I was extremely fortunate to have been selected to represent Timaru Boys’ High School at a unique seminar held in Israel during the month of January.

The latter was sponsored by the Holocaust Museum in Wellington, Yad Vashem Holocaust International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Educators from all over New Zealand were participants in this special venture.

We experienced 115 hours of lectures by experts in the field of Ancient Jewish History, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust as experienced through the mediums of Art, Literature, Music and Film. Our weekend excursions were designed to complement the academic presentations at Yad Vashem. For example, we visited the British War Cemetery on Mount Scopus where a significant number of New Zealand soldiers are honoured. The Israel Museum was also a revelation as it contained only artefacts concerning the history of Israel including the Dead Sea Scrolls. On one of our excursions we visited Qumran and the caves where the scrolls were actually discovered. Bethlehem was a special highlight of our trip and is the location of many magnificent churches such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that is decorated with eye catching icons and paintings.

During our weekend excursions we also experienced a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee; as we embarked, the crew played the New Zealand anthem in both Maori and English! Mount Zion was also a fascinating area to visit being the traditional site of the Last Supper. In Jaffa we explored the Independence Hall where David Ben Gurion proclaimed the Independent State of Israel on 14th May 1948. One of the most intriguing places we visited in the Old City of Jerusalem were the Western Wall Tunnels situated beneath the streets of Jerusalem These were tiny caves where you could appreciate the different levels of civilisation dating back to the Roman Period. We visited and bathed in the Dead Sea which is known for its medicinal properties. The Second Temple fortress of Masada was of particular interest as it was built by King Herod in the Judean Desert in the 1st Century BCE. 

From a teaching perspective, I feel we all benefited greatly from the presentations and interviews conducted with survivors of the Holocaust. To share their stories which constitute primary sources in History was definitely a unique experience. Following our visit to Oskar Schindler’s grave we were very privileged to meet one of the survivors of the Holocaust who was on Schindler’s list, a story that has been immortalised by Steven Spielberg in his Oscar winning movie (seven Oscars to be exact). I am very much looking forward to sharing my experiences and the new resources I have obtained with both my Senior and Junior classes this year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Rector Nick McIvor, our supportive staff at Timaru Boys’ High School and Alpine Energy for making my participation in this life changing visit to Israel a reality!

Dr Jill Harland
History Department