Europe's largest Jewish Museum presents the complete story of German-Jewish history, it's cultural bolt". The building plan and the scarring in the zinc-plated facade suggest a shattered Star of David. Oddly shaped windows are haphazardly embedded in the building's exterior. Inside, the spaces are designed to make the visitor feel uneasy and disoriented, similar to the feeling of those who were exiled. A vast hollow cuts through the museum to mark what is gone. When the exhibits reach the rise of the Third Reich, the hall's walls, ceiling, and floor close in as the visitor proceeds. A chilling hollow Holocaust Void, a dark, windowless chamber, evokes much that was lost. There are 3 areas which the museum covers. 1st, Judaism and Jewish life, 2nd,The devastating effects of the Holocaust. and 3rd, The post WWII rebuilding of Jewish life in Germany. As I walked around reading about the Jewish history, I realized that some of what was told was what I had been reading about in the Old Testament this last week. As the Jewish people turned away from God, he warned them through his prophets and then followed through with the destruction prophesied. There is a long steep stairway leading up to the second floor exhibit. It is dark slate, like the floors throughout the museum. There is no way out except back down the stairs the way you came. It also gives you that cornered" feeling. There was so much to see and read about, we were there for 3 hours and got tired. It is still hard for me to fathom how people could treat other people this way. We went out to the Garden of Exile and took a few pictures. The Garden of Exile reminded me of Holocaust Memorial we went a few months ago with its cement columns and closed in feeling.
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