wherever i walk, i am walking to jerusalem

in the age of technology, i have proven to myself-and all those who thought i couldn't do it-that i can manage for three weeks without my phone and my email. no texting, no blogging, no surfing...

you don't need that stuff in Israel. you don't feel lacking like you do in America. going back to Israel is like recharging your batteries. it puts you on a high.

unfortunately, highs are followed by slumps. i can't believe I'm back in NY. I've left part of my soul across the Atlantic. in that tiny country that captures the hearts of all who visit her. where you feel spiritually whole, connected to a whole nation. it's the land of my fathers. the avos walked all over it. moshe cried and pleaded to be allowed in. for centuries, Jews have dreamed of traveling to the land flowing with milk and honey. thousands have given their lives to defend it. how can anyone in their right mind want to give it away? especially to those animals.

there's something about Israel that has a very strong pull. whether riding the buses or walking the cobbled streets of Meah Shearim, or the bustling streets of Yaffo, or exploring other outlying neighborhoods, you feel an inexplicable connection to the land. when you say Bircat Hamazon, and you thank Him for giving us the land, it's the very dirt under your feet. davening at the Kotel is an experience like no other. to put your forehead against the stones and pour out your heart...all around the world people are praying to this very spot, and you're standing in it. you can leave the Kotel feeling much lighter because you know it's all in His hands.

everything is so much simpler and clearer there. you're given an uphill push, a boost to becoming a better person.