March of the Living: walking the walk

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More than 15,000 Jews from around the world participated in the 30th anniversary of the March of the Living this year.  This annual educational program consists of a week in Poland, learning the history of the Holocaust, followed by a week in Israel showing the survival and triumph of the Jewish people.

Twice during the two weeks, all 15,000 participants gathered together, first on Yom Ha’Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, marching from Auschwitz to Birkenau, as a tribute to all victims of the Holocaust, and then again on Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, marching to the Old City in Jerusalem. 

This year, ten local high school students were a part of this life-changing trip, which was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Ross Family Fund along with Touro Fraternal Association, the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, and the Jewish Alliance.  Excerpts from two participant’s reflections are shared below.

“Though I have been part of many different kinds of spirited Jewish communities in my life, I had never felt [this] type of Jewish pride. It was truly an incredible feeling of belonging. I think that this journey opened my eyes to the grueling history of our people and inspired me to want to connect with my Jewish roots and Israel in the future. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to travel and learn with such wonderful people, and I think that every Jew should have the chance to walk the steps of the Jews of the past and the present.”

                    – Jessica Nassau

“At the beginning of my trip to Poland and Israel, I knew that my purpose of going on this program was to learn how to advocate for myself and those around me about the history of the Jewish people. I was expecting to learn how to argue against someone who is in disagreement with my thoughts on such an important topic as the Holocaust. I was ready to take pictures and absorb information to build my case. However, I learned something more important than any statistic I heard on the entire journey. Advocacy can come in many forms. I did learn how to talk about what I saw with other people but I realized it is also about fighting back against the damage done to 6 million Jews. One can do this by celebrating their identity and appreciating it beyond a simple label. Take advantage through festivities, praying, singing, or simply by being happy. Take back what was so maliciously stripped from our lives…On March of the Living there is an immediate understanding among the participants. There is an appreciation for the fact that someone else is fighting for the same cause….One could study for years and become a professional in the history of the Holocaust. However nothing can replace the sheer experience of seeing what our religion was before the Holocaust, after the Holocaust, and now. Advocacy is making it clear that we’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere. Thanks to March of the Living, I can take the power given to me by 15,000 other Jews and emit it into the world around me.”

                  – Marin Warshay

For more information about the March of the Living, and to learn how to participate, contact Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.