My baby bro leaves for the holy land tomorrow and I’m not one bit worried. In fact, I’m excited for him. Jeff loves Israeli culture and speaks Hebrew quite well. I’m extremely jealous he is going and I can’t.

I know Israel has been all over the news lately for its attack on Hamas in Gaza. I’ll keep my history lesson short: Israel is a small country surrounded by its enemies. Would you feel safe living in an area surrounded by people who hate you and want to see you gone? Probably not. Israel gave the Palestinians the Gaza Strip in 2005. Hamas is a terrorist group that soul purpose is to take Israel off the map. For years, Hamas has been attacking Israel and finally Israel said “enough.” Israel is fighting back against Hamas - not the Palestinians. Its attack isn’t against Palestinians living in Gaza. People on both sides of the border are dying. Israel is trying to remove Hamas for the future and safety of people living in the area and in the world.

Like I was saying, Jeff is about to embark on the most amazing trip of his life and I don’t think he realizes it yet. My trip to Israel changed my life. It helped open my eyes to life outside America and the amazing Israeli culture. We went to some of the holiest historical sites, and some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

More than anything, the trip was important to me on a spiritual level. It connected me to my history and something deep inside me clicked. From the moment we landed, I was comfortable and felt safe. I was home. In fact, I want nothing more than to go back.

Many people have been shocked if not baffled with my brother’s choice to go to Israel. He’s going on a perfectly safe trip, sponsored by the government. He will not be going near Gaza.  He will not be brought into harm’s way.

I can’t wait to pick him up from the airport, see his photos and talk about the amazing experience he had. Hopefully his story and the stories others bring back will help bring prospective about the ongoing violence and reality that is life in Israel.