As I watch the television displaying horrific and gruesome scenes of bombings and killings in Israel, I pack and plan for the two months I will spend in our unstable homeland. On February 5th, I will depart from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport; my destination: Tel Aviv, Israel. My best friend, Rivka, and I will live on the Alexander Muss High School in Israel campus located in Hod Ha'Sharon, twenty minutes from Tel Aviv. We, along with approximately one hundred of our peers from across the United States, will study, learn, and grow as Jews and as human beings during our eight-week stay.

From the program's inception, thousands of Jewish teens have passed through the gates of the Alexander Muss campus. Simultaneously, throughout the years, conflict has ensued in the bitter battleground of the Middle East.

Since the founding of the State of Israel, there has been rampant and random terror spread throughout the country, catalyzed by our Arab and Palestinian neighbors. As I prepare to depart, I face objections from family members, teachers, and friends who can't understand why I choose to immerse myself in this precarious setting during one of the worst periods of prolonged fighting in Israeli history.

I'll tell you why I'm going. Never before has Israel felt so alone. Americans sympathize for their plight and organize solidarity rallies, yet cancel their tours and urge others not to go because "it's not safe," because "it's better to go when the violence subsides." So many American Jews, perhaps even yourself, sit in "safe" cities, rallying, protesting, but not doing anything concrete, not helping the Israeli citizens when they need us the most, when they need us in person. Tourism is at an all-time low, Israeli workers are suffering from American absence in society, and the Israeli people feel very secluded in their struggle for peace.

Israel needs us now more than ever. It's easy to go when the country is calm and prosperous. It's not as easy when bombings are reported, when fear lingers. Sure, I can sympathize with the apprehension. But we live in America, not a glass bubble, and truly, anything can happen anywhere. How many killings are reported in New York each day? Does that stop us from going to New York? No, of course it doesn't. My program takes strong measures to keep its students safe. We will not be allowed to take public busses, to go to certain areas deemed unsafe, and security surrounding the campus will be tight to ensure safety in our dorms and classrooms. I feel proud to take on the responsibility of travelling to Israel at a time when many others are too scared to go. This will be my fourth visit to our homeland, yet my anticipation does not wane despite my past travelling. I can't wait until the airplane lands in Israel. I can't wait to kiss the ground when I'm there, and I can't wait to begin my studies, to meet new kids who will join me on the campus, and to revel in the country I love.

Each day before I leave, I fall asleep and dream of Israel. Before, I thought I would be in for an unparalleled experience, for two months that would change my outlook on life. I now know I have a greater purpose: I must spread solidarity to the Israeli people; I must tell them that they are not alone, that the American Jews are strongly behind them. I must prove it to them by going, because only then can they believe that the whole world is pushing for peace in Israel, only then can they know their sons and daughters who enlist in the army aren't fighting in vain.

For more information about the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, e-mail representative Nina Sherman at NinShr@aol.com or go to the Alexander Muss website at www.amhsi.com

Jaclyn Hannah Goldis is the news editor of her high school paper. She's a senior now, and a future freshman at the University of Michigan.