Just last summer Netta Cassuto walked the streets of Jerusalem, visited a kibbutz and shopped in Ein Hod, an artist village.
The 11-year-old who was born in Israel said there is just something about her homeland that she loves. She is excited that her family will be moving there come summer.
But the sixth-grader at Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School didn't have to wait until summer to get a taste of Israel. On Wednesday, Israel came to her.
In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary, Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center on the Sanford L. Ziff Campus, 18900 NE 25th Ave. in Northeast Miami-Dade, was transformed into a ''mini-Israel,'' as Netta called it.
''Everything here reminds me of Israel,'' she said as she kicked the ice at a replica of Mount Hermon. ``It's amazing.''
Thousands of guests entered mini-Israel through Ben Gurion International Airport passport control, where they picked up their booklet to start their tour. There was an artist village, camels, a food market and an army boot camp -- and visitors had their ''passports'' stamped at each station.
Valerie Lencovski, 14, whose green school uniform shirt was covered in chocolate from Ramat Gan Chocolate factory -- an elite chocolate maker in Israel -- said she couldn't believe how big the festival was.
''I never expected there to be this many things going on,'' said the eight-grader at Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School, who visited Israel just last summer.
More than 20 local organizations, including Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Temple Sinai of North Dade and Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, joined together to recreate Israel for guests.
Each organization was responsible for a booth each portrayed as a city in the Jewish state. The day culminated with a torch ceremony, lit by students who have given back to the Jewish community and a concert by Israeli performer Laila Malcos. The JCC's director, Gary Bomzer, said this year's independence celebration was bigger and better because of the milestone.
''What we tried to do here is give everyone a cultural experience while having fun,'' he said. ``This is a very big day for Jewish people everywhere.''
On May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence as a nation to serve as a refuge for survivors of the Holocaust.
Throughout the years, Israel has fought for its survival, and, to this day, the nation still faces conflict with Palestinians in the West Bank and in Gaza. But on Wednesday, festival attendees were there to celebrate their country.
No matter where you turned, blue and white flags waved as children ran from station to station with parents following behind carrying everything from sand-in-a-bottle from Yerucham -- a town in the Negev Dessert -- to mosaic tiles dug up at Zippori's archaeological dig, where excavations have uncovered rich, figurative mosaics.
Johny Tryzmel, who watched his daughter Gaby funnel colored sand into a bottle, said each booth ``brought a little piece of Israel to life.''
''Israel is our country,'' Tryzmel said. ``We are very lucky because we have two countries in our hearts. The United States, because we live here, and Israel.''
At the Bedouin tent, two camels, named Oberius and Jacob, walked around a small gated area as many children stood close by for a picture.
Ruth Brener said that the festival did something for her 5-year-old son, Tomas, that lessons in a classroom could never do. She said her son was able to put the lessons to practical use and really get a feel for Israel.
''I am hoping this will excite him about our country,'' the Israeli national said.
Lorraine Penias proudly donned her Israeli Defense Force identification tag after she completed the army's boot camp setup. Lorraine, 7, already has visited Israel twice and said now she is looking forward to going back to tell her Israeli grandmother about her Israeli experience in Miami.
''I can't wait to show my grandma my passport with all the stamps,'' she said.
Video | Israel turns 60