Fifteen years later...

Fifteen years ago today I went to Israel for two months with my schoolmates on the Israel Study Tour (IST). It was the moment we had been waiting for all our school life. It was not just about getting away from our parents or partying with friends. It was about spending time in the place that loomed larger than life. That omnipresent place that was the Jewish dream. We learnt about the creation of the State of Israel, visited ancient Jewish biblical sites, worked on a kibbutz and practiced Hebrew.

Today I am going to Israel again for two months to embark on a new Israel Study Tour. This time, I am going to learn about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. I will learn about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land since 1967, visit Israeli settlements and Palestinian villages in the West Bank, and see the aftermath of the war in Gaza.

I want to share this experience. I know this is an issue that many of you care about deeply. Many of you know more than I do. I hope that my personal reflections will trigger your own. I am ready for a debate...I already started one the other week with my dad about the Goldstone report on the Gaza war.

I will write every day for the next two months. It is going to be messy. I will talk about politics and religion. I will be emotional. I will make mistakes and I hope you will correct them. But most of all, I am excited to share this with you.

Let the journey begin. 60 days to go...