The Scroll of Fire and Anne Frank Memorials

The Scroll of Fire Memorial in the Jerusalem Hills commemorates the history of the Jewish people from the Holocaust up to the Six-Day War. It is located in the Martyrs Forest which is the single largest memorial to the Holocaust in the world. The forest is comprised of six million trees which were planted in 1951. Four and half million pine trees represent the adults who perished in the Holocaust, while a million and a half cypress trees account for the children who perished.

The memorial, Megilat Ha'esh in Hebrew, was inaugurated in 1971. It is the work of Warsaw-born Nathan Rapoport, himself a Holocaust survivor. He is known for his famous sculpture in Warsaw commemorating the Ghetto Uprising, an exact copy of which is also featured at Yad Vashem. Other sculptures can be found at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, as well as around the world.

The Scroll of Fire Memorial is made of bronze and is eight metres high. It is in the shape of two scrolls. The scroll on the right focuses on the Holocaust and its survivors, while the scroll on the left deals with the struggle to establish a new homeland and Israel's independence. In the space between the two scrolls there are two  memorial rooms. In each one is engraved a quote from the bible, above.

On the right scroll one can see Jews being marched off to the concentration camps. Above them are figures devoid of faces. Only their helmets and bayonets show that they are Nazis, the idea being that their horrific acts wiped away their humanity and therefore they cannot be portrayed in full human form. Next, the Warsaw Ghetto is seen with its flames and the defenders of the ghetto, an angel bearing a Molotov cocktail and a bearded man bearing a rock, are clearly visible. A mother and child can be seen ascending to the heavens in flames. This scroll ends with survivors of the camps seen leaving with their eyes raised in hope. A small boat represents the thousands who came to Israel in the pre-State days, during the clandestine immigration era. An olive tree with branches formed from human bodies represents renewal. The central branch is depicted in a fetal position, epitomising the idea that even in the midst of destruction a new life/nation can be formed.

In the scroll on the left the symbols of the wandering Jew, a walking stick and a sack, are left behind, since the wandering is over and the Jew has reached his homeland. A man can be seen blowing a shofar near the Western Wall, while a child is holding a cluster of grapes, one of the Seven Species with which Eretz Israel, the Land of Israel, was endowed. A pregnant woman depicts the next generation that will be born into freedom. Finally, the reunification of Jerusalem is depicted by a menorah, carried by a group of soldiers. This menorah is symbolic of the menorah from the Arch of Titus in Rome, which commemorated Roman suppression of the Jewish revolt. A small bearded man that supports the menorah is representative of the Prophet Elijah and the sculptor's apparent belief in divine intervention. 

The memorial stands on a wide platform overlooking the coastal plain. It was restored in recent years and the site was made accessible to people with physical limitations.

In the same forest stands an extraordinary project in memory of the a German-Dutch diarist Anne Frank (1929-1945). Anne hid in Amsterdam with her family during the German occupation of the Netherlands and died in Bergen-Belsen in 1945. Between 1942 to 1944 she documented her life in hiding in her diary. Miep Gies, a family friend, found Anne's diary and gave it to her father, Otto Frank, after the war. It became one of the most widely read books in the world.

Anne could see a chestnut tree through the window of her family's hideout. The tree, which is mentioned many times in her diary, was one of Amsterdam's oldest chestnut trees. In 2005 it was diagnosed with a disease. When municipal authorities wanted to cut it down, community members, tree experts and the staff of Bomenstichting (the Dutch national tree foundation) mobilised. The tree was fitted with a metal support structure but ultimately fell in a storm in 2010. Friends of JNF (Jewish National Fund) in Holland initiated a project to commemorate Anne Frank and the tree in Israel.

The memorial includes several sculptural elements, all of which are significant. There is a circular route studded with quotes from Anne's diary translated into Hebrew and a very large cube representing the room where she hid from the Nazis with her family. The cube has three transparent sides, and the fourth is a tree with pentagonal leaves representing the chestnut tree. In a corner across from the tree there is an uncomfortably high seat. When you sit on it you feel like a child sitting on a high chair. The viewing experience is meant to recreate the feeling of imprisonment, isolation and discomfort, while looking longingly through a window at the world outside.

The memorial was created by the Dutch Jewish sculptor and Holocaust survivor, Piet Cohen. Like Anne Frank, he was hidden in a house in southern Holland and was not discovered. He later served in the Israel Defence Forces.

The nearby Martyrs Cave (B'nai B'rith Cave), above, is a natural cave that was expanded in order to serve as a site for reflection and remembrance of those who died in the Holocaust. In front of the cave there is a plaza and nearby there is a small recreation area with tables and benches which attracts many visitors throughout the year. To the left of the cave are steps that lead to the top of the mountain where the Scroll of Fire stands.

Every year on Holocaust Day, JNF and B'nai B'rith hold a memorial ceremony in this forest.

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Sharon's Souvenirs, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday's Treasures, Pictorial Tuesday, My Corner of the World and All Seasons.

Seventy, Sixty

A family friend contacted me some time ago to see if I could make a special card for his mum's upcoming 70th birthday. Mum likes doing paper puzzles, surfing the web for cruises, watching television and being taken out, he told me. She loves chocolate and cake and, like me, is a Hull City A.F.C. supporter. I suggested adding one of my paper portraits to the card and a big number 70 to mark her special birthday.

I have shown mum with a bar of chocolate in one hand and a big slice of cake in the other. On the left of her card I have added a computer with a picture of a cruise ship on the screen, Hull City's current logo, featuring a tiger's head in an amber shield, and a television with Bargain Hunt showing on it. Her son told me that mum likes to watch Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Neighbours and Bargain Hunt! To the right, below the number 70, is a little table piled with treats since she enjoys being taken out, and below that, a small Sudoku and crossword puzzle.

"I got the card this morning. It's great. Thank you." my customer wrote to me, then followed up to tell me that his mum really liked the card.

A book club friend asked me to make a card for her husband's 60th birthday, below. His interests include music, especially the Beatles and playing the guitar. He is originally from Australia, enjoys public speaking and is a guide at Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. She also suggested I add the logo of the company where he works, oh and added that he is a big fan of potatoes and cholent, a traditional "Jewish" stew. It is usually simmered overnight for 12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat (the Sabbath).

I included all these things on his birthday card. You can see the cholent and potatoes to the top left. Below them is a megaphone to represent his love of public speaking. The Yad Vashem logo (Yad Vashem literally means "a monument and a name"), a map of Australia, and a black and white photo of the Beatles follow. From the top right I have added his company logo, a classical guitar and some music notes. A big red number 60 marks his age.
"I never told you how much Michael appreciated the card." my friend later told me.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Creatively Crafty Link Party, All Seasons and Creative Mondays.

The Best of 2016 - Part II

1. Nahal Taninim Nature Reserve  2. Lohamei Hagetaot  3. Ein Afek Nature Reserve  4. Making the Desert Bloom  5. The Monument to the Negev Fighters Brigade  6. The Yehi'am Fortress  7. Be'ersheva  8. The Sharon Coast National Park  9. Cyclamen Hill  10. Tel Aviv's First City Hall

Happy New Year! When I started writing this blog back in 2008 I initially kept it as a blog purely about my papercut art. However, I soon found out that people were interested in reading a little more about me and my life here in Israel. Whilst I still don't write every single detail about myself here, I have opened up to you about my Jewish faith and many of the holidays we celebrate, and I have written about some of the beautiful places I have been fortunate to visit in Israel.
In a week's time I will be marking 22 years in Israel. It is incredible to think that I have spent almost half of my life here. Over the years I have enjoyed seeing and exploring my country, particularly when the kids were younger (they are now teens and less interested in coming out with Mum and Dad). We have been north, we have been south, east and west - though that's not so hard really since the country is so small! Along the way I have developed a knack for searching out off the beaten track places, so much so that rarely a week goes by without me getting a call or WhatsApp message from a friend asking for suggestions about what to do and where to go! I must admit, I quite enjoy my role as an unofficial tour guide.
2016 saw us visiting Be'ersheva in the South and the western Upper Galilee in the North. We went to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, spent a few days on a kibbutz and stayed closer to home to see the Rakefot (Persian Cyclamen) bloom. I have blogged about all of these places and more, but thought it would be fun to pick my top 10 of 2016. So, in no particular order, please click on the names above and enjoy exploring Israel with me!

* This post has been shared on Sunday Pleasure, Blue Monday, Mosaic Monday, Monday's Musings, Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Seasons, Our World Tuesday, The Good. The Random. The Fun., Travel Tuesday, Tuesdays with a Twist, Outdoor Wednesday, Travel Photo Thursday and City Tripping.

Lohamei Hagetaot

It's time to write the last blog post about our mini-break in the Galilee area during the summer. I have already blogged about the Ein Afek Nature Reserve and the Yehi'am Fortress. We were lucky enough to visit a few more interesting places, starting with the Kfar Yehoshua Railway Station site next to Moshav Kfar Yehoshua in the western part of the Jezreel Valley.

Surrounded by a grove of tall eucalyptus trees, the old train station of Kfar Yehoshua has been recently restored and turned into a museum. Kfar Yehoshua (Tel El Shamam) was the largest station between Haifa and Afula on the Valley Train line and operated for nearly 50 years. The Valley Train, which ran along the length of the Jezreel Valley, was built in the early 20th century by the Turks, under German supervision, to provide supplies to the construction of the larger Hejaz Railway, which connected Istanbul with Mecca, via Jordan. The railway’s branch in Israel was called the Valley Train and as a by product served to help develop the area of the Lower Galilee.
Seven Templar style stone buildings, including a water tower and a well, can be seen at the site, as well as three freight cars – two dating from the time of the British Mandate and an authentic one from the time of construction of the Valley Train. The visitor centre, in one of the single storey stone buildings, houses an interesting display that recreates the story of the Valley Train and its main stations. Work is now complete on a new railway in the area, although it does not follow exactly the same route.

We stayed at the Bait V'Kait guesthouse at Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot. The kibbutz was founded in 1949 on the coastal highway between Acre and Nahariya. Its founding members include surviving fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, as well as former Jewish partisans and other Holocaust survivors. Its name commemorates the Jews who fought the Nazis.
At the entrance to the kibbutz are the extensive remains of an aqueduct which supplied water to Acre some 6km away, until 1948. The aqueduct was originally built at the end of the 18th century by Jezzar Pasha, the Ottoman ruler of Acre, but was completely rebuilt by his son, Suleiman, in 1814. It was the most important engineering project undertaken by the Turks during their rule in this country. This beautiful aqueduct was built with stone arches and in some places rests on pillars 10 metres high.

Other sites we visited included the Bahá’í Gardens in Acre. These circular gardens, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surround the historic mansion where Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, spent the final years of his life and the shrine where his remains were placed. This is one of the two holiest sites associated with the founders of the Bahá’í religion. The other holy site is the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa, which contains the Holy Shrine of the Bab.

We were unable to visit the inner garden surrounding the historic building and shrine, yet enjoyed the extensive outer gardens and perimeter path which were truly a sight to behold. Formal, precise and sculpted to perfection, the gardens are immaculate and are very much worth a visit.

The Bahá’í Faith began in 1844 in Siraz, Iran. Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi, the prophet Bab, attempted to spread his beliefs but was faced with opposition from the Shia clergy. Despite gaining thousands of followers, he was executed after just six years. Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, Baha’u’llah, continued his efforts. Baha’u’llah was expelled to a prison belonging to the Ottoman Empire in Acre. When he was released, he spent nine years living under house arrest, including the home that is a centrepiece in Acre’s Bahá’í Gardens.
Today, there are about five million people around the world who are followers of the Bahá’í faith.

Back at Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot we visited the studio of the artist Moshe Kupferman, one of the founding members of the kibbutz. During his early years in the kibbutz Kupferman worked in construction but in 1967 he began to devote himself solely to work at his studio - "the atelier". Today the halls which he used as a combined space for work and for storage of paintings, works on paper, and prints, are used for a permanent display of his selected works and also for group exhibitions.

Kupferman was most well known for his abstract paintings in monochromatic tones. In spite of the abstract character of his works they do however show a political-historical connection. In 1984, following the Sabra and Shatilla Massacre, he published an album of drawings called "With Beirut after Beirut with Beirut." 

Throughout the years, Kupferman exhibited in important galleries and museums, in Israel and all over the world, and won many prizes and acclaims. He died in June 2003.

Near to Kupferman's House is the studio of Koby Sibony - Metal Wire Designer. Koby graduated from the Industrial Design department at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem and in 2011 opened his studio on the kibbutz. Sculpting with wire, his work borders on the edge between art and design. His series of sculptures "Ocean Parts" is created from a combination of plastic pieces collected from the beach and metal wire. I was thrilled to be able to buy a small piece of his work from his taxidermy series. Koby's creations are being exhibited in art and design exhibitions both in Israel and abroad.

Finally, we kept the hardest place to visit till the last day of our trip. The Ghetto Fighters' House was the first Holocaust museum in the world but also the first of its kind to be founded by Holocaust survivors. It was established in the spring of 1949 by members of Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot. The museum tells the story of the Holocaust during World War II, emphasising the bravery, spiritual triumph and the incredible ability of the survivors to rebuild their lives in a new country of which they had dreamed – the State of Israel.
The museum is well divided into specific exhibits and each deals with different events of the Holocaust as well as the resistance during that time. The displays and commentaries were incredibly moving. Among the permanent exhibitions are the Treblinka Hall that has on display a scale model of the Treblinka Death Camp, a large exhibition about the Warsaw Ghetto, one on the Jewish Resistance, and another about the Righteous among the Nations.

In 1995 the Yad Layeled Children’s Memorial Museum was established at the Ghetto Fighters’ House. Serving as both a children's educational museum and memorial, Yad Layeled has two main goals: to commemorate the million and a half children who perished during the Holocaust and to continuously tell the story of the children who survived. The museum exhibitions are based on authentic stories taken from diaries and testimonies of children who lived during the Holocaust.

We spent several hours at both museums and, though we were overwhelmed by their sad historic content, we found the exhibits to be extremely well done. They were thoughtfully and sensitively presented and reminded us just how much we should truly appreciate modern Israel, our homeland.

* This post has been shared on The Wednesday Blog Hop, Wednesday Around the World, Our World Tuesday, Life Thru the Lens, The Good.The Random.The Fun and Seasons.