When I first started posting about our experience in Israel, I had no idea how many posts I would write or who would read them. Happy to say that good things came from these posts! Thank you for reading, commenting, sharing your own experiences, and caring. It feels like each post became a love letter to Israel and your comments created a little community connected by curiosity, shared experience, history, and heart.
One particularly unexpected and deeply moving connection came about through a friend in California, who knew someone in Israel, who in turn knew the parents of Ido Peretz, whose story I shared in Post 4. After reading my post, Ido's parents reached out. They felt that their son, killed on October 7 at just 22 years old, was sending them a message through me. They shared their enduring pain and thanked me for giving them the gift of remembering their beloved son. I pray that they find comfort in knowing that we now know of Ido, and that his 6 principles for a good life are a wise framework we can all follow. I cannot think of a more meaningful reason to tell a story. Words can travel farther than we imagine, connect people who might otherwise never meet, and bring comfort in ways we cannot anticipate. I will carry Ido and that connection with me always.
A special thank-you to my dear, amazing Israeli cousins for their endless warmth, gracious hospitality, and generosity. I admire their strength, perspective, dedication, and resilience more than they will ever know. They embody so much of what makes Israel and its people remarkable.
There is so much more I could write about: our visit to the Bullet Factory and the Chaim Weizmann house, in Rehovot; the Design Museum, in Holon, and the amazing fashion exhibit my cousins took us to; the wonderful bike tour of Tel Aviv led by our knowledgeable tour guide, Ishay; the eclectic Ilana Goor Museum in Jaffa; the history and beauty of ancient Caesarea; the strong community spirit of Israelis; the energy, and vitality of Haifa and Tel Aviv; our walk through Jerusalem’s diverse neighborhoods.
But some things cannot be captured in words. You have to experience them yourself. You have to walk the streets, meet the people, explore the history, absorb the contrasts, and feel the extraordinary mix of energy, diversity, beauty, heartbreak, and hope that makes Israel what it is.
If there is one thing I hope these posts have accomplished, it is to encourage you to look beyond headlines. To ask questions, explore the history, listen to the people, and discover the human stories that too often go untold.
Israel is a country of complexity, but also humanity. Its strength lies not only in its history or its ability to endure, but in its people, in their determination to live, build, create, care for one another, and move forward, even in the face of unimaginable challenges.
We must remain connected, united, strong, and supportive of one another. Our history reminds us why this matters. Our future depends on it.
Come along. Look closer. Discover Israel beyond headlines.
Caesarea National Park, Israel
Touring Tel Aviv by bicycle.
Design Museum Holon
View from inside Ilana Goor Museum, Jaffa, Israel
