Paul Jesser is the National Director of Major Gifts and the West Coast Regional Director of the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, which provides support, services and equipment for the Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

As we begin to celebrate the 60th birthday of our homeland I think about the people, places, things, that make this miraculous country so special. What they have lived through! What they have accomplished!

The role model for all nations – all peoples. These two lists, 60 each, are of the people, the places, the institutions, that have made this tiny nation a true ‘light among the nations.’

Can you imagine what would be accomplished if the bastards that surround Israel would just let it live in peace!

Chazak Chazak V’nitchazaik! Chazak Amenu!

1. Shmuel Yosef Agnon
2. David Applebaum
3. Robert Aumann
4. Colette Avital
5. Ehud Barak
6. Menachem Begin
7. David Ben-Gurion
8. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda
9. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
10. Chaim Nachman Bialik
11. Mike Burstyn
12. Aaron Ciechanover
13. Eli Cohen
14. Shoshana Damari
15. Moshe Dayan
16. Dry Bones
17. Abba Eban
18. Levi Eshkol
19. Dudu Fisher
20. Mike Ginsberg
21. Danny Gordis
22. David Hartman
23. Avram Hershko
24. Theodore Herzl
25. Chaim Herzog
26. Hillel & Aviva
27. Dalia Itzik
28. Ze’ev Jabotinsky
29. Daniel Kahneman
30. Epharim Katzir
31. Teddy Kollek
32. Rav Kook
33. Golda Meir
34. Michael Melchior
35. Dan Meridor
36. Yitzhak Navon
37. Benjamin Netanyahu
38. Ehud Olmert
39. Dan Pattir
40. Shimon Peres
41. Itzhak Perlman
42. Yitzhak Rabin
43. Ilan Ramon
44. Shlomo Riskin
45. Moshe Rivlin
46. Ron & Nama
47. Yitzhak Shamir
48. Moshe Sharett
49. Ariel Sharon
50. Zalman Shazar
51. Naomi Shemer
52. Zalman Shoval
53. Ezer Weizman
54. Chaim Weizmann
55. Yigal Yadin
56. Members of the IDF
57. Citizens of Sderot
58. All Olim
59. Family: Leila, Lili + Motti, Ami + Rachel, Norman + Hagit (+ all their offspring)
60. Friends: Beth + Norman, Avrum + Claudia, Zevi + Esti, Benny, AviHai, Eliyahu

PLACES PLUS….
1. AKKO
2. ATLIT
3. BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY
4. BEDOUIN CULTURE CENTER
5. BEGIN MUSEUM
6. BEIT SHEAN
7. BEN GURION UNIVERSITY
8. BEN GURION’S HUT
9. BOTANICAL GARDENS
10. CAESERIA
11. DEAD SEA
12. DOLPHIN REEF
13. EIN GEDDI
14. EIN GEV
15. GOLAN HIGHTS
16. GREAT SYNAGOGUE
17. HADASSAH
18. HAIBAR ANIMAL RESERVE
19. HEBREW UNION COLLEGE
20. HEBREW UNIVERSITY
21. INDEPENDENCE HALL
22. INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTER
23. ISRAEL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
24. ISRAEL MUSEUM
25. ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC
26. JAFFA
27. JORDAN RIVER (STREAM)
28. KEREN KAYEMETH LISRAEL
29. LAKE KINNERET
30. LATRUN ARMOUR MUSEUM
31. MACHANE Y’HUDA
32. MASSADA
33. METULA FENCE OF THE GOOD NEIGHBOR
34. MISGAV AM
35. MITZPE RAMON
36. MT. HERMON
37. MT. HERZL
38. MUSEUM OF THE DIASPORA
39. MUSEUM OF THE GHETTO FIGHTERS
40. ROSH HANIKRA GROTTOS
41. SACHANUT
42. SAFED
43. SCHNEIDER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
44. SHAARE ZEDEK MEDICAL CENTER IN JERUSALEM
45. TECHNION
46. TEDDY STADIUM
47. TEL AVIV PROMENADE + BEACH
48. TEL AVIV PORT
49. TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
50. TIMNA PARK
51. TISCH ZOO
52. TOWER OF DAVID
53. UNDERGROUND
54. UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA
55. VALLEY OF THE DESTROYED COMMUNITIES
56. WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
57. WESTERN GALILEE HOSPITAL - NAHARIYA
58. WESTERN WALL + TUNNELS
59. YAD VASHEM
60. ZEEV HOSPITAL - SAFED

The 60 Bloggers project is co-production of Jewlicious.com and the Let My People Sing Festival. It is published daily for 60 days to celebrate Israel’s 60 birthday.