We started our day at the Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum.
Yad Vashem, on the Mount of Remembrance, is a huge complex which houses the Holocaust History Museum and several memorial sites; such as, the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. It also includes The Museum of Holocaust Art, many sculptures, memorial sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives, a research institute, library, publishing house and an educational center, The International School for Holocaust Studies.
Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust are honored as the Righteous among the Nations. They receive a certificate, a medal, and have a memorial plaque in the Garden of the Righteous. 23,000 non-Jews had been honored as of 2008. The project continues as stories are submitted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (a "yad vashem")... that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 56:5)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
The Hall of Names
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
We spent several hours inside the Museum and other memorials and walking the grounds. It was not enough. One could spend the whole week there and barely touch the surface of the information available. There were countless videos of survivors telling their stories. There were hundreds of thousands of documents and pictures and endless memorabilia. And all to good purpose. It leaves a profound impression.
Since I really like jewelry, I was drawn to a diamond and emerald necklace and the story behind it. A wealthy Jewish man had liquidated all his assets and had purchased the necklace in hopes of preserving his ability to support his family once the crisis had passed. He and his wife were both taken to concentration camps. He survived and his wife was incinerated. He donated the necklace to Yad Vashem because wealth meant nothing to him without his wife. Only one heartbreaking story among millions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yad_Vashem_view_of_Jerusalem_valley_by_David_Shankbone.jpg
This is the view of Jerusalem from Yad Vashem. The notable aspect of the picture is the trees. The landscape was almost barren of trees when the Jews returned to Israel. It grows greener by the year.
We returned to the Old City of Jerusalem for lunch in a sidewalk cafe. And then we visited the Two Brother’s Store. It was very interesting and I'll talk about them later.
From there we went to the Wailing Wall again. This time we took pictures. I went down into the Women's Section and touched the wall and prayed among the Jewish women. It was akin to praying in the Upper Room. The presence of the Lord is evident in a place where so much prayer is offered up.
While we were visiting the wall, someone left a backpack unattended in the open area and the bomb squad was called. We had to wait while a robotic machine inspected the backpack and its contents. It was a false alarm but it illustrated how seriously threats are taken in Israel.
Then we went through the Rabbi's Tunnel.
This is an underground tunnel exposing the full length of the Western Wall. While the public portion of the Western Wall is approximately 190 feet long, the majority of its original length, some additional 1500 feet, is hidden underground.
This is one of Herod's original columns.
This plaque in the tunnel marks the spot Rabbi's believe is beneath the Holy of Holies.
The largest stone is about 40 ft long and 4 ft high and estimated to weigh 570 tons (1,140,000 lbs).
We walked the length of the tunnel and went up a stair case and exited onto the Via Dolorosa and went back out of Lion’s Gate to our bus.
The bus then took us to the site of the Garden Tomb and Golgotha.
Modern door which replaces the stone which was rolled away.
Another exterior view of the tomb.
Actual burial stone inside the tomb.
This is an actual stone door but not the door for Joseph's Tomb--which hasn't been found. This one is too small at about 5 ft diameter. The original stone door was about 12 ft diameter.
View of Golgotha from the Garden's edge.
Another view of Golgotha, located north of the Damascus Gate.
The Garden Curator gave us an historical lecture about the Garden tomb and Golgotha as we gazed at the mountainside. Golgotha was discovered by British General Charles Gordon in 1883. He thought it was the likely site of Golgotha and when the ancient rock hewn tomb was found nearby, it fit the Biblical description and the site was adopted by some as the genuine place of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
The land was purchased in 1892 by an association of believers and has been maintained since that time by a resident Garden Curator. He discussed the differences between those who believe Jesus was buried in the area now known as the Church of the Sepulchre and those who believe Jesus was buried in the Garden Tomb.
An ancient spring fed cistern was uncovered which further confirmed that a garden had been maintained in the area. The garden has been restored and the site has been maintained in a natural state, unlike nearly every other significant site in Israel which has been covered by a church. It was a refreshing change.
They gave us olive wood communion cups and we shared a very special communion time in the Garden, led by Bob McNaul.
As we left the garden, I bought some homemade Bedouin silver bracelets from a Bedouin street merchant for $5.00 each and we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest.
Just for fun I've decided to share Ishah's Garden Tomb & Golgotha art project for school with you.
Day 7 Free Day.
We got ready and packed our bags. Around noon we started walking to the Old City area.
We walked through the King David Hotel and looked at all the famous signatures on the floor. They had Golda Meir, King Hussein, Pres. Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Hillary Clinton, Jacqueline Onassis, Barbara Streisand, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel at night 2008
About halfway to our goal a Palestinian taxi driver persuaded us to ride with him. He drove us without fare and dropped us off at a relative’s store in the Palestinian Quarter of the Old City. We browsed and considered but made no purchase there. Then we continued shopping on our own. I preferred the Jewish quarter because there was no pressure to buy. I bought a star of David necklace for a friend and a Jewish blessing bracelet for myself.
We went back to the Two Brother’s Store I mentioned earlier and talked to the brother who is a Rabbi again. He was very interesting. He reads the New Testament in order to keep the dialogue open between Jews and Christians. Some of his ideas surprised me.
He believes Satan is simply a faithful servant of God.
He believes the book of Daniel has already been fulfilled.
He believes the Messiah will be just a man– anointed by God.
He believes the serpent pushed Eve against the tree to ‘show her’ she would not die if she touched it and he thereby deceived her into believing she could also eat the fruit without ill consequences.
He said the serpent approached Eve because she was the more difficult of the 2 to convince.
He said the serpent knew if he got Eve, Adam would follow.
Those are just tidbits of the conversation. We had a lengthy discussion. Questions and answers were going both ways and it was open and pleasant.
Then we met with some of our group and headed back toward the hotel. Mike and I stopped to buy a Wailing Wall print and caught up with them at a coffee shop for a light lunch. Then we all walked back to the hotel, checked out at 4 p.m. and waited in lobby for the bus until 6 p.m.
Our tour guide took us to eat at a Jerusalem Restaurant and then drove 90 minutes to Tel Aviv and waited 3 hours to fly out. Our bags went through the x-ray machines twice and then we had to open 2 of them. They were concerned about our purchases. They wanted to make sure the items we packed were the ones we picked up in the store– no substitutes that could contain dangerous materials. We assured them that they were and they let us go with all our stuff.
We had an uneventful flight home and landed in Newark around 6:30 a.m. Due to bad weather coming in later in the day, we caught a flight out around 7:30 a.m. to Houston. We then ended up spending the night in Humble, Texas, because of bad weather. And, when we got back to the airport the next day for our 1:10 flight, we got voluntarily bumped because the flight was overweight. They bought our lunch and gave us $500.00 worth of free future flights. Our flight to Knoxville ended up being at 5:20 p.m., so we got home around 11:00 p.m. on the 14th– Valentine’s Day.
It was a wonderful trip. I'd love to go again. Hope you've been blessed by the trip information and get a chance to go to Israel if you haven't already and want to!
Israel: God's Country
Yad Vashem, on the Mount of Remembrance, is a huge complex which houses the Holocaust History Museum and several memorial sites; such as, the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. It also includes The Museum of Holocaust Art, many sculptures, memorial sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives, a research institute, library, publishing house and an educational center, The International School for Holocaust Studies.
Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust are honored as the Righteous among the Nations. They receive a certificate, a medal, and have a memorial plaque in the Garden of the Righteous. 23,000 non-Jews had been honored as of 2008. The project continues as stories are submitted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (a "yad vashem")... that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 56:5)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
The Hall of Remembrance with the eternal flame.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem
 |
| Memorial to the victims of Concentration Camps by Marcelle Swergold |
The Children's Memorial was deeply touching. As you enter the cave-like structure there are pictures of actual children who perished. Then, there is a voice sharing the names and ages of the children who were killed and the light of memorial candles is reflected by a system of mirrors, so that innumerable flames seem to shine in the darkness, in commemoration of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust.
We spent several hours inside the Museum and other memorials and walking the grounds. It was not enough. One could spend the whole week there and barely touch the surface of the information available. There were countless videos of survivors telling their stories. There were hundreds of thousands of documents and pictures and endless memorabilia. And all to good purpose. It leaves a profound impression.
Since I really like jewelry, I was drawn to a diamond and emerald necklace and the story behind it. A wealthy Jewish man had liquidated all his assets and had purchased the necklace in hopes of preserving his ability to support his family once the crisis had passed. He and his wife were both taken to concentration camps. He survived and his wife was incinerated. He donated the necklace to Yad Vashem because wealth meant nothing to him without his wife. Only one heartbreaking story among millions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yad_Vashem_view_of_Jerusalem_valley_by_David_Shankbone.jpg
This is the view of Jerusalem from Yad Vashem. The notable aspect of the picture is the trees. The landscape was almost barren of trees when the Jews returned to Israel. It grows greener by the year.
From there we went to the Wailing Wall again. This time we took pictures. I went down into the Women's Section and touched the wall and prayed among the Jewish women. It was akin to praying in the Upper Room. The presence of the Lord is evident in a place where so much prayer is offered up.
This is an underground tunnel exposing the full length of the Western Wall. While the public portion of the Western Wall is approximately 190 feet long, the majority of its original length, some additional 1500 feet, is hidden underground.
We walked the length of the tunnel and went up a stair case and exited onto the Via Dolorosa and went back out of Lion’s Gate to our bus.
The bus then took us to the site of the Garden Tomb and Golgotha.
Stone Sepulcher in the Garden believed to be Joseph's Tomb where Jesus was interred.
Modern door which replaces the stone which was rolled away.
This is an actual stone door but not the door for Joseph's Tomb--which hasn't been found. This one is too small at about 5 ft diameter. The original stone door was about 12 ft diameter.
The Garden Curator gave us an historical lecture about the Garden tomb and Golgotha as we gazed at the mountainside. Golgotha was discovered by British General Charles Gordon in 1883. He thought it was the likely site of Golgotha and when the ancient rock hewn tomb was found nearby, it fit the Biblical description and the site was adopted by some as the genuine place of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
The land was purchased in 1892 by an association of believers and has been maintained since that time by a resident Garden Curator. He discussed the differences between those who believe Jesus was buried in the area now known as the Church of the Sepulchre and those who believe Jesus was buried in the Garden Tomb.
An ancient spring fed cistern was uncovered which further confirmed that a garden had been maintained in the area. The garden has been restored and the site has been maintained in a natural state, unlike nearly every other significant site in Israel which has been covered by a church. It was a refreshing change.
They gave us olive wood communion cups and we shared a very special communion time in the Garden, led by Bob McNaul.
As we left the garden, I bought some homemade Bedouin silver bracelets from a Bedouin street merchant for $5.00 each and we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest.
Just for fun I've decided to share Ishah's Garden Tomb & Golgotha art project for school with you.
 |
| Ishah's "Empty Tomb" creative project for art class at Rhea County Academy |
 |
| Ishah's "Golgotha" |
Final Day In Israel
Day 7 Free Day.
We got ready and packed our bags. Around noon we started walking to the Old City area.
We walked through the King David Hotel and looked at all the famous signatures on the floor. They had Golda Meir, King Hussein, Pres. Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Hillary Clinton, Jacqueline Onassis, Barbara Streisand, etc.
About halfway to our goal a Palestinian taxi driver persuaded us to ride with him. He drove us without fare and dropped us off at a relative’s store in the Palestinian Quarter of the Old City. We browsed and considered but made no purchase there. Then we continued shopping on our own. I preferred the Jewish quarter because there was no pressure to buy. I bought a star of David necklace for a friend and a Jewish blessing bracelet for myself.
We went back to the Two Brother’s Store I mentioned earlier and talked to the brother who is a Rabbi again. He was very interesting. He reads the New Testament in order to keep the dialogue open between Jews and Christians. Some of his ideas surprised me.
He believes Satan is simply a faithful servant of God.
He believes the book of Daniel has already been fulfilled.
He believes the Messiah will be just a man– anointed by God.
He believes the serpent pushed Eve against the tree to ‘show her’ she would not die if she touched it and he thereby deceived her into believing she could also eat the fruit without ill consequences.
He said the serpent approached Eve because she was the more difficult of the 2 to convince.
He said the serpent knew if he got Eve, Adam would follow.
Those are just tidbits of the conversation. We had a lengthy discussion. Questions and answers were going both ways and it was open and pleasant.
Then we met with some of our group and headed back toward the hotel. Mike and I stopped to buy a Wailing Wall print and caught up with them at a coffee shop for a light lunch. Then we all walked back to the hotel, checked out at 4 p.m. and waited in lobby for the bus until 6 p.m.
Our tour guide took us to eat at a Jerusalem Restaurant and then drove 90 minutes to Tel Aviv and waited 3 hours to fly out. Our bags went through the x-ray machines twice and then we had to open 2 of them. They were concerned about our purchases. They wanted to make sure the items we packed were the ones we picked up in the store– no substitutes that could contain dangerous materials. We assured them that they were and they let us go with all our stuff.
We had an uneventful flight home and landed in Newark around 6:30 a.m. Due to bad weather coming in later in the day, we caught a flight out around 7:30 a.m. to Houston. We then ended up spending the night in Humble, Texas, because of bad weather. And, when we got back to the airport the next day for our 1:10 flight, we got voluntarily bumped because the flight was overweight. They bought our lunch and gave us $500.00 worth of free future flights. Our flight to Knoxville ended up being at 5:20 p.m., so we got home around 11:00 p.m. on the 14th– Valentine’s Day.
It was a wonderful trip. I'd love to go again. Hope you've been blessed by the trip information and get a chance to go to Israel if you haven't already and want to!
very nice
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