honeymoon resort. <> Read and compare over 4669 reviews, book your dream hotel & … Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. 1 0 obj Since its inception in 2015, HMI has engaged Rosov Consulting to support, document, and evaluate the program’s early development and … She’s Jewish and he’s Episcopalian, and as they both attest, it hasn’t been easy for their families. In San Francisco, the partner is The Kitchen, an indie Jewish community with a lot of programming geared toward young Jews. “It’s kind of strange that I’m actually here for the first time as a Jew.”, Needless to say, their union hasn’t gone down well with some members of Ari’s family. But we should also strive to be a community on the cutting Honeymoon Israel: What we’ve learned | Commentary | jewishaz.com Sunday, September 13. Photo courtesy of Valley Beit Midrash endobj The Honeymoon Israel model is to work closely with locally based organizations to create a post-trip model of engagement with our participants. jenny poon Founder at CO+HOOTS and eeko studio. Wise, who is accompanying the Los Angeles group, came up with the idea for Honeymoon Israel after a Pew survey, published last year, found that American Jews were more assimilated than ever. 2 0 obj Take a look at the upcoming trips below to find out if Honeymoon Israel is currently in your city and when the application opens! “We’ve had lots of conversations during this trip about creating Jewish families,” he relays. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Twenty couples from Phoenix and Tucson recently traveled to Israel through the Honeymoon Israel program. %���� Schneider, who was leading a Kol Ami Israel trip, had officiated at these couples’ weddings and/or baby namings. ݽ,5�MTe������±"6��R��c �-��H��9p��B��7����%� � �1V^�'}�թO**��~Yb�,���D���)��a���"�T�@ɀ}! [�q���s�R[�w6C��U,J��O�'.$�L(�e�|�(��W�?�"��>p��j��W���ܞ�o�d���g�-,��j���͚ ��E��?8V�F/x��8\ �p�WvT�p�ql؁ܢ�Dw;W�*�x^�@�r4�&�n3�(���;w�7�Ǒ���l�W�Q* ?�^}C[�$@Gxw���TR-�:�ԓ�(?W�mp����D9L��L�Z{7��HTu��Z��T�2auۼ��5:>K�h� �#�_�?��_GcDch7Lm�״b�t���2��O6ԥ�:ݑak�Ҽ��V;|b,��pj�ӥ&��j6Qw��x�@S�}���[�jV������Nilé1q"t���J7�"����n-jj��P���T����/Nf�Gr2/`��ulʚa�T�'Q6����r�a*K�z{�����h���e����xĕB�ƞl[��-�S�-�:I�P]��&P��Q���o���S�2ʤ��t hb8��A!z�ޥ@�SǬ���P�L���'a�r�bbhڈtB�>���NPF�ߖ��JC���� 5;�r 9��XAe�h�|B�&yE�E�H���{ �d\�x��)R�x��˓�"���`�eFY�5�mCxGh��?��(�WX����D�^��D��p����n*��%0�<8n�*X��^���QI��$�pU�Fйjp����P��b��/�0���Ͳ�"�l>Gg*��e��Š�q�cq`ǁ ��{�!�c4%;K����(�/��&_�:R�6 �x1��. ޘt_���6n�`�1c����vnۈ��U�В2��/i��ҵC�vEM/�΍C��P��tCZ�rqD�&��T^&>�� Serenading your loved one: The first Birthright Honeymoon Israel group visiting Caesarea this week. Honeymoon Israel is the sole owner of any information collected on this site. o�G�5�k�. The group was led by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash of Phoenix, and Matt Landau of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. The cheapest ticket to Israel from Phoenix found in the last 72 hours was $1,175 one-way, and $813 round-trip. Honeymoon Israel helped lay the foundation for us to create community. Since returning home we have found confidence and pleasure in being Jewish 'our way' instead of any kid of 'right' way. Event Information. <> LISTEN, Will Bibi and the Arab Voters Get Married, and Where Has Ideology Gone? ... Phoenix, Arizona. When exactly that happens, they say, is not super-critical. “For every open spot we have, four couples have applied,” reports Rubel. x��Z[S�~����ǸjPt�55�Sa�Yf�԰��0�qmH8����O���X��;�>���3����&��ȧO�iU�W���.�jy��������"���b|�xY᭓�*V� 9�SM�)���no|z���-�o�{���F�_,���)��W�h� Honeymoon Israel (HMI) provides immersive trips to Israel for young couples consisting of at least one Jewish partner, with the goal of building families and communities that are meaningfully connected to Jewish life and the Jewish people. They were married exactly one month ago, right after Mary completed her conversion to Judaism. Long before they found out about Honeymoon Israel, she and Dave had planned to travel to Israel for their real honeymoon, once they were married. “We don’t want to tell them how to do it, but rather, we let them come up with ideas themselves.”. The couples gather around their guide to hear a brief introduction to its history, then wander off on their own, many hand-in-hand, to take in the romantic setting. Honeymoon Israel. With Expedia, enjoy free cancellation on most Camelback East Honeymoon Resorts & Hotels! LISTEN, North African Jews Also Murdered at Death Camp Sobibor, New Excavation, North African Jews Also Murdered at Death Camp Sobibor, New Excavation Reveals. The group met at a March 2 gathering in Phoenix before their trip, scheduled for May 28-June 7. “But you know what,” says Nick, “last night, when were sitting out looking over the Sea of Galilee, I said to Stacy, ‘Thank you for being born Jewish because otherwise we would never have this experience together.’”. Participating in this inaugural trip are 20 couples from Los Angeles and another 20 from Phoenix. Honeymoon Israel takes safety and security seriously. There was an outsize demand — 85 couples applied from Los Angeles and 51 from Phoenix … Corbet, who is not Jewish, says she hoped to gain a better understanding of her future husband and his family through this trip. “Growing up, I always thought I’d visit Israel as a Christian,” she notes. Twenty Valley couples have been selected for the first-ever Honeymoon Israel trip. Honeymoon Israel (HI) helps couples with at least one Jewish partner to travel to and experience Israel. As we continue strengthening the Phoenix Jewish community, we need to address our day-to-day needs that sustain us. 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT yϓ�;��l8_���)}NtY�, �� Honeymoon Israel trips run at scheduled times throughout the year and are organized by city in order to facilitate community building. <>>> Honeymoon Israel’s two pilot trips, from Los Angeles and Phoenix, arrived in late May with 20 couples each. - Kevin & Kelsey. They haven’t yet decided on a date for their wedding, but officially, Mia Schaikewitz and Dave Labowitz – both Jews by birth – are engaged to be married. Browse our selection of 5 hotels with prices from $74. Eric Mirowitz and Hilary Corbet have been together for five years and are getting married next month. The first two groups will arrive in Israel in the spring – one from Los Angeles and one from Phoenix, Arizona. Upon your request for more information about Honeymoon Israel programs, we may forward your contact information only to relevant partners that operate our trips and support trip alumni. Rosana, his partner, is not Jewish. "I think in many ways, it was the most amazing part of the trip. Honeymoon Israel couples gather in Phoenix. For many of the diverse participants this was their first exposure to the Holy Land. Inspired by Taglit-Birthright’s free trips to Israel for college students, this brand new program provides heavily discounted 10-day trips to the Holy Land for couples that meet its eligibility requirements. 3 0 obj There was an outsize demand — 85 couples applied from Los Angeles and 51 from Phoenix … “[HI] reached out about Phoenix being the pilot city,” said Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash (VBM). The program is being financed largely through a grant from the Boston-based Jacobson Family Foundation. The program is a joint initiative of two Americans, both highly experienced in the Jewish organizational world: Mike Wise, who has held various senior positions in Jewish federations, and Avi Rubel, the founding North American director of Masa – an organization that runs dozens of educational, volunteer and internship programs in Israel. Israeli ‘honeymoon’ Rabbi Jeremy Schneider of Temple Kol Ami, in back, fourth from left, meets up with some of the partici - pants of Phoenix’s Honeymoon Israel trip while in Jerusalem. This trip to Israel, reports Mary, is the first time she’s felt accepted as a Jew. Location. endobj In order to be eligible, at least one spouse in the couple must not have been actively engaged in Jewish life beforehand or been on an organized trip to Israel. The program is open to participants in the 25-to-40-year-old age bracket, who have been married no more than five years. ... Software Developer jobs in Phoenix, AZ. Will Bibi and Arab Voters Get Married, and Where Has Ideology Gone? ��3�5��ΰ�4�nN׆���^f4�ќX� &������s� ��f�{3D�I�� ��-�����sD��������gj�LwB�ix`�f�95K�gh����#�Z�'��KM�br�(�L����~�0��1*d ǜ�2ѣ��@�VɁ�wy�MyS>�P8Bʆc����H���?F�HJO��*9P� Corporate Governance The Phoenix Holdings Ltd’s ISS Governance QualityScore as of N/A is N/A. More trips are planned. More trips are planned. Get The ... Nearly 1,000 couples have either gone on one of the 34 Honeymoon Israel trips conducted since 2015 or have been accepted on an upcoming trip through next May. Fall in love all over again with 17890 honeymoon resorts in Arizona and get away from it all. We also learned that it was possible to participate even before we got married.”, So where will they go now on their actual honeymoon? “So Dave started googling the words ‘honeymoon’ and ‘Israel’ and we discovered this program. Honeymoon in Israel Phoenix Group D a y O n e : T h u r s d a y , M a y 2 8 , 2 0 1 5 DEPARTURE Depart the U.S.A. Overnight: Flight D a y T w o : F r i d a y , M a y 2 9 , 2 0 1 5 ARRIVAL Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. “I’ve never been out of the United States and I always said to myself that before I go anywhere else, I have to go to Israel first,” she says. ... Honeymoon Israel is working with a local partner in each city to plan and staff the trips. CAESAREA – It’s officially billed as a honeymoon trip, but few of the couples on this program are actual newlyweds. When he was approached with the idea of piloting the program in Phoenix, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, executive director of Valley Beit Midrash, said he jumped at the chance. The following one, scheduled for December, will bring groups from San Diego and San Francisco. Spend nine exhilarating, romantic and memorable days exploring Israel with your partner, while building friendship and community with other couples from your city. Honeymoon Israel started with trips from Phoenix and Los Angeles in May 2015 and now sends groups from Atlanta and 13 other cities in the United States. Couples participate in cohorts of 20 couples from the same city to start the process of community building. On Day 7 of their jam-packed trip, the Los Angeles group breaks for a short stop at Caesarea, an affluent seaside town known for its ancient Roman ruins, before heading south to Tel Aviv. For that reason, you must live in the city/community of the trip for which you apply. Honeymoon Israel. endobj Thanks to the vision and generosity of a family foundation and the guidance of our Board Chair, former UJC and JESNA Chairman Joe Kanfer and our Advisory Board Chairman Avraham Infeld, Honeymoon Israel is launching pilot trips in the middle of 2015 from Los Angeles, Phoenix and Atlanta. Photo courtesy of Rabbi Jeremy Schneider Honeymoon Israel has already contracted Daat, a tour operator that specializes in high-end educational trips, to run the pilot programs this spring. Maiden ‘Birthright for Honeymooners’ Trip Brings 40 Couples From L.A. and Phoenix to Israel . jenny poon. The most popular route is from Phoenix to Tel Aviv, and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $376. The next trip in October will bring groups from Colorado and Washington D.C. Aron Macarow and Rosana Alcantar, a transgender couple, are not really thinking about getting married, even though they’ve been together for four years. Some Phoenix-area school districts closing all schools due to coronavirus. Today, she is a disability advocate and star of the reality show “Push Girls” on the Sundance Channel. Honeymoon Israel is planning to bring 45 trips to Israel through the end of 2017 and already has another five booked. September 2016. “There are so many other interfaith couples with us here,” notes Aron, “that it’s provided us with a comfortable space to talk about what it’s like.”, Stacy and Nick Soper have been married for three years. Honeymoon Israel’s two pilot trips, from Los Angeles and Phoenix, arrived in late May with 20 couples each. Only two couples in the group hold the distinction of having both partners born Jewish. Honeymoon Israel’s two pilot trips, from Los Angeles and Phoenix, arrived in late May with 20 couples each. stream The real purpose of Honeymoon Israel, as its organizers stress, is to provide participants with their first meaningful Jewish experience as a couple. Through the Honeymoon Israel journey, we hope that each of our couples finds personal and meaningful ways to connect themselves and their families to Jewish life and the Jewish people. “Maybe Italy, or perhaps Greece.”, Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, and analysis from Israel and the Middle East, © Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved, Get email notification for articles from Judy Maltz. 8,535 open jobs. “My father said he would not recognize the marriage,” says Kadim, who only recently reconnected with his estranged parent. Experience Israel say, is the Kitchen, an indie Jewish community with a of... 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