In any normal year, summer is the time when thousands of Jews from America and around the world flow into Israel. Bar-Mitzvah tours in the Galilee, summer courses at Hebrew University, NFTY camp, birthright israel students- everyone is here. If you were walking down the Tel Aviv beach promenade last summer, you would have heard all languages but Hebrew. 2001 is going to be one of the poorest years for tourism ever. Israel hasn't seen such a difficult period in many years. The Tel Aviv promenade is empty.

aying goodbye to my family and my home last January for a semester abroad with NFTY's High School in Israel (Jerusalem) was one of the hardest things to do. Leaving home, I understood, was one of life's terrifying, yet important events. Though it was not a permanent move, it was nonetheless a challenge that kept me thinking long and hard into the night.

Saying goodbye to my family and my home for a semester abroad with NFTY's High School in Israel (Jerusalem) was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Leaving home, I understood, was one of life's terrifying, yet important events. Though it was not a permanent move, it was nonetheless a challenge that kept me thinking long and hard into the night. Amidst these rough waters, a friend's words helped me to make the decision to finally pack my bags and blurt out a "sayonara" to the world as I knew it. She had simply said, "Face your fears."

Summer: A time for fun, love, friends, sunshine, beaches, exploration and growth. A time to enjoy yourself without the demands of school and homework. It's the perfect time to relax, swim, tan and enjoy yourself between the toiling school years. Anyone who forfeits their right to a chill summer must be crazy, right? That's what I always thought... until this summer.