HMI Comes Together: Middle East War Update
2026-03-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
HMI Comes Together: Middle East War Update
Thursday, March 12 at 2:00 pm ET/ 11:00 am PT
Zoom (link provided in your confirmation email)
This one-hour gathering will include:
• A conversation between Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer at Israel Policy Forum and Avi Rubel, HMI CEO & Co-Founder. They’ll provide insight into the rapidly escalating war in the Middle East and the complex web of American, Israeli, and regional dynamics shaping this moment.
• Small-group conversations with members of the HMI community in Israel — including staff, tour guides, and Israeli couples from this year’s mifgash program — sharing how the war is affecting their daily lives.
REGISTER

National Unity Event
2024-11-10 15:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Stand Together: Unity, Strength, and Resilience
Sunday, November 10 at 3:00 pm
Washington, D.C.
Join HMI on Sunday, November 10, in Washington, D.C. at Stand Together – an event of unity, strength, and resilience. Just one year after the historic March for Israel, this event will demonstrate the Jewish community’s commitment to unity in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the unprecedented spike in antisemitism that followed and continues.
If you would like to secure a ticket for the event, you can register through the Stand Together website or request to be with the HMI crew by registering below. Please register by October 31.
Note: Apply for an HMI Alumni Micro Grant and get up to 50% of your travel costs reimbursed, up to a maximum of $200 per person.
Request to be seated with the HMI crew

Virtual Family Building Support Group
2024-09-24 20:00 - 21:30, 2024-09-12 20:00 - 21:30, 2024-08-27 20:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York)
HMI, in partnership with Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF), is launching a virtual peer support group led and moderated by an experienced licensed therapist for anyone experiencing challenges on their family building journey. This support group is open to all alumni couples and couples waiting to travel with HMI. Register below for any and all dates that work for you.
Session Dates: Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET | 5:00 pm PT

Tuesday, August 27

Thursday, September 12

Tuesday, September 24

Thanks to the generosity of JFF, there’s no cost to join this support group! The support group will meet via Zoom. Participants will receive the Zoom link prior to the first session.
How To Register:

Click here and enter your personal information
Under “RSVPS: National Support Groups” – select the session(s) you’d like to attend.

8/27/24 – HMI/JFF Peer Support
9/12/24 – HMI/JFF Peer Support
9/24/24 – HMI/JFF Peer Support

Under “How did you hear about us?” – select “Honeymoon Israel”
Answer any other questions and click “Submit”

Virtual Gathering: HMI Explores Juneteenth
2024-06-19 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Virtual Gathering: HMI Explores Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 19 at 12:00 pm ET | 9:00 am PT via Zoom
Click here to RSVP!

Join us for HMI Explores Juneteenth, a virtual Juneteenth program featuring HMI guest educator Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein and HMI alum and educator Rafael Lev. Learn how we, as a Jewish community, can support and advocate for racial justice!
This event is open to all HMI alumni, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to join us in this meaningful exploration of Juneteenth and its significance in our collective journey towards a more inclusive and just society.
RSVP

Matzah Ball Hotline - Get All Your Passover Questions Answered LIVE!
2024-04-21 21:00 - 22:00, 2024-04-17 23:00, 2024-04-17 20:00 - 21:00, 2024-04-11 19:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
This year, some of our incredible HMI rabbis and educators have signed up to be part of what we’re affectionately calling HMI’s Matzah Ball Hotline (like the Butterball Hotline for all you West Wing fans out there). The Matzah Ball Hotline is a time to virtually drop in and ask questions both big and small about hosting or attending a Passover seder!
Virtual Sessions

Thursday, April 11 at 7:30 pm ET | 4:30 pm PT with HMI Atlanta Rabbi Rachael Miller

Wednesday, April 17 at 8:00 pm ET | 5:00 pm PT with HMI LA Rabbi Adam Greenwald

Wednesday, April 17 at 11:00 pm ET | 8:00 pm PT with HMI LA Educator Neil Spears

Sunday, April 21 at 9:00 pm ET | 6:00 pm PT with HMI DC Rabbi Ilana Zietman

Register

Virtual Celebration Honoring Mike Wise, HMI Co-Founder and Co-CEO
2024-04-03 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Virtual Celebration Honoring Mike Wise, HMI Co-Founder and Co-CEO
Wednesday, April 3 at 8:00 pm ET | 5:00 pm PT via Zoom
Join the HMI community to celebrate Mike Wise, our co-founder and co-CEO, who is retiring in April. Mike has had an extraordinary impact on each member of the HMI community, thanks to his vision and leadership.
Join us on Wednesday, April 3 at 8:00 pm ET | 5:00 pm PT for a virtual celebration. This is a special opportunity to pay tribute to Mike and how he’s touched so many lives, creating change in the Jewish community and in the lives of so many who are choosing to be part of the Jewish story. Click here for more ways to honor Mike!
RSVP

A Journey through the Jewish Calendar: In Conversation with Abigail Pogrebin (Virtual)
2022-10-24 20:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
It’s a new year, and there are so many ways to find meaning and inspiration in the Jewish calendar! That’s exactly what Abigail Pogrebin did when her curiosity around Jewish holidays (and what had kept them vibrant over hundreds of years!) led her to spend a whole year researching, observing, and celebrating 18 different Jewish holidays — many of which she’d never heard of! The result of that journey is the book “My Jewish Year,” a funny and profound exploration around Jewish rituals and the entire Jewish calendar.
Join us for a spirited discussion with author Abigail Pogrebin, facilitated by alumna and Chicago’s new Director of Community Engagement, Emily Achler, who also co-created HMI’s national book club in 2020. Alumni who register for this program will get a FREE copy of Abigail’s book! Anyone interested in starting a book club in their community will also receive an HMI toolkit and local support in getting things off the ground!
Click here to RSVP!

In Pursuit of Justice: An HMI Passover Experience (Virtual)
2022-04-20 20:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
Join HMI for an immersive, mind-expanding Passover experience. Guided by master Jewish educator, Rabbi Joshua Lesser, we will make modern meaning of ancient justice themes, participate in re-imagined ritual, and connect with an array of social justice leaders on the following topics:

Transgender legislation
Civil disobedience
Antisemitism in Ukraine
Environmental justice
And more

Absolutely no prior knowledge about Passover is needed to participate. Come as you are, bring a few glasses of wine (or juice), and we will take care of the rest.
Click here to RSVP!

Heartbeats of Israel Series (Virtual)
2022-03-06 15:00 - 16:00, 2022-02-20 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
Do you miss your Israeli tour guide? Don’t miss a chance to reconnect! Some of our amazing Israeli tour guides will be leading discussions based on the spirit of the book Heartbeats: The Insider’s Guide to Israel adapted for the COVID-era. This anthology was written by expert Israeli tour guides to share their personal experiences of Israel.
Check out the list of upcoming sessions to see if your tour guide will be there! On Sunday, February 20, we’ll be diving into the Israeli economy, and how this innovative country became known as “the start-up nation.” Join us for any or all of the five remaining sessions! Open to HMI alumni couples from across the U.S.
Upcoming Sessions:
Sunday, February 20 with Mike Hollander
Sunday, March 6 with Koren Eisner
Sunday, March 20 with Lior Hochberg and Shari Robbins
Sunday, April 3 with Rabbi Lana Zilberman
Sunday, April 24 with Yishay Savit
Click here to register!

HMI Lights Us Up Hanukkah Candle Lighting
2021-12-05 14:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
The HMI experience is so much more than a trip to Israel. It’s a global family and a local community that support each other through thick and thin. Even though our December trips won’t be in Israel just yet, we have some special guests from around the world who will help us bring light into our hearts and homes. Join us on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT. for a short and sweet program featuring HMI’s Co-CEOs Mike Wise and Avi Rubel, our HMI alumni, and all the way from Israel – our beloved tour educators! We can’t wait to see you there!

Learning Series: Israel, Palestine, and the Impact of Conflict
2021-07-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-07-21 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-07-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for three thoughtful sessions as we discuss Israel’s new government, listen to the life stories and perspectives of two Palestinians living in the West Bank, and come together in the wake of the rise of antisemitism in the US.
Palestinian Stories – Wednesday, July 14 | 12:00 pm ET | 9:00 am PT
Click here to register.
Israel’s New Government– Wednesday, July 21 | 12:00 pm ET | 9:00 am PT
Click here to register.
The Rise of Antisemitism – Wednesday, July 28 | 12:00 pm ET | 9:00 am PT
Click here to register.

Hungry for Love: a Tu B'Av Cooking Class w/ Jake Cohen
2021-07-23 20:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
Nothing says you love someone quite like a homecooked meal! Grab your partner and join HMI and food star Jake Cohen as we heat up the kitchen in celebration of the Jewish holiday of love: Tu B’av! Jake will be walking us through a few recipes from his cookbook “Jew-ish: A Cookbook: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch” and sharing how his recipes were inspired by his own family history, as well as his Persian-Iraqi husband’s culinary traditions and stories. No cooking experience necessary — just come curious, come hungry, and come reading to feel the LOVE.
Jake Cohen studied at the Culinary Institute of America, during and after which he spent time working the line at NYC institutions, DANIEL and ABC Kitchen. Eventually, Jake transitioned out of restaurants and into food media, first at SAVEUR magazine, where Jake led up recipe testing in the publication’s test kitchen. After SAVEUR, his career led him to writing and contributing to dozens of food publications, as well as serving as the Food Editor of TastingTable.com and the food critic for Time Out New York.
Friday, July 23
8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT

Juneteenth Conversations with Michael Twitty
2021-06-22 20:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
Join HMI & Chef Michael Twitty as we honor Juneteenth. Twitty is a food writer, culinary historian, and Judaic studies teacher based in the DC-area. He’s an icon in his work to help the public understand how African-American food shaped American cuisine. His Kosher/Soul exploration deals with how we construct our identities and express them through what we eat. It melds the the histories, tastes, flavors, and Diasporic wisdom of being Black and being Jewish.
Twitty has appeared on Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmern, Many Rivers to Cross with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, and has lectured to over 450 groups. He has served as a judge for the James Beard Awards and is a fellow with the Southern Foodways Alliance and TED and was the first Revolutionary in Residence at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Southern Living named Twitty, one of “Fifty People Changing the South and the Root.com added him to their 100 most influential African Americans under 45. Beyonce beat him out as number one.” He also made the Jewish Forward’s list of most influential American Jews. HarperCollins released Twitty’s The Cooking Gene, in 2017, tracing his ancestry through food from Africa to America and from slavery to freedom, a finalist for The Kirkus Prize and The Art of Eating Prize and a third place winner of Barnes&Noble’s Discover New Writer’s Awards in Nonfiction. The Cooking Gene won the 2018 James Beard Award for best writing as well as book of the year, making him the first Black author so awarded. His piece on visiting Ghana in Bon Appetit was included in Best Food Writing in 2019 and was nominated for a 2019 James Beard Award. Kosher Soul is his next book and will be released in 2022.

Tuesday, June 22
8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT

Unleavened and Unveiled: Sephardic Cooking Workshop
2021-03-28 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
This interactive, virtual cooking workshop features Chef Jennifer Felicia Abadi, a Sephardic & Judeo-Arabic Recipe Preserver, Cookbook Writer, and Culinary Instructor. She will walk through how to make Sephardic-style haroset (a sweet paste made of fruit and nuts, and eaten on Passover) and share a special Egyptian macaroon recipe.
We’ll get you thinking beyond matzah and brisket, and you’ll walk away ready to bring delicious, multicultural dishes to your holiday table!

WTSeder?!
2021-03-21 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
What’s the deal with Passover? Why are Seders so long? What’s happening with the empty chair at the table, and why can’t I drink beer at dinner? All these questions and more will be revealed at HMI’s ‘What The Seder?!’ Join Rabbi Josh Lesser, beloved HMI rabbi and master educator, for a crash course in all things Passover! This workshop is designed specifically for folks of all Jewish knowledge levels, so don’t hesitate to sign up. We promise you’ll be in good company.

Israel @ The Polls!
2021-02-28 14:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
Elections are over in the U.S. (thank goodness!), but just beginning in Israel. Israel went to the national polls twice in 2019, once in 2020, and will go again in March 2021. Join us for an exciting and exclusive opportunity to hear from HMI’s favorite political scientist, the esteemed Reuven Hazan (Professor of Political Science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) who you may have heard from while in Israel, discuss the Israeli political system and how it differs from the U.S. He will share about why no government was formed after the two elections in 2019, why one was formed in 2020 and was so precarious, and what the prospects are for the upcoming elections next month.

Pathways to Parenthood: Family Building Discussion with Jewish Fertility Foundation
2020-11-22 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom!
Join Honeymoon Israel and the Jewish Fertility Foundation for a discussion and information session on family building options. We’ll have a range of panelists speaking to different pathways to building a family, including break outs on IVF/IUI, surrogacy and adoption. RSVP at www.jewishfertilityfoundation.org/pathways.

Taste of Hebrew [Beginner]
2020-11-15 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Up your Hebrew Game and join your Honeymoon Israel friends + Ulpan-Or for a 60-minute Hebrew refresher!
Ulpan-Or is an innovative center for Hebrew learning. They use a methodology called Rapid Language Acquisition which allows students to learn Hebrew online, while making the ancient language come alive in a fun and welcoming environment. The Taster Class is your one-stop shop boot camp.
This program is for HMI alumni and couples who were scheduled to go on an HMI trip in 2020.
CLASS TWO
(Beginner – some knowledge of Hebrew alphabet)
Date: November 15th, 2020
Time: 5PM EDT/2PM PDT

Taste of Hebrew [Absolute Beginner]
2020-11-15 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Up your Hebrew Game and join your Honeymoon Israel friends + Ulpan-Or for a 60-minute Hebrew refresher!
Ulpan-Or is an innovative center for Hebrew learning. They use a methodology called Rapid Language Acquisition which allows students to learn Hebrew online while making the ancient language come alive in a fun and welcoming environment. The Taster Class is your one-stop shop boot camp.
This program is for HMI alumni and couples who were scheduled to go on an HMI trip in 2020.
CLASS ONE
(Absolute Beginner – no prior experience with Hebrew alphabet)
Date: November 15th, 2020
Time: 4PM EDT/1PM PDT

Holding the Bitter & the Sweet: an HMI pre-election community breath + shabbat
2020-10-30 20:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
Friday, October 30 | 8:30 pm EDT | Online

Taste of Israel for Postponed Couples!
2020-10-18 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
An opportunity specifically designed for couples slated to travel with Honeymoon Israel in 2020, please join us for a taste of Israeli food and culture that will help lay the foundation for your HMI experience in the future!

Avraham Infeld Soul Talk
2020-09-17 16:30 (America/New_York)
Welcome the High Holy Days with HMI and Avraham Infeld. Join for as much or as little of this 30-minute gathering as you’d like while we come together to share light, wisdom, and love.
REGISTER HERE
