Landscapes of Israel
The Last Butterfly
The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzling yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone.
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I've lived here,
Penned up inside the ghetto.
But I have found what i love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live here,
in the ghetto.
This poem was written by a young Jewish boy in 1942 during the Holocaust while being held in the Terezin ghetto, where he died. The Terezin ghetto was supposed to be a model that Nazis showed to outsiders who visited to make sure Jews and other prisoners were being kept safe, when really they were being forced to produce art, music, and other creative pieces for the sole purpose of keeping a good appearance.
Jews have been persecuted throughout all of history. During the Holocaust, most countries would not allow Jews to immigrate into their countries because of the massive amounts of people requesting. When the Holocaust was over, Israel allowed all of them to immigrate.
These photographs, all taken in Israel, are a testament to the kind of spirituality and love that Jews have for the state of Israel as well as the visual beauty of the place. There are still many problems regarding war in Israel, so it is important for Jews to remember their roots and the importance of Israel to an entire people.