With no ounce of sleep, my companions and I celebrated our arrival with a pictorial capturing the superb scenery behind us. Feeling the cold wind kissing my cheeks I felt as though Israel was giving us a warm welcome, we were at home.

For the next days we went around being acquainted to the city. Jerusalem was completely different from what I have imagined. For a third world country, it is one advanced city in terms of their agriculture and architecture. Our first stop was the magnificent hills of the Judean Desert. It was very intriguing how they could grow their crops there considering that they are surrounded by deserts and not fields. Everything was remarkably preserved; the ritual baths, the scribe’s room, and the caves from which Holy Scriptures were found. Then we had lunch at a huge tent on a mountain

top overlooking the scenic view of the Dead Sea, a perfect place for a photo up. We also had the chance to strut the streets of Jerusalem as the wind build up on us day by day. We wished on the walls of the Wailing Wall and seen an actual Varmitsba at the Synagogue. But my favorite part of this whole trip was our visit to the Holy Sepulcher.

Walking inside the walls of the church, I felt blessed, lucky and overwhelmed. Seeing what’s left of the hill of Golgotha, kneeling down the altar where the feet of the cross used to be, and being in the small dark room with the tomb of Christ warmed the deepest part of my heart. This was such a pilgrimage for me!

Then again the city wasn’t the only thing we were scheduled to meet, more over we found ourselves going in and out from room to room learning and listening to the terrible fate that had the Jews on their knees fifty years ago- the Holocaust. Any attempt to describe the holocaust in words is an attempt to achieve the impossible. A person of mere flesh and blood could never or would never fathom a clear view of that darkness or of the exact events and tragedies that only the Jews find themselves bounded to, in blood, in life, in culture and definition. I was there at Yad Vashem, I’ve seen the remains of burned shoes, torn uniforms and I couldn’t even explain how hurt and how disturbed I felt.  Looking at the pictures of men, women and children dying on the streets, being shot to death, dragged and burned like some animal I could only ask “Why do men submit themselves to such cruelty?”

On the day when Jews were being rounded to be taken to concentration camps, a mother of two turned to her children (a girl and a younger boy) and said “We are going to run… to the hills.” With her signal they ran, they ran as fast as they could. From a far they were spotted by a Nazi soldier and moments later they found themselves being chased by two cars filled with armed soldiers. The mother gripped her children’s hands saying “Whatever you hear don’t stop running! Don’t stop running and never turn back!” Then she let go faced the other direction and jumped into one of the cars until she was killed. The children ran and kept on running until they got separated. The girl went hiding in a forest and eventually became one of the forces that fought for the Jews. The little boy found a small dog house in a farmer’s backyard and hid. With him was a ferocious dog ready to rip someone limb from limb, but the dog kept quiet. When the soldiers came to inspect the dog house, the dog hurriedly sprang out of its home, snarled and barked at the soldiers. Frightened the soldiers left and did not see the boy. The farmer never let the boy in his house; he didn’t even spoke to him but he did however left extra food on the dog’s plate enough for the boy and the dog. Remarkably the dog lets him eat first; it became his blanket through the cold of winter and his companion until the whole killing spree died down.

Now if a four legged animal with no conscience but pure instinct could do something as noble as saving a life why couldn’t we? In times of darkness there are two things we could do, one is to keep on searching for that shed of light and the other is to shed some light on someone else.

Ever since I first followed the story of the Holocaust I was outraged and angry at the Germans, my mind was closed to who the bad guy is in this story. Their apology wasn’t enough to give back what they have taken. But then I heard the most revealing words from an old lady’s lips, Mariam Gassenfelt, a Holocaust survivor said “Our revenge would be to rise up and build our nation once more. It was fifty years ago. Those at present had nothing to do with what happened in the past it wouldn’t be fair to condemn them for something they did not do.” I was surprised; a woman who witnessed her terrifying past has just shaped our future. If she could find it in her heart to forgive then so could I. Indeed to continue playing the blame game might just result to a dejavu of such events. Discriminating someone because of their flaws started all of this in the first place so it must not happen again.

This is what I want my fellow students to understand. Learning from the mistakes of others, never to hold any grudges or nurture unhealthy thoughts. We are heroes in our own little ways. Our heart is our weapon our bravery and courage is our shield, will it to our might and who knows someday we may be one of the Righteous among the nations. 

Now standing at the hills of Yad Vashem, nearing the end of my journey I realized that I am no longer a stranger to the city. I have taken part on its history. The memories, friendships and teachings of Israel and of Yad Vashem would always accompany me as I trail on other journeys. As I looked at the beautiful view of the city one last time, I was proud of who I am and what I represent, a Philwomenian Ambassador of Remembrance to the First International Youth Congress to commemorate the Holocaust. To remember and never to forget.