New Jerusalem

New Jerusalem

Today was Yom Ha Zikaron, Israeli Memorial Day. Our tour was to be of sites which, totally coincidentally were one related to exactly this, and that was a bit of a problem during the day.

Our tour started with the Chagall windows, which were beautiful. Even if I’m not the biggest Chagall fan I found his use of color amazing. After looking at the windows we headed over to Yad B’shem. Yad B’shem is named from a quote form Isaiah

And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.[Is 56:5]

This was not a big picture day for me. There were things we were told not to photograph and there were things I just didn’t find appropriate to photograph. My somber mood was one of those reasons I felt that there was no picture that could describe what you feel in the museum or the two memorials there. At 11:00 there was the moment of silence again. Everything in the museum stopped, and the alarm sound sounded for what seemed like an eternity, though it may have been just a minute. Standing in the middle of an exhibit about the labor camps, I can’t think of a more poignant moment to think about those who died for Israel, and those who died before Israel was a nation in the holocaust.

From there we went to the military cemetery next door, and walked around the graves. Some things were closed off for security reasons. So we did not get to see them. Yet on the other hand there were many people visiting the graves. It was anther somber poignant moment about this place.

The final stop of the day was to see the Dead Sea scrolls. For the second time in my life, I read a bit of what was written there. It too was a poignant moment.