So as we get closer to the end of the trip, I want to take a minute to reflect on some of the things that we have seen and done. It’s not every day that I get to walk the worn smooth roads of Jerusalem, climb Masada, AND see the Dead Sea. Ok, so that took two days… Anyway, there is value in reflection, so here is mine.
Yad Vashem (the holocaust museum) is a heavy place. Heavy because of the content, and heavy because there are still so many questions. How did “normal” people (bakers, teachers, bankers, etc) not only allow this to happen, but actively participate in it? What turns a man into a monster? How does it happen? I guess the scariest part of this is not the question itself, but the startling lack of answers. Without being able to answer this question, how can we be sure that things like this don’t happen in the future?
Masada was also a chance for reflection. The story of the site and what happened there also raises more questions than answers. It’s also an interesting site in terms of historical context. Is it better to die by your own hand than submit to the rule of another? Why not fight back? I know my answer, but it’s not the same as what they chose. There is a lot of discussion about the people who lived there, and what they were like. Were they extremists? Why were they living there? Why did they choose to kill themselves rather than be captured (when evidence suggests that the Romans were fair to those who submitted to Roman rule)? In either case, it’s an impressive site (and sight), and gives quite a chance for discussion of history, context, and morals.
We’re winding down our trip now, and ending in Tel Aviv at the Mofet Institute. Today and tomorrow we have conferences and discussions aimed at sharing teaching knowledge.
More blogging and pics to come!