October 16th, 2018
I am
really behind in keeping up with my blogging because of the work load here. We
have been slammed with readings, assignments, and quizzes the last couple of
weeks and midterms this week. I felt like I should at least write something
about my thoughts and feelings of the last few trips we’ve taken. Today we went
to Mt Herzl and Yad Vashem. This mount is a memorial and final resting place
for notable Israeli leaders, but more importantly a memorial and museum
dedicated to the victims, and heroes, of the Holocaust. Walking through that
memorial is something I will not soon forget.
We
talked about what it would have been like in Israel before, during, and after
the Holocaust. It is so sad to think about those survivors who made it into the
holy land yet couldn’t talk about their experiences and trials.
The
first memorial we visited was the children’s memorial that pays tribute to the
1.5 million children that were killed. We walked down into a dark room where
pictures of sweet innocent faces hung illuminated. As we followed the guardrail
further into the rooms we could hear names and ages being read off like so: Mendel Adler … Poland … 5 years old.
This room is incredibly hard to describe. The room is very dark, with clear
panels hung and assembled together. In the middle there were candles, the light
of which reflected and refracted off the clear panels which made it look like
endless light, numerous stars. This is meant to symbolize millions of stars
shining in the firmament. Truly a somber and reflective place.
Next, we
went into the Museum. I wish I had more time to read every journal entry, and
sign, but we only had two hours. I stopped at many of the exhibits and watched
videos they had playing of people telling their stories. There honestly are no
words to describe how I felt as I wandered through the rooms and exhibits. More
than anything, my heart ached, and I felt an overwhelming sense of compassion.
The thing that hit me the hardest was listening to stories of those who
survived. Especially when they tell of how young they were when the war began
and the horrors and the treatment of the young children. It is really difficult
for me to fathom anyone, let along a huge group of people, who can hate people
so much that they are seen as “parasites” and no longer human. Where killing is
nothing and to see death everywhere and not be phased. It is a world that I
fear will return, more so than it already has, and people won’t see each other
as humans.
To finish off the day we had a guest speaker come talk with
us. He is a sweet 101-year-old man who lived through the Holocaust. He
survived/ escaped from 7 or 8 different camps and lost all his family. His story is incredible and heart wrenching.
Can you imagine coming home after a couple years of working and frantically search
through your house only to find that your family is no where to be found? To
this day he chokes on his words and holds back tears when talking about his
family and the things that he has gone through. His message though was that he
was happy and grateful to be alive and we should choose each day to find
gratitude and joy in life. I am so grateful for this sweet gentleman and his
attitude toward life and example to me of perseverance. It also gives me great
joy and comfort to know that when he passes away he will have many loved ones
eagerly waiting to greet him and the pain and suffering he faces will go
away.
