Friday, July 8, 2011

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

We are leaving for Galilee in 3 days and I am trying to get caught up on my blogging (which is really just posting pictures) before we leave. I'll be gone for 11 days and then when we get back we will only have 2 1/2 weeks left at the JC, time flies!

About two weeks ago we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum here in Jerusalem. As I'm sure you can imagine, this was a very moving experience to read and learn more about this tragedy in a land where so many families have ties to the victims. We spent about 2 1/2 hours in the actual museum which was emotional and informative. A few parts of the museum were especially tragic; in one room, glass floors were covering large piles of victims' shoes and in another, a small scale detailed replica of the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

Although the museum was not uplifting I believe it is important for people to understand what happened, however hard it is to fathom. 

The most difficult part of the whole day for me was the 3 minutes we spent walking through the Children's memorial at Yad Vashem. It was after the museum and I finally broke down and cried a little. In an almost completely dark hall, you walk along pictures of Jewish children and in the next room, candles strategically placed to reflect their light in the hundreds of mirrors all over the walls and ceiling. It seemed as if I was surrounded by hundreds of stars or little flames, those children who will not be forgotten.

All in all, it was an interesting field trip but I don't think I would do it again. I learned a lot and took very few pictures, here are a few outside and inside the first building at Yad Vashem. The names on the floor are the names of the concentration/death camps and an eternal flame will burn in this room forever.










Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Snorkeling in Eilat

On Sunday we went snorkeling in Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel on the Red Sea. From the beach we could see 4 countries; Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The water was so unbelievably clear and snorkeling was so fun, I can't believe I've never been. 

I have a confession though...right when I jumped in the water I had a small panic attack. Good thing Katie and Jess were there to calm me down and tell me to breath. I haven't done a lot of swimming in the ocean but everything was fine once I put my head down and all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. I wish I had an underwater camera to show you all  of the beautiful fish and coral we saw but these other pictures will have to do.

Sam, Jess Baker, Emily, Lindsey, Jess Sloan, Katie and I with Adam in the back




Jess and I walking down the dock















we call this one the flying squirrel 






the frog






this is the "uh do i have to do a jumping picture?" face



the full body flexed jumping picture - not sure why my feet look yellow?



the humpback pose was the pose of the day



Best day ever snorkeling at Eilat! 

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Matisyahu Concert

So...I have only been to one concert in my life and that was the New Boyz in Salt Lake with a crowd of about 40 screaming teenagers. I really do love the New Boyz so it was totally worth it.

About a month ago we realized that Matisyahu, a Jewish Reggae performer was playing in West Jerusalem the night we would get back from our Jordan trip. A bunch of us bought tickets and it was so fun. After much pushing and almost being knocked over many times during the opening acts, we made it up to the 4th row for all of the Matisyahu concert.

Here are the pictures, it was so great!


















It's kind of hard to portray the feelings of a concert on a blog but let's just say, the phrase "Jerusalem, if I forget you" sums up my feelings exactly, I will never forget this summer in Jerusalem.

Jordan Trip - part 2

Here are the rest of the pictures from the Jordan trip, sorry it took so long! If I had to decide what my favorite thing was on the trip based on amount of pictures, the Monastery wins by a long shot. 

more pictures with the Monastery and the Jordanian flag


The little jewelry tent where I bought a few really cute necklaces


Mt. Aaron in the distance with the white building on top


Our friend Hanam who sold us the necklaces 





about to hike up to more tombs


Bedouin military man








a present from Ida


wearing my new kafiyah in front of the treasury at the end of our time at Petra


MATCHING!


guarding the entrance to the Treasury


after getting on the bus, we sadly realized that all of our gummy worms were melted together and to the bag
it took about 20 minutes but we ate all of the melted gummy worms


standing guard at Shobak Castle


on an original Roman road at Jerash - biblical Jershon


trying to play the flutes I bought


in the Royal chair at the Roman Theater in Amman, Jordan


Jess, Dallin and I during free time at the theater


dorky but had to 


Both Jessicas, Emily, Morgan and I


ha ha so candid


inside a mosque in Amman


maybe i'm not smiling because I know how bad that middle part looks but that banana was awesome


chicks for sale on the side of the road, this has to be so bad for them


having some KFC on the way to the Jordan River


Erica and I on the way to the Jordan River





the water felt amazing, it was so hot outside!





Jordan River