My first trip to Israel was the summer of 2006, traveling the entire country with my synagogue’s youth group for a month. My next opportunity to return was for a few weeks in the summer of 2013 to focus on the flourishing presence of start-ups in this place where creativity thrives out of the perfect blend of necessity and passion. From there, I was hooked and could not go another seven years without returning.

I wanted to share my love and appreciation of Israel with others, so I started staffing Birthright trips. In 2014 I brought a group from my alma mater, Northeastern University, and in 2016 I brought a group of Boston-based young adults on a CJP Birthright trip. Both experiences gave me the opportunity to share what I love about this unique and awesome land. I could go on and on about anything from its rich religious history to the incredible advances of technology and innovation there, but what astounds me the most is the diversity and uniqueness of all the bodies of water connected by a teeny tiny country of mostly desert!

Nowhere else in the entire world can you find yourself jumping in the surf of the Mediterranean Sea, snorkeling in the Red Sea, splashing by the waterfalls in the Sea of Galilee and, of course, floating in the Dead Sea—there’s no feeling like that anywhere else on earth! The beaches along the Mediterranean Sea are paradises packed with thousands of beachgoers, perfect sand, warm ocean water and addictive waves for jumping in until you have to pause to watch the sunset over the water.

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Making the trip to Eilat never disappoints when taking a vacation within a vacation—everything from the bustling boardwalk to the crystal-clear Red Sea, where you can go snorkeling and diving to see breathtaking views of coral reefs and the colorful and diverse sea life, is right in front of you. No visit up north is complete without a water hike that is beautiful in every direction, and when you think the sweeping views and landscapes can’t get any better, you turn a bend and are confronted with a giant waterfall to rinse off and swim in before it’s time to head back.

Saving the best for last, no trip to Israel is complete without floating in the Dead Sea. The salt content is so concentrated that when you wade in the water of the Dead Sea, you float right to the top—no treading required! I cannot stress enough how there is absolutely no feeling of this kind of spa-like weightlessness anywhere else in the world.

When I’m back in Israel in a few months, you can be sure to find me soaking up as much of the water tourism as I can. I look forward to celebrating my admiration for the land (and sea!) of Israel at Blue & White Night on Israel’s 70th birthday!