I don't talk about Israel much on this blog. Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't. I'm a very political person in my real life - I used to work in politics, I have very strong opinions on issues, and I enjoy a good debate on any topic. But here on the blog, I try to stay apolitical. Israel tends to be a hot button issue for a variety of reasons, and most people tend to have opinions as far as what Israel should be doing about this or that. So I try not to get into it.

However, I do think that wherever you stand on issues relating to politics, all American Jews - all Jews worldwide for that matter, should develop a strong connection to Israel. We should all make the effort to visit Israel, regardless of our affiliation. Regardless of what we think about what goes on in the country, we need to know what is happening in the news.

For Jewish families who are multicultural as well, Israel is a great place for our kids to see that they are not alone. Israel is to the Jewish people as New York City is to the American people. It is a melting pot of people from India, the Americas, Ethiopia, Iraq, Morroco, Europe and Australia. We Jews have been scattered across the globe for centuries, and over the last fifty nine years have been able to find a home in Israel. I know that if we moved to Israel, it would be a positive experience for our children. Anna would fit right in - probably more so than she does here.

But moving to Israel is not for everyone, but it is still a good idea to find a way to make a connection in our lives here.