Stacey Prelutsky

By Stacey Prelutsky

I never had much of a desire to visit Israel, but then an opportunity presented itself during the Summer of 2014.  It was during the Israel-Gaza conflict and although several people chose not to go on the trip, I knew that I just had to go.  Despite the fact that this country was in an active war, I was able to experience all of the incredible sights, taste the delicious food and immerse myself in the culture, all the while feeling safe and protected.  There are two events that really stood out to me and made me really appreciate how resilient Israel and its people truly are.  The first was meeting the mother of one of the slain Israeli teenagers in the West Bank.  The fact that she was able to get up in front of a large group of people and speak so eloquently just weeks after the loss of her son was truly inspirational.  The second event was when we had to seek shelter in the middle of the night at our Tel Aviv hotel when a bomb siren went off.  Although it was terrifying in that moment, it really made me appreciate the sophisticated technology that Israel has in place to protect its people.  Whenever I am asked about my trip to Israel that summer, the word I most frequently use to describe it is life-changing.  I hope that one day I will be able to visit this incredible country again.