Atlit, Beit Sh'arim, Ceasarea

Today we awoke in our new location to which we arrived last night, the David intercontinental hotel on the tel Aviv shore of the Mediterranean. The breakfast here was a little weird - they explained they have many Asians who like Miso soup in the morning! There was no explanation for lasagna.

But I digress from the more important parts of the travelogue. We started off to Atlit which is what remains of a detention camp that held holocaust survivors and others during the British mandate. Seeing how similar they are to concentration camps - putting ourselves in their place - it must have been terrifying until they realized and understood that despite the similarities, they had food, rest and security.

The outdoor park like atmosphere included a ship they recreated to be most like the ships that transported Jews to the holy land. The innovation they used was amazing - the portholes suddenly turn Ed on which meant the window became a tv screen projecting the waves of the ocean flying by. The ground and walls shook and vibrated and like many an exhibit we experienced, one could identify with the immigrants and even feel the feelings they must have felt. After the ship tour, it would have been preferable to stop - the kids were on information overload and the adults were not doing much better.

Beit Shearim, a little further south of Atlit is a series of caves that were discovered that were filled with sarcophagi attributed to the rabbis of the Sanhedrin including Yedudah HaNasi who redacted the Mishnah. There had been