Amazing Day 1 in Israel

We arrived in Israel about 12 hours ago and I’m already blown away by this amazing country. When I told friends, colleagues, and family that I’d be visiting Israel for two weeks this summer the most common response was, “Is it safe?” My initial impressions of Israel from my half day in country have challenged and debunked the common belief that Israel is an unsafe and disorganized society. It seems that as Americans we have come to define Israel by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and assume the worst happens throughout this country on a daily basis. The fact is that as you drive around this nation the size of New Jersey you might be forgiven for thinking you are on the outskirts of Austin, Texas. As you move down the highway with the Fords, Chevys, and Volkswagens you see people pull into McDonalds and Office Depot and Toys R Us just like you do back home. Chatting with the people who live here and observing their behaviors you quickly realize that life is not driven by fear but by hope and love and creativity. Very quickly you realize that the media coverage that plays out in the States does a very poor job depicting real life in Israel. I’m so thankful to Tsipy, Norton, Avi, Melissa, Isabelle, and all the others that have made this trip possible. I look forward to my next 12 hours as I learn, see and understand more about the past, present, and future of Israel and this whole region.