As I listened to my group members discuss the pride that they felt to be Jews when we survived one of the hardest moments in human existence or the hope they felt as they believed the world could learn from this tragedy I realized that the next day would be more than just anger and sadness.
I feel so blessed and honored to have been given the opportunity to witness Yad Vashem. I will never forget what I saw, or how I felt, and I will pass it on to my own children. Because if I never forget, the world won’t either.
Bus 109 and I visited Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum) as well as David Ben Gurion's tomb (first prime minister of Israel) today. Although this was not my first time at the endlessly powerful Yad Vashem, experiencing it with my newfound best friends (both American and Israeli) weighed me down in a way I never thought was possible.
We learned and participated in the Bedouin hospitality where they fed us, gave us tea, and invited us into their community. They started a secret buddy event for our group where we each have one person as our secret buddy and give them something special throughout the rest of our trip. We slept in the tents that night, which was fun!
Walking through Yad Vashem is nothing short of an incredibly moving experience. For some this was their first time at the memorial but for others, like myself, this was their second, third, or fourth time back. Everyone said, regardless of how many times they have visited Yad Vashem, they it was a powerful experience. Yad Vashem has done an amazing job creating a memorial and museum that really expresses the depth and importance of such a tragic set of events.
After a hearty sleep at our lovely hotel in Jerusalem, we awoke to a quick breakfast and got right in the bus for a busy day.
Our first destination was Yad V'Shem, the Holocaust museum in Israel. The museum offered one of our most emotional memories on birthright. We experienced stories that must not be forgotten. We also walked through the children's memorial. For many this was a psychologically troubling place that will forever be etched in our minds. We then stopped at a local mall for a lunch and some delicious pasteries for a lucky few!
This day is exemplary of the multi-faceted nature of a Birthright Israel trip attempting to capture the complexity of Israeli life. Like the rest of the world, it is made of individual voices, and only by hearing each, one by one, can the whole picture be fully understood.
Today was the most extreme emotional rollercoaster most of us had ever been on. We arrived at Yad Vashem knowing to expect a challenging yet meaningful day but nobody could've anticipated the number of lows and highs throughout. Everything from the design of the building to layout of the exhibits was done with symbolic intention and added layers to the experience.
There is no way to write about all of the elements of today's visit to Yad Vashem. I could discuss the architecture, the use of carpeting and concrete, the individual displays, the children's memorial, the Path of the Righteous Gentiles, the range of emotions, the debriefing, etc. I chose here to focus on my thoughts during the second half of our tour of the main museum, starting with the displays of life in the concentration camps.
It was my second time visiting Yad Vashem but it was just as moving as the first. I was looking forward to the stunning view of Jerusalem you are exposed to at the end when you walk outside. I had a good conversation with one of our Israeli participants after.
Then, we went to Tel Aviv. A walk around the Neve Tzedek neighborhood offered a great look at what it is like to be an Israeli in the city and Independence Hall was also very moving. We stood up and listened to HaTikva as if we were in that room 67 years ago.