Satell Teen Fellowship Israel Trip 2007: Day 4
June 23, 2007
Tammuz 7, 5767
Israel, Day 4
Our Collective Memory
We woke up early again, never a good way to start the day. However, what got me out of bed was what we had planned. First, we would be visiting the Hazon Yeshaya Soup Kitchen in Jerusalem. This soup kitchen is unique from all the other soup kitchens that I have supported in the past. It was started by a man who himself grew up dependent upon soup kitchens. I was inspired by the covenant with God that he made – he promised that if God helped him get on his feet he would help other struggling people in return. Working in this soup kitchen made me feel like I was helping others like God had helped the founder, and my community service will help someone get back on their feet.
Also, three Fellows met with the Founder to understand more about hunger and the community.
Next we visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. The tone of the museum was different from the Holocaust museum we visited in Washington, D.C. They offer guided group tours and there was symbolism in the architecture. The building is in a triangle with an opening at the top, with sunlight streaming in. The biggest difference from the National Holocaust Museum in DC is that there we had headphones which allowed us to move independently. For me, the fact that I couldn’t move at my own pace was a challenge. While I tried to pay close attention to our tour guide, I couldn’t help but be distracted by certain exhibits. One in particular was a giant picture mounted mournfully on a wall. The picture showed piles and piles of dead bodies. I couldn’t help but look at this picture and the mound of people. Then I thought about how the Nazis didn’t see them as people the way I did. They saw them as Jews, something less than human. I do not only define myself by religion, so I began to think about what these people also were. Fathers, sons, athletes; I forced myself to put a personality on the people.
The last thing we did was visit the Har Herzel National Cemetery. This was an extremely emotional activity. First, our guide told us the history of Herzel, the father of Zionism, and explained how Herzel accomplished his vision. He sacrificed everything for his beliefs in the State of Israel, including a strong relationship with his children and wife. We sat reflected and wrote in our journals in the shade of the trees. This made me think about my own Zionism. I have yet to sort out my feelings towards Israel but I know that I like it here and after visiting Yad Vashem, I understand the importance of a Jewish state. If there was always a Jewish state, then we could have saved at least 6 million lives. We also visited the gravesites of many important leaders and heros in Israeli history, including that of Michael Levin, a Philadelphia native who was recently killed in the Second Lebanese War while fighting for the Israeli Defense Force.
Mom, Dad the food is good, I’m having the time of my life, please be safe because I know I am secure.
Love,
Dan Green
Will, Becky, Jen and others prepare food in the Hazon Yeshaya Soup Kitchen.
Miriam and Doreen concentrate on their beets.
Doreen and James enjoy the 40 degree (celsius) heat.
The view from Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, below Mount Herzel in Jerusalem.
Satell Teen Fellows pose outside Hazon Yeshaya. On the left is Omri, our medic/guard.
Jill and Ben peel beets at Hazon Yeshaya.