1. INTERFAITH OPPORTUNITY SUMMIT 2016

2. The Mission
Honeymoon Israel provides immersive trips to Israel for locally based cohorts of couples that have at least one Jewish partner, early in their committed relationship creating communities of couples who are committed to building families with deep and meaningful connections to Jewish life and the Jewish people.

3. The EXPERIENCE

4. The interest Received 1,200+ couple applications
Since May 2015, ran 19 trips from 8 cities, bringing 340 couples to Israel
Planning for 25 trips from 11 cities in calendar year 2017
Participant statistics:
Interfaith couples – 69.2%
Both partners born Jewish and/or Jew by Choice – 30.8%
LGBT - 8.9%
Average Age – 32
Have Children – 15.2%

5. The Model City Selection
Jewish Community
HMI Friends
Home
Select cities where there are significant numbers of couples, a high density of Jews, a high rate of intermarriage, and engaging
Prioritize young couples, early in their committed relationship, with weak Jewish backgrounds/ connections
Design a trip that includes fun, adventure, Jewish ritual, volunteerism and time for romance
Introduce a framework that welcomes everyone, regardless of background
Forum for exploration
Identify professionals whose job it is to support trip alum by encouraging them to socialize, engage in Jewish ritual in and outside the home, and connect to community programs and organizations as appropriate
City Selection
Prioritize couples who “need” this the most
Help those who aren’t a fit for HMI connect to Jewish life
Trip Design
Welcoming Framework
Forum for Exploration
Bonds and experiences that transfer back to local community
Local professionals support couples afterward and connect them with local resources

6. Initial Impact Couples get what they came for
More balanced partnerships/relationships
A willingness to tackle religious differences
A new sense of feeling included in the ”Jewish family”
More frequent conversations about doing Jewish things
Actively exploring Jewish life and making new decisions
Building an HMI community
Connection and confidence in local Jewish community
Relationship to Israel

7. Feedback from Partners
“The trip was like a light-bulb for me. I’m seeing opportunities for interfaith engagement in ways I never had before.” – Professional
“Part of the problem is that the Jewish establishment doesn’t know the target people. We don’t know people on the periphery.” – Educator
“For couples that don’t go, we need to think about how we provide some inroads for them, so they don’t feel like the Jewish community has shut a door.” – Partner
“We see this as a unique opportunity to have an impact, but that only happens if we make follow-up a priority. Everyone learned the lesson from Birthright” – Partner
“People are excited. Lay-leaders are excited. Synagogues are excited. There is a buzz building” - Partner