In this special episode of Pulse of Israel, Avi Abelow takes you on a journey through the breathtaking walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, revealing how a vacation became a powerful reminder of the miracle of modern Israel and why every Jew should appreciate the unique generation in which we live.

Beyond the stunning medieval walls, crystal-clear Adriatic Sea, sunset kayaking, hidden swimming coves, and one of Europe’s most beautiful historic cities lies a remarkable Jewish story spanning nearly 2,000 years. Avi learned how Jewish merchants from the Roman Empire and later Sephardic exiles from Spain and Portugal helped transform Dubrovnik into one of the Mediterranean’s greatest commercial centers, connecting Jewish communities across Europe, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire.

He visited one of Europe’s oldest Sephardic synagogues and learned about the vibrant Jewish community that once flourished there before being nearly destroyed during the Holocaust under the brutal Ustaše regime. Today, only a handful of Jews remain, yet their story carries an important lesson for every Jew alive today.

Walking those ancient streets, one realization became impossible to ignore. For almost two thousand years our ancestors ended every Passover Seder and Yom Kippur with the words, “Next year in Jerusalem.” They dreamed. They prayed. They waited.

We don’t have to. 

Jerusalem is rebuilt. Israel exists. Making aliyah no longer requires a miracle, it simply requires making the decision to come home.