1948 War of Independence. Israel is attacked by 5 Arab nations. It was a stressful time for the people. For the 10,000 men, woman and children stranded in the Old City, it was a desperate time as they had no food, little water, lack of ammunition and absolutely no way of getting supplies. There was only one road leading up to the Old City. The road was watched by Arabs ready to shoot without hesitation.
How to get supplies in the fastest and safest way was a challenge. The army sent convoys filled with supplies. It was a very dangerous mission. They had very few armored cars to send. The convoys at times included trucks, cars, busses and even taxis.
These missions completed in the dark were not just carried out by soldiers. Over 300 drivers volunteered to drive. They considered themselves regular folk who wanted to help. If you could drive, you could go. Listen to what these people said about their heroic missions.
My 1st thought is these people are my family and I’m going to help.
My fuel tank was hit and I hugged the hood and just pushed.
We did not think we were heroes.
We love our country.
Many of the drivers were killed on these missions. One such volunteer was a teenage Holocaust survivor. His entire family was killed and he wanted to help and insisted that he not be left behind. Sadly, he never came back.
We were inspired by the courage of the people in 1948. We were moved to hear their stories. We became a part of their story at a new museum called Sha’ar Hagai National Heritage Site. This interactive museum not only tells the story of the convoys, but makes you a part of it. You are involved with the convoy decision making and see firsthand how life and death matters based on your decisions. You ride as a part of the convoy and listen to the driver deal with the Arab attacks. You meet through videos the men and women who took part in the convoys.
We highly recommend this amazing experience, where you learn about the bravery of the Jews in 1948 and that above all that Jewish life is worth fighting for.