We are here. The Land of our People's Dreams.

People have died just to live in Israel. And people have lived just to die in Israel. Why? Why Israel? Why here, in such a little place?

You can drive over it in a day or fly over it in an hour. As real estate, its nothing much. But here, in this little place, much of the foundation ethic of Western humanity was born. The Bible was written here, and every Jew has a root here, deep in Israel’s stubborn soil. We will visit in Jerusalem, Sephorris, the Negev and the Galilee. We will follow the course of our peoples history that changed the course of human history.

Tomorrow we will stand before the wall of the Ancient Temple. For 1900 years, Jews have vowed, "Next year in Jerusalem." This wall is only one reason why.

Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac in sacrifice, is here in Jerusalem. This is the city of David and David is buried here. Mount Zion is here, and the Dome of the Rock. The Mount of Olives is here, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is here. All here.

Yet if Israel is only a dot on the map of the world, Jerusalem is only a dot on the map of Israel. And wander where you will, every inch is history. (The Bible is still the best guidebook to Israel.) Hear the names : Acre, the Crusader city. Beersheba. Eilat. Sodom. Massada. Even as we landed at the airport, we were a stones throw from Modiin, the birthplace of the Maccabees where we will spend shabbat tomorrow night..

And here you are able to explore the miracle of modern Israel as well as the ancient.

In a land of miracles, miracles are to be expected. And so we will see chemicals harvested from the Dead Sea where nothing swims, and oranges from the desert where nothing grows. We will find the cities crowded, the people vital, the life hectic, the weather mild, and the mood the mood here always changes with the events of the turbulent times.

You will find that Israel has no beginnings or endings. Time collapses utterly; you can touch the past and present with one hand. You will find a new sense of history here, perhaps even a new sense of yourself.

And you will never, ever forget.