A week before my first trip to Israel and I am nervous and excited. Excited to finally visit the place that is so central to my prayers and rituals. Nervous that my expectations will not be met and I will disappointed in a place that I want so badly to love and embrace. The trip feels like a pilgrimage of sorts, a coming home, a return to something my heart needs. At the same time, though, I want to be dispassionate and not demand too much: I don’t want to risk losing the Israel of my prayers.

I am incredibly lucky to be able to make this maiden visit with members of my synagogue. The itinerary is stimulating and challenging and exactly the way I wanted my first trip to be. The question framing our trip is: “How does a country dealing with the basic existential question of survival not only hold on to its basic declaration of intent – to be a state both Jewish and democratic – but also create, build, thrive and grow?” We will travel the length and breadth of Israel with this question in mind, not looking for faults, but trying to uncover complexities: seeking to understand how it is possible to be Jewish, progressive, and Zionist in this most complex of societies. Wrestling with this question will be a journey that I hope will increase my connection with the State of Israel and teach me more about myself and the place my heart calls home…I can’t wait to get there.