Yad Vashem and the Holocaust Museum of Israel



We stood in the Garden of the Nations and listened to a Hassidic Cantor remember the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust. He remembered them with the traditional mourning prayer, the Kaddish, which we had just said the day before together at the Western Wall for Glen Poston.

As I read the opening remarks in the first exhibit of Yad Vashem, I could not help but draw similarities that would not be popular in the Israel of today. When I read about how the Nazi’s first began to segregate and then take away rights of the Jews in the late 1930’s and early 40’s I recalled the reduced options of those who live in Israel now behind fences and in segregated neighborhoods. I am not drawing any conclusion as to how the situation here might proceed. It’s just that when any people see other people or people groups as objects—often bad things happen. I will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all Israel.

We also visited the Museum of the Book... where the actual scroll fragments found at Qumran are stored. It’s a holy place. It will be a long time before the ministry of antiquities actually gets through everything found in those caves. How stunning to see pieces of ancient Hebrew Bible text, older than any that existed before this find. I want to learn more especially about “The Rule” which is an ancient code guiding people to live together in peace and order. It was likely a precursor to the “Rule” of Christian monastic communities.

We also had a chance to stroll in an authentic Israeli market as Jews from all over Jerusalem shopped for their Shabbat meal. Breads and fish and flowers abounded as folks hurried to get to their homes before sundown.

Today was a day of contrasts. The hope of the “people of the book” lay beside the memorial of such a massive extermination plan as the world has ever seen. May God give us His love in our hearts for all people. May we not grown weary in seeking peace. May all creation hope in a way of love. BLESSINGS AND JOY, THE CELTIC MONK

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