What Israel Means to Me By 80 Prominent Writers, Performers, Scholars, Politicians, and Journalists

"The Mediterranean landscape, the exuberance of the Israelis, the way politics is a matter of life and death there-all these things beguiled me." (Erica Jong, author)

"What does Israel mean to me? Courage. The Israelis have more courage in their pinky finger than I have in my whole life." (Tovah Feldshuh, actress)

"It is an unparalleled story of tenacity and determination, of courage and renewal. And it is ultimately a metaphor for the triumph and enduring hope over the temptation of despair." (David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee)

"I have no desire to be like everyone else. Something in me wants the entry of the Jewish people into world politics to be judged by the highest conceivable measure. Indeed, that may be what is both so inspiring and confounding about the existence of Israel." (Rabbi Lawrence Kushner)

"Israel isn't a symbol. Israel is the practical manifestation of hope, freedom, and self-determination." (Larry King, television host)