Yad Vashem
We started out the day with activities that related to the Holocaust. Right before we left for Yad Vashem, we had a group discussion about what words come to mind when we think of the Holocaust.
Some words that were mentioned reflected the absolute horror of the event: disgust, despair, sadness, helplessness. Many of us also talked about the word hope, mentioning how amazing it was that it was that hope was never completely extinguished in the face of something so terrible. Responsibilty was another common word and it seemed that many of us agreed that we have a responsibility to remember the Holocaust and do what we can do to stop discrimination and genocide from happening.
Going through Yad Vashem was an emotional experience. Seeing the photos, video footage, clothes and shoes of the Holocaust victims, and the actual stones and signs from the Jewish ghettos was chilling. It made the event very real and tangible.
The tour guide told us some powerful stories about the victims as we made our way through the exhibits. One story that stuck out in my mind was that a man whose hat was stolen made the decision to steal a hat from another Jew in a labor concentration camp, knowing that the other man would be shot for not having a hat in the morning. That story illustrated how hard it was to survive and the terrible decisions that victims were forced to make during this horrifying event.
The hall of names was also incredibly impactful. It is mind boggling that an estimated 6 to 7 million Jews died in the Holocaust. The material in Yad Vashem was very heavy but our tour guide made sure to emphasize that it is important to remember the stories of hope, as well as the amazing resilience of the Jewish people, and the non Jews that risked their lives to do the right thing.
In the afternoon we drove to the Bedouin camp in the Negev desert. We were welcomed by a Bedouin man, Abraham, who told us about Bedouin way of life in the past and present. Bedouins seem like a very hospitable people who are happy to welcome guests to stay with them. After the introduction to the Bedouin camp, we went on a camel ride! Many of us had never ridden a camel before and we were all very excited. We named our camels and took tons of pictures with them.
In the evening we had a delicious Bedouin dinner! We sat on the floor around trays of food and ate with our hands. After dinner our wonderful Israeli participants planned some fun, Israeli games for us! There was a lot of laughter and bonding. We finished off the evening by roasting marshmallows by a campfire and stargazing. We saw lots of shooting stars! It was a very special, memorable night in the desert.
Photo Credits: Header Image-@rachelannette8, Image 1-@senora_coco_loco, Image 2-@meganmgreene, Image 3-@jmepit, Image 4-@senora_coco_loco, Image 5-@sshepp213, Image 6-@jthompson5261, Image 7-@zacharytaxery, Image 8-@ctrivelpiece, Image 9-@ljgsk8
