When you think of Israel, what first comes to mind? Unfortunately, for most people it seems to be all negative things.
Whether those negative conceptions are about safety concerns, some anti-Semitic notion or a disapproval of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they usually consume the mind of whomever is thinking about them.
Over the break, I had the fantastic opportunity to visit Israel. There is a not-for-profit organization called Birthright Israel that sends Jewish kids between the ages of 18 and 26 to Israel for 10 days. For the trip, you are assigned a group that consists of around 40 other Jewish kids your age.
For many people in the group, including myself, this was the largest group of Jewish people my age I had been around. Over the course of the 10 days, you come to know everyone extremely well and become more of a family than a tour group.
When my sister and I first found out that we would be visiting Israel, we were understandably excited.
But at the same time, we really did not know what to expect.
We have traveled abroad before, but only to places in Europe, places that overall aren’t that different from the States. My sister, being somewhat of a worrywart, was nervous at the prospect of going into what quite a few people perceive to be a dangerous environment. There were even some friends who could not believe we would willingly go into such a “hostile” environment.
While we were waiting in Newark Airport to board our flight to Israel, an Israeli woman started a conversation with my sister and me.
She asked about why we were going to Israel, if we had been before and if we were nervous. My sister admitted to the lady that, yes, she was in fact nervous.
The lady took a moment, pointed to a TV that was tuned to a news station and said, “Look what’s happening in your country. Twenty innocent children were just murdered at a school. Horrible things can happen in any country.” My sister thought about this for a moment and realized the lady was right.
During my 10 days in Israel I did not once feel threatened or in harm’s way.
As far as security concerns, being in Israel just felt like being in another European country.
I felt so safe, comfortable and welcome. I have a burning desire to travel back to Israel. I would even enjoy living in Israel for a period of time.
Israel is one of the most historical locales in the world. The roots of the world’s main three religions are in Jerusalem. Within an extremely small area exist neighborhoods of Jewish, Christian and Muslim cultures. 
There are a few things that can be taken away from this model.
There is a certain amount of peace present between the different cultures, but there is a definite tension that can be sensed, as well.
An example of cooperation between the different faiths lays in a building in the Old City of Jerusalem.
On the first floor of the building is the tomb of King David, a sacred site for Judaism. The second floor of the building is the Cenacle of Jesus.
This is the room in which the Last Supper took place, among other holy events recorded in the New Testament.
Obviously, this makes it a holy site for Christians, as well. On the top floor is a holy site for Muslims.
This building represents a hope that all the world religions can one day coexist peacefully.
While this building houses the three religions peacefully, not far from there is a very well-known building that is extremely important to the Jewish faith.
The Dome of the Rock is a Muslim holy site built above what Jews believe to be the Foundation Stone.
According to Judaism, it is this rock from which God started the creation of the rest of the earth and this spot where Heaven and Earth meet. It was upon this rock that Abraham fulfilled his test to attempt to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
As you can imagine, this is a very holy site for Jews. Unfortunately, no Jews are permitted to enter the Dome of the Rock, at any time.
Although there is definitely some tension in Israel between Jews and non-Jews, it is nothing compared to what it has been in the past.
The number of terrorist attacks has decreased dramatically in the past decade. 
The American media culture only serves to exacerbate the myth that Israel is much more dangerous than it actually is.
No matter what religion you choose to follow, or to what extent you practice that religion, every single person should visit Israel before he or she dies.
Even if you have no connection to a religion, being in Israel is just a moving experience.
The sheer amount of history that has played out in a place so small is astounding.
Israel is a country with a rich history and culture, and you should make sure to include a trip in your plans in the not- too-distant future.