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Holocaust Museum Sept. 2 - Day 15

9/11/2013

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This is the kind of subject matter that makes me and I'm sure many of you feel rather uncomfortable. This a horrible thing that happened. We don't want to be reminded of it, we don't want to see it, but we must also never forget it. How do we deal with something like that?

Yad Vashem's task is to perpetuate the legacy of the Holocaust to future generations so that the world never forgets the horrors and cruelty of the Holocaust. Its principal missions are commemoration and documentation of the events of the Holocaust, collection, examination, and publication of testimonies to the Holocaust, the collection and memorialization of the names of Holocaust victims, and research and education.

 The Archive collection, the largest and most comprehensive repository of material on the Holocaust in the world, comprises 58 million pages of documents and nearly 100,000 still photographs, along with thousands of films and videotaped testimonies of survivors. These may be accessed by the public and read and viewed in the appropriate rooms

Rabbi Susan Grossman posts 6 reasons to remember the Holocaust.

One: One person can made a difference: 21,310 gentiles risked their lives and the lives of their families to save Jewish victems of the Holocaust.

Two: Not doing anything is an act of complicity: It would never have happened if people would have spoken up when they saw Jews ostracised and isolated. Next time we do something.

Three: Believe what you read in the news from  reliable sources: The most chilling gallery for me in the Holocaust Museum is the one that shows the front pages  of major American newspapers featuring articles recording Nazi atrocities  against the
Jews.

Four: Believe the threats of tyrants: Hitler was not shy about warning the West of his plans to destroy the  Jews.

Five: The fate of all Jews is intertwined: It didn’t matter if you were right-wing or left, religious or secular, affiliated or assimilated. Every Jew was equal grist for the Nazi death machine.

Six: The human spirit can triumph over evil: In the face of incomprehensible horror, individuals traded bread  for a Passover haggadah or saved a potato to make a Hanukkah menorah. They shared their blankets and helped a bunkmate.
This complex contains the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites such as the Children's Memorial, and the Hall of Remembrance, The Museum of Holocaust Art, sculptures, outdoor commemorative 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 for Holocaust Studies.

It is the second most visited site in Israel, second to the Western Wall. (wailing wall)
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This is a sculpture reminding us of the horrible smoke stacks.
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This is a sculpture that reminds us of the many children that died during the Holocaust. It means "Unfinished". Children who were born, but could not live out their lives.

The display itself is unforgettable. It is a dark room with little lights, one for each child that was killed. So, the room is not actually dark, but glitters with these little lights everywhere you look, up, down, or sideways. You need the banister or you lose your way, and orientation. In the background you hear the names mentioned one after another.
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This is the 4th part of a wall sculpture called "Rebirth". "Symbolised by the righting of the Sabbath candles (they were upside down in an earlier part of the wall sculpture) and the sabra fruit on the cactus plants representing the new generation, even as the tears of the lions eyes evoke the memories of the Holocaust."

The Jews lost 6 million in the Holocaust, one third of their total population. There are 14 million Jews in the world today. There were 18 million before this tragedy. They have not yet caught up to their former number.

Israel is prepared to accept any Jewish person who is suffering persecution anywhere in the world. They will do all they can to bring them home to Israel.
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The day ended with Rory and Wendy, the owners of God TV, at another dramatic outdoor venue with Jerusalem in the background, saying "Thank you and Good-bye" to everyone. The tour was over. Then next day we were on our way to the airport in Tel aviv and home.
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L to R: Larry & Odia, Wilma and Clif.
Here we are, we survived the tour! It was a life changing experience. We pinched ourselves many times, just to make sure it was all real.

Thank you for following this blog of our journey in the Holy Land. We hope it will inspire you to seriously consider
visiting this amazing country. It will change your life.
May God Bless you All.
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Sunset on the Mediterranean Sea.
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    Cliff Derksen

    We, (Wilma and I) are on holidays in Israel from August 18 - Sept. 3, 2013. These are just some notes and thoughts on our experiences. Thank you for your interest.

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