Birthright Israel Love Story: Halley & Joe Lipsky

Halley and Joe Lipsky’s love story began at JFK Airport on January 1, 2014, waiting to board a flight to Israel. As the entire Birthright Israel group made their way through El Al security, Halley and Joe were held back for a minute. This was when they started chatting and never stopped getting to know each other for the remainder of the trip. The couple began dating as soon as they got back to New York and a few years later in December 2018 got engaged in London. They had their eyes set on a big wedding in March 2020, but due to the pandemic, their plans changed. Instead, they were married in a small backyard wedding in August 2020.

Throughout their time together, Halley and Joe have dedicated countless hours to Birthright Israel Foundation to ensure the program remains a constant in the lives of young Jews. We are grateful for their involvement and look forward to what their future holds.

Q&A with Halley & Joe Lipsky

What made each of you want to travel to Israel with Birthright Israel in the first place? 

Halley & Joe: “We both were seeking an adventure while wanting to learn more about our heritage. We are both very adventurous people, and Birthright Israel is now a staple of our relationship. We were also both raised in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods and wanted to learn more about the region that brought us all together, so again Birthright Israel was a no-brainer.

Did either of you think you’d meet your future partner on Birthright Israel? 

Halley & Joe: “No, both of us were recently getting out of other relationships. Looking back, I think this was a big factor in us getting together. We both went on this trip with the mindset of having fun. Not having the pressure of meeting people allowed us to be ourselves.”

Can you pinpoint the one moment on the trip when you both knew you’d fallen in love? 

Halley & Joe: “There was one moment on the bus ride when we were going to ride camels. The trip leader told us we would have to partner up for this. We were not sitting together, and we both turned to look at each other at the same time to see if we wanted to partner up.”

What were the biggest takeaways from your Birthright Israel experiences outside of meeting each other? 

Halley & Joe: “Meeting and bonding with other people on the trip, especially the soldiers. Being in a new place with new people is very exciting. We earned a lot about ourselves during this experience.”

What was it like to have this experience with Israelis?

Halley & Joe: “This was our first experience meeting Israelis, and it was a memorable time. We all became close very fast, which allowed us to have an experience that I don’t think we would have had without them. It was interesting to learn firsthand what their lives are like and how that compares to ours. It gives you a different perspective on life, and that is invaluable.”

Do you two think Birthright Israel is an important experience for young Jews?

Joe: “Yes, outside of meeting each other, it had a huge impact on my life. It was my first time out of the country and it was what lit the spark in me to travel more. It got me so far outside my comfort zone that now my favorite thing to do is travel and learning about different cultures.”

Halley: “On our trip, we saw other participants who were not raised religiously decide that when they had children, they wanted to raise them Jewish. It was amazing to see how 10 days in Israel could make that significant of an impact on someone. This was especially moving since we both came from predominantly Jewish areas and it never occurred to us that that was something people didn’t automatically consider doing.”

If you could meet the generous donor who made your trip possible, what do you two think you’d say? 

Joe: “Thank you. We are so grateful for this opportunity. This experience has led us to get involved with Birthright Israel Foundation for us to give back and help other young Jews. We love being a part of the young leader’s committee within the Foundation as our way of pushing the mission forward.”

Halley: “I would thank them for selflessly changing our lives and the lives of entire generations to come! Going on our Birthright Israel trip wasn’t the outcome of the gift, it was just the beginning of our new journey. It allowed us to meet each other, experience new adventures, develop a deep connection to Israel, and even decide to help commit to help give others the gift of Birthright.”

More About Halley & Joe Lipsky

Joe earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Columbia University and now is the Head of Client Care at Reload Physical Therapy and Fitness. Halley is a Solutions Architect at New York City tech startup RippleMatch.
The couple lives in Long Island City, and in their free time, they enjoy being outdoors, taking on new challenges. Halley is currently training for the NYC Marathon and Joe is training for a Half Ironman. Lastly, be sure to catch up with Joe on his Instagram!