Our Place in History

We started our Sunday morning with a devotional. I, Dan shared some thoughts and verses about the resurrection and how we have the anticipation of seeing our loved ones again and the promise of a reward for what we do for God.

It was a short drive to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament building. We were privileged to take a tour. The guide explained how Israel’s parliamentary form of government works and how it differs from our government. We finished the tour with a view of the huge tapestry by the artist Chagall.

After our Knesset tour we headed to the Shrine of the Book. This museum houses the Dead Sea Scrolls from the Qumran caves. There was also an outdoor model of the city of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. This really helped to see what we are seeing now compared to the first century before the Roman destruction. Afterwards we had a quick sandwich in the museum shop.

We were a little ahead of schedule so we took a stop on Mount Herzl to the military cemetery where Michael Levin is buried. Michael was a friend and neighbor of the former executive director of The Friends of Israel, Bill Sutter. Michael immigrated to Israel and volunteered for the Israel Defense Force (IDF). Tragically, Michael was killed fighting during the Lebanon War in 2006. Jim shared his story and how he left a legacy of support for the lone soldiers in the IDF who have no family in Israel. Michael’s parents established a foundation that provides support for these soldiers. Find out more here https://lonesoldiercenter.com.

Our next stop was Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial. There we took a moving and emotional trip back in time to 1930’s Germany. We saw and heard testimonies as the growth of anti-Semitism led to the horrors of the Holocaust. Some took the time to visit the children’s memorial where thousands of mirrors reflected candles that created an illusion of being surrounded by lights while names were read of the children who had been killed in the Holocaust. We also walked down the Avenue of the Righteous which memorialized the righteous Gentiles who risked their lives to rescue Jews who were trying to escape extermination.

We ended our day with a visit to the Theodore Herzl Museum where we learned about this fascinating man who is known as the father of modern Zionism. In the late 1800’s Herzl rallied Jews around the world to view the land of Israel as a dream that would be fulfilled in their lifetimes and would be the only permanent way to have safety in a world that was constantly a threat to the Jewish people.

After a wonderful buffet dinner at the hotel we were able to hear from Shmuel Bowman, director of Operation Lifeshield. He told us about his organization that provides life-saving bomb shelters to Israeli communities under the threat of rocket attacks. These shelters provide a secure place to seek safety on the streets and are an important source of comfort knowing that there are places to go quickly in case the warning sirens sound off. The Friends of Israel has been faithful partners with Operation Lifeshield through our Israel Relief Fund. http://www.foi.org/israel-relief-fund/

Tomorrow is our last day of touring, hard to believe our time is coming to an end!