Our third and final day in Jerusalem began with checking out of the hotel. We decided to stop at a Aroma near the hotel for a bit of breakfast as none of us was keen on cold cuts and cheese this morning. We packed our bags, checked out, loaded the car, and sat at an outdoor table to enjoy breakfast pastries. Café Rimon is a chain and is similar to Starbucks in my mind but with more pastry options as opposed to primarily coffee. The pastries were  delightful, all the food has been good, and it gave us a few minutes to recap our adventure thus far. 

Our final stop in Israel is a somber one. Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center is Israel’s memorial to the six million Jews who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. Yad Vashem is open to the general public, free of charge, and all visits must be reserved in advance online. Parking at site is limited though there is a nearby parking lot, garage, and train stop. This will require a 10-15 minute walk, note that it is downhill to Yad Vashem and uphill on the return. The Holocaust Museum is open to visitors over the age of ten. This is where we spent most of our time during our visit and it was filled with schoolchildren, police/military, and visitors alike.

The Holocaust History Museum presents the story of the Holocaust, known as “Shoah” in Hebrew, from a Jewish perspective. The emphasis is on the experiences of individual victims and is told through artifacts, survivor testimonies, and personal possessions. The museum details how the Shoah began as well as the rampant anti-Semitism in Europe. The combination of diary entries, photographs, passport documents, and other personal items and artifacts tell a poignant and powerful story. At the end of the museum is the Hall of Names. Photos of the deceased cover the ceiling of the hall and books filled with names of more who perished are arranged all around. A hole in the floor symbolizes the lost, unknown victims whose names may never be recorded because they, their entire families, all their friends, and everyone who knew them was murdered. Yad Vashem’s research center continues to tirelessly work to record the names of the unknown victims who were not survived by anyone to testify or mourn them. An epilogue concludes the museum and a balcony opening to a panoramic view of Jerusalem provides much needed fresh air. 

Yad Vashem is incredibly powerful and equally heavy. I felt particularly down and was glad to have my friends to help alleviate the mood. There is a book and resource center which offers a variety of fiction and non-fiction books from the Shoah. It was also helpful to have a meal after the Holocaust History Museum and Yad Vashem has a kosher cafeteria on the lower level of the Visitors center. The cafeteria offers hot meat meals and has a dairy coffee shop. Be mindful where you sit as both the kitchens and the dining areas are kosher which means meat and dairy must be separated. I felt much better after eating and walking outside. 

We made our way back to the car and left the city for the border. The experience going from Israel to Jordan was fairly similar to going from Jordan to Israel. There is an exit tax to leave Israel and it was a little steep at 200 shekels (about $60 US). Again, I don’t suggest crossing the border on land due to the complexity but, if you do, be certain you have a decent amount of cash in multiple currencies (US dollars, Israeli shekels, and Jordanian dinar). The drive back to Amman was uneventful and I took advantage of some spare time to wash a load of laundry and pack. 

Our farewell dinner was at Faroujna Mixed Grill and Mezza. This was one of my favorite dinners and the food was great. We ordered 5-6 mezzas (appetizers) and shared them while we reminisced about all of our adventures over the last two weeks. It was the perfect low-key dinner to end an absolutely amazing time with friends sharing their new life in Amman.