My favorite place in the whole world to visit, no doubt is Israel. I have been there at least five times and I hope to get there again before I can’t enjoy it in all Ta glory.
I went to Israel for the first time almost 50 years ago. It was the summer of 1970 and I was 16 years old. I spent the whole summer there on a Jewish youth group,tour, USY Pilgrimage. For seven weeks we toured from one end of the country to the other. We spent many days in Jerusalem where it was safe enough then to,walk through the Old City on our own. We could walk through the Arab Market unafraid. We could spend time at the Western Wall without any fear.
But we also visited the entire country from the Lebanese boarder all the way down to Eilat. We spent nights in the Negev desert exploring the ecology of the desert. We were in Haifa, Safed, Tiberius, and of course Tel Aviv. It was a magical summer that tied me to Israel for the rest of my life.
It had such an influence on me that Levenberg years later Sharon and I spent two weeks there on our honeymoon. That trip was also marvelous. We even got time to spend with the Israel family. Uncle Lou and Aunt Ethel were still alive and we were really given the royal treatment. That trip,just tied me to Israel that much more.
Like I said’ I really hope I get back there again. Who knows what will be with our new normal but the history and religion and archeology of the area is unparalleled anywhere in the world.
