Shabbat Shalom

Sadly this is our last day in Israel, but what an experience we've all had! It will be a pleasure to share the life changing experiences we've had with our families when we get home. And I’m not sure we could keep up the pace of Hezi for much longer. It has been a delight to have such an incredibly knowledgeable guide. Not only is he very academic but his life experiences and age give him stories that enrich our trip in a unique way. 


Today we get to sleep in and don’t have to be in the lobby until 11. Yeah!!! We are going to visit the Holocaust Museum (Yad Vashem) first this morning. I have visited a few concentration camp sites in Europe and I will say there is something about being in the location where an event occurred. Obviously Israel was not a place of death (in the since of WWII concentration camps) but a place of hope. As Zionism spread after World War II, the hope of survivors and all Jewish people was to have their homeland restored to them. The museum was established in 1953 and is located on the western slope of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem  adjacent to the Jerusalem Forest. The memorial consists of a complex containing the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites such as the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance, The Museum of Holocaust Art, sculptures, outdoor sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, a research institute with archives, a library, a publishing house, and an educational center named The International School/Institute for Holocaust Studies. We were not allowed to take pictures on the inside. But our memories will last a lifetime.
 

The entrance has a garden that honors Gentiles who saved Jews during the war. Trees were planted in their honor.

This is the tree of Oskar Schindler. He was made famous in the movie Schindler's List. Corrie ten Boom also had a tree. Interestingly her tree died when she passed away and had to be replanted. The king of Sweden also has a tree in honor of the Jews he allowed to be smuggled into his country by fishermen.

Carol, Sondra, Patsy & Vivian in the courtyard at the Holocaust Memorial.

The synagogue at the Memorial.

The tomb of the unknown. This is not just for soldiers but for all  one+ million people that don't have documentation about how they died.

Entrance to the Children's Memorial that was built by a family from California who lost their son at Auschwitz. There were 1.5 million Jewish children killed in the war.

 The Memorial was very much like the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and tells how the evil of the Nazi's spread across Europe like a foul wind. The museum detailed everything from the rise of the Nazi regime, the night of broken glass, the horrors of the camps and ghettos as well as the liberation. A special day of remembering is held at the Memorial each year for the survivors. In Isaiah 56:5 the people are commanded to not forget the events of their history.

A statue in memory of a Catholic doctor who cared for Jewish orphans. When the Nazi's came for the children, be refused to be separated from them even though he was a Gentile. He and all the children perished. Hezi is one of the best guides I have ever had. I am so thankful for his work with us this week. I pray that he will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whitney and Angie working on uploading pictures for the blog. Slow internet made for slow, tedious work!

I had to work in the lobby of the last hotel because the internet was so slow. Thank goodness for dear Melody Smith for watching the computer so I could take a bathroom break. Obviously after so many cappuccinos, I needed one. ;)

Eddie and Whitney

After the museum, it is off to lunch in Bethlehem and our last shawarma, falafel or schnitzel of the trip.  We had to say goodbye to our driver Eddie because he had to leave for a family wedding in Jericho. I will miss the way that Hezi would holler at Eddie, "Go man go!" after the head count on the bus.

Hezi explained that these are the main satellite dishes for all the communications in Israel. The picture doesn't do it justice. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie.

 As we left Jerusalem for the Valley of Elah we passed again into the West Bank. Hezi simply oozes history lessons. It's more than I could share in a blog. Without a doubt, I will be processing the information I learned on this trip for years to come. Once we arrived in the valley, we got off the bus and walked into a field where the Israelites faced the Philistines. As we know, David fought Goliath here with 5 stones. We learned that David probably chose 5 stones because he feared that after he killed Goliath he would have to face the brothers of the Philistine. We each collect 5 small, round stones to bring home as a reminder of this place.

Valley of Elah where we collected 5 stones like David.

The stones I collected.

 We continued to Jaffa which is where Simon the tanner lived according to Acts 9:36-43. Pastor Polson read to us as we listened to the sea in the background.

Pastor Polson reading about Dorcas-Tabitha being raised from the dead.

View from the promenade at Jaffa. It was a lovely evening for a walk by the sea.

Sunset on the Mediterranean Sea at Jaffa.

Our farewell dinner at Darby-Port.

Yum!

My tilapia was very good.

We are sitting at Derby-Port restaurant having a delightful dinner. Jim got the most delicious calamari either of us has ever tasted. My Peter fish (aka: tilapia) was fantastic as well. We are dining with a beautiful view of the sea as the sun sets. It is an absolutely perfect way to spend our last dinner in Israel. 

I shall miss this sweet group of believers. I am thankful for my new relationships with brothers and sisters from West Park. We are leaving for the airport now. Hezi says, "hubba, hubba!" So with that.... Goodnight from Tel Aviv; we are all ready to see our families. I know there is going to be quite a homecoming celebration when we arrive back into McGhee Tyson Airport! We will be back in America in 13 hours. See you soon!

Our complete group standing on the Mount of Olives with the Old City of Jerusalem in the background.