Walking through a dark hall remembering the fallen children of Holocaust, we emerged from the other side to the land of hope that is Israel.
It was easily the most powerful, emotional, and meaningful experience I've had thus far on this trip and in my life.
Today we woke up in Jerusalem and drove to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. The museum was beautiful and so was the view from the museum grounds.
Walking through the museum and listening to the guide was a somewhat surreal and intense experience. The museum was a huge pyramid-like structure filled with what seemed like endless exhibits portraying the vile and evil acts of the Nazis towards the Jews.
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.
The architecture of the museum is quite breathtaking.
We were then presented with the most delicious dinner a Mediterranean-loving vegetation could desire. After dinner, I was in 'The Secret of Herbs and their Uses' workshop and the most kind-hearted, adorable man shared his expertise on growing herbs and the distinct benefit that each herb can have on a human's health.
We all left in silence, reflecting upon what we had just heard and seen. It was such an individual and unique experience for all.
After five days in Israel, the visit to Yad Vashem was not an easy one, but the opportunity experience this in a tight knit group of both Americans and Israelis was so valuable.
What Yad Vashem leaves me interested in is how to turn away from the path that leads to the museum, and how to turn toward the path of the Righteous Among the Nations, not only at large, but in my own life.
She decided to open up to us in this way because of the tight bond between each person in the group and the immense trust and acceptance that it holds. Sara's story led to the trip's theme of day: perseverance.