Commentary on Washington field trip: due before school, Mon, 2/6
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Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)
Feb 2, 2012, 8:09:23 AM2/2/12
to 2011 Global Issues
Please write 3 short paragraphs sharing something memorable about YOUR
EXPERIENCE visiting the Israeli and Saudi embassies and the Holocaust
museum (one paragraph for each).
EXPERIENCE visiting the Israeli and Saudi embassies and the Holocaust
museum (one paragraph for each).
Ben Cohen
Feb 3, 2012, 9:50:45 PM2/3/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The most memorable thing about the Israeli speaker to me was when she
mentioned the terror acts that Palestinians had committed against Jews
such as the family of five being brutally murdered. At first my
natural reaction was to think of Palestinians badly, but then I
remembered how nice the Palestinian speaker had made them sound and
how terrible she made the Israelis sound. I noticed the vicious chain
of ignorance and biased views that exists between the two groups.
Each one thinks the other is a group of terrible people who wants to
harm them. This is what prompts such violence and unwillingness to
cooperate with each other.
The most memorable thing about the Saudi embassy was the general
satisfaction of the Saudi people that the speakers conveyed when they
were answering questions. They made it seem like every Saudi agreed
completely with the laws they have in place, and if they changed
anything the people would be upset. It makes sense that the people are
satisfied though because there's a lot of money from oil there and a
lot of people are living a high quality life.
The one section of the Holocaust Museum that really got to me was the
exhibit with the pile of shoes. Knowing that the amount of shoes there
was probably nothing compared to how many shoes were actually taken
helped actual realize and understand the amount of people that were
killed in the Holocaust. It kind of broke down a mental barrier that
was preventing me from realizing the true horror of the Holocaust. The
smell of the shoes was very strong and helped me picture the
atmosphere of what the Holocaust was like. It was definitely what most
connected me with the German Jews emotionally.
On Feb 2, 8:09 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"
mentioned the terror acts that Palestinians had committed against Jews
such as the family of five being brutally murdered. At first my
natural reaction was to think of Palestinians badly, but then I
remembered how nice the Palestinian speaker had made them sound and
how terrible she made the Israelis sound. I noticed the vicious chain
of ignorance and biased views that exists between the two groups.
Each one thinks the other is a group of terrible people who wants to
harm them. This is what prompts such violence and unwillingness to
cooperate with each other.
The most memorable thing about the Saudi embassy was the general
satisfaction of the Saudi people that the speakers conveyed when they
were answering questions. They made it seem like every Saudi agreed
completely with the laws they have in place, and if they changed
anything the people would be upset. It makes sense that the people are
satisfied though because there's a lot of money from oil there and a
lot of people are living a high quality life.
The one section of the Holocaust Museum that really got to me was the
exhibit with the pile of shoes. Knowing that the amount of shoes there
was probably nothing compared to how many shoes were actually taken
helped actual realize and understand the amount of people that were
killed in the Holocaust. It kind of broke down a mental barrier that
was preventing me from realizing the true horror of the Holocaust. The
smell of the shoes was very strong and helped me picture the
atmosphere of what the Holocaust was like. It was definitely what most
connected me with the German Jews emotionally.
On Feb 2, 8:09 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"
Josh Klag
Feb 4, 2012, 11:24:57 AM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The most interesting thing about the Israeli speaker was how different
she was from the Palestinian representative we spoke to in New York.
Contrasting the Palestinian woman, the Israeli speaker spoke with no
passion, choosing a more diplomatic demeanor. She was clearly biased
towards the Israeli standpoint (duh), but she was not as aggressive in
attacking the opposing side as the Palestinian speaker. I personally
thought that although I completely disagreed with the Palestinian, she
was probably more persuasive than the Israeli. I think that the
Israeli embassy should put more emphasis on finding or training
speakers who are more proficient in garnering support for Israel.
The most memorable moment from the Saudi embassy was when a student
asked about religious minorities in Saudi Arabia, and the speaker
simply said, "there are none." This statement surprised and confounded
me. How can there be no religious minorities in a country? It makes me
wonder if this is because they simply do not tolerate other religions
in their country, which would certainly not surprise me. Or it is also
possible that religious minorities do exist in Saudi Arabia, and the
speaker simply denied their existence.
The Holocaust museum was at once amazing and sickening. The section
that affected me the most was the exhibit telling the story (through
his diary) of a young boy who went through the Holocaust . It was a a
long walk-through that changed scenery as his situation became worse
and worse. First, it went through his house, as the diary excerpts
tell of the life of an everyday boy. Then, it progresses into gloomy
Nazi-controlled streets, then the ghetto, and finally, the
concentration camp. It truly helped me relate to the terror and
severity of being a victim of the Holocaust by telling the story of a
regular boy like myself, whose life deteriorated in front of his eyes
and was subjected to horrifying circumstances.
she was from the Palestinian representative we spoke to in New York.
Contrasting the Palestinian woman, the Israeli speaker spoke with no
passion, choosing a more diplomatic demeanor. She was clearly biased
towards the Israeli standpoint (duh), but she was not as aggressive in
attacking the opposing side as the Palestinian speaker. I personally
thought that although I completely disagreed with the Palestinian, she
was probably more persuasive than the Israeli. I think that the
Israeli embassy should put more emphasis on finding or training
speakers who are more proficient in garnering support for Israel.
The most memorable moment from the Saudi embassy was when a student
asked about religious minorities in Saudi Arabia, and the speaker
simply said, "there are none." This statement surprised and confounded
me. How can there be no religious minorities in a country? It makes me
wonder if this is because they simply do not tolerate other religions
in their country, which would certainly not surprise me. Or it is also
possible that religious minorities do exist in Saudi Arabia, and the
speaker simply denied their existence.
The Holocaust museum was at once amazing and sickening. The section
that affected me the most was the exhibit telling the story (through
his diary) of a young boy who went through the Holocaust . It was a a
long walk-through that changed scenery as his situation became worse
and worse. First, it went through his house, as the diary excerpts
tell of the life of an everyday boy. Then, it progresses into gloomy
Nazi-controlled streets, then the ghetto, and finally, the
concentration camp. It truly helped me relate to the terror and
severity of being a victim of the Holocaust by telling the story of a
regular boy like myself, whose life deteriorated in front of his eyes
and was subjected to horrifying circumstances.
Ashley Gubernick
Feb 4, 2012, 11:30:39 AM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
Visiting the Israeli Embassy was a special experience. I remember the
Palestinian diplomat being very bias (as she should be) towards
Palestinians, so I was curious to see if the Israel diplomat would be
the same way towards Israelis. I felt that she was not as bias because
rather than put down Palestinians she promoted Israel; however, I
think this is partially because the Israeli diplomat seemed to know
set information that she shared with us, but it did not look as though
she knew much beyond that. Through her answers she avoided an
unnecessary amount of questions, and even rudely told a student she
has already answered the question he asked. I think she could use
more experience with answering the questions, but practice makes
perfect so I appreciated her taking the time to meet with us.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy was very different from the start. Standing
on the side walk we could smell the heavy cologne off the Saudi men
that walked by, and once we walked in the smell got stronger. After
getting our seats two other girls and I went to the bathroom and the
first thing we saw when we walked in was a lady washing her hair in
the sink; that was very peculiar. The embassy itself though, despite
the women washing her hair and strong scents, was very cushy and
nicely decorated compared to the previous embassies our class has
visited. The video shown to us was honestly a little boring and I
would have preferred if someone had spoken to us about the country
instead, like she did at the Israeli Embassy. Even though the video
was not my favorite, the diplomats made up for it by being very
informational and good at their jobs while answering questions. Also,
it was fascinating when the lady showed us how Saudi Arabians
typically dress. The hands-on way she showed this was a great idea.
When she explained that the women like wearing the clothing even in
hot weather I was really interested because I never knew that and I
think that is a common misconception in the Western World.
The Holocaust Museum was an unforgettable experience. I knew the
Jewish people in our class would be touched walking through there, but
I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction from other students, too.
I know everybody thinks the Holocaust was horrible, but one student
told me she can never emotionally feel a connection to the lives that
were lost even though she wants to, so I expected a lot of students to
feel that way, but walking through the museum there were students with
teary eyes that had no relation to the people in the Holocaust. The
museum was very well organized and I know I could have spent all day
there if given the chance. What stuck out most to me was the quote
that Hitler felt anyone with a physical or mental disability were
"lives unworthy of life." Being Jewish and having multiple medical
disabilities myself this made me so frustrated. I also was interested
to find out that even before Israel was created (1948) there were Jews
named Israel and Izrael. One Jewish man named Israel Kanal
(1921-1943) helped organize the Warsaw Ghetto rebellion.
Palestinian diplomat being very bias (as she should be) towards
Palestinians, so I was curious to see if the Israel diplomat would be
the same way towards Israelis. I felt that she was not as bias because
rather than put down Palestinians she promoted Israel; however, I
think this is partially because the Israeli diplomat seemed to know
set information that she shared with us, but it did not look as though
she knew much beyond that. Through her answers she avoided an
unnecessary amount of questions, and even rudely told a student she
has already answered the question he asked. I think she could use
more experience with answering the questions, but practice makes
perfect so I appreciated her taking the time to meet with us.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy was very different from the start. Standing
on the side walk we could smell the heavy cologne off the Saudi men
that walked by, and once we walked in the smell got stronger. After
getting our seats two other girls and I went to the bathroom and the
first thing we saw when we walked in was a lady washing her hair in
the sink; that was very peculiar. The embassy itself though, despite
the women washing her hair and strong scents, was very cushy and
nicely decorated compared to the previous embassies our class has
visited. The video shown to us was honestly a little boring and I
would have preferred if someone had spoken to us about the country
instead, like she did at the Israeli Embassy. Even though the video
was not my favorite, the diplomats made up for it by being very
informational and good at their jobs while answering questions. Also,
it was fascinating when the lady showed us how Saudi Arabians
typically dress. The hands-on way she showed this was a great idea.
When she explained that the women like wearing the clothing even in
hot weather I was really interested because I never knew that and I
think that is a common misconception in the Western World.
The Holocaust Museum was an unforgettable experience. I knew the
Jewish people in our class would be touched walking through there, but
I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction from other students, too.
I know everybody thinks the Holocaust was horrible, but one student
told me she can never emotionally feel a connection to the lives that
were lost even though she wants to, so I expected a lot of students to
feel that way, but walking through the museum there were students with
teary eyes that had no relation to the people in the Holocaust. The
museum was very well organized and I know I could have spent all day
there if given the chance. What stuck out most to me was the quote
that Hitler felt anyone with a physical or mental disability were
"lives unworthy of life." Being Jewish and having multiple medical
disabilities myself this made me so frustrated. I also was interested
to find out that even before Israel was created (1948) there were Jews
named Israel and Izrael. One Jewish man named Israel Kanal
(1921-1943) helped organize the Warsaw Ghetto rebellion.
Melissa Lee
Feb 4, 2012, 1:54:18 PM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
I thought it was great to hear two very different nations’
perspectives on various issues. At the Israeli embassy, it was
interesting to hear what the Israeli representative had to say and how
she would respond, especially when questions were asked. As questions
regarding prominent issues like settlements associated with talks with
Palestinians to the lingering question of Iran’s nuclear program and
what nations like Israel would do, the speaker seemed to have a
defined stance upon each of the issues. I thought it was interesting
how the representative emphasized Israel’s focus on their present, and
how they thought their peace-promoting policies were being followed
through as they had dismantled settlements in Gaza.
At the Saudi embassy, I also enjoyed hearing from all three of the
representatives. The presentation was a good way to provide context
for the cultural and religious values instilled into Saudi society. I
thought the comments made upon Islam’s role in the lives of Saudi
Muslims were interesting, especially concerning women’s rights. The
Saudi representatives reasoned that laws restricting women must be
gradually lifted, for the dramatic change does not match the people’s
accustomed state with certain traditions. This was further discussed
when the different hijabs and traditional Saudi clothing provided a
sense of cultural loyalty to men and women, allowing variety of dress
for various occasions.
As I walked through the exhibits within the Holocaust museum, the
displays of actual items obtained from the time further showed me how
horrifically real the lives of the European Jews were. Seeing the
faded striped uniforms to the awful wooden “beds”, as well as the
treasured pictures of innocent families, allowed me to get a more
vivid perception of the atrocities committed. Also, I had walked
through the interactive exhibit telling the story of a Jewish child’s
experience throughout the time. This exhibit emphasized how the
unimaginable events of the Holocaust had deeply affected a family and
tainted a child’s innocence. With Daniel’s simple view of the world
around him, through the packing of a suitcase to leave, to the
constant discrimination in the classroom and in the town’s stores, to
the secret room with the radio, the terror the child had experienced
upset me. This reminded me of the The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, in
the way it had explained a dark, disturbing experience through a
child’s youthful eyes.
perspectives on various issues. At the Israeli embassy, it was
interesting to hear what the Israeli representative had to say and how
she would respond, especially when questions were asked. As questions
regarding prominent issues like settlements associated with talks with
Palestinians to the lingering question of Iran’s nuclear program and
what nations like Israel would do, the speaker seemed to have a
defined stance upon each of the issues. I thought it was interesting
how the representative emphasized Israel’s focus on their present, and
how they thought their peace-promoting policies were being followed
through as they had dismantled settlements in Gaza.
At the Saudi embassy, I also enjoyed hearing from all three of the
representatives. The presentation was a good way to provide context
for the cultural and religious values instilled into Saudi society. I
thought the comments made upon Islam’s role in the lives of Saudi
Muslims were interesting, especially concerning women’s rights. The
Saudi representatives reasoned that laws restricting women must be
gradually lifted, for the dramatic change does not match the people’s
accustomed state with certain traditions. This was further discussed
when the different hijabs and traditional Saudi clothing provided a
sense of cultural loyalty to men and women, allowing variety of dress
for various occasions.
As I walked through the exhibits within the Holocaust museum, the
displays of actual items obtained from the time further showed me how
horrifically real the lives of the European Jews were. Seeing the
faded striped uniforms to the awful wooden “beds”, as well as the
treasured pictures of innocent families, allowed me to get a more
vivid perception of the atrocities committed. Also, I had walked
through the interactive exhibit telling the story of a Jewish child’s
experience throughout the time. This exhibit emphasized how the
unimaginable events of the Holocaust had deeply affected a family and
tainted a child’s innocence. With Daniel’s simple view of the world
around him, through the packing of a suitcase to leave, to the
constant discrimination in the classroom and in the town’s stores, to
the secret room with the radio, the terror the child had experienced
upset me. This reminded me of the The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, in
the way it had explained a dark, disturbing experience through a
child’s youthful eyes.
James Lofton
Feb 4, 2012, 2:36:08 PM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The most memorable thing for me about the Israeli Embassy was the way
the speaker answered the questions we threw at her, especially the
hard ones. While her presentation may not have been as fluent and
engaging as the Palestinian representative, Nadia's, her training as a
diplomat clearly showed. Mr. Neary may lament us on overuse of the
passive voice; however, in the world of politics, it is very
effective. Her response of Tom Austen's question about the mysterious
murder of Iranian scientists, was carefully worded in passive voice so
that she can answer the question without giving away critical
information and without lying. To the casual listener, she gave a
solid answer, but in analyzing her words, a deeper meaning can be
understood.
The most memorable thing from the Saudi Embassy was the physical
attributes of the building itself. First off from the exterior, it is
a relatively large, imposing building, almost on an island all by
itself. This signifies the friendly relationship between the US and
Saudi Arabia.Then, once inside, the first thing i noticed was the
smell. A very distinctive smell upon entrance helped to remind
visitors that they are now entering a different place. Then the
interesting artifacts, earth-colored accents, and call to prayer
ringing through the walls all accentuated aspects of Saudi culture.
The details such as the plush green chairs we sat on only helped to
drive home the fact that Saudi Arabia is rich, and muslim.
The most memorable thing about the Holocaust Museum was the scale
recreation of a gas chamber at Auschwitz. It was scaled, and it was
still huge. I have understood for years that the genocide referred to
as the Holocaust was the systematic killing of entire race(s) of
people. However the visual representation that comes with seeing the
model really showed the method behind the madness. The fact that it
was not just a model of a structure or building, but it added
representations of people throughout the entire process, made the
concept even more real. The model in addition to other sights such as
the bunk beds, the room of pictures, and of course the shoes, are
sights at The Holocaust museum that deepened my understanding of the
genocide, and I will remember forever.
the speaker answered the questions we threw at her, especially the
hard ones. While her presentation may not have been as fluent and
engaging as the Palestinian representative, Nadia's, her training as a
diplomat clearly showed. Mr. Neary may lament us on overuse of the
passive voice; however, in the world of politics, it is very
effective. Her response of Tom Austen's question about the mysterious
murder of Iranian scientists, was carefully worded in passive voice so
that she can answer the question without giving away critical
information and without lying. To the casual listener, she gave a
solid answer, but in analyzing her words, a deeper meaning can be
understood.
The most memorable thing from the Saudi Embassy was the physical
attributes of the building itself. First off from the exterior, it is
a relatively large, imposing building, almost on an island all by
itself. This signifies the friendly relationship between the US and
Saudi Arabia.Then, once inside, the first thing i noticed was the
smell. A very distinctive smell upon entrance helped to remind
visitors that they are now entering a different place. Then the
interesting artifacts, earth-colored accents, and call to prayer
ringing through the walls all accentuated aspects of Saudi culture.
The details such as the plush green chairs we sat on only helped to
drive home the fact that Saudi Arabia is rich, and muslim.
The most memorable thing about the Holocaust Museum was the scale
recreation of a gas chamber at Auschwitz. It was scaled, and it was
still huge. I have understood for years that the genocide referred to
as the Holocaust was the systematic killing of entire race(s) of
people. However the visual representation that comes with seeing the
model really showed the method behind the madness. The fact that it
was not just a model of a structure or building, but it added
representations of people throughout the entire process, made the
concept even more real. The model in addition to other sights such as
the bunk beds, the room of pictures, and of course the shoes, are
sights at The Holocaust museum that deepened my understanding of the
genocide, and I will remember forever.
Leigh
Feb 4, 2012, 3:35:18 PM2/4/12
to 2011-glob...@googlegroups.com
To be blunt, I didn't find the visit to the Israeli embassy to be as enjoyable as the meeting with Nadia. First of all, I understand that the Israelis have reason to be careful when it comes to security, but it made me slightly uncomfortable. When we pulled in on the bus I saw a car trying to drive into the embassy that was being checked all over by an Israeli employee for bombs I'm assuming. Not only that, but I didn't find the Israelis to be very welcoming. I think the analysis from Baghdad Without a Map was very truthful in saying that Jews sometimes come off as rude while Arabs are very welcoming. In the Saudi embassy everyone was very inviting. Personally, I am not Jewish, so I have a very unbiased opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and can be easily taken advantage of by diplomats. Unfortunately the Israeli ambassador was actually quite rude when answering our questions, and usually didn't answer them at all. I was paying very close attention and it seemed she did her job as a diplomat, avoiding everything she didn't want to talk about. This actually really bothered me, because I found her answers unsatisfying. I also found the videos they showed to be quite boring. There was one argument she made that actually caused me to rethink my opinion, which was the fact that the Israelis gave Gaza back to the Palestinians. I had never really thought about the situation that way. The only problem that I had with that fact, was that she kept bring it up and it eventually lost its effect.
The first thing I noticed about the Saudi embassy was how decorated it was. Compared to the Israeli embassy which just had a few framed pictures, hard chairs and a projection screen, the Saudi embassy seemed over the top with a little stage with curtains and a oriental rug, a table with unique artifacts of Saudi culture, and various photographs on the walls. The part of the presentation that stood out to me the most was when we got to try on the Saudi Arabian clothes. Since I volunteered, I actually got to see all the clothes, not just the ones seen on stage. I thought it was a little strange to me that all the men only wear one outfit. There was actually no other variation in the closet, just what you saw on stage. However, for the women there were so many dresses mostly in vibrant colors with elaborate stitching and beading. I feel this helped me connect to the Saudi women culturally because I realized where they were coming from. Although westerners think their garments restrict them from choosing what they wear, there were actually so many ways the women could make their dresses personalized through color and fabric choices.
I think the Holocaust museum was definitely worthwhile. There were three specific parts that stood out to me the most, the actual Auschwitz bunks and train car, the video on medical experiments, and the section on the Nazis persecution of people with disabilities. First of all, the bunks and train car gave me the chills when I was near them. I feel like they made me realize that this horrible event actually happened to real people just like me. Its weird how easy it is to forget that when you're just reading about the Holocaust, but when you see tangible evidence its totally different. Then right after seeing the Auschwitz bunks I walked over to a TV screen, and watched the video on medical experiments. To think that "doctors" were actually that cruel makes me sick. I don't even think animals deserve to be experimented on, so to see real people being exploited and killed for the Nazi's selfish reasons really made me upset. Lastly, the section about the way Nazis treated people with disabilities really affected me personally. I have a very close friend who has autism, and to think that she would be tortured and killed for something she can't help is hard to deal with. The exhibit had a particular picture that stood out to me. It was a little girl with a disability being strangled by a Nazi, and when I saw that it made me picture my friend in her position. Its bad enough that people nowadays make fun of people with mental disabilities, but at least they aren't subject to the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust.
The first thing I noticed about the Saudi embassy was how decorated it was. Compared to the Israeli embassy which just had a few framed pictures, hard chairs and a projection screen, the Saudi embassy seemed over the top with a little stage with curtains and a oriental rug, a table with unique artifacts of Saudi culture, and various photographs on the walls. The part of the presentation that stood out to me the most was when we got to try on the Saudi Arabian clothes. Since I volunteered, I actually got to see all the clothes, not just the ones seen on stage. I thought it was a little strange to me that all the men only wear one outfit. There was actually no other variation in the closet, just what you saw on stage. However, for the women there were so many dresses mostly in vibrant colors with elaborate stitching and beading. I feel this helped me connect to the Saudi women culturally because I realized where they were coming from. Although westerners think their garments restrict them from choosing what they wear, there were actually so many ways the women could make their dresses personalized through color and fabric choices.
I think the Holocaust museum was definitely worthwhile. There were three specific parts that stood out to me the most, the actual Auschwitz bunks and train car, the video on medical experiments, and the section on the Nazis persecution of people with disabilities. First of all, the bunks and train car gave me the chills when I was near them. I feel like they made me realize that this horrible event actually happened to real people just like me. Its weird how easy it is to forget that when you're just reading about the Holocaust, but when you see tangible evidence its totally different. Then right after seeing the Auschwitz bunks I walked over to a TV screen, and watched the video on medical experiments. To think that "doctors" were actually that cruel makes me sick. I don't even think animals deserve to be experimented on, so to see real people being exploited and killed for the Nazi's selfish reasons really made me upset. Lastly, the section about the way Nazis treated people with disabilities really affected me personally. I have a very close friend who has autism, and to think that she would be tortured and killed for something she can't help is hard to deal with. The exhibit had a particular picture that stood out to me. It was a little girl with a disability being strangled by a Nazi, and when I saw that it made me picture my friend in her position. Its bad enough that people nowadays make fun of people with mental disabilities, but at least they aren't subject to the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust.
Cat Mosier-Mills
Feb 4, 2012, 4:40:39 PM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
I found the Israeli embassy to be a bit different than I expected. I
wasn't surprised about the security or the diplomat's approach
(basically that despite all the bad things we hear about in the news,
Israel is a great country both geographically and culturally.)
However, the Q&A was a bit off. She gave very vague, or clipped,
responses regarding the Iranian bomb scandal and the negotiations
between the sides. She also addressed the settlements issue with
obvious bias. I wasn't surprised that she wanted to defend Israel --
it's her job to represent and showcase it -- or that she had trouble
discussing tense issues, such as the settlements. However, I didn't
like the inconsistency between the topics she had trouble discussing
and the topics she talked about happily, like the electric car! Now
it's fair to say that both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
treat it sensitively, even if the Israeli ambassador was not as direct
as Nadia.
The Saudi embassy seemed like the complete opposite. The ambassador
was much more casual and answered the questions without much bias.
Unfortunately, some thought-provoking questions, such as one about
Israeli's preemptive strike, were tossed aside and answered in a vague
manner. However, I thought the woman's presentation on Saudi Arabian
dress was very interesting -- it was fun to see how our classmates
would look if they went to school in Saudi Arabia, and see the
transformation between our culture into the Saudi culture.
Additionally, the video at the beginning was very informative and
provided some history that we'd touched upon in class already, as well
as some insight into Islam and how it affects daily life.
The Holocaust museum was definitely the most impacting part of the
trip; it's hard to find a specific part of the museum that I found
interesting, because I found everything to be brilliantly presented
and extremely informative. Many rooms were absolutely horrifying (such
as the amount of shoes taken from the victims, or the cast of the gas
chamber door), and some rooms were a respectful homage to the victims.
The one that stood out the most were the names written on the walls
between the floors of the victims, and the pictures of the families. I
tried to stop and read each one and look at each picture, but there
were so many that it was hard to keep track. The overwhelming number
of names gave a personal glimpse into the true horror of this event --
these were people who had identities and families, who were quickly
transformed into statistics and ashes. The personal identification at
the beginning was a somber touch -- as I read through my woman's
story, I realized how easily I could have been in her place.
wasn't surprised about the security or the diplomat's approach
(basically that despite all the bad things we hear about in the news,
Israel is a great country both geographically and culturally.)
However, the Q&A was a bit off. She gave very vague, or clipped,
responses regarding the Iranian bomb scandal and the negotiations
between the sides. She also addressed the settlements issue with
obvious bias. I wasn't surprised that she wanted to defend Israel --
it's her job to represent and showcase it -- or that she had trouble
discussing tense issues, such as the settlements. However, I didn't
like the inconsistency between the topics she had trouble discussing
and the topics she talked about happily, like the electric car! Now
it's fair to say that both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
treat it sensitively, even if the Israeli ambassador was not as direct
as Nadia.
The Saudi embassy seemed like the complete opposite. The ambassador
was much more casual and answered the questions without much bias.
Unfortunately, some thought-provoking questions, such as one about
Israeli's preemptive strike, were tossed aside and answered in a vague
manner. However, I thought the woman's presentation on Saudi Arabian
dress was very interesting -- it was fun to see how our classmates
would look if they went to school in Saudi Arabia, and see the
transformation between our culture into the Saudi culture.
Additionally, the video at the beginning was very informative and
provided some history that we'd touched upon in class already, as well
as some insight into Islam and how it affects daily life.
The Holocaust museum was definitely the most impacting part of the
trip; it's hard to find a specific part of the museum that I found
interesting, because I found everything to be brilliantly presented
and extremely informative. Many rooms were absolutely horrifying (such
as the amount of shoes taken from the victims, or the cast of the gas
chamber door), and some rooms were a respectful homage to the victims.
The one that stood out the most were the names written on the walls
between the floors of the victims, and the pictures of the families. I
tried to stop and read each one and look at each picture, but there
were so many that it was hard to keep track. The overwhelming number
of names gave a personal glimpse into the true horror of this event --
these were people who had identities and families, who were quickly
transformed into statistics and ashes. The personal identification at
the beginning was a somber touch -- as I read through my woman's
story, I realized how easily I could have been in her place.
Steven Wood
Feb 4, 2012, 7:55:43 PM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
What I found most interesting at the Israeli embassy in Washington was
the near anticipated statement made by our Israeli speaker. The
statement was almost anticipated by me because of Mr. Sklar's
warning. He told us the ambassador would avoid our question as much
as possible, but what I did not expect is nearly the same response to
every difficult question. She answered every question by putting
responsibility on the Palestinians. This could be understood seeing
as she was a diplomat, but the degree was striking to me.
The most striking memory in the Saudi embassy occurred the minute I
stepped in til the minute we left. The memory was the immense amount
of time and money that seemingly went in to make their embassy
convince me that I want to be a Saudi. The memory was etched by such
details as the enormous building the persuasive speakers, and the
general ambiance of the building. The structure is what gave me my
first impression of the diplomacy in the United States. Let me tell
you, at that moment the Israeli embassy, by my previous analogy,
reminded me of Iran. The next detail were the amazing speakers.
Unlike the Israeli speaker, I felt like my question was
answered ,although they probably just cleverly avoided it, making the
whole experience feel more satisfying. Lastly the ambiance of the
building made Saudi Arabia seem like heaven with beautiful
architecture and the smell of incense in the air.
My most memorably experience in The Holocaust occurred in the room
with the sculpture of the crematorium. This room engraved into my
mind how utterly awful humans can be when falsely provoked, lining
humans up, just the same as you and I, like cattle to die in mass
murder . Not only was it this specific room, but also the exhibit on
human experimentation. This exhibit oance again showed me how
dehumanizing the Nazi's were to Jews, gays, gypsies and others.
the near anticipated statement made by our Israeli speaker. The
statement was almost anticipated by me because of Mr. Sklar's
warning. He told us the ambassador would avoid our question as much
as possible, but what I did not expect is nearly the same response to
every difficult question. She answered every question by putting
responsibility on the Palestinians. This could be understood seeing
as she was a diplomat, but the degree was striking to me.
The most striking memory in the Saudi embassy occurred the minute I
stepped in til the minute we left. The memory was the immense amount
of time and money that seemingly went in to make their embassy
convince me that I want to be a Saudi. The memory was etched by such
details as the enormous building the persuasive speakers, and the
general ambiance of the building. The structure is what gave me my
first impression of the diplomacy in the United States. Let me tell
you, at that moment the Israeli embassy, by my previous analogy,
reminded me of Iran. The next detail were the amazing speakers.
Unlike the Israeli speaker, I felt like my question was
answered ,although they probably just cleverly avoided it, making the
whole experience feel more satisfying. Lastly the ambiance of the
building made Saudi Arabia seem like heaven with beautiful
architecture and the smell of incense in the air.
My most memorably experience in The Holocaust occurred in the room
with the sculpture of the crematorium. This room engraved into my
mind how utterly awful humans can be when falsely provoked, lining
humans up, just the same as you and I, like cattle to die in mass
murder . Not only was it this specific room, but also the exhibit on
human experimentation. This exhibit oance again showed me how
dehumanizing the Nazi's were to Jews, gays, gypsies and others.
Alexa Lee
Feb 4, 2012, 9:43:34 PM2/4/12
to 2011 Global Issues
At the Israeli Embassy I was extremely surprised hearing the Israeli
government's views on the Syrian government issue. The speaker, Ms.
Katz, stated the exact opposite view of what we had been taught about
the Israeli view on the Syrian government. We had learned in class
that Israel would prefer that Assad stay in power because of the
"peace" between the two countries and the fear of a new more radical
leader. Contrary to this, Ms. Katz declared that Israel wanted Assad
ousted and has wanted him out for a while. The reasoning behind this
was that Israel could not imagine a more oppressive and inhuman leader
than Assad. She used the adage "the devil we know is better than the
one we don't" to say Assad's case was an exception. I found this
information incredibly interesting.
At the Saudi Embassy I learned an array of things. Before visiting, I
had the impression that although Saudi Arabia was very wealthy it was
still pretty underdeveloped like some of its neighbors. However,
after viewing the video at the Embassy, I realized how completely
wrong I was. I was very surprised at how advanced Saudi Arabia was in
its space satellite technology and with their first astronaut, Sultan
bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud. Another thing I was surprised with
was the different clothing that women could wear. I had previously
believed that the only thing women wore was the traditional black
outfit (what Ally wore). After seeing the colorful styles that women
could choose from I was very enlightened. I also found it very
interesting that the diplomats said that the reason women were not
allowed to drive was because the Saudi people were not culturally
ready to accept women driving.
The Daniel's Story section at the Holocaust really broke my heart. In
this section I was transported one into the life of a young boy Daniel
who had survived the Holocaust. I was able to walk through his mock
homes (pre-Holocaust, and during the Holocaust) and read his diary
entries. This exhibit made the Holocaust personal and powerful because
Daniel had an older sister and a mother and father - just like my
family (I have a younger brother and a mother and father). Walking
through this exhibit I imagined that Daniel was my little brother.
Reading his diaries and imagining his pain "always [being] hungry"
being given "a number instead of my name" and having "everything I
loved [taken] away from me" (including his family who did not survive
the Holocaust) shattered me. I very much wanted to cry. What if my
brother had gone through this? What if he had everything he loved
taken away from him? What if in the end like Daniel he was left
alone? This exhibit showed what an atrocity the Holocaust was,
demolishing pride, devastating children, and destroying families.
government's views on the Syrian government issue. The speaker, Ms.
Katz, stated the exact opposite view of what we had been taught about
the Israeli view on the Syrian government. We had learned in class
that Israel would prefer that Assad stay in power because of the
"peace" between the two countries and the fear of a new more radical
leader. Contrary to this, Ms. Katz declared that Israel wanted Assad
ousted and has wanted him out for a while. The reasoning behind this
was that Israel could not imagine a more oppressive and inhuman leader
than Assad. She used the adage "the devil we know is better than the
one we don't" to say Assad's case was an exception. I found this
information incredibly interesting.
At the Saudi Embassy I learned an array of things. Before visiting, I
had the impression that although Saudi Arabia was very wealthy it was
still pretty underdeveloped like some of its neighbors. However,
after viewing the video at the Embassy, I realized how completely
wrong I was. I was very surprised at how advanced Saudi Arabia was in
its space satellite technology and with their first astronaut, Sultan
bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud. Another thing I was surprised with
was the different clothing that women could wear. I had previously
believed that the only thing women wore was the traditional black
outfit (what Ally wore). After seeing the colorful styles that women
could choose from I was very enlightened. I also found it very
interesting that the diplomats said that the reason women were not
allowed to drive was because the Saudi people were not culturally
ready to accept women driving.
The Daniel's Story section at the Holocaust really broke my heart. In
this section I was transported one into the life of a young boy Daniel
who had survived the Holocaust. I was able to walk through his mock
homes (pre-Holocaust, and during the Holocaust) and read his diary
entries. This exhibit made the Holocaust personal and powerful because
Daniel had an older sister and a mother and father - just like my
family (I have a younger brother and a mother and father). Walking
through this exhibit I imagined that Daniel was my little brother.
Reading his diaries and imagining his pain "always [being] hungry"
being given "a number instead of my name" and having "everything I
loved [taken] away from me" (including his family who did not survive
the Holocaust) shattered me. I very much wanted to cry. What if my
brother had gone through this? What if he had everything he loved
taken away from him? What if in the end like Daniel he was left
alone? This exhibit showed what an atrocity the Holocaust was,
demolishing pride, devastating children, and destroying families.
Maddie Chapin
Feb 5, 2012, 11:44:46 AM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
At the Israeli embassy, I thought the most memorable thing was how the
representative answered the questions and how much of a contrast her
answers had with the Palestinian representative. She seemed to take a
round a bout route to answering the questions. One that stood out to
me was Shefain's question about the right of return for Israeli's vs.
Palestinians. I didn't know what kind of approach she would take to
this and she seemed to not really even answer the question at all.
This was interesting to me and made me question the right of return
restrictions for Palestinians.
The one thing that really interested me at the Saudi embassy was when
the woman had the volunteers dress up in the different styles of
clothing worn in Saudi Arabia. It was really cool getting to see there
culture first hand and kind of experiencing a little bit of how it
feels to live in Saudi Arabia. The women's attire interested me
because of the vast difference from our countries style. Even in the
hot, the women wear long dresses covering their whole body and even in
special occasions their clothing style doesn't change much. The men,
on the other hand, only had one type of clothing which I found
interesting to contrast from the woman.
Many parts of the Holocaust museum really spoke to me but the one
thing that seemed to stand out the most was actually when we went in
this exhibit called "Daniel's story" that was downstairs. Its purpose
was to simulate what the Jewish people went through by walking through
a timeline of events. First we walked through Daniels's house which
was just an everyday house, then walked through the ghettos and where
they slept which were ragged and dirty, and lastly the concentration
camps. For me, I liked being able to actually be able to walk through
this because I have always heard how gross the ghettos and camps were
but now I got to view it myself so it really impacted me.
representative answered the questions and how much of a contrast her
answers had with the Palestinian representative. She seemed to take a
round a bout route to answering the questions. One that stood out to
me was Shefain's question about the right of return for Israeli's vs.
Palestinians. I didn't know what kind of approach she would take to
this and she seemed to not really even answer the question at all.
This was interesting to me and made me question the right of return
restrictions for Palestinians.
The one thing that really interested me at the Saudi embassy was when
the woman had the volunteers dress up in the different styles of
clothing worn in Saudi Arabia. It was really cool getting to see there
culture first hand and kind of experiencing a little bit of how it
feels to live in Saudi Arabia. The women's attire interested me
because of the vast difference from our countries style. Even in the
hot, the women wear long dresses covering their whole body and even in
special occasions their clothing style doesn't change much. The men,
on the other hand, only had one type of clothing which I found
interesting to contrast from the woman.
Many parts of the Holocaust museum really spoke to me but the one
thing that seemed to stand out the most was actually when we went in
this exhibit called "Daniel's story" that was downstairs. Its purpose
was to simulate what the Jewish people went through by walking through
a timeline of events. First we walked through Daniels's house which
was just an everyday house, then walked through the ghettos and where
they slept which were ragged and dirty, and lastly the concentration
camps. For me, I liked being able to actually be able to walk through
this because I have always heard how gross the ghettos and camps were
but now I got to view it myself so it really impacted me.
Connor
Feb 5, 2012, 11:50:20 AM2/5/12
to 2011-glob...@googlegroups.com
With regards to the Israeli embassy, my expectations in terms of security were met. I felt like we entered a room that was designed so that visitors could enter, but not gain access to the majority of the embassy. I thought that in comparison to the Palestinian woman that we met with in New York, the Israeli diplomat was much more emotionally detached. I felt as if she was reading off the official positions of Israel without very much personal commentary. That being said, it was still interesting to hear the Israeli positions in contrast to the Palestinians. Something that I had not thought of previously was the removal of settlements from Gaza. It definitely shifted my personal opinion more toward the side of the Israelis. I think that the whole embassy reflected what Israel is perceived to be, very secure and practical.
Entering the Saudi embassy, it was like stepping into a completely different world compared to the Israeli embassy. From marble floors to objects showing the culture of Saudi Arabia, it was clear that we had left the utilitarian design scheme of the Israelis. I thought that the presentation was very interesting and definitely gave me cultural perspective. I thought that the diplomat put Saudi Arabia in a very positive light, without sounding like a rehearsed sales pitch. Even with my preconceived skepticism of diplomat's obvious bias, I genuinely left the presentation seeing Saudi Arabia very positively. I couldn't tell if western media negatively portrays middle eastern monarchies or if the diplomat was just very good at doing his job. Regardless, it was interesting to see a country that functions well without any type of western democracy.
The Holocaust museum was an incredibly insightful experience into the lives of all of the Jews that were affected during Nazi rule. Although there was not one thing that caught my eye particularly, I thought the progressing through museum was very logical and insightful. The chronology coupled with various art forms, relics and maps really provided a perspective that could not be found in a textbook or on the internet. One sculpture that was very captivating for me was a progression into the gas chambers sculpted out of some type of white stone. The sheer magnitude of people that went through this on daily basis was very unsettling. Overall I thought that the museum was very well constructed and really gave perspective into the Holocaust.
Allie Martin
Feb 5, 2012, 1:58:05 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The Israeli speaker was interesting because totally differents from
the Palestinian speaker. She was much more formal and the way she
promoted Israel was different. In the begining it was like she was
trying to persuade us to come to Israel when that's not why we were
there. At the same time I think she was trying to remind us that
Israel is a country with normal people in it. And she was much more
defensive than the Palestinian speaker and I felt like she gave most
of our questions the same answers. She kept saying the the Israeli's
already dismantled settlements in Gaza and they couldn't bring anymore
down without some results, but she never mentioned why the government
is still building new settlements.
I really like the Saudi embassy and it was much different than the
Israeli's. Their video wasn't so much propaganda as it was a history
of the country. I also thought it was intersting how they answered
they question about their treatment of women and put it in cultural
context. I thought it was a good point that you can't change things
overnight and they are just changing things really slowly.
I don't know if you want me to describe the Holocaust museum as fun
but it was an experience. The most interestin gpart for me was the
children of the Holocaust. To see the drawing of the kids who were
sent the concentration camps made it more real than anything else. The
pictures that the little kids colored sometimes even had the Jewish
starts they were forced to wear on them and really made me think about
how a child could have wrapped his or her mind around what was
happening to them.
the Palestinian speaker. She was much more formal and the way she
promoted Israel was different. In the begining it was like she was
trying to persuade us to come to Israel when that's not why we were
there. At the same time I think she was trying to remind us that
Israel is a country with normal people in it. And she was much more
defensive than the Palestinian speaker and I felt like she gave most
of our questions the same answers. She kept saying the the Israeli's
already dismantled settlements in Gaza and they couldn't bring anymore
down without some results, but she never mentioned why the government
is still building new settlements.
I really like the Saudi embassy and it was much different than the
Israeli's. Their video wasn't so much propaganda as it was a history
of the country. I also thought it was intersting how they answered
they question about their treatment of women and put it in cultural
context. I thought it was a good point that you can't change things
overnight and they are just changing things really slowly.
I don't know if you want me to describe the Holocaust museum as fun
but it was an experience. The most interestin gpart for me was the
children of the Holocaust. To see the drawing of the kids who were
sent the concentration camps made it more real than anything else. The
pictures that the little kids colored sometimes even had the Jewish
starts they were forced to wear on them and really made me think about
how a child could have wrapped his or her mind around what was
happening to them.
Addy
Feb 5, 2012, 3:48:04 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The thing that stood out to me at the israeli embassy is the fact that
Israeli's lead normal live. I had a view of Israel as a war torn area
with it's people diving into bomb shelters left and right, and always
walking around with guns, which is due in a large part to media, and
it's influence on me. Upon exiting the embassy, i have now a different
view. The three videos that they showed us, the general overview one
in the begining, and the tourism video, and the electric car video,
showed me that Israel is a beautiful stretch of land that is making
the best of its location and the political turmoil that is surrounding
it. Israel is a center of technology, and is probably the most
developed country in the surrounding area.
The Saudi embassy for me was particurally fun, because dressing up in
the native Saudi dress really gave me an insight into their culture.
The long flowing cloaks and the head coverings give tribute to the
desert that is very much a part of the Saudi landscape. I had alot of
fun and I really enjoyed how nice and helpful people were there. One
thing I thought was really ineresting was that the guy with the the
New Jersey accent had the zabiba, or prayer bumb on his forehead which
is a sign of a devout Muslim. This really gives insight into how
ingrained Islam is into the culture.
The Holacaust Museum was facinating. The last level was my favorite
becasue it was about the resistance movements in Nazi Europe, and it
made a nice change to learn about people doing the right thing,
instead of horrible acts of violence and tourture. I thought that
these people were really the saviors of the war, and they were risking
their lives for the Jewish people, not because they were Jewish, but
because it was the right thing to do, and I think that they should get
recognized more.
Israeli's lead normal live. I had a view of Israel as a war torn area
with it's people diving into bomb shelters left and right, and always
walking around with guns, which is due in a large part to media, and
it's influence on me. Upon exiting the embassy, i have now a different
view. The three videos that they showed us, the general overview one
in the begining, and the tourism video, and the electric car video,
showed me that Israel is a beautiful stretch of land that is making
the best of its location and the political turmoil that is surrounding
it. Israel is a center of technology, and is probably the most
developed country in the surrounding area.
The Saudi embassy for me was particurally fun, because dressing up in
the native Saudi dress really gave me an insight into their culture.
The long flowing cloaks and the head coverings give tribute to the
desert that is very much a part of the Saudi landscape. I had alot of
fun and I really enjoyed how nice and helpful people were there. One
thing I thought was really ineresting was that the guy with the the
New Jersey accent had the zabiba, or prayer bumb on his forehead which
is a sign of a devout Muslim. This really gives insight into how
ingrained Islam is into the culture.
The Holacaust Museum was facinating. The last level was my favorite
becasue it was about the resistance movements in Nazi Europe, and it
made a nice change to learn about people doing the right thing,
instead of horrible acts of violence and tourture. I thought that
these people were really the saviors of the war, and they were risking
their lives for the Jewish people, not because they were Jewish, but
because it was the right thing to do, and I think that they should get
recognized more.
Addy
Feb 5, 2012, 3:48:34 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
Sorry my spelling is so bad... Couldn't find the spell check button..
Shefain Islam
Feb 5, 2012, 4:21:39 PM2/5/12
to 2011-glob...@googlegroups.com
The most interesting things about the Israeli embassy were definitely the level of security and the speaker. Israel definitely doesn't kid around with it's security and this is evident at the embassy. Israel has way to many enemies to even let high schoolers pass through security without a thorough security check. As for the speaker, I thought the way she phrased her answers was the definition of diplomacy. She turned the around to make Israel fall into the good light. A good example of this was when she mentioned that Israel pulling out of Gaza caused Gaza to become the way it is and that Israel is only in the West Bank to protect the West Bank from the same fate. She turned one of re major issues in the conflict around to make it look like Israel is only in the West Bank to help them.
The two things I noticed most at the Saudi Embassy were the opulence and also the answer to the women driving question. From the marble floors to the movie theater like screening of the video, you could definitely see where all that oil money was going. As for the answer, I liked how they said that the people would rise up if the government changed the driving law and that the government was trying it's best to change the law. I thought this answer was actually a very good argument since I could see the uprising happen like what happened with Iran (as they also mentioned). What I didn't like was how the speaker added that women and men should be separate and driving brigs them closer together. This angered me since the Quran states that women and men should be modest and not participate in immoral behavior. Women and men can both drive and still be moral and modest; it just didn't make any sense.
While at the Holocaust museum, I was most impacted by the room of shoes. Seeing the shoes, such a personal item, of just a few of the 9 million victims of the Holocaust made it all so real to me. I've studied the Holocaust through textbooks and video but seeing the shoes of the victims piled up put me so close to it. I could smell the shoes and if I wanted to, reached over and touched them. In that moment, I was closer than I ever have been to probably the most gruesome event in the history of the world.
Rachel Hochberger
Feb 5, 2012, 5:30:15 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
I thought visiting the Israeli Embassy was an interesting experience.
Though the speaker, much like the Palestinian one we saw had a clear
bias, she answered questions in a very different way. She seemed to
support Israel more than she put down Palestine in her answers, unlike
the Palestinian speaker, who seemed more outwardly biased against
Israel. However I was somewhat disappointed with the way she handled
the questions. She seemed to jump to Israel’s defense the moment
anyone said anything about the country’s actions, and also tended to
talk her way around the roots of the questions, going off on tangents
and essentially avoiding the real issues people were asking about.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy was a surprise to me. Walking in, the
physical aspects of the Embassy were surprising- the marble floors,
gilt-framed paintings, and well-decorated presentation room. I found
the video somewhat interesting, but not nearly as informational as
hearing from the speakers. I thought the demonstration of how women
and men dress very interesting, showing how every piece of clothing
worn by Saudi men and women has a specific purpose, and is a direct
representation of their culture.
I thought the Holocaust Museum was the most striking part of the trip.
Although I have been before, I realized how easy something like this
is to forget if not constantly reminded, showing the importance of the
Holocaust Museum as a constant reminder to its visitors to never
forget the atrocities committed during that time. One of the displays
that I found most impactful was the room filled floor to ceiling with
family photos. It was impossible to see each one, and see how each
person in each picture was affected, giving an accurate representation
of the huge impact the Holocaust has had.
Though the speaker, much like the Palestinian one we saw had a clear
bias, she answered questions in a very different way. She seemed to
support Israel more than she put down Palestine in her answers, unlike
the Palestinian speaker, who seemed more outwardly biased against
Israel. However I was somewhat disappointed with the way she handled
the questions. She seemed to jump to Israel’s defense the moment
anyone said anything about the country’s actions, and also tended to
talk her way around the roots of the questions, going off on tangents
and essentially avoiding the real issues people were asking about.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy was a surprise to me. Walking in, the
physical aspects of the Embassy were surprising- the marble floors,
gilt-framed paintings, and well-decorated presentation room. I found
the video somewhat interesting, but not nearly as informational as
hearing from the speakers. I thought the demonstration of how women
and men dress very interesting, showing how every piece of clothing
worn by Saudi men and women has a specific purpose, and is a direct
representation of their culture.
I thought the Holocaust Museum was the most striking part of the trip.
Although I have been before, I realized how easy something like this
is to forget if not constantly reminded, showing the importance of the
Holocaust Museum as a constant reminder to its visitors to never
forget the atrocities committed during that time. One of the displays
that I found most impactful was the room filled floor to ceiling with
family photos. It was impossible to see each one, and see how each
person in each picture was affected, giving an accurate representation
of the huge impact the Holocaust has had.
Lizzy Hilt
Feb 5, 2012, 6:08:37 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
When we visited the Israeli embassy, something that caught my
attention was the focus on the green energy that they are producing.
It never struck me that Israel was inventing new innovative technology
mostly because it is not being reported on in the news. It was
interesting hearing about the new forms of car batteries they are
creating. It may seem strange to us now, but, in a couple of years, it
may be the norm and new generations will only know this form of
energy. This is a new phenomenon that is taking the globe by storm and
it’s interesting to witness the transition. Other than the energy
portion of her presentation, I was quite disappointed with the lack of
enthusiasm on our speaker’s part. Frankly, I was insulted by their
portrayal of an American family in the claymation portion of their
propaganda.
The first thing that struck me at the Saudi embassy was how much nicer
it was than the Israeli embassy. I feel like their video was much more
informational and less of a propaganda video. It was more professional
than the Israeli one because it was not trying to convince us to
visit. Of course, the Saudi video only showed the good things about
their country, but the whole time they weren’t trying to convince us
to come there on vacation. The Saudi video, in my opinion, was less
tacky. I also learned quite a few things about their country. It was a
little comical at first to find out that they stationed emergency
phones spread all throughout the desert. I also enjoyed our speakers
and seeing their clothes was interactive and well planned.
The most powerful part of this trip for me was of course the Holocaust
museum. While at the museum, one of the things that I found most
intriguing was how the Nazis conducted tests to determine what race
you were. They had instruments from samples of hair to a device to
measure the size of heads. It amazed me how they had determining your
race down to a science. It’s interesting that if you had certain
features they would automatically categorize you as a certain race. It
really shows how systematic the Nazis were. It surprises me that
although they were so organized with their killing, when they started
loosing the war, they didn’t have a backup plan. They only had the
final solution, which wasn’t very affective in destroying evidence.
Overall, the Holocaust museum was my favorite part of this trip.
attention was the focus on the green energy that they are producing.
It never struck me that Israel was inventing new innovative technology
mostly because it is not being reported on in the news. It was
interesting hearing about the new forms of car batteries they are
creating. It may seem strange to us now, but, in a couple of years, it
may be the norm and new generations will only know this form of
energy. This is a new phenomenon that is taking the globe by storm and
it’s interesting to witness the transition. Other than the energy
portion of her presentation, I was quite disappointed with the lack of
enthusiasm on our speaker’s part. Frankly, I was insulted by their
portrayal of an American family in the claymation portion of their
propaganda.
The first thing that struck me at the Saudi embassy was how much nicer
it was than the Israeli embassy. I feel like their video was much more
informational and less of a propaganda video. It was more professional
than the Israeli one because it was not trying to convince us to
visit. Of course, the Saudi video only showed the good things about
their country, but the whole time they weren’t trying to convince us
to come there on vacation. The Saudi video, in my opinion, was less
tacky. I also learned quite a few things about their country. It was a
little comical at first to find out that they stationed emergency
phones spread all throughout the desert. I also enjoyed our speakers
and seeing their clothes was interactive and well planned.
The most powerful part of this trip for me was of course the Holocaust
museum. While at the museum, one of the things that I found most
intriguing was how the Nazis conducted tests to determine what race
you were. They had instruments from samples of hair to a device to
measure the size of heads. It amazed me how they had determining your
race down to a science. It’s interesting that if you had certain
features they would automatically categorize you as a certain race. It
really shows how systematic the Nazis were. It surprises me that
although they were so organized with their killing, when they started
loosing the war, they didn’t have a backup plan. They only had the
final solution, which wasn’t very affective in destroying evidence.
Overall, the Holocaust museum was my favorite part of this trip.
Jeremy Rhome
Feb 5, 2012, 7:03:44 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
Jeremy Rhome
Feb 5, 2012, 7:05:24 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The most interesting thing I found while in the Israeli embassy was
the lengthy tourism video that was first presented. I was expecting
it to be a serious toned video about the Israel-Palestine conflict but
it was about the excitement of tourism of Israel. The light mood also
continued with the speaker who did a great job of answering (and
avoiding) questions but she seemed to be not emotionally attached to
Israel in comparison to the Palestinian ambassadors fanaticism to
Palestine.
The most interesting in the Saudi Arabian embassy was the
ambassadors. One man looked Arab and the other was European looking.
The European looking man also had an accent that I could not
distinguish. Unlike all the other ambassadors the class has
encountered, the European looking Saudi Ambassador did not give much
of a background of his life or how he got that job. Also at the
embassy, I found it interesting when the ambassador said that running
out of oil is not a problem and that Saudi Arabia does not use oil as
a political tool. I found that hard to believe because of the obvious
importance of oil to their nation.
The holocaust museum, easily the most riveting experience throughout
the whole trip, made me conclude many questions about human nature.
How could human kind stand by and let such an atrocity happen? I
simply could not figure out the answer. And if the world let it
happen once, could it happen again? Trying to answer these questions
mad me think about the Israel – Iran conflict. Ahmadinejad denies the
holocaust and pledges to destroy Israeli. This is countered with
Israel’s mentality that never again will something like the holocaust
happen. Ahmadinejad is the modern day Hitler for the Israeli’s and
adding nuclear weapons to the mix is a catastrophic combination.
the lengthy tourism video that was first presented. I was expecting
it to be a serious toned video about the Israel-Palestine conflict but
it was about the excitement of tourism of Israel. The light mood also
continued with the speaker who did a great job of answering (and
avoiding) questions but she seemed to be not emotionally attached to
Israel in comparison to the Palestinian ambassadors fanaticism to
Palestine.
The most interesting in the Saudi Arabian embassy was the
ambassadors. One man looked Arab and the other was European looking.
The European looking man also had an accent that I could not
distinguish. Unlike all the other ambassadors the class has
encountered, the European looking Saudi Ambassador did not give much
of a background of his life or how he got that job. Also at the
embassy, I found it interesting when the ambassador said that running
out of oil is not a problem and that Saudi Arabia does not use oil as
a political tool. I found that hard to believe because of the obvious
importance of oil to their nation.
The holocaust museum, easily the most riveting experience throughout
the whole trip, made me conclude many questions about human nature.
How could human kind stand by and let such an atrocity happen? I
simply could not figure out the answer. And if the world let it
happen once, could it happen again? Trying to answer these questions
mad me think about the Israel – Iran conflict. Ahmadinejad denies the
holocaust and pledges to destroy Israeli. This is countered with
Israel’s mentality that never again will something like the holocaust
happen. Ahmadinejad is the modern day Hitler for the Israeli’s and
adding nuclear weapons to the mix is a catastrophic combination.
Sarah M
Feb 5, 2012, 7:24:38 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The most interesting experience I had at the Israeli embassy was
during the question and answer session. A student asked the diplomat
if Israel had taken any responsibility for the recent nuclear attacks
on Iran. After replying with a brief but firm "no", she quickly
deflected to call on the next person. This was part an obvious
propaganda technique. Someone had asked a question that showed her
country in a negative way, so she choose to gloss over it by not
taking any responsibility (This wasn't lying, considering that Israel
has not taken responsibility for the assassinated scientists) and
emphasize instead the situations in which her country did something
diplomatic (i.e. all their inventions and technology) or was
victimized.
At the Saudi embassy, when Shefain asked why women were put under such
restrictions and not allowed to drive when in the Koran it did not
explicitly state this practice, the Saudis had an interesting
response. The first diplomat, clearly unsure of how to phrase an
answer, deflected to the native Saudi diplomat, who gave a frustrating
but undeniably true answer. He explained that the restrictions placed
on women are what the people of Saudi Arabia want; it is embedded in
their culture. Instead of the situations we see in which the
government is forcing conservative ideals on the people, in this case,
the people are forcing the conservative ideals on the government. And
if this is what the people of Saudi Arabia want, there is no
government policy or law that can effectively change the people's
desires.
At the Holocaust museum, I found the exhibit of the shoes extremely
moving. There had been alot of information thrown at me in the videos
and explanations, and also in the synthetic models of the event, but
to be given something that was actually there when all this occured
was extremely personal. I started imagining all the people the shoes
had once belonged to, and felt that I was able to put myself in the
situation more vividly than any other exhibit had given me the ability
to.
during the question and answer session. A student asked the diplomat
if Israel had taken any responsibility for the recent nuclear attacks
on Iran. After replying with a brief but firm "no", she quickly
deflected to call on the next person. This was part an obvious
propaganda technique. Someone had asked a question that showed her
country in a negative way, so she choose to gloss over it by not
taking any responsibility (This wasn't lying, considering that Israel
has not taken responsibility for the assassinated scientists) and
emphasize instead the situations in which her country did something
diplomatic (i.e. all their inventions and technology) or was
victimized.
At the Saudi embassy, when Shefain asked why women were put under such
restrictions and not allowed to drive when in the Koran it did not
explicitly state this practice, the Saudis had an interesting
response. The first diplomat, clearly unsure of how to phrase an
answer, deflected to the native Saudi diplomat, who gave a frustrating
but undeniably true answer. He explained that the restrictions placed
on women are what the people of Saudi Arabia want; it is embedded in
their culture. Instead of the situations we see in which the
government is forcing conservative ideals on the people, in this case,
the people are forcing the conservative ideals on the government. And
if this is what the people of Saudi Arabia want, there is no
government policy or law that can effectively change the people's
desires.
At the Holocaust museum, I found the exhibit of the shoes extremely
moving. There had been alot of information thrown at me in the videos
and explanations, and also in the synthetic models of the event, but
to be given something that was actually there when all this occured
was extremely personal. I started imagining all the people the shoes
had once belonged to, and felt that I was able to put myself in the
situation more vividly than any other exhibit had given me the ability
to.
Maureen McDermott
Feb 5, 2012, 8:39:07 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
The thing about the Israeli embassy that stuck out to me the most, and
also the thing that I was looking out for the most, was how evasive
our speaker was. She quite obviously beat around quite a few of the
questions we asked her. When we met with the Palestinian lady in our
last trip, I wan't exactly prepared and lor even just watching for
that. But this time I was more conscious of the fact that whoever our
speaker was would probably not directly answer all out questions, and
became very apparent to me when she wasn't giving us totally full and
upfront answers. But as you say, she is a trained propagandist, and
part of her job is to not fully answer questions that would put Israel
in a bad light. On the same propaganda note, one thing I also noticed
was just how "chill" and casually she presented and talked. It got me
wondering if that was another part of her job training to be able to
appeal and relate to all different types of audiences, and I have no
doubt that it is.
I missed a good chunk of the Saudi Arabian Q&A since I was dressing up
in the traditional Saudi Arabian garb (which was actually quite
comfortable) but from what I did see, the think that was the most
memorable to me was the way they answered Shefain's question about
women's rights and freedom. They shed light onto an angle of the
situation that never really even crossed my mind before. The man was
talking about how it was more of the countries culture, and less of
the countries government that opposed women having the right to drive,
and do other basic things that men can do. He talked about how the
government was trying to reverse that mentality, and doing what they
can to give women some of the basic freedoms they don't have, but it
was just so ingrained in the culture, that doing that is kind of
tricky. And while I'm sure he did stretch that truth a little bit, I
also think there is definitely a good deal of truth to what he said,
and it's just a perspective that I never had seen before.
The Holocaust Museum really did shed a lot of light on the Holocaust
for me, but I'd say the think that struck me the hardest was the model
of what would happen to the people once they got to the concentration
camps, particularly the ones who got killed in the gas chambers. It
took you step by step trough what the Nazi's did to the people,
starting with separating them initially. Then they made them all
cluster together and undress, telling them that being clean would make
them free. They corralled them all up into the gas chamber, and within
20 minutes they were all dead. Then they would take all the bodies and
burn them in ovens and things. I really don't know why, but for some
reason this just really stuck with me. All the people headed to the
camps just thought they were going to take a shower, and it would make
them "free" but it actually just made them dead. It is just so hard to
grasp the idea that these atrocities were actually committed and are
100% real.
Well with that, GO PATS!!!
On Feb 2, 8:09 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"
also the thing that I was looking out for the most, was how evasive
our speaker was. She quite obviously beat around quite a few of the
questions we asked her. When we met with the Palestinian lady in our
last trip, I wan't exactly prepared and lor even just watching for
that. But this time I was more conscious of the fact that whoever our
speaker was would probably not directly answer all out questions, and
became very apparent to me when she wasn't giving us totally full and
upfront answers. But as you say, she is a trained propagandist, and
part of her job is to not fully answer questions that would put Israel
in a bad light. On the same propaganda note, one thing I also noticed
was just how "chill" and casually she presented and talked. It got me
wondering if that was another part of her job training to be able to
appeal and relate to all different types of audiences, and I have no
doubt that it is.
I missed a good chunk of the Saudi Arabian Q&A since I was dressing up
in the traditional Saudi Arabian garb (which was actually quite
comfortable) but from what I did see, the think that was the most
memorable to me was the way they answered Shefain's question about
women's rights and freedom. They shed light onto an angle of the
situation that never really even crossed my mind before. The man was
talking about how it was more of the countries culture, and less of
the countries government that opposed women having the right to drive,
and do other basic things that men can do. He talked about how the
government was trying to reverse that mentality, and doing what they
can to give women some of the basic freedoms they don't have, but it
was just so ingrained in the culture, that doing that is kind of
tricky. And while I'm sure he did stretch that truth a little bit, I
also think there is definitely a good deal of truth to what he said,
and it's just a perspective that I never had seen before.
The Holocaust Museum really did shed a lot of light on the Holocaust
for me, but I'd say the think that struck me the hardest was the model
of what would happen to the people once they got to the concentration
camps, particularly the ones who got killed in the gas chambers. It
took you step by step trough what the Nazi's did to the people,
starting with separating them initially. Then they made them all
cluster together and undress, telling them that being clean would make
them free. They corralled them all up into the gas chamber, and within
20 minutes they were all dead. Then they would take all the bodies and
burn them in ovens and things. I really don't know why, but for some
reason this just really stuck with me. All the people headed to the
camps just thought they were going to take a shower, and it would make
them "free" but it actually just made them dead. It is just so hard to
grasp the idea that these atrocities were actually committed and are
100% real.
Well with that, GO PATS!!!
On Feb 2, 8:09 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"
Claire Kirby
Feb 5, 2012, 9:34:44 PM2/5/12
to 2011-glob...@googlegroups.com
The most memorable thing that stood out to me at the Israeli embassy was the way they really tried to focus on the way the country actually was, rather than only the country that is heard of through the news. Just as the speaker inferenced, I knew nothing of the country of Israel besides the violence and religious aspects that we have talked about in class. I was really interested to see other parts of the country, like the beach and resorts and different things that tourists can do while visiting there. It also really interested me to hear about the electric car project that she mentioned with the battery switching stations that are being installed throughout the nation.
In the Saudi embassy, I found it really interesting how they had it set up with two speakers, so that for questions where one could not answer, the other could possibly have an answer to the question. Also, it was very interesting at times when one of the speakers answered a question, and the other speaker (the one from Saudi Arabia) gave his personal opinion accompanied by examples from his life. I also liked the way they had the woman get volunteers to put on traditional clothing from Saudi Arabia. I thought it was a really good way for them to bring the culture into the presentation and for us to get a chance to see what life really is like there.
From what I saw at the Holocaust museum, there are far too many things that stood out to me for me to be able to mention all of them. Personally, I have a strong interest in Archaeology and artifacts, and I was really intrigues by the concentration camp uniforms and the Nazi general uniform that were (I think) on the fourth floor of the museum. It really brought the history and everything I have learned throughout the years to life to be able to see actual clothes worn by actual Nazis and prisoners in the Holocaust. Also, I was really interested by a separate exhibit I walked through, which showed different types of Nazi propaganda that was present in the news, posters, and other parts of the culture such as speeches, radio, and television. It was another way that I felt really connected to the Holocaust and it really made the history completely come alive.
In the Saudi embassy, I found it really interesting how they had it set up with two speakers, so that for questions where one could not answer, the other could possibly have an answer to the question. Also, it was very interesting at times when one of the speakers answered a question, and the other speaker (the one from Saudi Arabia) gave his personal opinion accompanied by examples from his life. I also liked the way they had the woman get volunteers to put on traditional clothing from Saudi Arabia. I thought it was a really good way for them to bring the culture into the presentation and for us to get a chance to see what life really is like there.
From what I saw at the Holocaust museum, there are far too many things that stood out to me for me to be able to mention all of them. Personally, I have a strong interest in Archaeology and artifacts, and I was really intrigues by the concentration camp uniforms and the Nazi general uniform that were (I think) on the fourth floor of the museum. It really brought the history and everything I have learned throughout the years to life to be able to see actual clothes worn by actual Nazis and prisoners in the Holocaust. Also, I was really interested by a separate exhibit I walked through, which showed different types of Nazi propaganda that was present in the news, posters, and other parts of the culture such as speeches, radio, and television. It was another way that I felt really connected to the Holocaust and it really made the history completely come alive.
Quincy Shuda
Feb 5, 2012, 10:55:03 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
Surprisingly, one of the things I found to be the most interesting
about the Israeli embassy was the way they portrayed Israel. Although
it was interesting to hear the speaker’s very opinionated answers bout
the foreign relations questions, I found the video at the beginning to
be shockingly interesting, but also a bit random. It almost seemed to
me like the speaker was trying to convince us to take a vacation to
Israel, rather than teach us about the issues there today or even the
culture in Israel. She was more focused on the sight seeing and fun
activities that could be done. While this was very interesting to see
(I had never thought of Israel as a place to visit on a trip before)
it made the speaker seem less credible in a way. She spent a very
large amount of time on things like ocean sports and weather, which
made it seem like she was hiding something about the country and
avoiding getting into the questions of deeper importance. But I did
enjoy seeing a side of Israel I never have seen before, and I do think
that she made it seem like an inviting place before she started
speaking.
Next we went to the Saudi Arabian embassy. To my surprise, I actually
believe that these speakers did a better job than the Israeli women.
Going into the trip I had a notion that it would be the other way
around. But after seeing both I thought the Saudi speakers gave more
insightful answers in what seemed to be a shorter amount of time. The
part of the Saudi presentation I enjoyed the most was the part where
the women brought out the traditional clothing. I think that seeing
the clothes up close like that is something that brought light to the
subject. Before seeing the clothes I always thought of the full body
covering clothing as a piece of fabric like a boring black drape that
women were forced to wear all the time. But then I realized these
clothes are actually very beautiful and intricate, and that women
enjoy wearing them because it is something they are accustomed to
because of their cultural upbringing. I also thought it was
interesting how she mentioned that the women only wear the clothes
when they are out, but the wear more “normal” clothes when they are
just around the house. This is something that was brought up in the
book Baghdad Without a Map as well, and it’s something I was totally
unaware of before.
Lastly we visited the Holocaust museum, which had a very powerful
impact on me. Every part of the museum, from the stark elevators to
the thousands of names of towns and families who were hurt from the
horrific event, spoke to me. The details put into the museum were
amazing and it really shows how important this period of time was to
history and I think the museum does a great job portraying that
importance. The one part of the museum that effected me the most
emotionally was the model of the crematorium. You started looking at
one section and then just watched as is progressed for what seemed
like forever. Different stages of the killings, anxiety growing on the
faces of the figurines until eventually there were no facial
expressions, just dead bodies laying in heaps, indistinguishable from
one another. The detail put into this model was breath taking and it
showed how vast the amounts of people being tortured were, from the
people lined up to go in, to the people gasping for their last breath
of air while standing atop of bodies who didn’t survive, to the
endless heaps of lifeless people being heaved around to be used for
other means, as if they were products. This model did an outstanding
job at portraying the mass killing and mass using of the innocent Jews
and other “impure” people during the Holocaust.
Kaleigh Link
Feb 5, 2012, 11:14:21 PM2/5/12
to 2011 Global Issues
When we visited the Israeli Embassy the most memorable thing to me was
that the Israeli speaker seemed to avoid talking about the REAL issues
into some kind of depth at least. Saying that, what I mean is we saw
this random video about visiting Israel and then another one about
engineering a better car. While seeing those videos was cool, I really
wanted to find out about the Israeli point of view of all the things
that the palestinian woman had discussed with us. But instead, we
heard about who Israel is doing "the best they can" to get peace talks
going and the rest is up to the Palestinians to do.
At the Saudi Embassy I really liked when the woman showed us what it
was like to be dressing as a Saudi man and woman because the activity
was very hands-on and it was funny to see some of the people up on the
stage dressed in the clothing that the Saudis typically wear. With the
questions it was a little difficult to try to see their standpoint on
some things because they avoided a lot of them, but for the most part
I can see that the people of Saudi Arabia are mostly happy with the
current situation considering the country is fairly rich and there is
no apparent dictatorship.
In the Holocaust museum what really got to me was pretty much
everything, but what chilled me to the bone was the fact that the real
damage that was done to the Jewish population was predominately
executed from around 1940-1944/45 meaning that every year over a
million Jews were slaughtered before anything was done to stop it; as
well as pregnant women and children were the first ones to be sent
into the gas chambers..without fail. pregnant women so basically in
their eyes they were killing "2 birds with 1 stone" which is
absolutely horrific. I have ready many books about the Holocaust and
have had numerous in depth discussions on it but never has the
intensity of the event really hit me that hard.
that the Israeli speaker seemed to avoid talking about the REAL issues
into some kind of depth at least. Saying that, what I mean is we saw
this random video about visiting Israel and then another one about
engineering a better car. While seeing those videos was cool, I really
wanted to find out about the Israeli point of view of all the things
that the palestinian woman had discussed with us. But instead, we
heard about who Israel is doing "the best they can" to get peace talks
going and the rest is up to the Palestinians to do.
At the Saudi Embassy I really liked when the woman showed us what it
was like to be dressing as a Saudi man and woman because the activity
was very hands-on and it was funny to see some of the people up on the
stage dressed in the clothing that the Saudis typically wear. With the
questions it was a little difficult to try to see their standpoint on
some things because they avoided a lot of them, but for the most part
I can see that the people of Saudi Arabia are mostly happy with the
current situation considering the country is fairly rich and there is
no apparent dictatorship.
In the Holocaust museum what really got to me was pretty much
everything, but what chilled me to the bone was the fact that the real
damage that was done to the Jewish population was predominately
executed from around 1940-1944/45 meaning that every year over a
million Jews were slaughtered before anything was done to stop it; as
well as pregnant women and children were the first ones to be sent
into the gas chambers..without fail. pregnant women so basically in
their eyes they were killing "2 birds with 1 stone" which is
absolutely horrific. I have ready many books about the Holocaust and
have had numerous in depth discussions on it but never has the
intensity of the event really hit me that hard.
Drew Vollmer
Feb 6, 2012, 12:02:53 AM2/6/12
to 2011 Global Issues
To begin, I found the Israeli embassy to be the least effective
section of our trip. Our speaker was awfully diplomatic, and dodged
the majority of questions. Personally, I don't think she was expecting
a class as knowledgeable as ours, and thus wasn't expecting our hard-
hitting and occasionally accusatory questions. Overall, I felt only
the tip of the iceberg was reached with the question and answer
session. The only question that received a direct answer was Dillon's
inquiry on car battery duration. It was honestly nothing I haven't
learned from simply keeping up with current events. The only
intriguing and interesting material from the session was on Israel's
involvement in environmentalism, specifically concerning electric
cars. It was the one bit of information that was new and unheard of to
me. While this did interest me, I really felt that neither enough
knowledge, nor enough experience, was gained for this session to be
considered worthwhile.
On the other hand, the Saudi Arabian embassy was a real treat for me.
In fact, it was my personal favorite trip we've been on all year. From
the moment we stepped into the building, I got the sense of a "whole
new world" (Yes, that was an Alladin reference). The desert palms,
Islamic artwork, and even the babbling Arabic on the intercom provided
an environment relevant to the nation, as opposed to the Israeli
embassy's "office meeting" appearance. But even past the building, the
people were enjoyable as well. Kind-hearted and welcoming, I was happy
to be in their presence. The main speaker sounded shockingly like
Christopher Walken, whilst the other two stumbled upon their weak
English. But I liked that, for it gave a new, friendly, soothing
presence, as opposed to the American iron lady at the Israeli embassy.
Furthermore, I learned a whole lot more from the Saudi's. Everything
from their history, their science programs, their environmental
efforts, their culture, and even their clothing, was either completely
or somewhat new to me. Questioning went smoothly also. There was no
denial or dodging, and the answers were rather honest and intriguing.
I'm incredibly glad to have had this experience, as I learned plenty
about a nation far from home, while being immersed in the environment
as well. It was a real shame we had to leave so quickly.
Having been to the Holocaust Museum once before, the effect I received
was not as shocking as my first visit, but it still brought back
memories of the initial impact. The dark, dismal environment put me in
a rather dreary and depressing mood. The sheer sight of the surgical
table and double ovens sent a shiver down my spine. Providing each
student with a profile of a true holocaust survivor was also very
effective. I still have my card from my first visit, knowing that it's
a real memory of a real person who endured humanity's biggest
disgrace. Hearing nothing but sounds of the Nazi's marching and Adolf
Hitler's campaigning, I now forever have the voice of evil ingrained
into my memories. I still can't fathom the horrors of such a horrific
moment in history. The exhibition once again pulled the strings of my
heart, and was a positive addition to our trip. Once again, my only
complaint was the minimal amount of time available, as I wish we only
had more time to explore this beautiful museum.
section of our trip. Our speaker was awfully diplomatic, and dodged
the majority of questions. Personally, I don't think she was expecting
a class as knowledgeable as ours, and thus wasn't expecting our hard-
hitting and occasionally accusatory questions. Overall, I felt only
the tip of the iceberg was reached with the question and answer
session. The only question that received a direct answer was Dillon's
inquiry on car battery duration. It was honestly nothing I haven't
learned from simply keeping up with current events. The only
intriguing and interesting material from the session was on Israel's
involvement in environmentalism, specifically concerning electric
cars. It was the one bit of information that was new and unheard of to
me. While this did interest me, I really felt that neither enough
knowledge, nor enough experience, was gained for this session to be
considered worthwhile.
On the other hand, the Saudi Arabian embassy was a real treat for me.
In fact, it was my personal favorite trip we've been on all year. From
the moment we stepped into the building, I got the sense of a "whole
new world" (Yes, that was an Alladin reference). The desert palms,
Islamic artwork, and even the babbling Arabic on the intercom provided
an environment relevant to the nation, as opposed to the Israeli
embassy's "office meeting" appearance. But even past the building, the
people were enjoyable as well. Kind-hearted and welcoming, I was happy
to be in their presence. The main speaker sounded shockingly like
Christopher Walken, whilst the other two stumbled upon their weak
English. But I liked that, for it gave a new, friendly, soothing
presence, as opposed to the American iron lady at the Israeli embassy.
Furthermore, I learned a whole lot more from the Saudi's. Everything
from their history, their science programs, their environmental
efforts, their culture, and even their clothing, was either completely
or somewhat new to me. Questioning went smoothly also. There was no
denial or dodging, and the answers were rather honest and intriguing.
I'm incredibly glad to have had this experience, as I learned plenty
about a nation far from home, while being immersed in the environment
as well. It was a real shame we had to leave so quickly.
Having been to the Holocaust Museum once before, the effect I received
was not as shocking as my first visit, but it still brought back
memories of the initial impact. The dark, dismal environment put me in
a rather dreary and depressing mood. The sheer sight of the surgical
table and double ovens sent a shiver down my spine. Providing each
student with a profile of a true holocaust survivor was also very
effective. I still have my card from my first visit, knowing that it's
a real memory of a real person who endured humanity's biggest
disgrace. Hearing nothing but sounds of the Nazi's marching and Adolf
Hitler's campaigning, I now forever have the voice of evil ingrained
into my memories. I still can't fathom the horrors of such a horrific
moment in history. The exhibition once again pulled the strings of my
heart, and was a positive addition to our trip. Once again, my only
complaint was the minimal amount of time available, as I wish we only
had more time to explore this beautiful museum.
Alex Freedman
Feb 6, 2012, 6:43:48 AM2/6/12
to 2011 Global Issues
Visiting the Israeli embassy was very exciting for me, and sadly, it
did not live up to what i expected. I thought the video did a great
job of showing Israel but it was very outdated and kind of corny. I
think the claymation was really distracting from the actual concept.
When it came time to ask the speaker questions, I was very happy to
hear my classmates questions. The most memorable thing for me was
hearing her speak about settlements because multiple students asked
her about it (and rightfully so - it is a big issue). I thought that
she did an ok job answering, and emphasized the point that when Israel
left Gaza for peace, Hamas took over. I found what she said
interesting and may want to look into some of the things she said to
help write my persuasive essay.
At the Saudi embassy, I had the chance to put on authentic Saudi garb.
Before GI, I had never really known anything at all about Saudi
Arabia, so the video, Q+A, and of course "costume parade" really
enhansed my knowledge on the topic. So, myself and five other students
went back with a woman from the embassy, who while wearing a long
skirt and long sleeves, still looked modern. I was given a long black
dress and a head scarf. When I walked out in front of my classmates, I
couldn't help but laugh because it was just so foreign. When the women
said they only wear these dresses outside, and not in their homes, it
was very interesting. I also really liked the dress Leigh was wearing,
and wouldn't mind wearing it to a sweet 16 or wedding myself.
I have been to the Holocaust museum twice in Israel, but this was my
first time to the one in Washington DC. I thought they did a really
nice job capturing the emotion and history. The most memorable section
for me was the room at the end with the large fire and also the small
candles in front of the names of concentration camps and also
massacred villages. I always like these rooms because they allow for
true personal reflection, respect, and rememberance. My group and I
walked around and read each name and looked at the candles, and I know
as a Jew that the non-Jews felt the same emotion I did, which
accomplishes the goal of allowing people to understand the sadness of
the horrific event that was the Holocaust. Overall, I really enjoyed
the field trip.
did not live up to what i expected. I thought the video did a great
job of showing Israel but it was very outdated and kind of corny. I
think the claymation was really distracting from the actual concept.
When it came time to ask the speaker questions, I was very happy to
hear my classmates questions. The most memorable thing for me was
hearing her speak about settlements because multiple students asked
her about it (and rightfully so - it is a big issue). I thought that
she did an ok job answering, and emphasized the point that when Israel
left Gaza for peace, Hamas took over. I found what she said
interesting and may want to look into some of the things she said to
help write my persuasive essay.
At the Saudi embassy, I had the chance to put on authentic Saudi garb.
Before GI, I had never really known anything at all about Saudi
Arabia, so the video, Q+A, and of course "costume parade" really
enhansed my knowledge on the topic. So, myself and five other students
went back with a woman from the embassy, who while wearing a long
skirt and long sleeves, still looked modern. I was given a long black
dress and a head scarf. When I walked out in front of my classmates, I
couldn't help but laugh because it was just so foreign. When the women
said they only wear these dresses outside, and not in their homes, it
was very interesting. I also really liked the dress Leigh was wearing,
and wouldn't mind wearing it to a sweet 16 or wedding myself.
I have been to the Holocaust museum twice in Israel, but this was my
first time to the one in Washington DC. I thought they did a really
nice job capturing the emotion and history. The most memorable section
for me was the room at the end with the large fire and also the small
candles in front of the names of concentration camps and also
massacred villages. I always like these rooms because they allow for
true personal reflection, respect, and rememberance. My group and I
walked around and read each name and looked at the candles, and I know
as a Jew that the non-Jews felt the same emotion I did, which
accomplishes the goal of allowing people to understand the sadness of
the horrific event that was the Holocaust. Overall, I really enjoyed
the field trip.
Zoe Bermudez
Feb 6, 2012, 7:10:37 AM2/6/12
to 2011-glob...@googlegroups.com
Our visit to the Israeli embassy was nothing like I expected. I definitely didn't expect the amount of propaganda and bias that was poured into the presentation. The "short video" was so desperate to promote the state of Israel, it was almost pathetic. At one point, it honestly made me wonder, "Do these people have no shame in showing us this?". Our speaker at the embassy was also extremely bias, nothing like the subtle pro-Palestine ideas we got from our trip to the U.N. What really stood out to me during our question and answer was how little Israel was willing to stop settlements. Here Palestine is, ready to make negotiations and Israel refuses to only STOP building settlements. Not destroy them or evacuate them, just stop them. And they wont do it because of what happened in Gaza. To me, it's really just petty business and I think Israel needs to take a risk if they want to achieve their own state.
Our visit to the Saudi Arabian embassy was a bit interesting. The promotional video was intriguing and actually made the country seem like a peaceful and favorable place. Of course, we know this is not so true but both the video and the presentation did an excellent job making it seem that way. What I thought was most interesting was why women aren't allowed to drive. It's not a political thing so much as a cultural thing. Of course! As soon as he said it, it all made sense in my head. That would be too great a change for society. Their right, maybe baby steps are the pathway to peace in this situation. I wasn't really surprised that they didn't explain how corrupt most of the leaders in the country are or how exclusive the country is (only Muslims can have residence). Overall, I thought that the presentation was surprisingly convincing.
The Holocaust Museum was.... horrific. While the majority of the information was nothing new to me, the feeling that came along with it was still the same. Kind of a numb shock at how horribly cruel some people are in this world. The thing that stood out most to me was just how graphic the exhibits were. They really didn't hold back. The shoes, the living quarters, the tower of pictures, it all told a story and had a profound effect on me.
Our visit to the Saudi Arabian embassy was a bit interesting. The promotional video was intriguing and actually made the country seem like a peaceful and favorable place. Of course, we know this is not so true but both the video and the presentation did an excellent job making it seem that way. What I thought was most interesting was why women aren't allowed to drive. It's not a political thing so much as a cultural thing. Of course! As soon as he said it, it all made sense in my head. That would be too great a change for society. Their right, maybe baby steps are the pathway to peace in this situation. I wasn't really surprised that they didn't explain how corrupt most of the leaders in the country are or how exclusive the country is (only Muslims can have residence). Overall, I thought that the presentation was surprisingly convincing.
The Holocaust Museum was.... horrific. While the majority of the information was nothing new to me, the feeling that came along with it was still the same. Kind of a numb shock at how horribly cruel some people are in this world. The thing that stood out most to me was just how graphic the exhibits were. They really didn't hold back. The shoes, the living quarters, the tower of pictures, it all told a story and had a profound effect on me.
Colin Castro
Feb 6, 2012, 8:20:00 AM2/6/12
to 2011-glob...@googlegroups.com
Russia and China Block UN Action Against Syria
By: Neil MacFarquhar and Anthony Shadid
Date: February 6th, 2012
This article was about the increasingly bad situation in Syria. Homs is a city that's been one of the capitals of the Syrian revolution, Homs has been consistenly slammed by violence. However, this weekend Bashar Al-Assad and his force unleashed a haymaker of violence on the Syrian people. Supposedly, 200 were killed, as the government rolled through the streets and brutally shelled the residents of Homs. The Syrian revolution has spiraled on for over eleven months, now people fear that a civil war is underway. But, huge rages of violence have shown that the Syrian government has no stability, acts like these highlight the defiance of Assad's regime. Assad's regime is proving itself very difficult, its bouts of violence occur in international isolation and show no humility. The international community knows change must be made, but remains unable to currently effect Syria.
The massace of Homs coinsided with a United Nations Security Council meeting that occurred over the weekend. This meeting discussed what type of actions had to be taken against Assad. Nearly all Western and Arab states agreed that something must be passed that would demand Bashar Al-Assad to cede power, further shown by the weekend's violence, most diplomats believed some resolution must be passed to protect the Syrian people. When the agreement came to the Security Council, Russia and China vetoed the actions. The Russians and Chinese believe actions like this tamper with Syria's sovereignity and are effectively taking sides in a Civil War. This is frightening because continued inaction suggests great danger to the situation being excacerbated. Most governments called the events in Homs a travesty and tragedy, and no one is pleased with the double-veto. Russia, said the breaking points of the resolution were a failure to cite the opposition groups for any of the violence and an 'unreasonable' request for the Syrians to immediately remove military force. I believe this is a situation where international standings must be abandoned, and change must be made, the horror in Homs must be avoided at any cost.
Michael Wong
Feb 6, 2012, 11:14:49 AM2/6/12
to 2011 Global Issues
At the Israli embassy I was not surprised to see that their intention
was to educate us about Israel in its most positive light. Her
apperant surprise when first asked about settlement building did
surprise me. I assume she expected an easier batch of questions, if
any, relating to tourism info she provided, however; the geo-political
questions we asked recieved brief and defensive replies. She went
back to the same points about settlement removal in Gaza and how it
turned out... though it did give me an insight to the defensive
mentality of Israel.
The embassy, presentation, and three speakers hinted at the funding
the Saudi embassy must recieve. To start, the presentation was good,
it did not attempt to provide an outrageously wonderful portrait of
Saudi Arabia yet also never said anything bad- the general theme of
peaceful conduct remained through their presntation. Most interesting
to me however, was the background of the speakers. In desert country
often associated with homogeneous desert peoples in a society
controlled by high class Sunni I was surprised to see that a Shite,
Woman ins western dress, and (at least partially) caucasion man spoke
to us on behlaf of Saudi Arabia. For a country that might immediately
appear backwards to us they did a great job of convincing me that on a
social and cultural level they had a right to be unique, while
technologically and industrially they advanced. This extra dimension
to Saudi culture (careful preservation and smart advancement) is not
apparent at surface level where all we see is oil, but afterall they
were diplomats...
At the Holocaust Museum the propaganda exhibit, while not the most
moving, was most interesting aspect to me. As the documentary we
watched in class prompted [Hitler could not have killed over 6 million
alone] his arms of propaganda enabled one of the most puzzling and
horrible mass submittance. Throgh the propaganda it his clear that
not only did he want to promote a party and a country- he wanted to
create (or recreate in his eyes) an entire culture. The propaganda
simultaniously glorifies "true-blooded Germans" and vilifies Jews
while promoting the "ideal" marrital, spiritual, and work imagery for
his people. Dual cultural conversion and blunt antisemmetic or anti-
communist sentiments were explained in the museum through an original
copy of the propaganda and then it's english translation. It was not
hard to infer from the image alone what the message would imply. With
the massive spectrum of propaganda through radio, film, and print
along with its abundance and effectiveness the exhibit gave me some
insight to how an entire country could allow such an attrocity.
was to educate us about Israel in its most positive light. Her
apperant surprise when first asked about settlement building did
surprise me. I assume she expected an easier batch of questions, if
any, relating to tourism info she provided, however; the geo-political
questions we asked recieved brief and defensive replies. She went
back to the same points about settlement removal in Gaza and how it
turned out... though it did give me an insight to the defensive
mentality of Israel.
The embassy, presentation, and three speakers hinted at the funding
the Saudi embassy must recieve. To start, the presentation was good,
it did not attempt to provide an outrageously wonderful portrait of
Saudi Arabia yet also never said anything bad- the general theme of
peaceful conduct remained through their presntation. Most interesting
to me however, was the background of the speakers. In desert country
often associated with homogeneous desert peoples in a society
controlled by high class Sunni I was surprised to see that a Shite,
Woman ins western dress, and (at least partially) caucasion man spoke
to us on behlaf of Saudi Arabia. For a country that might immediately
appear backwards to us they did a great job of convincing me that on a
social and cultural level they had a right to be unique, while
technologically and industrially they advanced. This extra dimension
to Saudi culture (careful preservation and smart advancement) is not
apparent at surface level where all we see is oil, but afterall they
were diplomats...
At the Holocaust Museum the propaganda exhibit, while not the most
moving, was most interesting aspect to me. As the documentary we
watched in class prompted [Hitler could not have killed over 6 million
alone] his arms of propaganda enabled one of the most puzzling and
horrible mass submittance. Throgh the propaganda it his clear that
not only did he want to promote a party and a country- he wanted to
create (or recreate in his eyes) an entire culture. The propaganda
simultaniously glorifies "true-blooded Germans" and vilifies Jews
while promoting the "ideal" marrital, spiritual, and work imagery for
his people. Dual cultural conversion and blunt antisemmetic or anti-
communist sentiments were explained in the museum through an original
copy of the propaganda and then it's english translation. It was not
hard to infer from the image alone what the message would imply. With
the massive spectrum of propaganda through radio, film, and print
along with its abundance and effectiveness the exhibit gave me some
insight to how an entire country could allow such an attrocity.
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