The March Report: Issue 5 Fall 2020 : simplebooklet.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Despite difficult circumstances we remain committed to fulfilling our mandate even if COVID 19 forces us to use different channels and platforms S Auschwitz to the other part ince I wrote my previous of that horrific site that became column last winter in the largest cemetery of the Issue 4 of The March of the Living Report the world has Jewish people Birkenau To our profound disappointment changed drastically Just over the coronavirus had the final half a year ago a very small but word Likewise we dangerous virus couldn t move forgave way to a global ward on many other health emergency activities and events like none of us have we had planned long ever experienced ago including the Today so much of Budapest March our lives is not the the Thessaloniki same as it was beMarch and relatfore the pandemic ed ceremony and Like everyAharon Aharale Tamir activities in North body else we at Macedonia the March of the Living have Despite the widespread felt in ways big and small disruption and sudden suspenthe negative consequences of sion of so much on the MOTL COVID 19 and the havoc it has calendar we fully understood caused that we had to continue under Due to restrictions on pubthese difficult circumstances to lic gatherings we of course had do what we could to teach and to cancel our annual marquee stay true to our mandate So event the Yom HaShoah march while trips and visits haven t at Auschwitz Birkenau last happened we re highly active in April that commemorates the education communication and Holocaust More than 12 000 remembrance on all virtual and participants from 52 coundigital platforms tries had intended to come to Now more than ever it s Poland to march from the worst important to teach the history place mankind can think of and lessons of the Holocaust and remind the world that such an unspeakable catastrophe can Chairman and CEO happen again if people ignore DR SHMUEL ROSENMAN current events and activities President that remind us how the Nazi PHYLLIS GREENBERG HEIDEMAN genocide of the Jews began 80 Editor in Chief AHARON AHARALE TAMIR years ago Advisory Board Every day we must do ELI RUBENSTEIN ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH whatever we can so people from Editor all countries societies and orROBERT SARNER ganizations will act combat and Design Production eliminate the rise of anti SemAVIV SARNER AFARGAN ites fascists neo Nazis and all The International March of the Living Report is published by the International those involved in stoking hatred March of the Living We welcome letters and atrocities comments from readers Please send I must repeat one of my them to motl motlmail org or Internamain messages something like tional March of the Living Attention the Holocaust can happen again Editor in Chief 2 West 45th Street Suite 1500 New York New York 10036 USA if people in all corners of the Tel 212 869 6800 www motl org world don t pay attention and The 2 Report act against movements organizations and even states that are promoting intolerance and violating basic human rights of other people For our part in terms of online activity we started with the virtual March on April 21 that proved moving and received considerable attention in the press and social media but nothing can substitute for the real March As we don t see the pandemic ending anytime soon we have to be prepared to keep the March active in other ways besides events and gatherings To that end we are working on a range of virtual initiatives until COVID 19 will be controlled and life returns to normal It s part of our ongoing commitment to always remember the victims of the Nazis including 1 5 million Jewish children that perished in the Holocaust all over Europe No matter the challenges we all face due to current circumstances we must continue our important work At MOTL even in the midst of the upside down reality due to COVID 19 we remain steadfast in paying tribute and showing love to the survivors expressing deep appreciation to the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis and to leading educational programs and fighting Holocaust denial anti Semitism and hatred Nothing will stop us in our mission to which we ve been committed for the past 32 years Even when life brings difficulties we will do all that s in our power to make sure that Never Again really means Never Again and that Never Means Never I wish all of us that in the years to come the marches ceremonies and other events will serve human values and help lead to a better world As it was said in the Torah We should love our neighbors as we love ourselves Thank you for being part of the March of the Living community made up of good people around the world who are friends supporters and believers in our common human values that are a source of strength and light during these dark days of COVID 19 Aharon Aharale Tamir Deputy World Chairman MOTL CALENDAR DATES WORTH NOTING Before COVID 19 2020 was to be a busy year for MOTL in terms of events and other initiatives Sadly starting in March most of them had to be canceled 2020 Jan 8 Warsaw Poland Meeting with the president of Poland together with the leaders of the Jewish community Jan 20 21 Krakow and Auschwitz Poland European Jewish Association meetings on occasion of 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Birkenau Jan 23 Yad Vashem Jerusalem International conference and summit to commemorate 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and to discuss ways to combat anti Semitism xenophobia and hatred Jan 27 Auschwitz Birkenau Poland International Holocaust Remembrance Day this year marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Gathering of more than 50 heads of state and hundreds of Holocaust survivors Feb 11 12 Boca Raton Florida Operation committee and MOTL Board meetings Feb 22 Vienna Austria Meeting about anti Semitism in European countries The events highlighted below in dark blue all had to be canceled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic March 10 Skopje Bitola and Shtip North Macedonia Symposium visits and March in Bitola March 15 Poland various museums Seminar about methods of visiting Holocaust sites March 17 Thessaloniki Greece Commemoration symposium and March April 18 Tel Aviv Israel Workshop for the March management team April 20 Krakow Poland Continuation of seminar and conference about combating anti Semitism for MOTL young leadership April 21 Auschwitz Birkenau Poland Main event of 2020 March of The Living Visit to Poland was to start on April 17 and finish on April 27 April 28 until May 4 March of the Living was to arrive in Israel for second half of MOTL trip ending on May 4 April 21 Online MOTL conducts first ever virtual March Aug 18 New York NY MOTL holds its first live webinar featuring actor Jesse Eisenberg and director Jonathan Jakobowitz in conversation about their recent Holocaust related film Resistance moderated by MOTL alum and TV news reporter Dana Arschin Kraslow Sept 9 Boston Massachusetts New England Friends of MOTL hosts first annual Voices from the Past Lessons for the Future virtual event Sept 10 Budapest Hungary MOTL was supposed to attend B nai Brith s International Conference in person Instead Aharon Aharale Tamir sent a recorded speech on behalf of MOTL Sept 13 Online International March of the Living launches its inaugural Fireside Chat web series featuring a conversation between Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau in Tel Aviv and Malcolm Hoenlein which was shown live on MOTL s website and on Facebook and YouTube Nov 9 Berlin Vienna and other places Let There Be Light global campaign against hatred and intolerance timed to coincide with 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht the Nazi pogrom against Jews in Germany and Austria that helped pave the way for the Holocaust IN MEMORIAM AN INCALCULABLE LOSS Grieving the passing in recent months of Survivors who played key roles in March of the Living activities over the years E ach year the March of the Living honors those who perished in the Holocaust and those who survived Since MOTL s inception in 1988 more than 300 survivors have poignantly shared their firsthand experiences with participants on the March of the Living Those participants have in turn become the witnesses for the witnesses Sadly in each successive year we lose more survivors with their passing Each in his or her own way made an impact on the lives of so many We spotlight here several survivors who died in 2020 since the publishing of the previous issue of The MOTL Report Each contributed considerably to enrich MOTL by way of their participation over the years HENEK HANK BRODT Dec 1 1925 May 22 2020 Born in Boryslaw Poland Accompanied nine March of the Living trips including in 2018 when he sang in the Yom HaShoah concert in Krakow Poland SAM LASKIER Aug 1927 Aug 14 2020 Born in Warsaw Poland Never spoke publicly about his Holocaust experiences until he went on a MOTL trip for the first time in 2014 at which he was persuaded to join other survivors in telling participants his story CECILE MOSBERG July 2 1927 Feb 9 2020 Born in Krakow Poland Led the New Jersey MOTL as survivors in 1998 and was involved in the American Society for Yad Vashem with her husband fellow survivor Edward since the mid 1980s JOE ISRAEL SACHS 1927 July 5 2020 Born in Przyrow Poland Participated with Miami s MOTL delegation for nearly 15 years traveling to the March for the first time in 1999 and continuing every year until 2012 We apologize for any inadvertent omissions View the March of the Living Holocaust Survivors Database at motl org survivors RAISE YOUR VOICE The March of the Living Report welcomes letters from readers Please send letters to The March of the Living Report Attention Editor in Chief 2 West 45th Street Suite 1500 New York New York USA 10036 Or motl motlmail org 3

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LET THERE BE LIGHT To commemorate the victims of Nazi violence against Jews on Kristallnacht in Nov 1938 MOTL is launching a global initiative against intolerance and hatred BY REVITAL KRAKOVSKY German synagogue set ablaze by Nazis during Kristallnacht I n September the International March of the Living announced plans for a global campaign of unity in the face of a worrying rise in bigotry and xenophobia Called Let There Be Light it involves engaging houses of worship of all religions to come together in solidarity against anti Semitism racism hatred and intolerance Timed to coincide with the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht the Nazi pogrom against Jews in Germany and Austria Let There Be Light will take place on the eve of Nov 9 and continue the next day Historians consider Kristallnacht also known as the Night of Broken Glass when the Germans killed and arrested hundreds of Jews and destroyed many synagogues Jewish institutions and Jewish owned businesses as a prelude to the Holocaust MOTL is inviting people everywhere to visit motl org letthere be light to share their messages with the world about today s injustices the significance of Kristallnacht and to express one s hope for a more tolerant future As a symbolic gesture MOTL is calling on synagogues churches mosques temples and other houses of worship in every country to keep the lights on in their respective buildings on the WHEN DISTANCE DOESN T MATTER Far removed in time culture and geography from the Holocaust Indigenous students in Canada s north use MOTL material to study Nazi genocide of the Jews BY ROBERT SARNER S uch are the universal lessons of the Holocaust and its tragic magnitude that the subject is taught around the world including in highly remote places In Canada s far north a high school is using educational material from the March of the Living to help students learn about the Nazi genocide of European Jews At the East Three Secondary School in Inuvik Northwest Territories English teacher Gene Jenks has his Grade 12 students studying the Holocaust as part of the non fiction section of the unit One of the main texts they re using is the book Witness Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations It was made possible by Eli Rubenstein Director of Education for March of the Living who after hearing about Gene and his course on the Holocaust offered to send 4 Students in Inuvik hold copies of Witness as part of Holocaust study program copies of the book along with the documentary film Blind Love and to arrange for them to have direct contact with Holocaust survivors It was humbling to discover that students living in the farthest regions of northern Canada and our planet are interested in Holocaust education says Eli Furthermore these are students who are First Nations who come from their own history of terrible persecution and discrimination Yet they still have the sensitivity and empathy to care about the suffering of other people in this case the Jewish people They re taking their Holocaust education further literally Last June 13 of Gene s students had planned to take part in an educational trip titled Central Europe and the Holocaust to learn more about night of Nov 9 in support of this global campaign The objective is for religious institutions and individuals to participate in this simple but meaningful act in order to send a powerful message of solidarity and support against racism If successful it will be the largest coordinated effort to stand against anti Semitism hatred and intolerance in all its forms This international campaign of unity will commence with the illumination of one of the few Jewish religious buildings in Germany not destroyed during the Holocaust the striking Westend Synagogue in Frankfurt that was built 110 years ago For further information on the Let There Be Light campaign contact Liz Panitch at liz motlmail org or Monise Neumann at monise motlmail org what they had studied in class Due to the COVID 19 pandemic school authorities had to postpone the trip now planning it for June 2021 when they re expecting more than twice the original number of students to participate To that end Gene and the students are raising funds for the trip to learn more about this dark chapter of history Given where they live it s no casual initiative The idea to travel to Europe to learn more about the Holocaust was inspired by the stories we studied in class says Gene The students were genuinely affected by what they saw awed by the stories they heard and the vastness of everything This trip was their idea brought up near the end of the unit He hopes one day to go on the March of the Living and predicts there will be future students in his class who will be interested in taking part in the same experience MOTL ALUMNA IN THE SPOTLIGHT One of Dana Arschin s short documentaries inspired by her MOTL experience wins Emmy award BY ROBERT SARNER Dana Arschin with family C ollectively March of the Living alumni are an impressive bunch Since taking part in the March they ve made a major impact on their respective communities and far beyond Their formidable achievements could easily fill a massive book It s particularly noteworthy when an alumna s MOTL experience leads to work recognized professionally Such is the case with Dana Arschin the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and a TV reporter for Fox 5 News in New York who went on the MOTL in 2018 Inspired by the trip she documented and produced three short films later aired on Fox 5 one of which earned her an Emmy Award this past spring The Emmy Awards honor excellence within various areas of television and emerging media Dana received an Emmy for her film The Forgotten Camps which focuses on several Nazi death camps that operated in Poland during WWII The other two films consisted of A Community Reborn which highlights the recent rebirth of Jewish life in Krakow Poland while the third titled March of the Living follows thousands of MOTL participants as they walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day As the granddaughter of an Auschwitz survivor I always felt it was my duty to keep my Poppy s story alive and honor the memories of my ancestors who perished in the Holocaust says Dana It was life changing for me to walk in my Poppy s footsteps as a March of the Living participant For the first time I came face to face with the horrors he endured for more than two years at Auschwitz Birkenau WELL SAID Rabbi Yisrael Lau and Malcolm Hoenlein set the bar high as they inaugurate MOTL s new Fireside Chat web series BY LIZ PANITCH O n Sept 13 2020 the International March of the Living premiered its inaugural Fireside Chat web series featuring an engaging conversation between Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Malcolm Hoenlein after introductory remarks by Greg Masel the former Director General of Karen Hayesod UIA United Israel Appeal Rabbi Lau a renowned Holocaust survivor was liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp at the age of 8 in April 1945 He went on to become the Chief Rabbi of Israel and currently is the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv Yafo and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council He has accompanied every single March of the Living since its in Rabbi Yisrael Lau in front of the camera during Fireside Chat taping ception in 1988 and each year delivers a powerful address at Birkenau Rabbi Lau was interviewed by Malcolm Hoenlein Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and himself a MOTL alumnus The chat was an intimate conversation between these two leaders of the Jewish community Rabbi Lau began by delivering a brief testimony of his story of survival during the Shoah Particularly moving was when he discussed his last encounter with his mother and father and his brother s insistence that should he survive he go to Israel the homeland of his people Mr Hoenlein then fol That experience awakened me giving me a new sense of responsibility to share Holocaust related stories The acclaim she received for her three short films reaffirmed for her the continuing relevance and resonance of subjects involving the Holocaust I m incredibly honored and humbled to have won an Emmy for The Forgotten Camps and an Emmy nomination for March of the Living adds Dana This recognition proves there s still an audience that wants to hear these stories and hopefully join our efforts in passing them along to future generations In August Dana took part in MOTL s first live webinar during which she interviewed actor Jesse Eisenberg and director Jonathan Jakobowitz about their recent Holocaust related film Resistance lowed up with questions about his liberation from Buchenwald and first meeting with Rabbi Herschel Schacter a chaplain in the US army They spoke about how survivors were able to rebuild their lives MOTL s first program and tremendous impact on today s youth and the exponential growth of anti Semitism worldwide in recent years Rabbi Lau said that the March of the Living makes Israelis more Jewish and makes Jews more Israeli Thousands of people watched the inaugural segment of the Fireside Chat series on MOTL s website YouTube and Facebook Live A recording is on the MOTL website at www motl org lau chat Plans are now underway for more webinars and future Fireside Chats to take place in the coming months and throughout 2021 5

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PAGES COME TO LIFE New edition of Witness uses embedded barcodes connecting to video testimony of 75 Holocaust survivors rescuers or WWII liberators BY ROBERT SARNER E arlier this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany the International March of the Living published a specially updated edition of Witness Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations The original version appeared in English in 2015 to much acclaim leading to its translation in Hebrew Spanish and Polish For the book s new edition fresh content includes a section of liberation stories an expanded spotlight on those who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust and an afterward by film director Steven Spielberg founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Each photograph of a survivor rescuer or liberator is embedded with an invisible barcode that connects the reader to a full video testimony of the individual pictured Some 75 videos hosted on the MOTL or USC Shoah Foundation websites can be accessed with a smartphone This latest edition of Witness brings to life the incredible personal stories of survivors rescuers and liberators for anyone with a smartphone says Eli Rubenstein MOTL s Toronto based Director of Education who oversaw the book s content As this generation dwindles which witnessed survived and defeated the greatest evil in human history this book could not be more timely A photo of noted survivor Edward Mosberg lighting a memorial flame during a MOTL ceremony on Yom HaShoah adorns the book s cover The preface includes words from former US President Barack Obama underlining the importance of witnesses in under6 standing of history through what he calls the sacred duty of memory and how people behave to one another The lessons of the Holocaust are timeless says Eli Now more than ever we need to hear and internalize the stories of survivors in order to truly understand what can happen when anti Semitism hatred and discrimination are allowed to go unchecked ON LINE ON TARGET New England MOTL holds virtual event to honor Holocaust survivor and showcase past marches BY ROBERT SARNER BIG NEW AUDIENCE FOR BLIND LOVE In the United States PBS broadcasts documentary film that captures how the sightimpaired participate in the March of the Living BY ROBERT SARNER A s part of a program called Voices from the Past Lessons for the Future the New England Friends of the March of the Living NEF MOTL held its first Annual Tribute Event in early September In addition to showcasing past marches the online event honored a Holocaust survivor who has devoted most of his life to sharing his harrowing death defying experiences at Nazi concentration camps with audiences of all ages in several countries Sidney Handler who lives just outside Boston received the first annual Stephan Ross Excellence in Holocaust Education Award which is named after a survivor of Nazi death camps who was a founder of the New England Holocaust Memorial Sidney 86 a lifelong advocate for Holocaust memory has brought groups to visit Holocaust sites in Lithuania and Poland where most of his relatives were murdered by Nazis Irv Kempner Chair of NEF MOTL told the Times of Israel that after this year s MOTL was canceled due to COVID 19 that he and his board initially considered holding a regional event As the coronavirus showed no signs of disappearing soon they ultimately decided to hold a virtual gathering which was not only safer but had greater potential to make more impact than a usual March of the Living especially for those not able to travel to Poland and Israel Through its scholarship fund NEF MOTL supports educating Jewish teenagers about the dangers of hatred and intolerance and providing tools to help build future leaders for a just and compassionate world Its partners in the event included the New England Holocaust Memorial the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Magen David Adom and Combined Jewish Philanthropies A STORY THAT HITS HOME MOTL launches webinar series with discussion about recent film spotlighting heroics of celebrated mime Marcel Marceau during the Holocaust BY ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH I P owerful stories never lose their strength and ability to move people That helps explain why the documentary film Blind Love A Holocaust Journey Through Poland with Man s Best Friend continues to be shown around the world years after it was made This summer it was broadcast on American television for the first time In August through October it aired several times on various PBS member stations around the coutry One of them WNEO in Ohio promoted Blind Love ahead of its air with the following description With the help of their loyal guide dogs six blind Israelis travel on the March of the Living a program that brings students from all over the world to Auschwitz to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day They march arm in arm with Holocaust survivors from Auschwitz to Birkenau and are joined by thousands of people marching against prejudice intolerance and hate The film highlights two historical facts The first victims of Nazi Germany were the disabled and the Nazis often trained dogs to attack and kill their prisoners Directed and produced by Eli Rubenstein and Naomi Wise the film was first released in 2015 to positive reviews It has since been shown in several countries on television and at film festivals and special events Writing in the previous issue of The March of the Living Report about Blind Love Eli said For me one of the film s most touching moments is when Liron Artzi breaks down in the former gas chamber in Majdanek and falls to her knees sobbing Her dog then licks the tears from her eyes blind love in a place of blind hate As anyone who s ever been in the presence of a blind person and his her companion dog can attest such affection is perhaps the truest purest and most sincere form of love one can experience That s what one sees in that moment of the film And that s what inspired the film s title Given its content it s a safe bet that Blind Love will be shown well into the future Poster promoting recent Holocaust related biographical film Resistance n mid August the International March of the Living kicked off its new webinar series with a conversation about the recent biographical film Resistance with its star Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network and director and screenwriter Jonathan Jakubowicz Hands of Stone Secuestro Express Released last winter the film is based on the true story of legendary mime Marcel Marceau who put his fledgling career as an artist on hold to spirit Jewish refugee children out of Nazi occupied France even as his own father was murdered at Auschwitz For both Jonathan and Jesse the story of Marceau hits close to home Their lineage is filled with both survivors and victims of the Holocaust Jonathan feels lucky to have been able to make a movie like this appreciating the impact made by people like Marceau not a larger than life figure but one of those civilian heroes who uses what they have to save a stranger For his part Jesse wants people to know that Every survivor s story requires some kind of miracle and some selfless person putting their life on the line The film s message is highly relevant to MOTL The importance of recognizing the courage of those who risk their lives to save the lives of others is an important message to impart to the next generation says Phyllis Greenberg Heideman President of MOTL Marcel Marceau is a role model for all The program was moderated by Dana Arschin Emmy Award winning reporter for Fox 5 News in New York and MOTL 2018 alum 7

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FRESH IDEAS FOR A NEW SITUATION With the main 2020 March of the Living event canceled due to COVID 19 the international organization rose to the occasion devising several creative online initiatives to engage people around the world BY ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH L ast spring in an unprecedented development as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic no physical International March of the Living took place in Poland It was the first time since MOTL s inception in 1988 that we were unable to gather in Poland to remember our past pay tribute to Holocaust victims and commemorate Yom HaShoah This sad and sudden postponement affected thousands of prospective participants including students survivors educators and dignitaries from around the world This year for the first time in 32 years we weren t able to march in Auschwitz Birkenau but that will not stop us said Dr Shmuel Rosenman MOTL Chairman We will continue to educate the next generation with the values we have been teaching for three decades In response to the cancelation of the physical march MOTL created virtual initiatives as an alternative means of engagement with people around the world In place of the actual March of the Living walk and ceremony at Auschwitz Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day a virtual ceremony was held The program featured Israeli President Reuven Rivlin USC Shoah Foundation Founder Steven Spielberg survivor testimony speeches from Steven Spielberg student alumni and Holocaust educators and performances from past March of the Living singers and musicians A student led virtual candle lighting ceremony mirroring the torch lighting ceremony that would have concluded the ceremony in Auschwitz Birkenau was Participants at Virtual March event outside Habima Theater in Tel Aviv 8 also held In his speech Steven Spielberg spoke movingly about the importance of bringing people together in remembrance even if not in person This virtual gathering not only gives us a chance to remember the horrors we faced in the past but it also shines a light on the struggles that lie ahead and those we face as a community this very day the celebrated film director said Over the years we have persevered again and again and the strength of this community will once again lead us all through these difficult times together He concluded his remarks with a message for survivors Your stories are safe with us he said They remind us not only of your unwavering courage but also that the days ahead are going to be filled with light and hope Broadcast live on Facebook on Jewish Broadcasting Service Television as well as on Reuters Europe the virtual ceremony was sponsored by The Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience at Rutgers University in New Jersey It included the participation of the USC Shoah Foundation whose 360 Degree survivor testimony interviews utilizing the testimony of March of the Living survivor testimony in situ was highlighted during the ceremony As part of the initiative MOTL created The March of the Living Virtual Plaque Project initiated under the slogan Never Means Never It enabled people from around the world to compose a personal message and place it on a virtual plaque to be set against the backdrop of the infamous train tracks at Auschwitz Birkenau US actor Mayim Bialik and her personalized inscription as part of MOTL s Virtual Plaque Project The moving tradition of placing wooden plaques inscribed with messages of hope and memory on the tracks of Auschwitz Birkenau during the March of the Living began with the first March in 1988 It s both gratifying and comforting to have been able through the creative use of technology to continue this meaningful tradition through our virtual plaque initiative which elicited such a positive global response says Eli Rubenstein MOTL s Director of Education who initiated the idea The aim of the Never Means Never campaign directed at youth everywhere is to combat anti Semitism and racism teach Holocaust history and promote values of tolerance We were bitterly disappointed to have to postpone this year s March of the Living says Phyllis Greenberg Heideman International MOTL President However we remain utterly determined to ensure that the unparalleled tragedy of the Holocaust remains at the forefront of the world s conscience Given the distressing recent rise in global anti Semitism and today s need for greater compassion and tolerance the lessons of the Holocaust are more relevant than ever The March of the Living Virtual Plaque Project continued the MOTL tradition of placing wooden plaques filled with messages of peace hope and remembrance on the train tracks of Auschwitz Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day The Never Means Never Virtual Plaque Project which was launched by President Rivlin followed by other well known figures including Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and actor Mayim Bialik has been received universally with enormous success More than 18 000 people from 70 countries posted their virtual plaques each with a personalized inscription on a special dedicated website at https nevermeansnever motl org The virtual plaques were placed digitally on the train tracks in Birkenau a historically commemorative continuum of this seminal moment for all March participants President Rivlin who was honored with filling out the initial plaque stated Seventy five years after the Holocaust the terrible tragedy of our people anti Semitism raises its ugly head once again across the world The nations of the world must stand together Together in the struggle against racism Together in the struggle against anti Semitism and extremism Together for the protection of democratic values and human dignity This is the mission of our time This is our challenge Following President Rivlin were former Soviet refusenik and this year s Genesis Prize winner Natan Sharansky US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of the United Kingdom who wrote the following message There are cultures that forget the past There are cultures that are held captive by the past Jews do neither We carry the past with us as we will carry the memory of the Shoah with us for as long as the Jewish people exist Those fragments of memory help make us who we are Jews choose life On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day a number of plaques were projected onto the guard tower and gates of Auschwitz Birkenau as well as Habima Theater in Tel Aviv Among those who created personal message plaques are Jewish leaders ambassadors celebrities sports figures survivors liberators alumni and educators who have pledged their support to fight against anti Semitism under the slogan NeverMeansNever Their messages of hope remembrance and of the need for tolerance serve as a tribute to the past and a promise for the future Plaques were projected onto the guard tower and gates of Auschwitz Birkenau on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day 9

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CAUSE FOR REFLECTION L This year s unprecedented reality for the March of the Living prompted its leadership to take stock of the journey taken so far the road ahead and the impact of the change in plans due to COVID 19 BY SAMUEL COHEN ast spring a few days before Yom HaShoah the Jerusalem Post devoted a major feature article to the March of the Living in the aftermath of the organization having to cancel its annual Holocaust related education trip due to the coronavirus pandemic Written by Talia Levin the piece included extensive comments by some of MOTL s leaders and other people playing key roles in the work of the organization Here are highlights from the coverage that began with an interview with the founder of the MOTL This year in the wake of the coronavirus it was decided to cancel the march In its place a wide ranging campaign titled Never Means Never directed at youth around the world was launched to combat anti Semitism and racism teach the history of the Holocaust and inculcate values of tolerance In past years we said Never Again Dr Shmuel Rosenman chairman of the International March of the Living told the Post and this time we realized that we needed to move from passiveness to activity and say Never Means Never Our goal is to inspire young people around the world to become the agents of this change especially in recent times when we are witnessing rising anti Semitism He reflected on the impact of the cancellation We ve been marching for 32 years and the event has become one of the mainstays of world Jewish commemoration 10 Dr Shmuel Rosenman Chairman of the International MOTL second from right leads MOTL procession at Auschwitz not only for Jews but for nonJews as well Shmuel added It is sad it can t take place this year especially as it s more important than ever Nearly 20 years ago a senior correspondent at CBS interviewed me and asked why we insist on holding the March of the Living each year We understand what you want to say he told me But why don t you turn the page and move on Today I have the exact answer for him When you look at the graph of anti Semitism in the world one can t help but wonder where we missed and what the world missed The waves of anti Semitism today in Europe and the US are rising If you ask 70 of European youth they won t know about the historical context of Auschwitz It s the same in the US There are those who turned the page and there are those still on the page We are on the page and our task is to convey the remnants of memory from Holocaust survivors to those who will have to transmit them further The survivors are disappearing every day which is why we do what we do Shmuel who previously headed the Tel Aviv educational system is one of MOTL s founders which he conceived after watching Shoah the epic Holocaust documentary film by French director Claude Lanzmann I saw that students preparing for the matriculation exams were looking at the Holocaust like any other chapter in history After the movie Shoah came out and we saw its impact on youth we realized that what makes a significant difference both educationally and emotionally is visiting the death camps It s what turns us into participants with all of the Holocaust survivors Looking back over 32 years of March of the Living events and other activities he was asked what stands out the most Every ceremony has been significant for me but three years ago something happened to me that surprised me Shmuel recounted I had thought I had seen everything and then at a ceremony in Birkenau one of the survivors got up and said the Kaddish in Yiddish He began to recite the names of his family his parents Phyllis Heideman President of MOTL speaks at 2018 event and his brothers naming all of his 72 relatives who were murdered Despite everything that I ve seen in my life I found myself sitting and crying So how can we turn the page These are the stories we have to take with us the entire way He also commented on the importance in conveying messages not only to Jewish youth but also to non Jews I hear many non Jewish youth who didn t know about the Holocaust say that they couldn t understand how an enlightened nation such as the Germans could have led such a movement as Nazism They also tell me We look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves if we could do something like this There are amazing lessons and I think that the March of the Living apart from its importance as a march of memory in passing the torch from the generation of the Holocaust to our generation and beyond is one of the key tools to cause change in this world so it will reduce hatred and cause people to become more connected When the 10 000 youth who participate in the March of the Living return to their communities and meet people whether physically or virtually multiply that number and you ll see that we can reach millions of people through the media There is something that enters the public consciousness This is the main goal For her part Phyllis Heideman President of MOTL told the Post that while the pandemic will ultimately come to an end the need for what the organization does will persist long into the future There s no end to our fight against anti Semitism and racism she said We will continue our work and continue to preserve the future legacy of our commitment to be at Auschwitz on Holocaust Remembrance Day for the March of the Living We are even busier today We see that hatred can be spread on social networks in seconds Hate has found a home and on the one hand it s frustrating but on the other hand we understand that it s more important than ever to continue our work We re rolling up our sleeves and redoubling our efforts because there s no choice Pointing to the relevance of MOTL s work Phyllis says there ll never be a replacement for the actual in person March of the Living It s so important to visit there and experience it for yourself with your own eyes she adds You can read a lot and watch movies but nothing can replace a visit to the place which is what I m sadly missing this year but we re already working on the ceremony for 2021 We won t give up PLEASE AND THANK YOU Donor support helps International March of the Living continue its vital work teaching Holocaust history to people around the world while strengthening Jewish identity and connections to Israel Please consider making a donation online at motl org donate or call 1 212 869 6800 The International March of the Living is a non profit charity organization All contributions are deductible to the fullest extent of applicable tax law Our Tax ID is 22 326 1085 11

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ON THE MOVE W Bringing the March of the Living story to people in cities and towns in Europe by way of an informative traveling exhibition BY AHARON AHARALE TAMIR ith the hundreds of thousands of youth and adults who ve taken part in the March of the Living since its inception in 1988 coupled with the extensive media coverage it s received over the years people in scores of countries around the world have heard of the March But for many their awareness of MOTL is limited to the solemn march from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah every year Their knowledge starts and ends there Many don t know about the full dimension of the organization s content and wide range of activities That s why 12 in 2014 MOTL decided to produce a traveling exhibition to tell our story and to be another educational tool for spreading knowledge about the March and our Holocaust educational work To that end we pulled together a lot of written and photographic material that captures the story of the March One of the main sources used in creating the exhibit was the book Witness produced by March of The Living with Eli Rubinstein as its editor and a major partner in the creation of the exhibit Figuring prominently are 68 large size mounted photos we had made of events visits survivors leaders and the people who took an active part in 32 Marches The text on the boards is in Hebrew Polish and English Besides titles for each photo we also present text with important relevant information The exhibition made its debut in the central yard at the Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum where it was a huge success attracting hundreds of thousands of people The museum s cooperation was excellent for which we are thankful After eight months there the exhibition moved nearby to the city of O wi cim where it was hosted at the local cultural center for half a year Thousands of people including many students visited and got to know March of the Living from what they saw on display Next stop was Warsaw the Polish capital where we placed the exhibit in the yard between the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes which commemorates the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 against the Nazis It was an ideal location as many people came especially to see the exhibition or visited it after coming to the Museum and the Monument After six months we took the exhibition to the Polish birthplace of the founder of the state of Israel David Ben Gurion in Plonsk Most of the schools in the region came to view it as did many local residents Following its three month stay in Plonsk the exhibition left Poland for Budapest Hungary where we installed it at the beautiful iconic Dahany Street Synagogue the largest Jewish house of worship in Europe It was the perfect setting for the exhibit and helped it attract considerable publicity and great attendance It then returned to Poland where it was stored in Warsaw for several months After this timeout the exhibit was back in the public eye as it was installed in the synagogue in Zamosc a historical city in the country s southeastern region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site Given how well the exhibition has been received in the various cities and towns where it s been put on view there s a great desire for it to reach new destinations especially once the coronavirus pandemic is over and people can attend museums and galleries more comfortably 13

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HELL ON WHEELS I How Sir Frank Lowy learned about the sad fate of his father at Auschwitz decades earlier and what lead him to commemorate his passing with a cattle wagon at the death camp BY EVA VADASZ with his tallit and tefillin Ben 2013 Holocaust survivor Sir Frank Lowy attended the cause of that he was forced on March of the Living events his knees and beaten to death for Yom HaShoah at Auschwitz with a rifle butt That s how my where he was the keynote dear father died speaker In the course of his As a memorial to his speech the Australian busifather he restored an original cattle wagon the Nazis used to nessman recounted an extraortransport Jews to concentration dinary story involving his son camps and had it placed permaPeter and his late father who had perished in the Holocaust nently at the exact spot where In 1991 by pure chance his father was killed This is the while on a trip to California wagon standing at Auschwitz Peter met a man at the hotel today where he was staying who had In 1930 Frank was born been with Frank s father Hugo Pinhas Levy in a small town in in 1944 when they were dewhat was then Czechoslovakia and today is Slovakia In 1942 ported together from Hungary as local anti Semitism worsto Auschwitz His name was Meir Lowy and despite sharing ened his parents along with the same last name was not a Frank and siblings moved to relative From Meir the family Budapest After he his mother finally discovered information sister and brother survived the that solved Holocaust a painful thanks to a decades long Schutzpass mystery protective how and passport when Hugo obtained in died the Budapest In his Glasshouse keynote Frank moved speech at to pre state Sir Frank Lowy the March of Israel where the Living in 2013 Frank told he lived for several years and all those assembled there how fought in the War of independhe had learned from Meir that ence before immigrating to his father had been beaten to Australia in 1952 In time he death next to the train tracks in would build a hugely successful Auschwitz shortly after arrivreal estate and shopping center company becoming one of the ing there because he refused to country s wealthiest men and a give up praying leading philanthropist In 2017 My father arrived with he and his wife moved to Israel the first transport in May 1944 Last year in a feature and was killed immediately article about Frank the Israeli Frank told me during a recent newspaper Haaretz paid tribute interview in Tel Aviv He resisted the Nazi officer s order to to his remarkable life and his self made success in overcomget rid of all his valuables He refused to throw away his bag ing great adversity 14 Railway car installed at Auschwitz by Sir Frank Lowy in memory of his father who was murdered there in 1944 Frank Lowy s biography is fascinating like that of a sort of Jewish Forrest Gump Gili Izikovich wrote in Haaretz He was present at many of the important junctures in the history of the 20th century He saw the rise of the Nazis with his own eyes immigrated to Palestine and played a part in the founding of Israel went from being a penniless immigrant to a billionaire in Australia and was one of the owners of Manhattan s World Trade Center that was destroyed in the 9 11 terrorist attacks which he later helped to rebuild During our interview Frank told me how for decades he had consciously avoided visiting Auschwitz For a very long time I wasn t able to go to Auschwitz because I didn t know how to process it spiritually says Frank who has three sons 11 grandchildren and six great grandchildren Eddie Greif Israeli historian Gideon Greif showed me where the first transport arrived from Hungary so where my father was killed After the idea was born to find an original cattle wagon and mark my father s memory with it Greg Maisel from Australia at Keren Hayesod in Israel found a wagon in Germany near the Dutch border It was owned by a railroad collector who didn t accept money for it I finally went to Auschwitz in 2010 to dedicate the wagon with former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Lau who attended the ceremony too Earlier this year Frank had planned to take part in the March of the Living ceremony at Auschwitz to mark the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the cattle wagon at the death camp Unfortunately those plans had to be canceled due to the pandemic While the train wagon is rife with emotion for Frank it s a powerful symbol of the Holocaust for everyone who visits Auschwitz It s one of only a few original cattle wagons exhibited in the world The others are the traveling MOTL wagon exhibit in Hungary the one in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and others at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem the Paper Clips Project in Whitwell Tennessee and a former internment camp in southern France Camp des Milles 15

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REGIONAL FOCUS REGIONAL FOCUS tween our traditional testimonies and the new ways students use technology capitalizing on the power and potential of this In preparation for the day there are no more survivors to provide firsthand testimony of the new digital media landscape Holocaust the Toronto Student MOTL has created the Vignette Project BY TAMMY GLIED students can connect to history vors to students when survivors in a meaningful lasting way Holocaust survivor Ernest Ehrman As a child of Holocaust are no longer with us from Vignette Project video survivors I feel a responsibility Unfortunately with fewer to educate MOTL participants and fewer survivors to provide and third generation descendin person testimony we are preparing for the day when ants I hope second and third eyewitnesses to the Holocaust generation descendants of will no longer be among us survivors will present vignettes Every year it gets harder for so they can answer questions our survivors to travel with and help supplement informaus on MOTL which is why tion that the vignette doesn t we created these vignettes To capture At present the team create a more immersive expebringing the vignette project to brance despite COVID 19 We he Holocaust is a dark fruition consists of Igal the diare developing programs both part of our past but one rience at sites in Poland where digital and in person with our we can t ever forget At survivors usually rector of the project survivors while adhering to March of the Living Canada share their stories and Naomi Wise physical distancing to ensure we envision a brighter future we can play their Collectively they ve students hear their testimonies teaching our history both video vignette to travelled more than firsthand We believe these pro students standing beautiful and horrific We are 35 years with MOTL adapting Holocaust education in the same place as official videogragrams are vital for the future of aimed at young people using Even if they only Holocaust remembrance phers the mediums they frequent the hear the testimony The Vignette Project Building a The late Bill Glied most by video listening a Holocaust survivor took root with a conversation brighter future Fom our experience we to these memories I had with MOTL Toronto through Holocaust understand students today are while in these horrific places photographer and videograeducation depends on our abilactive learners so we are bring pher Igal Hecht on a bus in will have a much greater impact ity to preserve the transformthan reading or having testimo ative experience of meeting a Poland in 2018 I had flown in ing survivor testimony to them that year with my mother and in a format that engages them survivor and delivering this ny read to them sister to take part in a tribute effectively This is why we ve Sharing testimony through first hand knowledge of the the International March of the created our Vignette Project the digital lens has become fun Holocaust Our Vignette ProLiving made for my late father With the International damental It s our responsibility ject ensures that this experience Bill Glied While driving from March of the Living currently to continue to bear witness will thrive in the future through Warsaw to Majdanek Igal and dealing with the uncertainty of and ensure the lessons of the the digital realm I spoke for several hours about running a 2021 March we in Holocaust are never forgotten Tammy Glied the daughter of how to bring the powerful testi for which we must adapt to the Toronto are committed to HolHolocaust survivors is Chair of times Making connections bethe Toronto Student MOTL ocaust education and rememmonies and memories of survi CANADA BEARING WITNESS T dedicated to MOTL featured stories from past Marches The Centre has designed lessons dealing with moral choices people faced during the Holocaust All lessons are offered online as students are under lockdown in their homes due to the coronavirus public health emergency The team also offers short papers looking at specific topics such as understanding racism by looking at Nazi racial ideology At the South African delegation of the March of the Living we are grateful to the people at JHGC for their collaboration It greatly facilitates us sharing one of our core messages A bystander never helps a victim but in fact encourages the perpetrator Aim to be an upstander so that Never Again really means Never Again W 22 Centre JHGC whose facilities and support are available to us The Centre s Education Team of which I m a part has been very active in keeping Holocaust education and its many lessons in the public domain during the pandemic We have produced weekly webinars and podcasts that have reached audiences around the world One podcast Continued on the next page us on our various social media platforms SoundCloud Facebook Twitter YouTube and Instagram JHGCentre Based in Johannesburg Rene Pozniak is an educator and Youth Leader of the South African MOTL Delegation The contact between the community s elderly members who lived through the Holocaust and local teens a highlight of recent months BY RONEET EDRICH Survivor Rosette Goldstein honored With support from the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre MOTL in South Africa is producing webinars and podcasts to reach people stuck at home due to the pandemic BY RENE POZNIAK The Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre We welcome everyone to visit www jhbholocaust co za to learn more about the work that we do You can also join USA CONNECTING SURVIVORS AND TEENS SOUTH AFRICA SHARING IMPORTANT LESSONS e in South Africa like all the other delegations around the world have been facing many challenges during the COVID 19 pandemic I ve had the honor of leading the March of the Living South African Youth Delegation since the late 1990s and have always done so with little support but I m fortunate to have access to the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Members of the South African MOTL student delegation T The March of the Living Southern Region has been very busy these past few months Despite COVID 19 and the postponement of the 2020 International March of the Living we have found meaningful ways to educate engage and inspire our community Our teens participated in a meaningful virtual Yom HaShoah program where they heard testimony from Eric Lipitz a survivor from our community who was slated to go on his first March of the Living this year In addition this spring we held our first virtual Marching Forward fair This provided meaningful options for our local teens to continue strengthening their Jewish identity as they go off to college in the fall Increasing connections between survivors and teens has been a highlight in our community during the pandemic From March to Miriam a program coordinated through the Southern Region for the past seven years has made these meaningful connections and has grown considerably in recent months From online interviews to coordination of grocery shopping and meals the outpouring of love and support from our local teens for survivors in our community has been tremendous and highly meaningful In addition to the incredible bonds that were formed the survivors had an opportunity to share their poignant testimony with the next generation As we look to the fall plans are underway for the Southern Region s annual com memoration of Kristallnacht This year we will be honoring Rosette Goldstein survivor and seven time March alumnus for the remarkable work she has done with the Southern Region Based in Boca Raton Florida Roneet Edrich is the Director of the March of the Living Southern Region USA Screenshots from MOTL virtual event 23

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GALLERY TELLING THE STORY AROUND THE WORLD Snapshots of interesting moments in the life of Holocaust education and remembrance near and far BY ROBERT SARNER Dedicated to Holocaust education Having spent much of her spare time in recent years helping young people learn about the Holocaust Toronto teenager Erin Sade recently won the 2020 Diana Award Named after the late Princess of Wales it honors young people for their humanitarian efforts and social action Erin 18 was nominated for her commitment to Holocaust education In 2016 she was one of three recipients of a Catalyst for Change award from the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem for her dedication to raising awareness about the Holocaust Disturbing ignorance Recent results of a study of Americans under 40 underline the continuing need for Holocaust education According to the survey one in ten believes that Jews caused the Holocaust It was one of the findings from a Claims Conference survey of 1 000 respondents that gauged Holocaust knowledge among those between the age of 18 to 39 While most had heard about the Holocaust 11 of the respondents believed the Jews were responsible for it while 15 said they thought it was a myth or has been exaggerated This year s theme was Rak b Yisrael only in Israel What s ahead for Holocaust museums As Holocaust survivors continue to diminish in number museums devoted to the Nazi slaughter of six million Jews are increasingly needed In late September a webinar titled Relevance and Sustainability The Future of Holocaust Museums addressed this timely topic Featuring an international panel of experts and attracting more than 1 000 online registrants the program was originally planned for the Toronto based Liberation75 slated for last May when it would have been the world s largest international event to mark the 75th anniversary of liberation from the Holocaust Help for pandemic rattled survivors As a result of COVID 19 many impoverished Holocaust survivors in Israel spend their time alone in deficient insecure homes with no one to turn to In response the Israeli non profit Latet launched an initiative to support urgent home repairs for survivors who can ill afford them It s the only organization in Israel providing survivors in need with a complete aid package including monthly food boxes social support and an Emergency Fund for crucial needs Since 2013 Latet has carried out more than 1 200 home repairs to increase the survivors quality of life at no cost to them United States passes Never Again Education Act In late May US President Donald Trump signed into law a bipartisan bill creating a federal program which includes awarding 10 million in grants for Holocaust education to schools As part of this initiative the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will develop and disseminate resources to improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and authorizes various education program activities to engage prospective and current teachers and educational leaders It underscores the country s commitment to ensuring that future generations learn the important lessons of the Holocaust Friend of Anne Frank lays stone at new Holocaust monument in Holland Jacqueline van Maarsen a 91 year old Holocaust survivor and friend of teenage diarist Anne Frank laid the first brick for a new monument in Amsterdam to victims of the genocide in late September She joined several dozen people including other Holocaust survivors to officially launch the creation of the Names Monument which is designed to have 102 000 bricks one bearing the name of each Dutch Jew murdered by the Nazis Construction is expected to take at least a year and will cost about 17 million most of which the Dutch government and Amsterdam municipality are paying 24