Strangers in the Night

Today Jeff and I pretended to be locals and took a train and bus to Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem. Then we took a bus to Yad Vashem and later the train home. All done without a hitch, and with some advice from friendly Israelis. The title refers to the bus driver from the hospital complex to Yad Vashem. He drove the uphill curvy road like a madman. I whispered to Jeff that I felt like I was on the Night Bus in the Harry Potter movie and we both broke out laughing. Anyway we arrived everywhere safely.

We got an early start with hot showers and breakfast at the hostel. Walked around the corner to the train stop and hopped aboard. This light rail system is a few years old and runs smoothly and frequently. The tracks are on Jaffa Road which is closed to vehicular traffic. Trains are clean with plenty of seating and standing room. You can buy a ticket at a machine at each stop and validate it on board. Today it is cloudy and rather cold. We rode to the end of the line and got off at the Mt. Herzl station. Yad Vashem is a downhill walk from there. But, we took bus 27 to Ein Karem where Hadassah Hospital is located. You get off the bus, go through security and enter a small shopping mall. Upstairs are coffee shops and restaurants which service the staff, patients and families at Hadassah. 

We had arranged a private tour with the help of one of my chapter members and our region office. We met our guide and she took us into the new tower.

There are five floors below ground and 12 floors above, some of the higher floors are not open yet and work is progressing in many areas. In a main hallway we stopped to see some contributor plaques. Hilton Head Chapter is proudly on one of these boards along with some big regions.

All our members should feel great about this and kudos to our generous donors. We were not able to go underground to see the emergency or operating rooms, but we know people were there saving lives. We did visit two of the four healing gardens.

These garden areas represent nature and bring some of the outdoors inside. This will help the patient's morale and provide a nice place to visit with their families. There are also huge ceiling to floor windows with magnificent views to enjoy. We walked around a patient floor and admired the single and double rooms. Very spacious and bright with a large nature photograph in each along with a futon so a family member can spend the night in comfort. We were very impressed with the lighted signage to acknowledge contributors. Each area has a family sitting room with a refrigerator and seating so the family can wait comfortably and prepare food during their visit.

Next we went to the mother and child pavilion which is as kid friendly as possible. Bright colors and graphics are all around to cheer up young patients whether they are admitted or outpatient. We also saw a tiny newborn as the maternity and neonatal units are in this area. It is amazing to see people of all races, religions and creeds sitting together in the waiting rooms and sharing patient rooms. Hadassah treats anyone in need of medical care. Their research is responsible for many of the modern procedures and cures that we enjoy around the world. The overall theme in the children's pavilion is transportation and the donor signage has trains, buses and boats....

We ended our tour in the older hospital building with the famous Chagall windows in its synagogue. Just beautiful!

Now we headed back through the food court where Jeff had snack. A slice of pizza with corn on top. What will these Israelis think of next?

So now we go outside and catch a bus back uphill and encountered this "cowboy" driver. Safely deposited by the train station we walked down the hill and then took a shuttle bus to Yad Vashem. The place was jumping with so many tour buses, high school students and army groups.

We went in through the visitor center and got audio guides and a map. Otherwise the admission is free. First we went to visit the children's memorial with candlelight reflections for the one and one half million Jewish children slaughtered in the Holocaust. Along the way we saw some sculptures and memorials. Then we went back inside to eat lunch and deposit our backpacks in the coat room.

Then we were ready to tackle the museum. It has been completely renovated since our last visit in 1990. Not only did they totally change the building, but the exhibit halls now include all of Europe. It is so hard to experience this heart wrenching place and no photos are allowed. There is a complete history leading up to the war and then areas for each of the major populations centers before the war and then the deportations, ghettos and camps. So many personal stories and artifacts. The displays are so well done and many video presentations and personal items that have been gathered. At the end we were weary and entered the Hall of Remembrance with its dome filled with photos of those who perished in the Shoah.

Back outside we stopped to see the memorial hall with an eternal flame for each of the death and labor camps. Last thing we walked along the Avenue of Righteous Gentiles. People who risked their lives to save Jews. At Yad Vashem they are memorialized with a tree planted in their honor. 

Now it is time to go home.

We got back safely and went over to the Mechane Yehuda market for a quick dinner. Things were pretty empty there with the cold weather and it being Sunday night. Now we are lounging in bed, reading, writing and relaxing.