I have included some pictures of the model but the attached link is a virtual tour of the model so you can walk around it yourself. http://www.imj.org.il/panavision/jerusalem_model_index.html (If the link doesn't work, try copy & paste)
The Romans destroyed the 2nd temple around 70 AD while trying to quell the revolt of the Israelites. Second Temple - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The inner wall is Herodian and the outer wall was built by Agrippa.
Next we travel to Mt. Herzl which is a national cemetery similar to Arlington. Those in the military are buried there as well as many dignitaries such as Herzel, Golda Meir, Yitzak Rabin and Ed Kolek who was mayor of Jerusalem for many years.
Then we travel to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, where we tour the main exhibit, the memorial to the 1.5 million children lost and the memorial to the communities of Europe that had their Jewish population decimated. Ronit told us the story of her stepmother Elizabeth who survived the camps and emigrated to Israel in 1957.
There is no photography allowed inside the memorial but after go thru the main exhibit hall, you come out onto this balcony overlooking a beautiful valley. Your insides are churning from all of the emotions you are feeling and then you see the following.
There were not many dry eyes by the time we left the main exhibit but going thru the memorial of the 1.5 million children lost is gut wrenching.
The Monument to the Communities is a block constructed maze approximating the geographical layout of Europe. The maze is constructed with high walls and in such a manner to give you the feeling that there was no way out and no way to escape the clutches of the Nazi's.
The next stop on our itinerary was the Rabbi's Tunnel which runs under the Western Wall but our guide felt that it was too dangerous to go today because of Muslim protests commemorating the Nakba (or Catastrophe). Here is a YouTube link so that all of you that went with us can see what we missed. Rabbi's Tunnel - Jerusalem The tunnel has been a flash point in the past and here are a couple of links for your reading pleasure which explain why.
Here is a link explaining Nakba: Nakba Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Watching CNN that night, we learn about Syrian protestors crashing thru the border at the Golan Heights with shots fired and some injuries. This also occurred on the Lebanese border and the Gaza Strip but it was all quiet wherever we had gone today. The news reports did punctuate how fragile the situation in Israel really is.
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