ESRA Rehovot organized a visit to Testimony House (Beit Haedut), located on Moshav Nir Galim (near Ashdod). Beit Haedut, founded in 1991 by graduates of the B'nei Akiva youth movement, most of whom were Central European Holocaust survivors, presents life in the Jewish shtetl and its disruption during the Holocaust, using various art forms.

Our pleasant and knowledgeable guide, Noga Mark, took us through the several rooms at Testimony House, where we saw how the displays - from sculpture to miniatures, from painting to writing - depict the life of European Jews, with an emphasis on the pre-Holocaust and Holocaust periods. Of especial poignancy were the personal stories of several Holocaust survivors who created many of the artistic exhibits on display.

We saw a very moving documentary film about one of the survivors. The film, which she narrates, describes her survival through Auschwitz, where she was imprisoned at age 12, several labor camps, the infamous "Death March," and her coming to Israel on a fishing boat which ran the British blockade before the State was established. Her testimony was an emotional experience for all, not to be forgotten.

Beit Haedut includes an education center, a documentary museum and a memorial site. There is also a permanent exhibition of mini models of European synagogues which were destroyed during the Holocaust. These were constructed primarily of wooden matchsticks burnt at one end, symbolizing the destruction. Judaica artifacts from the Jewish shtetl are presented as well.

The visit to the Testimony House museum is an experience that will leave the visitor with unforgettable memories. It's not to be missed.

You can visit their website at www.beit-haedut.org.il

Tel: 08 856 8476 Fax: 08 853 5687

Email: beit-haedut@beit-haedut.org.il