Let me tell you all about the first time I fell in love. I got off the airplane at the gates of Ben Gurion airport for the first time in the summer of 2010 and instantly felt this warm and comfortable feeling. I looked around, and just felt a huge grin form on my face. It was beyond indescribable, but four years later, it was like Deja Vu, as I got off that plane in the same place for the second time and felt it all over again. A place all the way across the world, where they don’t even speak the same language, felt like home to me the minute I got there.

Maybe I’m biased – I went to a Jewish elementary school, was submerged in Hebrew school, have gone to synagogue my whole life, and became extremely involved in BBYO, a pluralistic Jewish teen youth group as soon as I was of age to do so – I personally love being Jewish. Israel, as a country and all of the cultures that exist within, just became a huge aspect of my Jewish identity that I wanted to love so quickly. I dove in head first once I got off that plane and was instantly overwhelmed with comfort. From the beautiful beaches that cover many areas of the country, to the sunrise I’ve watched twice on top of Masada, the chocolate rugaleh I’ve eaten time and time again at the Jerusalem Shuk, the prayers I’ve recited at the Kotel, and the Hebrew I hear spoken when walking down any street – there’s so much for me, personally, to love. The many cultures found in every city – the food, the people, and the blend of religions all over – make me feel like I’m truly at home. As such a passionate American Jew, being in a place where I’m surrounded by everything and anything Jewish is incredible. Even when times get tough here, people just know how to stick together. Having been here during Operation Protective Edge and firsthand witnessing this country in a full-fledged warzone, I know that Israel does whatever it can to protect both Israeli and Palestinian civilians in times of need. There were bombs going off literally outside of my window, and I still felt insanely safe. It’s a little bit crazy, and maybe at that point I should hold back a bit, but I absolutely can’t.

With everything going on in the Middle East, every brutal bombing between Israel and Palestine, and every anti-Zionist move in the media, it seems like having this love for Israel is like a controversial, forbidden marriage. Its like Romeo and Juliet, and the way they had to go behind people’s backs to pursue their love. You just grow to love your home, and no place in the world feels more like home to me. I turn my head one way and hear anti-Israel comments, and look the other way and see “Free Palestine” campaigns backed up by false accusations on the Internet. I know people want me to be sorry for how I feel, but I absolutely can’t. I have always been, and will forever be unapologetically in love with Israel.