It’s a complicated time to travel to Israel. Yet couples across the Boston area are doing just that. More than 20 couples from Boston have traveled with Honeymoon Israel to Israel in the last year. Why Israel? Why now?
“After 10/7 I lost a lot of friends who I once thought of as my community and my village. I was left feeling unsure about my future and what friends I would be able to turn to” (HMI Boston alum, 2026).
This HMI alum is far from alone. Israel is one of the most heated topics in the world, and many of our couples feel isolated from their friends and community members. At the same time, they’re grappling with their own connection to Israel: What does it mean to support and love Israel even when you don’t always agree with its political actions?
All of this as they fall in love, start families, and try to build a Jewish home together.
That’s why so many couples across the U.S. turn to Honeymoon Israel. When HMI was founded nearly 12 years ago, it did feel like a honeymoon. Today, the program has evolved to meet the needs of the modern Jewish community at a time when it can feel downright dangerous to be Jewish.
HMI provides an eight-day, highly-subsidized trip to Israel with 20 couples from the same city. It’s a rare opportunity to connect with couples in similar life stages, asking the same questions about how to build a Jewish home authentic to them, and finding a space where conversations about managing complexity is welcomed instead of shut down.
After she returned home, the same Boston participant shared: “HMI provided me with a new and wonderful community, and I will be forever grateful for that.”
About the trip
The itinerary is centered on themes of belonging and understanding. The places couples visit and the people they encounter represent a diversity of perspectives: Jewish, Christian, Arab, Ethiopian, and more. Israeli couples in similar life stages join each cohort for three days, sharing their own stories and experiences about modern life in Israel.
Each cohort spends a day volunteering, guided by tikkun olam: the Jewish value of repairing the world. Our groups join local communities to build school gardens, paint bomb shelters, or support food banks, giving participants a chance to meet Israelis affected by the challenges and learning how we can support one another.
Another participant from this past year said: “Honeymoon Israel gave us an experience that was both deeply meaningful and incredibly grounding. We had honest, thoughtful discussions and didn’t shy away from hard questions about identity, family, faith, Israel, and our own values. What made it even more special was doing this alongside other interfaith couples who were navigating many of the same questions, which was incredibly validating.”
The program’s signature HMI Conversations offer an opportunity for couples to engage in intimate conversation about big topics in a structured, supportive environment. Conversations include chances to connect as partners on their hopes for the future, and an opportunity to explore the ideas behind the land, state, and people of Israel, helping participants build understanding of the modern state. These conversations allow couples to hold real complexity, not through advocacy, or a single narrative, or an expectation that everyone lands on the same politics, but through thoughtful discourse and connection.
What about safety?
Safety is our number one priority. Travel to Israel can be unpredictable, which is why HMI has protocols in place to determine whether a trip is viable, or whether an itinerary stop should be changed. We work with our Israeli travel providers to ensure we have the most updated information. While our last option is to postpone a trip, we will not go if we don’t think it will be safe enough for participants to have the full HMI experience.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, HMI participants have overwhelmingly reported feeling incredibly safe on their trip to Israel, and confident in HMI’s decision-making processes.
It’s very valid to have safety concerns before traveling to Israel, and our team is here to answer your questions so you can feel confident participating in this trip.
Trip staff
The HMI Boston March 2027 trip will be staffed by two amazing Boston-area professionals. The trip leader is Marisa Wickham from CJP. The trip rabbi is Rabbi Jackson Mercer from Base BSTN. They’ll be joined in Israel by an expert Israeli tour educator and national HMI staff.
Rabbis or Jewish educators join each trip to provide additional context and guidance to participants. Trips often feature an “Ask A Rabbi” session, where participants can ask questions they might not feel comfortable asking elsewhere. Trip rabbis are there to support each individual on creating their own journey, and do not pressure any participants to alter their Jewish practice or convert to Judaism.
Who is eligible?
Couples come from diverse backgrounds and reflect the modern Jewish community in Boston. About 35% of couples are both Jewish, whether born Jewish or chose Judaism. About 65% of couples identify as multi-heritage or interfaith couples, coming from a multitude of backgrounds. The trip is radically welcoming to interracial and LGBTQIA+ couples, and anyone who has not found a Jewish space where they feel welcome.
Couples should be between the ages of 25-45ish, early in their committed partnership, and live in the Greater Boston area. At least one partner must be Jewish (we define that broadly) and at least one partner must have no post-high-school organized Israel trip experience. Couples do not need to be married or planning on getting married.
How to apply
Couples should submit their applications at honeymoonisrael.org/apply.
The priority deadline is Nov. 3, 2026, which gives couples an earlier acceptance, more time to plan travel, and opportunities for flexible payment plans.
To learn more about HMI’s program, consider joining an info session or signing up for the email newsletter.
Know a couple who’d be a great fit? Refer them today!
Contact HMI at info@honeymoonisrael.org with any questions.
Honeymoon Israel Boston is generously supported by CJP.
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