FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 69
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No trip to Jerusalem is
complete without visiting
the newly expanded,
redesigned and impactful Yad
Vashem. It was built to keep alive
the memories of the atrocities of
the Holocaust and to ensure that
no one ever forgets!
Th e museum has so many
vividly graphic exhibit rooms,
one aft er another, that children
under 10 are not allowed to visit.
My son Josh and his wife Tracey
took their little ones to the nearby
zoo, while the rest of us experienced
the museum of remembrance.
Ending our powerful visit
there was another moving ceremony
experience, as my Bar
Mitzvah boy, Blake, was given
a certifi cate commemorating a
child of his age who died in
the Holocaust. It was meant for
Blake to remember and perpetuate
the lost child’s life, called the
Yad Vashem Twinning Project.
An unexpected moment for all
of us and, for Blake, something
to take away on many levels.
We reunited with the rest of
the family and made our way
to the Mahane Yehuda Market,
a bustling place where narrow
aisles were jam packed with people.
It was Friday, Shabbos, the
beginning of the sabbath, and
people had come from all over
the city to get the freshest fi sh,
fruit, cakes and spices. Th ere are
cafes and shops sprinkled along
the multiple, crammed alleyways.
Th e energy of the market
reminded me of my visit decades
ago, where a bomb was ignited
the day aft er my visit. Machine
gun-carrying soldiers had been
seen everywhere. Now, we rarely
saw a gun-packing soldier, and
we felt very safe.
Our guide Gil took us to an
overfl owing bakery stand to eat
what he described as the best
rugelach in the world. It was
still warm, fresh from the oven,
delectable. He was so right.
Another delicacy he said was
a “must-taste” was at a tiny,
shoebox-size booth fi lled with
shelves overfl owing with halvah
of all fl avors, which I sampled it
again and again. My favorite
was the chocolate
covered one.
Walking down
the crammed
aisles, the
heat was overwhelming, reaching
over 100 degrees. I wished
I could have stayed longer to
continue to explore the endless
aisles overfl owing with food and
merchandise, and multiple musicians
entertaining the throngs of
shoppers.
But back to the Herbert Samuel
Hotel, located near the vibrant
streets of the Nahalat Shiva
neighborhood, where there are
shops, cafes and, in the evening,
street musicians. All I wanted,
though, was a cool shower, and
it was never so sweet!
More next week!
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Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
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Remembering the Holocaust at Yad Vashem
Blake with his Bar
Mitzvah Twinning
Project certifi cate
remembering a child
who died in the
Holocaust
The abundant
ground spices sold
in the marketplace
The architectural design of the museum was
haunting, as were the exhibits
Musicians entertaining
the masses of shoppers
at the market Colorful bowls of delicacies
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