Day 3 - Sasha and Yasmin
Today began with a 6:30am wake up, the 9-degree breeze of Jerusalem and the still existing jet lag. But… despite this the mood was high and we were so excited and intrigued for another IST day.
After having shared our delicious Israeli breakfast with the IDF navy, we began our journey to Yad Vashem.
Wow, what an experience. There was so much meaning behind every element in the museum. The architecture was deliberately constructed to inflict pain. The museum had no seating to emphasise the hardships and atrocities our ancestors faced. Even if we didn’t understand the guide or, even if we couldn’t connect, we physically felt somewhat, the pain of the tragedy.
What really caught our attention was the images of the survivors during and post the liberation. These confronting images of their malnourished and skeletal bodies put into perspective the unspoken aftermath of the concentration camps.
Next, we made our way to הר הרצל (Mount Herzl) where we met Miriam, our guide. She educated us about past Israeli Prime Ministers and parliament members as well as the heroic soldiers who had fallen for the State of Israel. We visited the graves of these individuals and past Prime Ministers like Gold Meir and Menacham Begin. Miriam inspired us by sharing her personal stories about the soldiers who were close to her and had devastatingly fallen during battle, all of which devoted their lives to provide us with a Jewish state.
Coming out of this experience, we reflected on the value of being Jewish, and being able to live safely because of these heroic individuals. We got onto the bus once again, however this time there was silence.
Once reaching the next destination; ZDVO’s Beit Halochem, the mood was once again lightened. Our group had the opportunity to listen to two individuals’ stories of how they had put themselves in front of others, leaving them blind and paraplegic. The facilities at this rehabilitation centre allowed us to engage in altered sports, to understand the sense of belonging to the community as well as the element of inclusion. Our group was fortunate enough to learn Pétanque (the French lawn bowling) from the elderly men working there. We played this game whilst constantly being critiqued by them in Hebrew.
To finish off this emotional ride, we arrived at Malka Mall where our families from Israel were able to visit us. We were able to spend quality time with our family and friends who some of us haven’t been able to see in a very, very long time. We were also able to go buy our own food, attempting to speak Hebrew in which the locals did not understand.
The day concluded with talking to some of the IDF Navy members who were staying in the same hotel as us. We enjoyed asking them all types of questions, trying to understand and comprehend their jobs in protecting the State of Israel. By the end of the night, we had made friends with them and had learnt valuable lessons in which inspired us.
Starting the day, we knew the locations we visited would be emotional however, we did not expect to have formed a connection to these places as well as sought inspiration from these brave individuals. Speaking to some of the IDF Navy made this a reality and visiting Yad Vashem opened our eyes to the hidden elements in which evoked feelings of pain and devastation.
Being grateful for the opportunities we have experienced today, we can’t wait to continue our journey forming connections as well as appreciating the State of Israel.
