Hey! It's Brooke and Hannah, the Naschons for the day. After experiencing the Western Wall and talking about the gender inequality there, we decided to further this discussion by setting women's roles in Judaism as the theme for the day. Especially since this theme connected well to our schedule for the day.
Our first stop was Har Hertzel Military Cemetery. Here we learned the stories of fallen soldiers and saw where they, as well as many other famous Israeli leaders as buried. I (Hannah) talked to the group at the grave of Chana Senisch and told her amazing story and how she became a national hero. This is really important to me because my BBYO chapter is named after her and it was a great experience to see her grave.
We then travelled to Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Museum. It was a powerful and emotional experience for everyone as we learned about Israel and the Jewish people before, during, and after the Holocaust. During a guided tour, we saw pictures, maps, quotes and actual relics of the Holocaust as we heard many stories about individuals in the Holocaust. As soon as we exited the museum, there was a huge sweeping view of the entire city of Jerusalem. We interpreted this gorgeous view from the end of the museum tour as a reminder of how the Jewish people rose above and if they hadn't, this beautiful city wouldn't have existed.
Our favorite parts from both of these places were listening to the unbelievable stories of soldiers and those in the Holocaust. We felt a much more personal connection to the events when we got to hear about them from an individual perspective. One quote that resonated with us was "Do not think you will succeed in destroying the Jewish people. The Jewish people will live forever."-Rabbi Moshe Friedman (a Rabbi who perished in the Holocaust.)
After a solemn morning, we were ready to visit Ben Yehuda street for lunch, souvenir shopping, and exploring. We tried falafel, schwarma, ice coffee, and ice cream as we walked the street. We all got to buy gifts for friends and family and some of us even met up with friends or family that live in Israel.
Our final stop of the day was a meeting with a representative from Women of the Wall. We discussed how women are fighting for equal rights at the Kotel and how this organization is trying to make this change happen. As much as we enjoyed hearing crazy stories about how they have smuggled a Torah into the Wall and have gotten arrested multiple times, we all took to heart the message of standing up for something you're passionate about and we were inspired by their courageous acts.
After enjoying such a long day, we were happy to relax on a 2 hour bus ride to Kibbutz Ohalo, on the Kinneret. At this beautiful place, we became friends with teen groups from places such as Brazil, France, Italy, England, and other states. We ended the day with a meaningful Ma'agal looking forward to spending the day in nature tomorrow.
Our first stop was Har Hertzel Military Cemetery. Here we learned the stories of fallen soldiers and saw where they, as well as many other famous Israeli leaders as buried. I (Hannah) talked to the group at the grave of Chana Senisch and told her amazing story and how she became a national hero. This is really important to me because my BBYO chapter is named after her and it was a great experience to see her grave.
We then travelled to Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Museum. It was a powerful and emotional experience for everyone as we learned about Israel and the Jewish people before, during, and after the Holocaust. During a guided tour, we saw pictures, maps, quotes and actual relics of the Holocaust as we heard many stories about individuals in the Holocaust. As soon as we exited the museum, there was a huge sweeping view of the entire city of Jerusalem. We interpreted this gorgeous view from the end of the museum tour as a reminder of how the Jewish people rose above and if they hadn't, this beautiful city wouldn't have existed.
Our favorite parts from both of these places were listening to the unbelievable stories of soldiers and those in the Holocaust. We felt a much more personal connection to the events when we got to hear about them from an individual perspective. One quote that resonated with us was "Do not think you will succeed in destroying the Jewish people. The Jewish people will live forever."-Rabbi Moshe Friedman (a Rabbi who perished in the Holocaust.)
After a solemn morning, we were ready to visit Ben Yehuda street for lunch, souvenir shopping, and exploring. We tried falafel, schwarma, ice coffee, and ice cream as we walked the street. We all got to buy gifts for friends and family and some of us even met up with friends or family that live in Israel.
Our final stop of the day was a meeting with a representative from Women of the Wall. We discussed how women are fighting for equal rights at the Kotel and how this organization is trying to make this change happen. As much as we enjoyed hearing crazy stories about how they have smuggled a Torah into the Wall and have gotten arrested multiple times, we all took to heart the message of standing up for something you're passionate about and we were inspired by their courageous acts.
After enjoying such a long day, we were happy to relax on a 2 hour bus ride to Kibbutz Ohalo, on the Kinneret. At this beautiful place, we became friends with teen groups from places such as Brazil, France, Italy, England, and other states. We ended the day with a meaningful Ma'agal looking forward to spending the day in nature tomorrow.
-Hannah and Brooke
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