Yad HaShmona (Memorial to the Eight) is a unique community in the Jerusalem hills, founded in 1971 by Finnish Christians in memory of eight Finnish Jews who were handed over to the Nazis by the Finnish government during World War II and sent to Auschwitz. Seven were murdered; one, Georg Kollmann, survived. The community, which includes a guesthouse, a biblical garden, and a reconstructed biblical-era village, is one of the most unusual expressions of Christian-Jewish solidarity in Israel.
Eight
In 1942, the Finnish government deported eight Jewish refugees to Nazi Germany, where seven were murdered and one survived. The act, small in scale compared to the deportations from other countries, became a source of deep shame in Finland. After the war, Finnish Christians sought to make amends, and in 1971, a group of Finnish volunteers came to Israel and established Yad HaShmona as a living memorial to the eight victims. The memorial stone at the community lists the names and ages of the eight victims, the youngest of whom was a child.
Biblical Village
Yad HaShmona operates a reconstructed biblical-era village where visitors can see the kind of houses, workshops, and agricultural installations that existed in the time of Jesus. The village includes a wine press, an olive press, a carpenter’s workshop, a first-century house, and a mikveh (ritual bath), all built based on archaeological evidence from the Second Temple period. The experience is similar to Nazareth Village but set in the Judean hills rather than the Galilee.
Guesthouse
The community operates a guesthouse that accommodates pilgrim groups and tourists, with views of the Jerusalem Corridor. The guesthouse offers a quiet, contemplative alternative to the busy hotels of Jerusalem, and the combination of the memorial, the biblical village, and the hilltop setting makes it a meaningful place to stay.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Yad HaShmona combines Holocaust remembrance with biblical experience. Hoshen Tours includes the biblical village for groups who want a hands-on encounter with the daily life of the Second Temple period.