June 1999
Although you may consider it a bit morbid, this past Holocaust Remembrance day I checked out a number of holocaust sites. One of the best is the Cybrary of the Holocaust. What makes this a memorable visit aside for an almost surrealistic photo library are the rich collection of poems and stories which give one a much better understanding and well rounded vision of this unforgettable period.
http://home8.inet.tele.dk/aaaa/Schindler2.htm http://home8.inet.tele.dk/aaaa/redgirl.htmAlthough most of us have already seen Schindlers List, Louis Bulow has created a number of sites which were almost haunting. The Story of Oscar Schindler deals with Shindler himself and The Little Girl in the Red Coat..to which I will only say read it.
http://www.kids-drawings.com/index1.htmA different site not related, yet not so far removed is a project for collecting pictures for peace, appropriately called Welcome to Kids Drawings for Peace. They have a wonderful collection and best of all encourages all children to send them in. Although the site may be a bit cumbersome to plough through, the idea is worth it and of course if you can get your class or children to participate then by all means. The site is in Hebrew, English, and Spanish.
http://www.virtual.co.il/communities/wjcbook/vjworldindex.htmHave you ever wondered what has happened to the Jewish community in Italy, Norway, or Ecuador for that matter? The World Jewish Congress put up quite a bit of information on dozens of countries on the Jewish Communities of the World website. Unfortunately there are no pictures, but hopefully they plan to add them.
http://www.avotaynu.com/gettingstarted.htmMy Mother just came for a visit and found that we have relatives that we thought were totally wiped out in the Holocaust. This gave an additional push to add information to our family Tree program. If you have not yet gotten started on a Family Genealogy project then the first stop should probably be Getting Started Tracing Your Jewish Roots. Once you are there and read though the FAQ on getting started, then go back to their home page and in one of the groups look at their links. Get everyone involved. It's a lot of fun and brings history into your family.
http://www.vj101.com/summer.htmOn a lighter note..the following sites might prove valuable in planning your summer vacation. Summer camps or Israel programs can be found on Virtual Jerusalem. There are Israel study programs, short and long-term ulpans, and travel information for the family planning its own vacation.
http://www.israelexperience.org/ie/index2.htmlAsk your bored teenager the following questions and find out if he/she is ready for the Israel Experience. Want to slosh around in mud baths? Dive into a plate of falafel? Launch your raft down river? (Now mom..don't panic) Begin the journey this summer!
http://www.index.co.il/tourism/This guide contains information on all branches of tourist industry in ISRAEL At the site you will find 10,000 tourism bodies including hotels, vacation villages, attractions and everything related to tourism, recreation, restaurants and entertainment. Also available are links to tourism sites all over the world and viewing maps of Israel.
Got sunburned from all the touring and rafting? Take a break from the sun and visit the Israel Museum's Youth Wing. The Current Youth Exhibition is featuring EARTH. A stroll beneath the earth, underground treasures, a clay cave, animal prints,an adobe home, stories about the earth, building and painting with earth, and works of art made of earth. Don't be a stick in the mud..visit!
My Hebrew Dictionary is a very handy site if you've just made aliyah and/or seeking a computer job in Israel. It's a cute little dictionary that you can peruse rather quickly covering terminology in such subjects as Judaism, aliyah, food, computers, and let's not forget basketball.