Now, anyone who says “Next year in Israel” during Passover — well, I invite you to go. Yours will be one less car on the freeway here. As unethical as the US gov’t is, there’s still no better place on Earth.

Israel is great to visit, but other than holy sights and perhaps the beaches, is too hot and dry to consider living there. The residential areas of Tel Aviv are like those in Latin America, dusty cement blocks.

Israeli women are beautiful, but chain smoke cigarettes, talk endlessly on cell phones, and are basically unapproachable. Men dress like schlubs and are generally rude.

The business people in the whole region, Jews and Arab alike, are basically looking to take advantage of one another, to save face at all costs, and go to the mat over any little thing. We Americans back down often because we know how to compromise and negotiage. We have an empathy circuit. Arabs and Jews in the Middle East do not have such a circuit. They only know of the Friar and the victim.

Visit Israel, but think twice my friend before you decide to live there. They may live longer lives than we do, but their lives kinda suck.

I totally agree with the “Matchmaker Rabbi” when she says:
“If you feel a pull to live in Israel – or anywhere in the world for that matter – the first and obvious thing to do is to actually go there and spend some time!” Then she goes on: “There are many study and volunteer programs in Israel where you could spend a summer or even a semester”.
However Mrs. Winter does not give you any links for such volunteering programs.
I know for a fact that most such programs accept only young people (usually under the age of 35) and it will therefore not be easy for you to find a program which will accept you despite your age, and which will also match your abilities and what you would like to do.

For instance, if you would like to help on an Israeli Defense Force basis, you should probably try the following link: http://www.vfi-usa.org/

If you are a good swimmer and you would like to help with ecological conservation of coral reefs, try this one (although it is just for 2 months max.):
http://www.goeco.org/project/189/project.aspx?id=189&friendly=Volunteer_in_Israel_Coral_Reef_Conservation

If you want to help with eco-tourism development in Nazareth, check this one: http://www.goeco.org/project/10/project.aspx?id=10&friendly=Volunteer_in_Israel_Ecotourism_Development_in_Nazareth

If you want to help with eco-tourism development and experimental bio-farming in a Mountain Eco Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hermon check this:
http://www.goeco.org/project/56/project.aspx?id=56&friendly=Volunteer_in_Israel_Mountain_Eco_Lodge

If you would be interested in Animal & Nature Conservation in a Kibbutz in Israel’s Arava Desert, then this one is for you:
http://www.ivolunteer.org.il/Eng/Index.asp?ArticleID=549&CategoryID=125

Here is a link for an organization which places volunteers of under 60 years old to help in Medical Centers, Health Care Institutions, Boarding Schools:
http://www.destinationisrael.com/israel-volunteer-center/Default.aspx?id=169

If you will live and work in Israel as a volunteer and you will like it, then you might want to stay longer and towards the end of your volunteering program you might want to apply for one more program. However I believe you cannot stay there longer than 6 months on a visitor visa.

Regarding your wish to become an Israeli, I can tell you this is not so easy for non-Jews, the same as it is not easy for non-Americans to become Americans
Marriage with an Israeli lady might be a solution, however a marriage between a Jew and a non-Jew cannot be officiated in Israel.

I wish you “be-hatzlacha” (good luck).