Happy 4th of July from Israel!

Happy Independence Day! Today we traveled from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem via the Golan Heights and the Jordan River Valley. This travel time provided an opportunity to reflect on the notion of independence. I think we as Americans take our independence for granted given our immediate neighbors, Canada and Mexico. Nothing brings this to the forefront of the mind better than traveling through Northern Israel. Two days ago we visited the town on Metullah on the Israel-Lebanon border and discussed the many conflicts that have occurred between the two countries. As we traveled through the Golan we discussed the many conflicts between Israel and Syria as well as the ongoing civil war in Syria. Indeed, we could visualize the conflict from Mt. Bental (an extinct volcano in the Golan Heights). Put simply, sharing borders with nations that you have experienced political and militaristic conflict with on a frequent basis cannot be easy, but it does help one appreciate his or her independence and freedom. It also helps to put in motion creative problem solving, as necessity is often the mother of invention. We have seen many excellent examples of this on our tour of STEM facilities, especially when it come to processing water. Today, I am thankful for my freedom and my country’s independence and look forward to a time where more people can share these feelings.