Yad Vashem

       On the western slope of Mt. Herzl, on the far west edge of the Jerusalem proper, we arrived at place known as Yad Vashem, which is a memorial of the Jewish Holocaust. The name of this place finds its roots in the book of Isaiah where the Lord says, “I shall give them in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I shall give them an everlasting name that will never be effaced." This name refers in particular to the room located within the memorial which houses lists of all the names of those who lost their lives in the holocaust.

       We were given several hours to walk at our own pace through the corridors, which deliver the history of anti-semitism in the world and culminates in Europe in the early 20th century. Among the many signs providing information and historical time lines there are also stories. Stories of survivors who share their horrific experiences and weep over their loses. There are also stories told in the exhibit where the floor is cut away and is replaced with plexiglass. Beneath this glass is a mound of shoes recovered from the concentration camps. Shoes from the men, women, and children who lost their lives to one of the greatest evils of the past two centuries.  The picture below is a cattle car, a memorial and reminder of how the Jews were sent to their death.

       This morning was a sobering experience. One where we encountered a history of vile evil but also one of a noble people who, in spite of great difficulties, prevail and live to tell the the stories of their ancestors. We encountered too, the righteous among the nations, which memorializes those who, although not Jewish, risked their own lives to help the Jewish people survive such a tragedy.

       This morning all of us, I believe, have a better understanding of the need to pray for and work towards ending the structural evils that promote cultural racism and the hatred of the other.