Our Group at Yad Vashem

Although today was the festive holiday of Purim, our morning started out on a somber note. We went to Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Holocaust Museum. Our guide David gave us a brief introduction to the history of the Holocaust and its significance in Israeli society today. The students explicitly asked to be given sufficient time to go through the exhibits by themselves, so everybody wandered on their own.

The Holocaust Museum is exceptionally well done, intermingling a great amount of historical information with personal testimonies and artifacts. One of the most difficult places to visit was the building that is dedicated to the million and a half children who were murdered by the Nazis. This was clearly a moving experience for our students.

Owls in the Machaneh Yehuda

From the Holocaust Museum we drove to the Machane Yehuda, a colorful and lively market in Jerusalem where one can buy fruits and vegetables and pretty much anything else. The market was full of life: shoppers bought groceries to get ready for the Shabbat, which begins at sundown, and many of the younger people wore their Purim costumes. We split into smaller groups, walked around, and took in all the sights, sounds, and smells of this wonderful market.

Tonight the group went to Shabbat dinner at the home of a young Jewish couple in Jerusalem. We began our evening at the Western Wall, where many of the women were drawn into a lively circle of dance and song, and then walked to dinner. Akiva and Esti, our hosts, explained the blessings and customs of the Shabbat meal and answered questions about their lives and experiences living in Jerusalem.  It was a lovely end to the week.  Shabbat Shalom!

Getting Ready for Shabbat