Day 8: Remembrance and Israel’s issues in the 21st Century

Our last full day in Israel began with a tour of Yad VaShem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. This is the preeminent museum in the world dedicated to remembering the events of the Shoah, the destruction of the Jewish communities in Europe by the Nazis during World War II. If you ever went to Yad Vashem in the past, you might not think it was that impressive. But approximately 5 years ago, the main exhibit was totally renovated. The museum takes you on a journey, telling the story of the Jewish people from the life of the Jewish communities in Europe through the rise of the Reich, the establishment of the ghettos and concentration camps, and the eventual destruction and murder of 6 million Jews. As you walk through the exhibit, you make your way into the hall of names, where 3.5 million names of Shoah victims have already been recorded. You then find yourself looking towards the future, as you stand on an overlook with west Jerusalem laid out in front of you. From the main exhibit we headed to the Children’s Memorial, a haunting testimonial to the 1.5 million children whose lives were cut tragically short. We took some time to gather our thoughts and reflect with a brief ceremony right after.
From Yad Vashem we traveled to Gilo, a Jewish neighborhood over the Green Line border in South Jerusalem. Standing on a former tank plateau facing both Bethlehem and Beit Jalla in the West Bank, we discussed the security barrier, the wall and the fence, laid out before us. We explored the question of the value of erecting a barrier that sometimes separates farmers from their fields or bisects a town in two, yet has also provided Israel with a sense of security for the last three years, with almost no terror attacks coming from the West Bank since its creation. As we looked out on the bombed former headquarters of Hamas, we turned to the North, and were able to see Har Homa, a tremendous city which continues to grow, including the 1600 new homes announced during Vice President Biden’s visit to Israel last month. We came away with more questions than answers, because it seems that Israel and the Palestinians are trapped in a Catch-22.
We concluded the day by heading to Beit Shmuel, the home of the Reform movement in Israel, except here it is known as Progressive Judaism. We spoke with a member of the staff of IRAC, the Israel Religious Action Center. We learned about the challenges IRAC has made in the courts and before the Knesset, fighting for both freedom OF religion and freedom FROM religion at the same time. This fascinating look into this aspect of liberal Judaism in Israel helped us understand a struggle that is very close to our hearts.
Since this is our last night in Jerusalem, many of us went out into the city to search for those last minute gifts and get some rest, because tomorrow is an early departure for Masada.
Because we will be traveling tomorrow, this is my last blog from Israel. As we make our way home, we are all anxious to share stories of our experiences, of the connections we made with Israelis all around the country, and the bonding we have forged with the fellow members of our trip. I hope to summarize the trip with some comments from members, and share some photos, when we return to the States.
Shalom u’lehitra’ot.