Message from Avi Rubel, CEO
February 12, 2025
Honeymoon Israel (HMI) is partnering with the One8 Foundation on a new initiative called Togethering. The Togethering program offers domestic immersive experiences for couples with at least one Jewish partner. HMI is thrilled to partner with Togethering to engage even more couples in Jewish life and community. As part of our partnership, HMI will advise on content and curriculum for both the trips and the follow-up programming, as well as provide staff support.
Togethering launched pilot programs in four cities in 2024 with great promise. Their four- or five-day trips take place at awe-inspiring destinations, and include pre-trip support, local activities, cuisine, culture, meaningful Jewish content and experiences, and opportunities to continue building a local community post-trip.
The couples served by Honeymoon Israel are not typically closely connected to Israel or to Jewish life. Togethering was designed to reach couples in the same demographic as Honeymoon Israel’s audience and provide a domestic travel option to engage these couples at this critical time in their lives. Our partnership with Togethering will ensure that both organizations can reach the maximum number of couples who are seeking Jewish connection and community.
At the same time, Honeymoon Israel remains committed to bringing as many young couples to Israel as possible and welcoming them back to their local Jewish community. In 2025, Honeymoon Israel plans to bring more than 300 couples to Israel, while simultaneously providing significant support to the Togethering team to execute 10 Togethering experiences in the U.S.
In 2025, the Togethering experience will be completely funded by the One8 Foundation, along with a $360 participation fee per person. Togethering is currently platformed by the Jewish Federations of North America. This kind of innovation and growth is so critical to continuing to serve the diverse needs of our community, and we are grateful to the One8 Foundation and all of our funders and partners for their generous support in this critical work.
We’re excited to continue to share more about the hundreds of couples we’ll impact together this year!
Honeymoon Israel is made possible thanks to the generosity and partnership of our supporters.
If you’d like to give to ensure more couples can participate in the Honeymoon Israel experience, you can make a donation.
