A decade of impact

In 2013, a report published by The Pew Research Center titled “A Portrait of Jewish Americans” revealed a rise in intermarriage rates and that a growing number of young Jews-many from interfaith families-were distancing themselves from religion.

Spurred by Pew’s report, Mike Wise and Avi Rubel founded Honeymoon Israel (HMI) in 2015. The nonprofit serves young couples looking to create connections with each other and to Jewish life.

“In my grandparents’ generation, [intermarriage] didn’t exist. In my parents’ generation, it was looked at as a taboo. In my generation, it’s just a fact of life,” HMI CEO Rubel said. “Instead of looking at interfaith couples like a ‘minus one,’ what if we looked at them like a ‘plus two’? We really want to see a thriving, vibrant, and diverse Jewish community.”

Celebrating a decade of experiences this year, HMI-a JUF grantee-has hosted more than 160 trips with over 3,000 couples. “We have seen such a need for this program in Chicago, and we’ve had an incredible partnership with JUF as well as with rabbis and the community as a whole,” Rubel added. HMI has run 16 Chicago cohorts with 300 couples since 2017. Following the attacks on October 7, HMI also hosted experiences in Argentina.

While HMI welcomes fully Jewish couples, approximately 70 percent of participating couples are interfaith. Seventeen percent of couples include one partner who converted to Judaism.

Alyssa and Nicholas Brescia participated in Chicago’s first Honeymoon Israel trip in 2017. Nicholas described the trip as a “a very positive experience.”

“For me, being a non-Jewish partner, I felt like I would have the most to learn, and it was a very unique experience learning it with my partner,” Nicholas said. “When you’re able to do something in an immersive way over an extended period of time, it really has a much bigger impact.”

“It was a priceless experience, and shaped our religious identity so much,” Alyssa agreed. “Through the conversations and experiences facilitated for us, we had the opportunity to truly think about the importance of religion and spirituality, and [HMI] created such an amazing community for us upon return.”

To continue conversations, connections, and study, HMI developed programming for couples following their return home. “While people feel welcomed and inspired by their trip to Israel, they often come home asking more questions than having answers,” Rubel said. “We’re here to shepherd and guide these couples into the larger Jewish community in the best way that’s going to meet their needs.”

“Part of the beauty is that these conversations are ongoing,” said Jonathan Wilson, a former HMI participant. Wilson joined an HMI trip from Chicago in 2023 with his partner, Sarah Sapperstein. “Going into the trip, I expected that I would meet interesting people who were in similar places in their relationships as us, but it was more of a fellowship.”

“I know the minute I have an existential crisis about something that is related to this topic, I have 38 new best friends who I can call tomorrow,” Sapperstein said.

The Brescias found their “closest group of couple-friends” on their trip, and routinely gather with them to celebrate birthdays, Jewish holidays, and other occasions as their families have grown. “The trip was awesome, but what’s happened after the trip has been really valuable, too,” Nicholas said. “It’s not just a commitment of 10 days. It’s something that will pay you back for a long time.”

“Our kids are like informal cousins to each other,” Alyssa added, “because of how frequently we get together and have all these celebrations.”

HMI Chicago plans to host its next trip to Israel in January 2026. To learn more and apply, visit honeymoonisrael.org/apply .