Actress Claire Danes. Photo: wiki commons.

It is absolute cause for celebration that a record number of tourists – 232,000 – visited Israel in February 2012, according to the Israel Ministry of Tourism. The numbers broke the previous record set in February 2010 by four percent  and it’s especially amazing considering the constant “noise” in the media of the Iranian threat and Palestinian issue.

It is such great news that tourists recognize the beauty of Israel, it’s vast swaths of nature, and the religious significance it provides.  No one who has ever visited Israel can doubt the amazing tourist attractions. News that the great Showtime series “Homeland” will film part of its new season in Israel brought a smile to my face – after all, the show is based off an Israeli version.  As I have noted previously, it was great to see Claire Danes tell Conan O’Brien on his show, what a great “party town” Tel Aviv is. Danes told O’Brien that she learned this when she went to Israel to shoot the pilot for the first season.

“The big reveal, the big surprise, for me was that Tel Aviv was the most intense party town I have ever been to,” she said. Danes said the bars are hopping in Tel Aviv.

To complete the cheery Jewish news of late,  musical Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s legacy has been getting increased attention due to the recently released Evan Shlomo, The Torah Commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: Genesis, Part I, and the soon-to-open Broadway musical, “Soul Doctor: The Journey of a Rock Star Rabbi.”

I am always cognizant when the world sees good news about Israel and the Jews and these three items are cause for celebration.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, and author of For Immediate Release.