Israel at 61

Israel has reached another birthday and each one is as exciting as the one before. It is amazing to see Israel so vibrant and dynamic as a democracy. Its people energetic and ambitious. Its technology highly developed and exported to the entire world. And yet, it maintains its old world charm: the cobblestones of Jerusalem or Safed. The infinite landscape where biblical figures roamed and the names of places that resonate from that time. Israel has something for everyone and it continues to grow.

One must wonder what draws people to settle in a land nestled in the belly of the pressure cooker that is the Middle East. Each day, Israel could potentially face a threat to its existence and yet, life appears to be everlasting in this country. There is a sense of calm as you roam the streets and the beaches as the tide rolls in.

They come because Israel is a haven as ironic as that sounds. When you watch the news, you think that Israel is such a danger zone. When you come there, you feel that it is the safest place on Earth. At least I do.

This year, the national independence day ceremony focused on the centennial birthday of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 as the first modern hebrew city and since then, has grown to be the "a city that never stops." It is a city that has a great cosmopolitan feel to it with great coffee shops, bars and nightclubs. It is also proof that Israel didn't pop up overnight. There was a base that began just after the inquisition and peaked after 1945. The most amazing thought about Israel is that it was created out of 2000 years of hope of Jews to return to a land where their ancestors ruled.

Every part of Israel is quite different from the other. Haifa is so much different than Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Despite the land being so small, there is so much to explore and you will not know all there is to know about Israel even in the span of 30 years. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to explore this dynamic country that if it was human, wouldn't be old enough to collect social security!

Here's to you Israel for being so amazing despite all that you face. Happy 61!