Experience Israel together with your interfaith partner on this unique mission!

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Trip Dates:

May 12 – 21, 2019

Applications are closed.

Jewish community members and their spouses/partners who identify as an interfaith couple are invited to travel to Israel as part of a special cohort. Create community with your fellow participants as you learn from each other and navigate what it means to be an interfaith couple in St. Louis.

This trip is designed to engage couples with Israel and understand the importance of the land, culture, people and economy from the perspective of each other’s faith.

Supported by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the generosity of Stuart and Susie Zimmerman, this highly subsidized trip is open to eight couples.

The land cost is fully subsidized. There is an optional group flight available for $995.00 per person.

Click here to view a full itinerary of the trip.

Testimonials form Participants about their Experience:

• The Israel Interfaith trip was the most inspirational trip I have ever been on the knowledge learned and the experience that we had as a couple have made a big impact in my life. Going to Israel as a recently married interfaith couple made this trip even more meaningful.
• I feel so much closer to faith in general now – whether it is my Catholic background or my husband’s Jewish background. I loved experiencing this with him, and everyone else in our group.
• The trip provided us with a cultural, historical and religious perspective of Israel that we would never have been able to otherwise achieve. We wound up making new friends, enjoyed new food and spices, experienced life both similar and completely different from our own, and came back with a greater respect and understanding of each other’s faiths.
• The connections made between the attendees deepened the experience, made it more real, and the conversations each evening or on the bus rides, ranged from our experiences back in St. Louis, to our contradicting ideas about religion, and beyond.
• It wasn’t about the conflict, but about how families came together to build relationships. It wasn’t about the food, but about the love of community coming together with what they have to celebrate.

Requirements for Participation

• You are between the ages of 27 and 45.
  • Applications will be accepted from potential participants over the age of 45 with children 12 and younger.
• You are married or in a committed relationship.
• One partner in the relationship is Jewish and the other is of a different faith.
• You currently reside in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
• You are willing and able to coordinate one program for the group within a year of returning from Israel. This can be a social get together, volunteer opportunity or an educational program.

Mission Pricing and Details

• Land cost based on double room hotel occupancy – FULLY SUBSIDIZED
• Optional partially subsidized group flight at $995 per person

Mission Details

Services Included:

• Arrival and departure group transfer to/from Ben Gurion International Airport
• Hotel accommodations for a total of 7 nights
• Full breakfast at hotels daily, plus meals as noted on the itinerary
• All activity costs and entrance/program fees as per itinerary
• Licensed Israeli guide
• Gratuities for the guide and driver

Services Not Included:

• Airfare (OPTIONAL subsidized group flight – see details below)
• Meals not specified on the itinerary
• Hotel incidentals
• Insurance of any kind: travel, medical & baggage

Timeline of Important Dates

November 9, 2018: Application due
November 20, 2018:  Notifications will be sent to all applicants
December 3, 2018: Participant’s confirm their participation on the mission and let us know if they will be traveling on the optional group flight

Optional Group Flight

Seats are being held on the following United Airlines flight at $995.00 per person.

May 12, 2019
UA4434          STL-EWR         9:00 am – 12:18 pm
UA84              EWR-TLV         4:45 pm – 10:15 am (5/13)

May 20, 2019

UA91              TLV-EWR         11:10 pm – 4:10 am (5/21)
UA4355          EWR-STL         6:20 am – 8:12 am

If you prefer to use your frequent flyer miles, fly with another airline or modify the flight itinerary, you are welcome to book on your own, or contact Murray Travel at 314-426-6111.

Questions?

For questions or more information, contact Karen Rader at 314-442-3756 or KRader@JFedSTL.org.

Leadership

Staff
Karen Rader, Director, Israel Center
Karen Sher, Director, Community Engagement

Jewish Federation of St. Louis 
Gerald P. Greiman, Board Chair