After a very busy final week in Haifa, I've finally gotten around to writing about our trip last weekend to Jerusalem. It was a pretty packed weekend, so there's a lot to cover. On Friday morning (July 2) we departed very early from Haifa for the ride south to Jerusalem.
"The Old City of Jerusalem just before sunset"
Photo by Stephen Kushner
Photo by Stephen Kushner
After a sleepy ride south, our first stop was at Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial and museum. Established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament, the museum is a 45-acre (600,000sqft) complex located at at the foot of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. It contains the Holocaust History Museum and memorial sites, such as the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. The origin of the name is from a Biblical verse: "And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem) that shall not be cut off". Annually, it is Israel's second most visited site behind the Western Wall.
Even for those among us who had previously visited either the US Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. or visited the concentration camps in Europe, this was a very somber and sobering experience. As a few of us noted, the internal architecture of the museum felt intentional - leading visitors through a confined and crowded space - with the cement walls seeming to fall inward as one walked through the exhibits - recreating the feel of the concentration camps. In contrast, the exterior grounds were beautiful, with many memorial statues and gardens. All in all it was an experience we will all remember for a long time.
"Inside the Hall of Remembrance at the Holocaust Museum"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Even for those among us who had previously visited either the US Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. or visited the concentration camps in Europe, this was a very somber and sobering experience. As a few of us noted, the internal architecture of the museum felt intentional - leading visitors through a confined and crowded space - with the cement walls seeming to fall inward as one walked through the exhibits - recreating the feel of the concentration camps. In contrast, the exterior grounds were beautiful, with many memorial statues and gardens. All in all it was an experience we will all remember for a long time.
"Looking out at Judea after emerging from the Holocaust Museum"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Photo by Kristin Thompson
After Yad Vashem, the group traveled to the Mahane Yehuda market (the souq) for schwarma and snacks. I had a delicious schwarma with hot peppers and - my new favorite topping - spicy mango sauce. Amazing! Afterwords, I bought some dried pineapple and coconut (which is cheap and tasty) and then grabbed coffee at a small cafe while waiting for the rest of the team to finish. I will definitely miss the food and smells of the souq once I get back to the US. Don't get me wrong - Eastern Market is great - it's just not Mehane Yehuda.
That evening (Friday) the team had Shabbat dinner at the home of our on-the-ground coordinator - Shelby. An American (now having lived in Israel for about a year) Shelby was kind enough to open her house to us for the night. After a great meal we settled in to watch the World Cup match between Ghana and Uruguay. Late that evening we retired to our hotel for the weekend - Ramat Rachel Hotel located in Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. A little bit secluded from the center of the city, the place was located on a hill offering gorgeous views of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Judean Hills.
