A Day at the Museum

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We spent our last day in Israel at Yad Vashem. This is a holocaust museum that sits atop Mt. Herzl. The light rail ride there had us delayed about 40 minutes due to a "suspicious object" found near the tracks ahead of us. No one on or around seemed all that concerned so we took our cues from them.

The museum itself is a beautiful work of architecture. Outside were a line of trees, each dedicated to someone considered Righteous Among the Nations. These are non-Jews who risked their lives to help the Jewish people during the holocaust. People like Oskar Schindler and Sweden's Raoul Wallenberg are honoured in the garden. Inside the museum, visitors are led through the meandering exhibits depicting the lives touched by holocaust and educating on the events from Hitler's rise to power to the fall of the Nazi's reign of terror. The emotions felt throughout run from sympathy to disappointment and outrage at the kind of evil and apathy that man is capable of perpetuating. At the end of the emotionally draining tour lies a very impressive room. It is a large, round room. Along the walls are volumes upon volumes of books containing the names and details of 3 millions Jews who lost their lives during the holocaust. Empty shelves were left to represent the names of those yet to be obtained. There is a large and deep hole in the centre of the room to represent a kind of grave that many of the victims were deprived of having. At the bottom of the hole is water - a symbol of life in the Jewish faith. Near the ceiling are many pictures of those lost. Standing in that room, you can't help but feel so small. But that might be part of the point.

As our trip draws to a close, I think it is safe to say we are both very happy I chose Israel over Hawaii for my birthday trip. It provided a rare mix of spiritual rejuvenation, historical interest and relaxation. We are left with an appreciation for this odd gem in the Middle East and its fascinating people.

Tomorrow: reunited with Rembrandt

Shalom

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