No Place Like Home

I’ve been thinking a lot about home lately. Our apartment is a haven in which I feel comfortable, safe and connected to my husband and children. America is my home where I feel secure and very fortunate to live. And I have one more home - Israel. On my honeymoon there in 1989, walking through the streets of Old Jerusalem, I encountered an elderly orthodox woman who encouraged me to make aliyah - move to Israel.  While I wasn’t quite ready to do that, I can’t explain how comfortable I was with the notion. It only took one week in Israel for me to internalize that Israel is my home, my birthright and a welcome place for all Jews.  Fast forward to the present moment where my home is at war.  The devastation is horrific, the losses beyond imaginable and yet I have no doubt that the Jewish state is, and will always be my home. Like so many, I just pray that Israelis experience peace in their country sooner rather than later.