A journey to Israel is a journey to a place where the past and present call out to travelers in astonishing ways. There are layers of meaning everywhere you turn in this intense land, and why not? The history and legends of this country lie at the very heart of Western civilization's consciousness.

We are now in January of 2011. It has been a number of years since Ilana and I led a group from B’nai Moshe to our ancestral homeland. Recently, there has been a ground swell asking for a return trip. It may seem too soon to inform you that we will be going on a group trip again, sometime in 2012, but it takes a long time to plan and for those going, a long time to prepare to participate in such a trip.

Israel is amazingly dramatic and diverse; the more so when you realize the entire country is the size of New Jersey. When you find yourself in the silent, haunting desert scape near the Dead Sea, spotting goats on sheer cliffs that are dotted with caves like those in which the Dead Sea Scrolls lay hidden for more than 18 centuries. Or visit the beautiful oasis of Ein Gedi, which we had to bypass last time due to a flash flood. It can be hard to believe that less than 60 minutes away is the 19th-century East European ghetto world of Jerusalem's Orthodox Mea Shearim (100 gates) quarter. A few blocks away from this ultra-orthodox community, you'll find the labyrinthine medieval Arab bazaars of the Old City, with more than one of the pathways leading to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. Then, hop into a taxi to Tel Aviv on downtown Jerusalem's Jaffa Road, or take a bus from the Central Bus Station and in about an hour you're in a world of white skyscrapers, surfboards, and bikinis on the beach, with the Mediterranean lapping at your feet. Two hours to the north, and you can be exploring ruined Crusader castles in the green forests of the Galilee mountains.

As a visitor and one time resident, I have had the opportunity to see Israel from a number of different perspectives. When Ilana and I were married in Jerusalem, over 33 years ago, the country was a much more austere, no-frills society - Israelis lived with few luxuries, and the Spartan, close to the earth life of the chalutzim (pioneers) was still part of the national ideology. Today, Israeli society is "uber" inventive and modern; the country's economy is booming, the standard of living has skyrocketed, and many surveys rank Israel's per capita income among the top 20 in the world. Israel has become a nation with a lively sense of style and a taste for the good life. Luxury and better-quality hotel accommodations and resorts have popped up all over the country, and visitors find an interesting array of fine restaurants and shopping opportunities. Just imagine what wonders she could have already brought to the world, if she didn’t also have to worry about her existential existence, at the same time.

Nevertheless, with the Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Egyptian lukewarm peace treaties, a journey to Israel can also, easily, include an excursion to the fabulous ancient Nabatean city of Petra in Jordan, or a diving and snorkeling odyssey off the Sinai Peninsula. But amid Israel's busy swirl of exoticism, ancient sites, shopping malls, and crowded highways, you can still find young, idealistic kibbutzim and communities in the Negev. New immigrants and old-timers reclaiming the land from the desert still learning how to live on it, appreciate its wonders, and make it truly their own. You can, also, get the feeling of the old pioneering spirit with a trip north; where the smaller settlements of the Galilee and Golan return us to the pre-"48" days of excitement and discovery, working the land and restoring both our ancient homeland and building a new way of life.

Look for more information on the upcoming trip to Israel and speak to me or any of the 40 or so fellow members of B’nai Moshe who were on the previous trip. I’m sure we can convince you that there is no better way to experience Israel than with your B’nai Moshe family.