Cincinnati, OH

Hi.  My name is Nina. I am nine years old and have been to Israel twice in the last two years.  Israel means so much to me that I would be another person without it.  Some times I imagine that I am in Israel because I wish I was there so much. I feel that even though I was born in Ohio that Israel is my home. I'm not one of those people who just wants to go to Israel because it is fun.  I want to go to Israel because it is physically and emotionally important to me. I have friends there, my history there, and most of all, my soul is there.  If I had a choice I would live there for the summer. It would mean so much to me if I would get to visit Israel's beautiful water, wonderful people, and holy sites.  Just to be in Israel makes me feel that there is hope in this world of ours. 

I am not afraid to go to Israel.  Israel needs us the most now. If we don't visit the economy goes down, and regular, hard working Israelis get laid off.  If they get laid off then they can not feed their family as much. We have to go to Israel now! It would mean so much to me just to be in Israel for a day. Probably you can tell from everything I have said that I love Israel.  I am going to have my bat mitzvah there in 2 and 1/2 years.  I go to a Jewish day school that teaches me Hebrew. When I go to Israel I understand everything - the dancing, the food, and the language. The culture in Israel is beautiful.   It is my culture.  It is so special because whatever happens there, I feel it here.  Whenever something bad happens there, I feel it here.  Whenever something good happens there, I feel it here, too.  That's what Israel means to me.