On Monday, April 22, Israel observed it's 62nd year of existence in modern times. The dream of Zion and return to the homeland has always been the dream of Jewish people for thousands of years and it became a reality due to the Nazi persecution and Holocaust.

Here's some historical background via wikipedia: The State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948 after nearly two thousand years of Jewish dispersal, and after 55 years of efforts to create a Jewish homeland (Zionism). The 61 (now 62 years) years since Israeli independence have been marked by conflict with neighbouring Arab states and the Palestinian-Arabs. There have also been many negotiations, and peace has been achieved with Egypt and Jordan. Israel's democracy has survived under difficult circumstances and the country has prospered despite war, ethno-religious conflict, boycotts, mass immigration and terror attacks. Since the creation of the Jewish state, the percentage of the world's Jews in Israel has grown; at present, about 40% of the world's Jewish population are Israeli residents.

Of course the existence of Israel in it's current form arouses the emotions of the world. In the Jewish realm, some believe it's not right for Israel to exist as a secular state but should turn fully to observance of Torah and become "all G-d intends for us to be".

There are battles of the borders and boundaries and with several splinter political groups in the state of Israel, it must be a rough and tumble kind of politics over there.

The Jewish people continue to survive through thousands of years of persecution to now reside in their own land where peace seems to be a high minded ideal and nothing more. Let's hope it can be a reality someday soon. Here's the prayer for the state of Israel:

HaTikvah ("The Hope")

The words to Israel's national anthem were written in 1886 by Naphtali Herz Imber, an English poet originally from Bohemia. The melody was written by Samuel Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia. Cohen actually based the melody on a musical theme found in Bedrich Smetana’s "Moldau."

As long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart,

With eyes turned toward the East, looking toward Zion,

Then our hope - the two-thousand-year-old hope - will not be lost:

To be a free people in our land,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

Kol ode balevav

P'nimah -

Nefesh Yehudi homiyah

Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah

Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah.

Ode lo avdah tikvatenu

Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim:

L'hiyot am chofshi b'artzenu -

Eretz Tzion v'Yerushalayim.