Trifter

First, I want to thank my friend Akin who offered me to participate in competition held by UN Baku office and Israeli embassy, then UN Baku office and Israeli embassy for support and great help, our organization-Youth League for Intercultural Cooperation for support and help, my family and friends for support and everyone who helped me and my friend Hamid to represent our country in that congress

When I waved my hand to my family before going towards the gate in airport I had strange feeling. Actually it was the first time I was leaving my family for such a period of time. When we landed in Tel-Aviv some staff from Yad Vashem was waiting for us. We greeted each other and then we were asked to wait for other participants. Actually I guessed that we were waiting for guys from India, because I met them in the row for passport control. So finally they came, they were nice, smart guys. While we were waiting for other guys we spoke about different things. We discussed Indian movies, Bollywood and etc. As the time passed other participants were coming. The guy from Japan, girls from Norway and the girl from Turkey joined us later. Then we were accompanied to bus, and started off to Jerusalem. There was not much traffic on the way. The guy from Japan, Gyo was sitting in front of me. Every time when I hear something about Japan, immediately I remember about Japanese cars and racing. So we talked about those things. And for a moment I slept, and when we arrived I was woken up by my friend Hamid. The Hotel seemed to be nice and it really was. We waited a little in lounge, because we wanted to make calls home. After calling home, making moms calmer, we went to our rooms.

The next morning when I woke up, I was fresh and feelings were strange. Because I didn’t hear voice of my mom calling for dinner or dad’s waking me up. Then I washed my hands and face and went down, because the bus was waiting for us. Hamid and I went down. When we got in the bus, I had the feeling that everyone was waiting for us, because it was full. Afterwards we started off. There were two girls from Turkey on the back from us. We spoke with them. While we were going our guide gave us different information, and then I began to feel headache and suddenly I saw numbers on the left side of the way. They were the signs showed us how under from sea level we were. After hour or more we arrived at the hill. It was some kind of village of Bedouins. Then our guide gave us information where we were. The way he informed us was interesting. He used one the guys as the map of Israel. It seemed interesting. Then we went into the tent where Bedouin meal was waiting for us. We took our plates, and sat around the table on the floor.

For the first time I was sitting at the table with different people, from different countries. It was really nice, we were joking, laughing while we had dinner. After finishing dinner we had some kind of photo session. Everyone who had camera took photos. Then we went out of the tent, and there was a wonderful to the Dead Sea. It was beautiful feeling to be there. We didn’t stay there for a long, but we would have stayed there if the weather was nice. Because the organizers wanted to give us chance to swim in Dead Sea. But the weather didn’t let. So we came back to the hotel. We had a rest for an hour or more then we had supper. After the supper we divided to 5 groups. There weren’t two guys from same country in one group. Then we went to the place which was waiting for us. There were more than 20 guys in our group. We introduced ourselves to the group. Then we played the game, during which we spoke to each other more about ourselves. Let me explain how we played it. 12 guys sat on the floor in the circle and the other sat in front of those, and then when time was up we switched off our places. Actually during this game I was covered in sweat, but in spite of that it was interesting. By the way our guide’s name was Yiftach. After this game we were informed about next day and we were given nice bags. I was very tired after long day, so I went straight to my room. I watched football with my roommate and discussed the finishing day.

It was hard to wake up the morning, but we managed. We went downstairs, had breakfast and then left hotel for the Yad Vashem museum.

While you walk in the museum strange feeling mixed with horror covers you. It was the horror of the past. Photos and documents of victims filled me with strange feeling, I had never felt before. We saw there how everything began, how everything was coming to the end.

There were different rooms initiated to different events. As we visited these rooms our guide Yiftach told us different stories. And I remember there was room about different places where Jews lived before and during the war. And there was place initiated to Ukraine, and guide asked Ukrainian girl to read the announcement was read to Jews before mass killing them in Babi Yar. While she was reading it, I was reading too and then suddenly she stopped and began to cry. It was an awful scene. While I tried to make her calm she said Babi Yar was close to her house, so understood her. Then no more talks were about it. The last place we visited in New Historical Museum was place where information about victims was kept. I mentioned that some of the shelves were empty, I understood it. And then I looked up, the faces were looking at me I looked down I saw mine among there’s. As we left that place wonderful view of Jerusalem was in front of us. It was the sign that never mind what happens the better future waits for us.

The day continued with sensitive lecture of Shulamit Amber. In spite of being sleepy, I listened her. I do think that she was the most impressive one among others.

The day continued with opening session and lectures. And at the end of the day we were taken to the Moroccan restaurant. It was amazing, I don’t know whose idea was to take there but I’m sure that it was very smart idea. I sat around the table with guys from Asian countries. We ate Moroccan meals; the meals were familiar to me, because we had same meals in our kitchen. After this amazing supper we were back at the hotel. We discussed the amazing supper, and then went to our rooms.

Every day in Jerusalem was special; everyday was more interesting than the previous one. That day we had tour the old part of Jerusalem. At the end of that tour I understood the reason why Jerusalem is known as holy city. Holy place for Muslims, Jews and Christians were close to each other, it’s amazing. Then we saw people dressed in white celebrating Shabbat. Jews were praying in front of the Western Wall and my friend Hamid wrote something and put into the little hole inside the wall. I asked our guide whether I can do same thing or not, he didn’t give exact answer. So I just took picture there and went back to place our group gathered. After tour we had dinner in local restaurant and finally I tasted Jewish sweets. They were so similar to ours; even the names seemed to be same.

Then we were back at Yad Vashem complex for the lectures. The first one was about genocides. And the lecturer-Yehuda Bauer mentioned “Armenian genocide” during his speech. At that time I felt terrible, because I didn’t expect to hear this. As he finished his speech I want to go towards him and to say about my feelings, but I couldn’t go because the other lecture began by Shulamit Imber. Again after her lecture I was full of impressions. After her lecture I asked one the staff to give me the presentation was used during her lecture. Then I met her in the corridor, I approached her. I didn’t how to begin, at first I introduced myself. And then I said how I had felt after Mr. Yehuda Bauer’s lecture. She listened me carefully, I said her everything I knew from history.

I told about genocide happened in different regions of Azerbaijan not only against Azerbaijanis and also against Jews in region Quba in 31 March 1918. Guilty in that massacre were Armenians and everyone person who helped them. Rescuers were soldiers of Ottoman Army who were on time. She promised me to make survey about what happened in 1918 in different parts of Azerbaijan and in Jewish villages of Azerbaijan. I was so impressed, so happy that I was listened; I was promised to be helped. Its great feeling. But the most interesting part of the day was waiting for us. After meeting with Tzipi Livni we met the survivor of the Holocaust. Nearly at 5am we were in the room, and waiting for the survivor. Actually the man entered the room wasn’t the man I was expecting to see. I expected to see an old man, but the man entered was full of spirit, energy in spite of the things he saw. Everyone in the classroom was listening him in silence; everybody’s attention was on him. That man was from Belgium, and he was nearly 6 months child when we his father was taken by Gestapo. And the most amazing thins was that the Nazi soldier let his father to pass him to neighbors. He survived the war, and he was the one of the first citizens of Israel State. When it was the time of questions I was thinking of my question I wanted to ask to a Jew survived from horror and terror of II World War. And I raised my hand and asked my question:

“Sir when you-Jews saw how your fathers, brothers, sisters, neighbors were taken to police stations or some where else, why didn’t u escape? Didn’t u realize that the horror was waiting for us?”

His answer was:

“Then we didn’t realize such things, we didn’t realize that mankind could do such thing”

This answer was enough for me.

After meeting every group went to bus that were waiting for us. We went back to Hotel. After having supper groups joined together to draft a declaration.

By the way I want to say something about our guide Yiftach. As I know he is nearly 26 or 28. He was really nice, smart and cool guy. He had ability to control us, u could see us laughing, joking and for a moment the atmosphere could change in the group. Every time when we were in the bus we were playing different games, but the base was same. The games purpose was to whether group members were together or not. May be it doesn’t seem to be interesting for you, but in that atmosphere they were funny and as he said “cool”. Actually things were divided into “cool” and not “cool things”. But we always tried to be cool guys, because our group was the coolest one. Everything was so nice, so interesting that I’m sure I’ll never forget time I spent in Jerusalem.

The next day we were in Art museum, Synagogue and Learning centre. The most interesting moment was waiting for us, it was meting with president of Israel State Shimon Peres. He made speech, he answered to several questions. And we took photo together. He showed how he believed to youngsters with his speech with following words:

“You can do more than you think, than your parents think, than your teachers think to build a better future for yourself for and other young people”.

During that day we met Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv and we were in the place that was built in remembrance of children perished during Holocaust. It’s hard to understand how mankind could kill just a child so savagely. I can’t accept such things; I even refuse to understand it. To kill just a child for being from not “right race”. Allah will punish them.

Then the concluding session was waiting for us. The declaration was handed to Avner Shalev. Every ambassador of each country was given books about Holocaust. And during this session our guide-Yiftach approached to me and asked whether I was agree to speak with reporter of BBC for Latin America. I didn’t know what to say, of course I was agreed, I was surprised and at the time I was astonished. I thanked him several times for choosing me. I introduce myself to the reporter and then she gave me several questions, about my country about myself. And she was surprised when I said to her that I was Muslim. She asked me about terror acts that happen in Iraq or in other Muslim countries. My answer was: “I’m fed up of that, I feel sick when I hear such thing. Why do we divide each other to Shia or Sunni? But it’s stupid. In my country there’re different national minorities, and I have relatives among them. We live happy and friendly life together”. If we divide people among us for their religion, belief, appearance and another thing, we will never be able to live peaceful life.

After the last session we were taken back to the hotel and we asked to pack our luggage and to be ready to the last tour during the congress. As the weather was getting bad and everybody was expecting snow. We packed our bags and got in our busses and started off towards Tel-Aviv.

While we in the bus, the driver tuned to different radio stations and then we stopped in one. I liked the music and asked our guide and turn it up. Oh my god, you can’t imagine the atmosphere there inside of the bus. Some of the guys were thinking, some joking, laughing, some singing. It’s hard to explain such feeling. Actually during the tour I listened the music I had never listened, really, but in such atmosphere such music seemed to be the music I loved. Funny girl from Poland-Zuza was sitting next to me; I spoke to her as we had known each other for years. I wish to be in such atmosphere again, I wish everyone to feel it.

We arrived to the Hotel in Tel-Aviv, where accommodations were booked before our coming. After an hour or more we were in the restaurant, we were having our last supper together. After supper groups were together again. It was our last gathering during the congress (I hope we’ll meet again). Some thanked Yiftach and staff of Yad Vashem, some just listened in silence. After gathering some guys spoke to each other, some took pictures and some went to upstairs to pack their luggage.

I left Tel-Aviv early in the morning on 30th January. Those 4 days I spent in Israel were amazing, unforgettable. During these days I gained friends from Poland, Finland, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Germany and so on, I gained valuable knowledge about Holocaust, I visited different beautiful places, and I tasted different meals. I’ll get in contact with guys I met there and specially with our cool guide Yifatch. While I have been coming to the end of my story, I remembered that I missed a lot of stories, but I’m sure of one thing that these days left in my mind unexhausted trace.