“Imagine a land 5,000 miles away from Washington, D.C., that is brimming with history, different cultures, incredible food, breathtaking landscapes, and many Jewish people.”
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That’s how Daren Proebstel describes his recent HMI trip with husband Elliot in his synagogue congregation’s newsletter. But he’s not talking about Israel.
Daren and Elliot, and 19 other couples, were part of HMI’s first Argentina experience, a limited-time offering for couples who weren’t able to travel to Israel this winter. Although the groups spent their days exploring Buenos Aires and the natural wonders of Argentina rather than Israel, the couples experienced the same opportunities for meaningful connection to Judaism and to each other.
“We can say without hesitation that it significantly altered our perception of what it means to be Jewish and to be in Jewish community with others,” Daren wrote. “And we would also go out on a limb and say that the other couples who were in our group would easily say the same.”
One of those couples is Eric Herman and Breann Sitarski, who found out about HMI from the rabbi who married them. Eric grew up Jewish and went to a conservative synagogue, while Breann grew up non-denominational Protestant. Their HMI journey is about expanding their community, and figuring out where their two cultures merge and how to fit them together.
And while their journey couldn’t start in Israel as originally planned, it still needed to start. Fortunately, they had the opportunity to find those answers in Argentina.
Now that they’ve returned home, Eric and Breann are finding new ways to keep a Jewish household.
“Shabbat used to seem a bit intimidating to me with the ceremony that went around it,” Breann said. “But [the HMI Jewish educators on our trip] really described and explained how easy it was to incorporate some part of Shabbat into our weeks: lighting some candles, saying the prayers and having some good food.” Since then, Breann says, they’ve been able to incorporate Shabbat practices pretty seamlessly into their lives.
And now that they have a Jewish community from HMI, they’re looking forward to celebrating bigger holidays as well. They’ve even made plans to celebrate Passover with their fellow alumni.
“It has been nice knowing that we are going through similar steps that other couples are experiencing.”
While creating these unique bonds to Judaism and each other, they were also able form their own connections to Israel while exploring Argentina – starting with their Israeli tour guides! Each group traveled with a beloved HMI Israeli tour guide, who brought their own unique Israeli perspectives and stories to the experience. Each guide led an Israel 101 discussion where they shared about the region’s history and their own personal stories on and after October 7, 2023.
Think you or a couple you know might love the HMI experience? Applications are now open for our Winter 2025/2026 trips to Israel with more opening soon! Apply now or join our mailing list to learn more and refer a couple here.
