What’s in a name? When all else is lost, one at least has a name. Except if you’re Jason Bourne but that’s another story.
Yad Vashem immortalizes the dignity of a name.
“And I shall give them in my house within my walls a memorial and a name…that shall not be cut off.” Isaiah 56:5
45 acres are devoted to remembering the people of Jewish descent who did not survive the Nazi Regime. 1.5 million of those were children. The approach to the memorial in dedication to these little ones declines steeply into a candle lit hall of mirrors where a woman’s voice remembers each child by name. There were other memorials on site but none were as moving. Yad Vashem not only invites visitors to remember but also archives materials, teaches, researches, documents, publicizes and commemorates all things connected with the Holocaust, or Shoah in Hebrew. The entire property is a sobering reminder of humanity gone very wrong.
After 6 years under construction the Israel Museum is open to visitors so we hiked nearly as many hills as we do on our morning walks through Ladysmith and arrived for a late morning iced coffee at the museum cafe. Atop the garden terrace stood a white domed, tiled structure modeled after the clay containers that once housed the Dead Sea Scrolls. Within the circular, climate-controlled room, sections of scrolls lay under glass for viewing. For this budding theology student, it was the highlight of our self-guided tour. Since photos were prohibited I hope my memory is long-lasting.
Another top spot on this day was the generous help I received in learning a single Hebrew word. Toda chaba (correct spelling is unlikely!).
Thank you!
