In honor of Yom Yerushalayim, a generous anonymous donor sponsored an essay contest for Hillel students and alumni on the topic, “Why I Love Israel,” with $100 Israel bonds as the prize for the top three entries. Below are the winning entries. Mazel tov to the winners!

Why am I Living in Israel?
by Hadassa Raice Alexander

I sit here, next to my little toddler's bed. He's having trouble falling asleep, though he's been laying here for an hour. He told me, “The siren is scary, I don't like it.” And I'm still jumpy from running to the shelter a few hours ago. Rockets fired into Jerusalem on the day of its celebration…my heart is breaking. 

Am I crazy? What kind of psycho moves to a country where their innocent two-year-old son has to deal with the trauma of chilling sirens and frantic parents grabbing them and running down a flight of stairs to an underground room? I try to give my child the most secure and peaceful upbringing that I can -- what on earth am I doing? 
 
With a few deep breaths, and silent prayers, I try to remember. And the reasons are right there, next to my racing heart...
 
It's the land my forefathers were promised. It's the place Avraham left everything he knew to seek, only because his God told him to go. It's a land where Yitzchak was nearly slaughtered, where Yaakov dreamt of ladders and angels. 
 
It's the land where a group of wanderers came and became warriors, where they set up a kingdom, where they built a Temple. Two in fact. And hopefully, a third, very soon. 
 
It's a land my ancestors dreamed of for two thousand years. Cried and prayed for. Bled and died for. So many people gave their lives for me to live here. 
 
Whenever I go hiking and come across a spectacular view, I think of Moshe Rabbeinu, who never got to even glimpse Israel. He begged and begged, but left this world without being in this beautiful place. 
 
All Moshe wanted to do was see the land. And I, along with millions of other Jews, have the privilege to live here. How lucky am I. 
 
So, while I know my son will have experienced things that I wish he would never would have, he also has a unique advantage. He lives in a land of Jews. He's not a minority, he's a majority. He gets to walk the paths of his ancestors. He can visit ancient holy sites whenever he feels like it. He can speak Hebrew, and wear a kippah proudly in public. He can say Shabbat Shalom to anyone on the street. 
 
There is sometimes a trade off when you take a leap of faith. The land of Israel is worth it to me.

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Once You Know, You Know
by Mendy Green

“I’ve never been here before but it feels like I’ve come home.”

That’s what we Birthright and Aliya-makers all say when we land in Ben Gurion, isn’t it? 
Does everyone get this feeling? Like automatically connecting to a password protected wifi in a place you’ve never been? 

Don’t mistake me and think I mean “homey” like comfortable and cozy though, because I don’t. I love Israel because Israel is my Home. 

And, just like most homes, you’ll find impossible circumstances, divides and tension wound tightly with loyalty, compassion, trust, and familiarity. 

And once you know, you know. 

See, if you don’t know, then it’s just a wall. To us, it’s the doorpost we measured ourselves against as we watched ourselves grow up.
 
To you it’s just a small mountain with pretty flowers around it. To us, it’s where we laid those who bravely stood between us and danger, to rest. 

You may see an old cave. We see a place to pray to our mothers and fathers of old.
A rock can be a rock, until you learn the story of the hero lying beneath. 

It was just a football game; then you understood the significance of a Druze, Christian Arab, and a religious Jew all cheering their kids on from the sidelines in the Middle East. 

You may see a handsome young man walking down the street with his beautiful young wife but to some, she’s the commander on base. She trains for and carries out search and rescue missions all around the globe and her husband, he’s a commander too. 
He’s led four combat missions in Gaza in the last year and is often asked to advise on major operations. When they say goodbye to each other at the bus stop on Sundays, they both silently pray to see each other again.

Now you’ve seen this, you can never see Israel the same and maybe you can love this home as much as I have.

I am willing to bet that you already do.

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Why I Love Israel
by Jacob Busani

When I was two years old, my parents moved to the US from Israel. My childhood revolved around Israel and being Israeli. Hebrew was the primary language in our house. Having longed to return to the Holy Land my whole childhood, I finally made it there for my first time in 2019 and then in 2020.

When I went to Israel for the first time in 2019, it wasn’t under the best of circumstances. We had booked a ticket two hours before the flight because my wife’s aunt passed away mysteriously. Although the circumstances weren’t promising, 
as soon as we touched down in Tel Aviv, I knew it’s where I belonged. I got to my
Uncle's house in Rishon Letzion exactly two minutes before Shabbat. 

That Shabbat was something magical being in an environment where everything feels like you are at home, from the language, the people, the food. Even the shouting was
fulfilling.

My real Israel experience was Birthright Winter 2020 with Rabbi Dov Oliver, where I
got to have the full Israel experience. I even extended the trip for another three weeks and traveled all over Israel again just to know what I have been missing my whole life.

Now that I am back in the States for more than a year, I cannot wait to return. I started a fund for me and my wife called the “Coming back home fund,” so every year or two we can go visit/back home for a few weeks.

As a proud Jew my heart might be physically here, but spiritually, it is really in
Israel.

אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי
If I forget you O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. -Tehillim