Return to flip book view

The Report Teach your children Issue 6 Spring 2022 Strongly condemning Russia s aggression against Ukraine March of the Living calls on Israel the Jewish people and all citizens of the world to open their hearts and gates to the people of Ukraine Jews and nonJews alike and to support them unconditionally at this difficult time From MOTL s statement on its Hebrew Facebook page See full statement in English on page 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Virtual March of the Living UN Resolution against Holocaust Denial David Machlis Award Medicine and Morality Athletes Say No to Antisemitism

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF NOTHING CAN STOP OUR MISSION Meeting the challenge to keep the March vital and relevant in unprecedented times F or the first time after an unusually long period I returned to Poland My extended absence reflected the fact that Covid 19 prevented us from organizing the traditional in person March of the Living since the last one in 2019 This unprecedented situation created an enormous void for participants and the entire MOTL community around the world While in Poland I resumed our contacts with the people and places that have been central to the March experience every year In my discussions with the relevant authorities the main topic was exploring how and when it would be possible to renew the MOTL tradition in order to have the 2022 March of the Living visit Poland and then Israel based on how we ve been doing it for more than 32 years Until the pandemic turned the world upside down in the winter of 2020 we had never had to cancel the March Due to public health restrictions we sadly had to forego the MOTL events in Poland and Israel in 2020 and 2021 much to the disappointment of tens of thou The Report Chairman and CEO DR SHMUEL ROSENMAN President PHYLLIS GREENBERG HEIDEMAN Editor in Chief AHARON AHARALE TAMIR Advisory Board ELI RUBENSTEIN ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH Editor ROBERT SARNER Design Production DAVID STAMBLER The International March of the Living Report is published by the International March of the Living We welcome letters comments from readers Please send them to motl motlmail org or International March of the Living Attention Editor in Chief 2 West 45th Street Suite 1500 New York New York 10036 USA Tel 212 869 6800 www motl org 2 sands of people in numerous countries As with everyone else our organization has had to weather an unexpected storm wrestling with major disruptions amid great uncertainty We ve had to deal with the serious challenge of keeping our mission alive staying active and engaging people in new creative ways despite the hardship imposed by Covid 19 Thanks to the tremendous sense of dedication and commitment of our leaders staff participants and supporters we have kept MOTL in action through multiple platforms To that end we ve used virtual and digital channels to present our mission while staying true to our values and community We used advanced technology to connect with our constituents and delivered projects to keep the March vital and relevant to future and past participants their families friends and our supporters It was a big challenge We stood upon it with our belief and flags up and because our mission continues in any circumstances despite problems and difficulties From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank all the members of the MOTL team who throughout the Covid 19 ordeal have risen to the occasion They organized a range of captivating activities and projects in a professional way that have kept MOTL in the forefront of Holocaust educa tion Many of these initiatives are covered in this issue of The March of the Living Report We are happy that in everything we ve been doing with MOTL since the pandemic hit we ve been able stay true to Never means Never and Never Forget We of course long for the day when everything will be back to normal and we can resume our organization s important tradition of bringing tens of thousands of people together every spring for such a meaningful learning experience Although we obviously don t control the public health reality it is our fervent hope the next March will be this coming April It won t be a moment too soon As we were finishing this issue of the MOTL Report Russia carried out a brutal unprovoked invasion of Ukraine Since then it has killed thousands of civilians and destroyed much of the country Now after only a few weeks it feels as if we re back 80 years ago to harrowing scenes from World War II The savagery of the Russians has created a humanitarian crisis the likes of which we haven t seen since those dark days that engulfed much of Europe Millions of Ukrainians have had to flee their homes leaving their country in haste with few possessions The world must rise to the occasion and help these refugees thrown suddenly into a harsh traumatic reality clouded by uncertainty We owe it to our sense of humanity to do whatever we can to ease their plight The time is now Aharon Aharale Tamir Deputy World Chairman MOTL We express our condolences to Naomi Sion on the recent passing of her beloved sister Norma Battat in Israel May Naomi and her family be granted comfort among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem From the International March of the Living Board of Directors and staff AVRAHAM HIRSCHSON 1941 2022 International March of the Living mourns the passing of Avraham Hirschson former Member of Knesset and Israeli cabinet minister He initiated the first International March of the Living in 1988 and continued to play a central role for many years Hundreds of thousands of young people around the world have participated in the March of the Living to Poland and Israel because of Avraham s visionary leadership A staunch defender of Holocaust memory Avraham also advocated passionately on behalf of the rights of Holocaust survivors May he rest in peace and may his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem

International March of the Living strongly condemns the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Ukraine In specific we object in the strongest possible terms to the Russian bombing of cities throughout Ukraine The unprovoked Russian attack has resulted in the wounding and deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and the displacement of millions of refugees The scenes are reminiscent of the events from some 80 years ago when many of these same cities were bombed by Nazi Germany during WWII We condemn President Putin s usage of the terms Nazi and genocide in describing the current leadership and actions of Ukraine including its Jewish president Volodymyr Zelensky whose own grandfather fought the Nazis in WWII and who lost many relatives in the Holocaust These gross distortions of reality further serve to trivialize the Holocaust and all other true genocides They are a deep insult to the memory of millions of our murdered Jewish ancestors lost in the Shoah and so many other innocent victims of genocide We note with bitter irony the Russian bombing of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial whose purpose is to preserve the memory of the Holocaust The site is the largest mass grave in the world where more than 30 000 Jews were executed over a period of two days in September 1941 Approximately 150 000 people Ukrainians Roma Soviets and the disabled were murdered by Nazi Germany at the same site over a longer time span See statement from Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center here bit ly babynyar statement On April 28 2022 Holocaust Remembrance Day thousands of young people will join the March of the Living as they march arm in arm with Holocaust survivors from Auschwitz to Birkenau in memory of all victims of Nazi genocide and against prejudice intolerance and hate at the world s largest annual Holocaust commemoration event In another tragic irony they will be marching in the death camp that the Red Army the majority of them Russian heroically liberated 77 years ago on January 27 1945 the same year those forces liberated much of Europe from the evil grip of Nazi Germany We pray Russia returns to that noble role and that time is now We call on the leadership of Russia to cease distorting the meaning and memory of the Holocaust and to allow the people of Ukraine to live in freedom and dignity which they as all members of the human family deserve We pray for the welfare of all citizens of Ukraine including its 200 000 Jewish population some of whom are Holocaust survivors We call on all citizens of the world to stand up for the people of Ukraine by providing humanitarian political and moral support during their time of great need We must not and dare not stand by while our fellows human beings blood is being so brutally spilled Leviticus 19 16 and truth is being so grievously violated 3

CALENDAR EVENTS AT A GLANCE A selective listing of online events and webinars organized by MOTL during the pandemic 2022 Jan 27 There is Neither Greek Nor Jew The Heroic Duo Who Saved an Entire Island From the Holocaust Zoom event in honor of Righteous Among the Nations Loukas Karrer and Dimitrios Chrysostomos Jan 20 Survivor Speaker Series with Gabriella Y Karin 2021 Dec 1 Virtual Chanukah Journey through Israel with Julian Resnick Nov 17 Exploring the Narrative of Holocaust and Genocide Education in the Public Arena with Dafna Michaelson Jenet Colorado House of Representatives Nov 8 Let There Be Light Kristallnacht Commemoration Oct 27 Portraits of Moral Choices during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda Stories of Perpetrators Bystanders and Upstanders with Tali Nates Sept 23 Southern Wall Excavations Jewish life and the celebration of Sukkot in Jerusalem in the time of the Temple with Assaf Boker Aug 25 Private Tour of the Y A Fine Art Gallery in Jerusalem Jul 28 The Destruction of the Lithuanian Jews The Ponary Massacre with Jacob Shoshan June 30 Briefing on Rising Antisemitism with Dr Michael Berenbaum April 15 Salute to Israel s 73rd Birthday April 12 Medicine and Morality Part 2 Educational Symposium April 8 Virtual March of the Living Yom HaShoah Commemoration and Ceremony April 7 Medicine and Morality Part 1 Erev Yom HaShoah Educational Symposium March 9 Three Generations of Holocaust Memory The Life and Legacy of Abe Abram Goldberg OAM Jan 27 Our Liberation Stories of Holocaust Survivors Road to Freedom film screening Jan 17 Fireside Chat with Ambassador Ron Dermer Israel s former Ambassador to the United States IN MEMORIAM AN INCALCULABLE LOSS Grieving the passing of Holocaust survivors who played key roles in MOTL activities over the years E ach year the March of the Living honors those who perished in the Holocaust and those who survived Since 1988 more than 300 survivors have shared their first hand experiences with participants on the MOTL Those participants have become the witnesses for the witnesses Sadly in each successive JULIO BOTTON Aug 28 1928 Mar 13 2021 Born in Salonika Greece MOTL delegation Mexico ILSA CAMIS June 9 1925 Sept 7 2020 Born in Vienna Austria MOTL delegation Southern USA MAR DAWIDOWICZ 1929 Jan 26 2021 Born in Belgium MOTL delegation Argentina HANKA DZIUBAS DE GRZMOT 1930 May 7 2021 Born in Lodz Poland MOTL delegation Argentina JULIUS EISENSTEIN Oct 13 1919 Feb 9 2022 Born in Tomaszow Mazowiecki Poland MOTL delegation Miami s Leo Martin Florida USA JAKOB KUBA ENOCH 1926 July 4 2021 Born in Krakow Poland MOTL delegation Australia RUTH SELINE FILLER Mar 15 1929 March 5 2021 Born in Hildesheim Germany MOTL delegation Australia New Zealand HOWARD KLEINBERG May 3 1926 Dec 9 2020 Born in Wierzbnik Poland MOTL delegation Canada FREDDIE KNOLLER BEM 1921 2022 Born in Vienna Austria MOTL delegation United Kingdom year we lose more survivors with their respective passing Each in his or her own way made a positive impact on the lives of so many We spotlight here survivors who died over the past year after having contributed considerably to MOTL by way of their participation over the years Listed alphabetically SAM LASKIER Aug 1927 Aug 14 2020 Born in Warsaw Poland MOTL delegation United Kingdom EUGENE LEBOWITZ April 5 1924 Jan 7 2022 Born in Czechoslovakia MOTL delegation Miami s Leo Martin Florida USA EVA LIBITZKY 1919 May 24 2021 Born in Lodz Poland MOTL delegation Broward County Florida USA TUWIA TUVIA LIPSON June 26 1925 Dec 21 2020 Born in Lodz Poland MOTL delegation Australia DAVID MANDEL Aug 28 1929 Oct 7 2021 Born in Mukachevo Czechoslovakia MOTL delegation Broward County Florida USA DAVID MERMELSTEIN 1928 2021 Born in Czechoslovakia MOTL delegation Miami s Leo Martin Florida USA SUSAN PASTERNAK Feb 1 1939 Sept 15 2021 Born in Zambrow Poland MOTL delegation Canada IRVING ROTH Sept 2 1929 Feb 16 2021 Born in Kosice Czechoslovakia MOTL delegation Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County Delegation USA ISRAEL JOE SACHS 1926 July 20 2020 Przyrow Poland MOTL delegation Miami s Leo Martin Florida USA 2020 Dec 22 Blind Love global film screening Dec 3 Blind Love film premiere on i24 News Dec 3 Survivor Speaker Series Mania Hudy Nov 9 Let There Be Light Kristallnacht Commemoration Oct 29 Telling the Story through Art Holocaust Art as a Primary Source Sept 30 Survivor Speaker Series Mala Tribich MBE United Kingdom Sept 13 Fireside Chat with Rabbi Israel Meir Lau Aug 18 Resistance Conversation with actor Jesse Eisenberg and film director Jonathan Jakubowicz 4 We apologize for any inadvertent omissions View the March of the Living Holocaust Survivors Database at motl org survivors

A HISTORIC STEP FORWARD How sad it is that there was even a need for the United Nations to pass a resolution rejecting Holocaust denial and distortion By ROBERT SARNER I n January one week before the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning Holocaust denial and distortion It was approved in the presence of a group of people that survived the Nazi genocide that killed six million Jews The vote took place 80 years to the day of the Wansee Conference where top German officials discussed plans for the extermination of European Jews establishing the system of Nazi death camps Introducing the resolution Israel s Ambassador to the United Nations himself a grandson of Holocaust victims Gilad Erdan said the world lives in an era in which fiction is now becoming fact and the Holocaust is becoming a distant memory He added Holocaust denial has spread like a cancer It has spread under our watch It has spread because people have chosen to be irresponsible and to avoid accountability As the number of Holocaust survivors diminishes Holocaust denial is growing at a terrifying speed Rejecting and condemning Holocaust denial the General Assembly urged Member States to develop educational programs that will inculcate future generations with lessons from one of history s worst crimes against humanity with the objective of preventing future acts of genocide Adopting the resolution titled Holocaust Denial without a vote the 193 member organ also urged Member States and social media companies to take active measures to combat widespread antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion in cyberspace The International March of the Living issued an official public statement commending the UN for passing the resolution that was tabled jointly by Israel and Germany and co sponsored by more than 100 other countries Passage of this historic resolution sends a clear message to the world that the Holocaust is history s unforget table fact said International MOTL Chairman Dr Shmuel Rosenman As we continue our efforts to educate the next generation on the history of the Shoah and the perilous danger of antisemitism International March of the Living expresses its gratitude to UN Secretary General Ant nio Guterres Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan and to UN member states on the passage of this important resolution condemning the destructive wave of Holocaust distortion and denial afflicting our world Since its inception International MOTL has hosted more than 100 UN ambassadors from 60 countries around the globe on five separate delegations to both Poland and Israel During these trips representatives of the world s most influential body were personally introduced to and benefited from firsthand Holocaust education and survivor testimony This extremely important resolution honors those Holocaust survivors we are fortunate to still have with us dignifies those murdered by the Nazis and sends a clear message to the world about the epic tragedy of the Holocaust and the need to learn from it said International MOTL President Phyllis Greenberg Heideman Only by acknowledging the reality of the past and committing to learning the painful enduring lessons of the Holocaust can we hope to build a world safe for all humanity free of antisemitism and all forms of racism bigotry hatred and intolerance With the UN s approval of the resolution it marked only the second time since Israel s establishment that a measure its delegation brought before the international body managed to pass It provides a specific classification for Holocaust denial using the working definition prepared by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance It also lists actions to be taken by signatory countries to address the phenomenon and demands social media networks remove posts that fall under the IHRA definition 5

HISTORY IS UNDER ATTACK W MOTL partners with the Combat Antisemitism Movement to lead global Can t Be Compared campaign against alarming rise in Holocaust trivialization By REVITAL YAKIN KRAKOVSKY ith Holocaust trivialization on the rise worldwide amid the Covid 19 pandemic MOTL along with other leading Jewish and non Jewish organizations recently issued a joint call for concrete steps from governments legislators social media 6 companies and the public to act against this insidious form of hate speech Since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic in late 2019 there has been a marked rise in the misappropriation of imagery symbols rhetoric and historical facts related to the Holocaust the incomparable persecution and genocidal extermination of the Jewish people by Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II Holocaust trivialization has become increasingly mainstream among many politicians grassroots movements in the media and online representing a distortion of history and a direct affront to the memory of the victims and the dignity of survivors Often inflamed by politicians yellow star protesters are marching in the streets of their cities and showing up at school

board and city council meetings across the world Some have given Nazi salutes and shouted Heil Hitler The trivialization includes politicians in Europe the US and Israel making comparisons between pandemic restrictions and Nazi measures against Jews during the Holocaust Holocaust trivialization is a gateway to outright Holocaust denial and we must act decisively against it says International MOTL President Phyllis Heideman The fact that Holocaust survivors who are still with us must witness this is outrageous and unfortunate With historical truth under attack we will continue to promote Holocaust education and pass on the memory of the Holocaust to future generations The campaign led by MOTL and the Combat Antisemitism Movement CAM includes a major social media information effort a special website and a global petition calling for Holocaust trivialization to be treated as hate speech and an online portrait series of Holocaust survivors with their respective comments on this disturbing trend The trivialization of Nazi Germany s crimes against humanity fuels Holocaust deniers who seek to downplay Nazi transgressions and allowing it to flourish unchecked has created safe spaces for antisemitic conspiracies outright Holocaust denial and other extremist ideologies to spread says CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa These comparisons have opened the way to the revival of age old antisemitic conspiracies including blaming Jews for the pandemic as purveyors of disease and accusing Jews of a vast conspiracy for global control through mandates This trend minimizes both Holocaust remembrance and Jewish concerns for safety during an already resurgent wave of global antisemitism The memory of the Holocaust is a cornerstone in the fight against antisemitism and I call on top decision makers internet giants and all people to take this alarming trend seriously A coalition of organizations Holocaust survivors and other individuals have come together to support this initiative In launching the Can t Be Compared campaign they issued a collective declaration that stated in part We will not accept the normalization of Holocaust trivialization a form of hate speech This trend is intolerable and dangerous and must be stopped as it represents an assault on history and is a direct affront to the memory of the victims and the dignity of survivors The trivialization of Nazi Germany s crimes against humanity is creating fertile ground for Holocaust deniers and other antisemites who seek to downplay the transgressions of the Nazis for nefarious purposes Allowing Holocaust trivialization to flourish unchecked fosters safe spaces for the proliferation of antisemitic conspiracies Holocaust denial and other extremist ideologies Examples of what constitutes Holocaust trivialization include The misappropriation of imagery symbols and historical facts related to the Holocaust in discussions on unrelated issues The minimization of the unique horrors in terms of the nature and scope on Jews and other victims of the Nazis and the comparison of contemporary leaders to infamous Nazi leaders It s hoped that this campaign will prove effective in both raising awareness of this disturbing phenomenon and helping to reduce substantially its proliferation 7

HOLOCAUST MANIPULATION DEFILING THE MEMORY OF SHOAH VICTIMS Disturbingly the Holocaust is being increasingly misused and trivialized for partisan political ends G By PHYLLIS GREENBERG HEIDEMAN iven its unprecedented and total nature the Holocaust is considered by many as the most extreme form of genocide on the continuum of crimes against humanity In the words of historian Dr David Silberklang The very goal itself a state plan to annihilate an entire people without exception not to leave a single Jew alive under any circumstances is what makes the Holocaust obvious contradiction Those on the far left are more likely to claim that attention to the Holocaust obscures the suffering of other minorities or even more heinous equate Israel with Nazi Germany Recently a Dutch far left party called for cancelling the Netherlands main Holocaust commemoration ceremony saying it s inherently racist Repeatedly the far right fringe That s why on Yom HaShoah 2021 International March of the Living honored medical heroes of the Holocaust along with modern day medical figures including Dr Anthony Fauci and Pfizer CEO Dr Albert Bourla who himself is the son of Greek Holocaust survivors for their life saving work in the fight against the global pandemic We also featured the story intolerance a world of freedom democracy and human rights for all members of the human family Using the Holocaust to demonize Israel to malign the Jewish people or to denigrate the wearing of masks and subscribing to vaccine measures is nothing other than sacrilegious Historians have often talked about the eight stages of genocide with denial inevitably being the eighth stage that al unique As a result The Holocaust has become the master narrative for suffering shaping discussions about every present conflict over genocide and human rights as Austrian historian Heidimarie Uhl has noted Precisely because of this sadly the Holocaust has been the object of distortion for partisan political purposes from across the political spectrum In fact the far right and far left are equal opportunity offenders Those on the far right are more likely to outright deny the Holocaust or wish for it to happen again sometimes in the same breath ignoring the in the US and elsewhere have compared Covid 19 vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany s genocidal policies against Jews and equated Dr Anthony Fauci s efforts with those of Dr Josef Mengele It beggars belief to have to point out the absurdity of comparing the attempt to save human life through wearing a mask and life saving vaccines to herding millions of Jews into gas chambers with the express purpose of annihilating an entire race The numerous courageous and dedicated Holocaust survivors who have joined us on the March of the Living would shudder at such a comparison of Dr Jordana Sacks a Toronto physician on the front lines of the battle against COVID 19 who vaccinated her elderly Holocaust survivor grandmother in early 2021 She gave my dad life and then he gave me life and now I m helping her to survive Jordana said with tears in her eyes after giving her grandmother the vacinne For the survivors who have traveled with us on the International March of the Living as well as for most Holocaust survivors the important lessons of the Holocaust include the mission to remember the victims and to commit to building a world free of oppression and ways follows a genocide Sadly we now have another related category the misuse of the Holocaust for partisan political ends There s only one thing worse than Auschwitz itself and that s if the world forgets there was such a place Auschwitz survivor Henry Appel has poignantly said Now we have something perhaps as unfortunate the trivialization the whataboutism and the political manipulation that so often occurs with the Holocaust These all serve to defile the memory of the victims of the Shoah Phyllis Greenberg Heideman is President of 8 International March of the Living

2021 VIRTUAL MARCH OF THE LIVING ADAPTING TO NEW NORMS The March of the Living becomes resourceful in marking Holocaust Remembrance Day virtually after the pandemic blocks in person events for the second straight year By ROBERT SARNER All photos taken from the 2021 virtual March of the Living I n 2021 like with almost everything else under the sun the March of the Living experienced an unusual reality throughout the year On April 8 for the second year in a row Covid 19 forced MOTL to cancel its usual Yom HaShoah activities at Auschwitz where the Nazis murdered more than a million Jews Sadly yet again the pandemic prevented MOTL leaders from hosting thousands of young people and Holocaust survivors from around the world at Auschwitz for the silent solemn 3 2km procession to Birkenau Whereas in 2020 the pandemic erupted shortly before the scheduled March forcing organizers to cancel the in person event at the last minute this time MOTL was able to prepare an online alternative With much crea tivity and resourcefulness it organized a special 3D virtual march featuring parts of the traditional route at the former concentration camp in Poland The technology made it appear as if participants were walking in MOTL s traditional commemorative ceremony Among those who participated in the online event were then Israeli president Reuven Rivlin This year we re unable to physically march along the cursed rail track between Auschwitz and Birkenau he said But we re not exempt from our duties to remember and recall the Holocaust Technology makes it possible for each and every one of us to participate in the March of the Living without leaving our homes We must harness all the tools at our disposal to fight racism antisemitism the attempt to forget and the denial One of the most moving aspects of the March of the Living involves participants placing memorial plaques with personal messages on the railway tracks leading to the gate of the death camp As part of a computer simulation of the event MOTL created a dedicated website to allow people to have their plaques and personal messages virtually placed against the backdrop of the infamous train tracks The virtual ceremony also included the lighting of memorial torches which are lit each year in remembrance of all Holocaust victims The fact that this year again we couldn t march on Holocaust Remembrance Day at the site of the Auschwitz Birkenau extermination camps was difficult said MOTL World Chair Dr Shmuel Rosenman However we will never stop the work of remembrance This year we found a unique way to hold a virtual march in a way that brings us as close as possible to a feeling that cannot be explained in words We were in Auschwitz Birkenau in spirit and soul and we were joined by millions of people around the world Although the digital event proved poignant for partici pants it couldn t fully replace the impact of the usual on site in person event We believe that on some kind of spiritual level we bring life to Auschwitz on Yom HaShoah said Phyllis Greenberg Heideman MOTL president Not being able to be there again has been sad and lonely but it has given rise to our understanding of the need to adapt to these new norms in which we re all living The virtual event also honored medical personnel those who risked their lives to help those in need during the Holocaust and to those today delivering care on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic Indeed among the Holocaust survivors who participated in the 2021 MOTL program were several who survived due to the selfless acts of medical personnel during the Nazi genocide See article on page 14 9

BRAVERY AND MORAL FORTITUDE IN ACTION MOTL pays tribute to the courageous few who at great personal risk heroically saved Jews during the Holocaust T his spring will mark exactly 60 years since Yad Vashem the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem established a special program honoring non Jews who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis during World War II As part of the official launch of the initiative on May 1 1962 Israel s then Foreign Minister Golda Meir represented the government to dedicate the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem During the ceremony the first 11 trees were planted in honor of rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust Since then Yad Vashem has honored close to 28 000 men and women from 51 countries and the term Righteous Among the Nations has become a universal symbol for humanitarian conduct and for the moral imperative to act in the face of evil At the March of the Living highlighting the role of the Righteous is one of its many important educational goals This is to help ensure students don t despair about the human condition and to provide role models to follow in their own lives To that end many students have an opportunity to meet with one of the Righteous during their week long visit to Poland Sadly like the survivors they saved the Righteous are diminishing in number each year In 2022 International March of the Living is producing a special film Saving the World Entire Righteous Among the Nations During the Holocaust highlighting the stories of some of the Righteous that March of the Living students have had the privilege of meeting on their journey in 10 By ELI RUBENSTEIN Poland The film to be aired on i 24 News is sponsored by the Elkie Rosen Foundation established by her family in memory of Elkie Rosen who participated in the 2008 March of the Living Elkie Rosen was the daughter of Holocaust survivors who always sought to learn as much as possible about the Shoah from historical literature and through her numerous relationships and discussions with hundreds of survivors her family said in a statement for this article She was always passionate to educate others to help make sure we will never forget the atrocities of the Nazis When discussing the Shoah she always recognized those righteous gentiles for their strength and goodness in the face of evil Below is a selection of Righteous Among the Nations who were part of previous March of the Living programs Jerzy a member of the Polish underground was captured and tortured by the Nazis but did not disclose that 13 Jews were hiding in his family s basement He was deported to Auschwitz and then to Mauthausen where he was liberated by American troops in May of 1945 met Olga Kost and the many members of her extended family who are only alive because of Czeslawa s valor We have managed to meet again in this world Czeslawa said upon greeting Olga who was surrounded by her many grandchildren and great grandchildren One Czeslawa Zak Czeslawa Zak Named Righteous Among the Nations for saving 14 Jews during the Shoah Czeslawa Zak right had two dreams to fly on a plane and to travel to Israel to meet with those she saved In this photo she s greeted by survivor Miriam Zakrojczyk native of Makow Mazowiecki Krasnosielc Poland In the summer of 2013 Ms Zak then 87 years young grandchild presented Czeslawa with a small amulet and said Thanks to you we are all alive Zygmunt Krynski Sidney Zoltak grew up in the village of Siemiatycze in eastern Poland During the Holocaust at the age of 11 he escaped to live in the forest He was eventually sheltered in a barn for 14 months by the Jerzy Kozminski Jerzy Kozminski At the age of 17 Jerzy 1924 2010 and his mother Renia smuggled out all 13 members of the Glazer family oneby one in a horse and buggy on the night of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising The Kozminskis hid the Glazers in the basement of their home on the outskirts of Warsaw for more than a year Zygmunt Krynski kissing Sidney Zoltak

Krystyna Puchalski Maciejewskai and Felix Zandman Krynski family In 2014 he returned to his hometown to reunite with remaining members of the Krynski family In his story told in the presence of the son of his rescuer and recorded at Treblinka where nearly one million Jews were murdered Sidney recounted that of all of his classmates he s the only one who survived When we got back to our hometown less than one percent had survived he said Less than 70 from a community of 7 000 The most difficult part for me was that none of my classmates none of my friends survived I m the only one I think about it The only reunion I can have is in this place among the memorial stones Then turning to Stanislaw Krynski the son of his rescuer Sidney said I feel like kissing him In the photo to the left Righteous Among the Nations Zygmunt Krynski right kissing his friend Sidney Zoltak in front of the barn where he hid Sidney during the war Jan and Anna Puchalski Born in Grodno Poland Felix Zandman survived the Holocaust with the help of a courageous family of Catholic Polish Righteous Among the Nations Jan and Anna Puchal ski hid him and his uncle for 17 months Anna the Zandman family s housekeeper remembered the kindness Felix s grandmother had shown her in times of trouble Their main hiding place was a tiny dugout they shared with two other Jewish escapees His uncle Sender Freydowicz taught Felix trigonometry and advanced mathematics in the long hours of darkness After the war Felix went on to become a scientist inventor and philanthropist founding an electronics company employing more than 22 000 people worldwide His inventions continue to be used today Zygmunt Pietak Feliks Cywinski Jan and Antonina Zabinski Stefania Sitbon was born in Warsaw Poland in 1939 and grew up in the Warsaw Ghetto In 1942 her family was smuggled into the Warsaw Zoo by Zygmunt Pietak and hidden by its director Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina During WWII 300 Jewish men women and children hid in the zoo in the Zabinski home and in animal cages During that time the courageous Polish couple kept cyanide capsules at hand in case they were caught German zoologist Lutz Heck pillaged the zoo seiz ing the most prized animals for German zoos Enamored with the blond and beautiful Antonina Heck didn t closely watch the Zabinskis While they were able to protect Jewish escapees their animals weren t so fortunate Heck invited SS officers to an exclusive hunting party inside the Warsaw Zoo The sounds of gunshots and the cries of wounded and dying animals in cages soon filled the air It was sheer gratuitous slaughter Antonina wrote questioning ominously How many humans will die like this in the coming months From the zoo Stefania and her family were sent to convents and surrounding villages still being assisted by Pietak and another Pole Feliks Cywinski Stefania s father Shmuel Kenigswein a boxer and leader of a Jewish platoon in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising had 13 siblings and her mother eight None of them their spouses or children survived Jan Zabinski wrote I don t belong to any party and no party program was my guide during the occupation I m a Pole a democrat My deeds were and are a consequence of a certain psychological composition a result of progressive humanistic upbringing which I received at home as well as in Kreczmar High School Many times I wished to analyze the causes for dislike for Jews and I could not find any besides artificially formed ones Zygmunt Pietak said What I did was my duty as a human being and a believing Christian Feliks Cywinski who saved many other Jews including delivering a baby for a Jewish woman stated While Jews are being killed we must view the birth of a Jewish baby as something sacred They were not from this world Stefania said of her rescuers They knew if the Germans found out they will be the first to go They were people who did everything to help others Stefania Sitbon 11

IN FOCUS 12 Agnes Hirschi Bronislaw Erlich Eduard Kornfeld Crista Markowitsch Fishel Rabinowitsch Gabor Hirsch

IN FOCUS Henri Eliaz Ivan Lefkovits FACES OF SURVIVAL Portraits of living victims of the Nazi regime who spent their youth under the dark clouds of the Holocaust A t a time when antisemitism is surging around the world the voices of Holocaust survivors resonate stronger than ever Sadly due to their advanced age their number continues to dwindle In late January the Jewish Museum of Greece in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Athens presented a digital exhibition titled The Last Swiss Holocaust Survivors including photos seen on these two pages It s part of a touring multimedia exhibition initiated by the Zurich based Gamaraal Foundation The exhibition uses photographs texts and video to tell the heart wrenching stories of 14 survivors all of whom eventually settled in Switzerland after the Holocaust Since 2017 the exhibition has been shown in numerous countries in Europe Asia and the United States including at the UN headquarters in New York and also online Nina Weil Klaus Appel 13 Kurt Salomon

OF MEDICINE AND MORALITY MOTL program shines a light on an underexplored aspect of the Holocaust health care personnel who risked their lives to help Jews in need By ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH L ast spring for the first time the March of the Living dedicated its annual event to medical personnel past and present More specifically it honored doctors and nurses who during the Holocaust risked their lives to help Jews in need At the same time MOTL also paid tribute to those who today are risking their own health to treat people suffering from the coronavirus and leading the way in the battle against the pandemic As part of its annual commemoration MOTL organized a special program titled Medicine and Morality Lessons from the Holocaust and Covid 19 During the 90 minute online event MOTL presented the Moral Courage in Medicine Award to Dr Anthony Fauci Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to US President Joe Biden In receiving the award for exemplifying the theme of morality and medicine in times of crisis Dr Fauci quoted Maimonides and told the audience he believed the healing arts lie on the path of goodness the same 14 path all of you have chosen in remembering and listening to the voices of those who perished in the Holocaust The program featured internationally known scholars discussing the nexus between medicine ethics and the Holocaust and how lessons learned from the past have been incorporated into the handling of the current pandemic Also included were testimony from Holocaust survivors who were part of Nazi physician Joseph Mengele s sadistic medical experiments at Auschwitz many stories of bravery and heroism and stories of healthcare professionals whose lives have been shaped by the Holocaust World class physicians and ethicists from around the world reflected on how the German medical community fostered Nazi ideology as well as resisted it If doctors have generally enjoyed an exalted status in society for their ability to cure the sick some proved heroic during the Holocaust risking their lives to help Jews in need while others indeed did the devil s work for the Nazis Since the March of the Living began among the Holocaust survivors that have participated in its programs including in 2021 are those who survived due to the selfless courageous acts of medical professionals who at great personal danger defied the Nazis to treat and care for ill or ailing Jews Among the luminaries highlighted during the Medicine and Morality program was Dr Albert Bourla CEO of Pfizer and the son of Greek Holocaust survivors He spoke about his native Thessalonia which had its Jewish population of 50 000 reduced to 2 000 after the German occupation Partnering with the Inter national March of the Living on this initiative were The Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience Rutgers University and the Maimonides Institute for Medicine Ethics and the Holocaust in cooperation with USC Shoah Foundation More than two dozen international medical associations and medical schools signed on as sponsors of the program

A POIGNANT STORY FINALLY TOLD Dr Benedykt Ziemilski a prominent Jewish doctor killed in the Holocaust received special tribute in MOTL s Medicine and Morality program By ELI RUBENSTEIN O n many occasions during the current pandemic Jewish doctors and researchers have figured prominently in the battle against Covid 19 I ve been reminded of the involvement of Jews in the medical profession and their enormous contributions to that field to the benefit of humanity One example among so many in history is the role of two Jewish doctors in the ultimately successful fight against the polio epidemic in the 1950s Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin led the way in developing two exceptionally effective vaccines an injectable and oral vaccine respectively Sabin was especially admired because he refused to seek a patent for his vaccine Last spring as part of its annual commemoration of Yom HaShoah the March of the Living presented a special Medicine and Morality educational symposium which focused on the often overlooked role of doctors during the Holocaust most of whom either actively facilitated the evil goals of the Nazis or simply looked the other way Along with the time honored ethical oath of doctors to do no harm medicine should be used to protect the most vulnerable in our society But Nazi doctors and others perverted their mission and not only failed to protect the most vulnerable they actually targeted the disabled as the first victims of genocide Of course the Nazi doctors infamous sadistic medical experiments on prisoners in Auschwitz and other camps will be forever listed as among the most shameful chapters in the history of the medical profession However much of the focus of the MOTL program wasn t on the abhorrent medical crimes of Nazi Germany but rather on those in the field of healthcare who courageously resisted Nazi policies Their stories of courage and humanity during the most difficult times will long be recounted representing the noble compassionate values underpinning the medical profession The story of Dr Benedykt Ziemilski one of the six for whom memorial candles were lit particularly resonated with me The son of a rabbi Bene dykt whose brother in law was famed classical pianist Stefan Askenase was a prominent Lvov doctor with a respected medical practice in what s today western Ukraine He also worked in a hospital doing scientific research to combat hypoglycemia and pulmonary diseases especially tuberculosis which the German company Bayer expressed interest in In 1942 Dr Ziemilski and his family tried to escape by train to Warsaw where they had relatives A passenger recognized the doctor and denounced Prewar photos of Dr Benedykt Ziemilski and family members courtesy of the Ziemilski family him He was arrested at the Lublin station and taken to the Majdanek death camp The family never saw him again Among the mail that arrived in his Lvov apartment after his death were two letters in German one from Majdanek informing the family that Benedykt Ziemilski was dead the second a short letter from Bayer at the time part of the cartel IG Farben referring to an important component of a drug invented by Dr Ziemilski In effect one German letter recognizing his brilliance the other German letter announcing his murder In grieving his death at the age of 52 I also mourn the loss of the enormous additional contributions he would have surely made in his later years had he been allowed to live The same of course applies to everything the other six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and everyone else killed by the Nazis would ve contributed One of the most moving moments in working on the story occurred after our virtual Yom HaShoah ceremony where we remembered Dr Ziemilski during the candle lighting ceremony honouring medical professionals in the Holocaust Relatives of Dr Ziemilski thanked March of the Living for finally bringing to light his story which until now was only known to a few family members Hitler not only wanted to destroy the Jewish people but even the memory of the Jewish people and their many important contributions to humanity Preserving the story of Dr Ziemilski is one small but important way in which March of the Living even today is able to combat the evil of Nazi Germany s policies 15

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR DAY WITH RESPECT AND APPRECIATION In June the world will mark International Holocaust Survivor Day after last year s inauguration of this annual remembrance paying tribute to Jews who survived the Nazi genocide By ROBERT SARNER L ast June at the initiative of the Krakow JCC the first ever International Holocaust Survivor Day paid tribute to those who made it out alive from the Nazi genocide against the Jews In contrast to the two official memorial days that already honor the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust this new annual event co sponsored by more than 80 Jewish organizations is a day of joy and celebration of the survivors not a solemn commemoration of tragic victims International Survivor Day recognizes life affirming human resilience in the face of extreme persecution It spotlights the fortitude of survivors most of whom refused to let their victimization define who they are and what they sought to become as they rebuilt their shattered lives amid unspeakable loss It s also designed to keep the legacies of the last generation of survivors in mind International March of the Living commemorated Holocaust Survivor Day by sharing the stories of survivors transmitting their message to the next generation of witnesses during the March of the Living To that end it arranged with i24 News the Tel Aviv based international news and current affairs TV channel to premiere the documentary film Witness Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations Shot on location during several March of the Living trips to Poland the 25 minute film captures poignant moments between survivors and students Here s the link https youtu be tsdGrQLBPUo Based on material from 16 In Toronto MOTL lay leaders prepare to surprise Holocaust survivors with challah and candles delivered to their homes the book of the same name Witness was directed and produced by veteran documentary filmmaker Naomi Wise She s the director of the March of the Living Digital Archive Project which consists of videos filmed on the March of the Living since its inception in 1988 that will soon be accessible via the USC Shoah Foundation In another initiative for the day International MOTL made a moving 32 minute film in tribute to survivors after asking MOTL alumni staff friends and leaders of all backgrounds ages and ethnicities to record on camera a brief message in their own language expressing the impact a specific survivor had on them Participants both Jewish and non Jewish from many countries ranging from Mexico to Japan the UK USA and Argentina spoke with great emotion and gratitude for the survivors they had met through their involvement with the March of the Living trips and related activities In total approximately 300 survivors have taken part in MOTL trips since the first one 34 years ago True to its name International Holocaust Survivor Day was a global initiative but members of local Jewish communities initiated their own ways of showing their respect and appreciation for their own survivors living among them In Canada a number of Toronto March of the Living lay leaders personally went door to door to the homes of MOTL survivor educators to surprise them with challah and candles for Shabbat It was an opportunity for many to reconnect with the survivors they had previously traveled with on MOTL It was clear the love and joy this small act of kindness brought to each survivor says Tammy Glied Toronto MOTL Co Chair who coordinated the initiative with fellow Co Chair Lissie Sanders It warmed their hearts as much as it did for us the volunteers It was a beautiful opportunity to give back to our survivors to those who give so much to our community every time they share their difficult stories It was a way for our community to celebrate their survival their resilience and their commitment to life For the co creator of this new annual tribute the Toronto initiative was a perfect illustration of the thinking behind the concept for the day The Toronto gesture was a beautiful example of what we were hoping for says Sebastian Rudol the non Jewish deputy director of the JCC in Krakow Poland who s contributed greatly to the revival of Jewish life in that country We re so glad the community celebrated Holocaust Survivor Day in such a meaningful way When we first thought of the program that was exactly the goal we had in mind to provide help to the survivors and make sure they know just how much they re loved

LIGHT OVER DARKNESS Latest iteration of MOTL s global commemoration of Kristallnacht Let There Be Light reaches new heights through creative programming By ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH T his past November building on the impact of its inaugural Let There Be Light initiative a year earlier the International March of the Living took the international commemoration of Kristallnacht to a new level On Nov 9 in memory of the Nazi anti Jewish pogroms on that date in 1938 which came to be known as Kristallnacht Night of Broken Glass thousands of houses of worship public institutions and private homes around the world left a light on during the night MOTL initiated the gesture as a symbol of solidarity and the shared fight against antisemitism racism hatred and intolerance With the message of spreading light over darkness the Let There Be Light campaign has reached millions of people bringing together more than 700 houses of worship of all faiths and institutions and partners from more than 75 countries It has attracted extensive media coverage and has been shown on the fa ade of the Coventry Cathedral in the United Kingdom and on the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem where a formal ceremony took place in the presence of three Holocaust survivors who witnessed Kristallnacht as children Other buildings which displayed the Let There Be Light initiative include the Jewish Community building in Paris Thessaloniki City Hall in Greece the Great Synagogue in Budapest Hungary and the Great Synagogue in Warsaw Poland In addition MOTL produced a 90 minute educational program Helping raise awareness a few weeks in advance of the Jessica Meir NASA astronaut actual event Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg referred to Let There Be Light in her video address to the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism She cited it as an example of initiatives that serve the important job of encouraging Holocaust remembrance and education As part of the 2021 commemoration MOTL produced Let There Be Light Stories of Hope and Humanity to Illuminate the Darkness The show which honored the moral heroism and valor of those who resisted evil during the Holocaust and at other times of great mortal peril and danger to humanity was simulcast on the Jewish Broadcasting Service JBS MOTL org Facebook Live and YouTube One of the highlights was Jewish NASA astronaut Jessica Meir who spoke about the Holocaust from space displaying a postcard from the Holocaust in front of the camera from her space capsule Following the initial broadcast of the program the video was made available for viewing online Even when evil and hatred seem to reign supreme there have always been those whose light shines through the darkness through their inspir ing acts of courage and bravery said Dr David Machlis Adelphi University Executive Producer of the program and Vice Chair of the International March of the Living Another moving highlight of the evening was the award presented by human rights hero Natan Sharansky to Paul Miller on behalf of International March of the Living The award in the form of a beautifully inscribed silver Chanukiah from Israel was given to Paul in recognition of his extraordinary efforts in advocating for human rights and protecting human dignity He s also the founder of The Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience the leading sponsor of the Kristallnacht program Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the Let There Be Light initiative Among the horrors of the Holocaust a central and painful place is reserved for Kristallnacht the terrible pogrom against the Jews of Germany and Austria that symbolizes a turning point in the extermination of European Jewry said President Herzog The night of Kristallnacht heralded the crossing of a fateful line the signal to relinquish all restraint In one night an underlying sentiment of antisemitism became the overt expression of the many In 1938 on the night of November 9 10 the Nazis organized the murder of Jews and the burning of 1 400 synagogues and Jewish institutions in Germany and Austria as part of the Kristallnacht pogrom It was as a seminal moment that paved the way to the Holocaust Sheryl Sandberg Facebook COO 17

A FITTING HONOR In recognition of his lifetime of important work MOTL co founder Pro David Machlis receives Adelphi Unversity s first ever President s Humanitarian Award while others in the MOTL world are also honored By ROBERT SARNER Prof David Machlis speaks after receiving award I n a much deserved honour Dr David Machlis Co Founder and Vice Chairman of the International March of the Living received the first ever President s Humanitarian Award at Adelphi University in Garden City New York Adding to the recognition the university launched the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Fund in honor of Dr Machlis to combat hatred intolerance antisemitism and racism For Dr Machlis now in his 55th year of teaching at Adelphi and a 2018 recipient of the University s Teaching Excellence Award receiving the President s Humanitarian Award represents a high point in his career Adelphi is a most important part of my existence he said after the ceremony last summer But being recognized 18 by the university for my global work is indeed an acclimation of my total accomplishments In 1999 Dr Machlis co founded the MOTL s March of Remembrance and Hope MRH project whose stated goal is to teach that all human beings are equal precious and valued In non pandemic years high school and university students of diverse religions and backgrounds have visited Holocaust related sites such as Auschwitz Birkenau and Treblinka on the regular March of the Living program to see remember and reflect on the horrors of intolerance The Holocaust is not a Jewish issue says Dr Machlis It s a universal issue We must learn from the past so that a more tolerant and just society evolves for the betterment of all humankind We must embrace the past to ensure the future Over the past two decades Dr Machlis has developed numerous successful MOTL and MRH programs that have profoundly enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of students and university educators the world over His most recent program Medicine and Morality Lessons from the Holocaust and Covid 19 a 90 minute online program premiered last spring on Holocaust Remembrance Day It was sponsored by the International March of the Living Rutgers University s Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience and the Maimonides Institute for Medicine Ethics and the Holocaust in cooperation with the USC Shoah Foundation A passionately committed lifelong advocate for diversity equity and inclusion Dr Machlis has described himself as a crazy professor dreamer designer creator performer micromanager networker and negotiator In other award related news the International March of the Living paid tribute to Paul Miller for his extraordinary efforts in advocating for human rights and protecting human dignity Prominent human rights activist and Chair of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy ISGAP and the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Natan Sharansky presented the award to Paul as part of a special commemoration broadcast to mark Kristallnacht A long time humanitarian Paul is a pioneer in the fight against antisemitism having founded the Miller Center at Rutgers University in recognition of the rising tide of Jew hatred in Europe and America and of

Albert Bourla Scott Saunders intolerance in general In England Scott Saunders Founder and Chairman of March of the Living UK received an award from her Majesty Queen Elizabeth last June for his services to Holocaust education For its part March of the Living UK won the Not For Profit Charity Content Campaign of the Year at the UK Content Awards for Meet the Survivors The organization also received a Silver Award in the Influencer Celebrity Campaign of the Year Andrea Bolender Chair of the Board and Acting Executive Director of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center and MOTL Group Leader in New York received the 2021 Heroes of Tolerance Award from the renowned Simon Wiesenthal Center Tali Nates Founder and Director of the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre received the 2021 Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award Since 2006 the Austrian Service Abroad annually confers the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award on a person who s shown special endeavors for the memory of the Shoah It serves as a symbol against racism and as a signpost for the commem oration of the victims of the Holocaust In January Albert Bourla CEO of Pfizer who was a guest of honor of International MOTL s Virtual March program last spring was chosen as the Genesis Prize Laureate for 2022 It s in recognition of his extraordinary efforts to combatting the global Covid 19 pandemic through his work at Pfizer whose vaccine has helped protect the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world Awarded annually the Genesis Prize celebrates Jewish achieve ment and honors exceptional individuals for their outstanding professional achievements contribution to humanity and commitment to Jewish values Albert the son of Holocaust survivors from Thessaloniki Salonika Greece carries in his heart the story of the Holocaust and its lessons and works to preserve the memory of Greek Jewry annihilated during the Shoah Last year International MOTL paid tribute to medical heroes of the Holocaust as well as modern day medical figures leading the fight against Covid 19 as exemplified by Albert Tali Nates right 19

ATHLETES SAY YES TO FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM To coincide with Olympics new campaign spotlights need to stand up against Jew hatred By REVITAL YAKIN KRAKOVSKY A t a time when global antisemitism is reaching new heights and when Jews and Jewish communities are under frequent attack International March of the Living Maccabi World Union and the Maccabiah created an international campaign to combat antisemitism Launched on the eve of the Summer Games in Tokyo ahead of the Winter Games in Beijing its aim is to raise awareness of the importance of participating in the fight against antisemitism by having athletes take a public stand on this critical issue The campaign s slogan Athletes say no to antisemism encourages leading athletes to speak out publicly against Jew hatred racism and all forms of hate and through this inspire millions of people around the world to make a lasting change To participate in the Olympics is an unparalleled personal high for every athlete says Yael Arad Israel s first Olympic medalist Barcelona 1992 But it s also a collective 20 high for the whole world for all of us as one global society which knows how to unite around a common denominator that celebrates sport We know how to overcome preconceived opinions hatred and racism and the Olympics is an important lesson in the way we must live even after the Games with respect and tolerance The world needs to be reminded that the ideals and spirit of international sport are foreign to antisemitism and other forms of racism Racial hatred has no place in sport says Arik Ze evi Chairman of the 21st Maccabiah Games Olympic medalist and former judoka Athletes can and should also serve as role models for how we accept one another and look for what unites rather than divides us Everywhere I went in our sport I was always proud of my Judaism and never encountered discrimination This is the spirit of judo this is the spirit of sport and this is the human spirit

REGIONAL REPORT LOS ANGELES SURVIVOR TALK SERIES HITS HOME Initiative bringing together Holocaust survivors and teens gives meaningful experience for participants By MONISE NEUMANN T his past fall and summer the Builders of Jewish Education s March of the Living program in partnership with the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles conducted the L Dor V Dor initiative for high school students It consisted of virtual meetings between teens and Holocaust survivors offering a meaningful learning experience for the former while providing the latter an opportunity to share their life stories of fortitude and resilience with a new generation Over the past two years with the BJE s March of the Living program canceled due to the pandemic the staff have provided participating teens with other meaningful experiences despite their disappointment at not being able to go on the March After participating in a virtual Yom HaShoah program with the survivors who would have traveled with the group two participants Ann Mizrahi from de Toledo High School and Sabrina Cohensedgh from Milken Community School reached out to then BJE March of the Living director Maya Aharon to ask how they could be more involved with the program Estelle Nadel kicked off the BJE MOTL Survivor Talk Series by sharing her story of bravery and resilience Teen and adult guests joined the call and were able to ask Estelle questions at the end facilitated by Ann and Sabrina Not being able to physically go on the March means it s up to us to hear the survivors stories says Sabrina Being Jewish is a responsibility and personally I feel I need to use my Judaism and beliefs to my advantage Being involved in the March of the Living and hearing the survivors stories makes me a witness to each and every story It s now my job to continue sharing their stories and never forget what happened in the Holocaust The series clearly made a strong impact on all participants Even though we weren t able to physically go on the March hearing survivors sto ries keeps inspiring me to learn from the horrid injustices they endured says Ann It makes me think how we as the Jewish people must stand against injustices anywhere We must never forget I m so grateful to have the opportunity to learn from such strong and incredible individuals BJE continued the BJE MOTL Survivor Talk Series with Lea Radziner Over the course of the summer BJE hosted a talk with each of the six survivors scheduled to accompany the 2020 BJE March of the Living The goal of the series was to let teens connect with the survivors and to help them feel that they are very much a part of the BJE March of the Living family even in the absence of traveling to Poland and Israel Monise Neumann is National Consultant of International March of the Living AUSTRALIA LOOKING UP DOWN UNDER Despite the constraints of the pandemic it was a busy meaningful year for all concerned By CEDRIC GEFFEN D espite all the challenges the Covid pandemic placed in front of us for the second year running March of the Living Australia had an extremely eventful and engaging 2021 We ran more than 20 virtual events and supported and promoted many others organized by like minded organizations whose educational content was in synch with our mission and raison d tre At the same time we also conscientiously and wholeheartedly supported and promoted the wonderful content and events organized by International March of the Living I would like to spotlight two events that we organized that as far as I m concerned were standouts This isn t because one particular theme or topic is more important or relevant than the next when it comes to Holocaust education It s rather that for so many in our audience the focus of these events on a specific too rare case of non Jews saving Jews during the Holocaust was a subject about which very few in our community knew much about It was an honor and a privilege to have been able to highlight this uplifting episode involving members of the Righteous Among the Gentiles for our ever expanding audience More specifically I m referring to the story of the saving of hundreds of Jewish children by the Sheptytsky brothers and members of their faith and church in Lvov Ukraine and the surroundings as highlighted in the video recordings of these two events https www youtube com watch v cGJY8A3TBrA and https www youtube com watch v 6iutT06Bk9s In addition to our continuously growing presence on Facebook and Instagram we have opened our own March of the Living Australia channel on YouTube have initiated a presence on LinkedIn and also share a monthly newsletter with all our followers and stakeholders We re hopeful that this transition bodes well for the ongoing support of March of the Living in Australia and we hope to be there with you all in full swing in 2023 Cedric Geffen is President of March of the Living Australia 21

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT AN IMPACT THAT ENDURES The March of the Living s influence on its participants is profound and long lasting as seen in this spotlight on alumni from different counties By ARIANA HEIDEMAN TIPOGRAPH it led him to fight hate and encourage the world to embrace tolerance Erik Hirschhorn Mexico took part in 2015 March Filmmaker An alumnus from Marcha de la Vida Mexico Erik was so inspired by his experience on the March of the Living he later directed and produced a short Holocaust film Standpoint as testimony for future generations about what he experienced The film is about a Jewish ballerina trying to escape Nazi occupied Poland to get to American Ballet auditions in Prague to save her family from danger Standpoint received multiple awards at international film festivals Jori Epstein USA 2012 Staff 2017 Biographer An alumna from Dallas Jori attended the MOTL with the Southern Region along with Holocaust survivor Max Glauben Inspired by her experience on the March she became Max s official biographer for his memoir The Upstander which recounts his harrowing Holocaust experience and how 22 Tsutomu Matsumoto Japan 2016 Musician Along with fellow members of his rock band Night de Light Tsutomu attended the March of the Living with Bridges for Peace Japan in 2016 A devout Christian he was so inspired by his experience in both Poland and Israel that after returning to Japan he and his band have continued to spread their love for Israel and the Jewish people with messages of hope through their music to fans around the world Orit Brener Argentina 2017 Founder and Project Manager Remember Us An alumna from Yeshurun Tora and March of the Living Argentina Ori was so moved by her experience on the March of the Living in 2017 that she went on to found the organization Remember Us which is dedicated to preserving the memory of victims of the Shoah Julia Sussman Australia 2013 Staff 2017 Founder Youth HEAR An alumna from March of the Living Australia Julia s experience on the March of the Living prompted her to found and direct Youth HEAR Holocaust Education and Remembrance an organization dedicated to mitigating hate in society by connecting young Australians with stories from the Holocaust Yehoshua and Jordyn Stauber USA 2015 Artist and Gallery Owners Originally from Broward County Florida Yehoshua and Jordyn Stauber not only met each other on the March of the Living later marrying and starting a family but their involvement in the program also influenced their decision to move to Israel They subsequently opened an art gallery in Jerusalem showcasing their photography of the land of Israel Brian Frojmowicz Argentina 2018 Student Activist An alumnus from March of the Living Argentina Martin Buber School Brian took part in the MOTL in 2018 during which a public television film crew documented his journey The trip made a strong impact on him leading him to become more engaged in his community back home The film is currently used mainly in non Jewish schools to teach about the Shoah and the importance of Never Again Sabrina Naimark Panama 2009 Staff 2019 Founder and CEO Impacta An alumna from March of the Living Panama Sabrina s MOTL experience inspired her to found a company Impacta whose goal is to foster social impact to create a better world It creates projects with the main objective of bringing people together to help others in need To that end it connects participants with volunteers and companies looking to be of assistance

IN APPRECIATION BECAUSE OF IRVING The late Irving Roth a Holocaust survivor was an exemplary man His memory will always be a source of boundless inspiration and guidance to me By ANDREA BOLENDER The late Irving Roth visiting Treblinka O n February 16 2021 the world s light dimmed considerably Irving Roth Auschwitz survivor A10491 a man I affectionately called Papa passed away after a brief illness More than 20 years earlier I lost my own Holocaust survivor father Benek Bolender in 1999 and had started my journey toward honoring my past and ensuring the survival of Holocaust memory Irving became my mentor my guiding light and my March of the Living educator and so much more Irving was kind gentle and loving He had a wry dry sense of humor that was priceless He could speak on a myriad of subjects with intelligence and often surprised us with tidbits from his professional life How many of us knew he held patents for his work in the field of government defense or that he held the highest level of classified military clearance Or that he was an amazing chef and baker Or that he built furniture for his children and grandchildren If a problem existed Irving could almost always solve it His calm demeanor shielded a staunch and fierce Zionist His family and Israel were his Andrea Bolender with portrait of Irving Roth two greatest loves My family celebrated many holidays together with him and his blond bombshell Myrna with Irving reciting the blessings over the candles and giving us a D var Torah that made us all more learned and kinder humans Because of Irving I felt more empowered to combat Holocaust denial Because of Irving I learned how important it is to bear witness Because of Irving I chose to join the March of the Living Because of Irving I lead a Holocaust Museum today into a future without many living survivors Because of Irving I have a passion and commitment to ensure the world never forgets Because of Irving I will continue to march 23

GALLERY TELLING THE STORY AROUND THE WORLD Snapshots of notable moments in Holocaust education and remembrance from near and far By ROBERT SARNER Oliver Sears at entrance to new exhibition at Dublin Castle FIRST EVER HOLOCAUST FAMILY STORY EXHIBITION IN IRELAND This winter at the Dublin Castle the Office of Public Works in association with Holocaust Awareness Ireland presented an exhibition of powerful mementos that tell the poignant Holocaust story of one Jewish family in Poland A curated collection of family objects photos and documents it s based on a lecture local art dealer Oliver Sears gave at Trinity College Dublin for Kristallnacht in 2019 about his family s experience during the Nazi genocide Max Eisen survived Auschwitz where most of his family was murdered CANADA GIVES HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR TO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS In late December three survivors were among 135 Canadians named to the Order of Canada the country s top civilian honor The appointments included survivors Max Eisen Rose Lipszyc and Eva Olsson who were all recognized for their dedication to Holocaust education Eisen who s taken part in MOTL programs is the best known of the three due to his bestselling memoir By Chance Alone published in 2016 Survivor Ruth Steinfeld shared her story with students in CBS special CBS SHOWS STUDENTS LACK OF HOLOCAUST KNOWLEDGE In late January in conjunction with International Holocaust Remembrance Day CBS broadcast a moving one hour special titled Undeniable The Truth to Remember that featured five Holocaust survivors who shared their harrowing stories with high school history students in Houston Among them Ruth Steinfeld an 88 year old Texas resident Ahead of Ruth s testimony the teacher asked students basic questions about the Holocaust of which most knew little or nothing Polish Consul General Adrian Kubicki Edward Mosberg and MOTL President Phyllis Greenberg Heideman DISCUSSING THE 2022 MARCH OF THE LIVING WITH POLISH DIPLOMAT In a recent meeting held at the Polish Consulate in New York Krakow born Holocaust survivor Edward Mosberg 96 middle a longtime participant and supporter of the March of the Living Phyllis Greenberg Heideman President of International March of the Living and Polish Consul General Adrian Kubicki discussed plans to work together on the 2022 March and beyond 24 Survivor Helen Aronson as painted by Paul Benney A LIVING MEMORIAL TO SIX MILLION JEWS KILLED BY THE NAZIS Britain s Prince Charles commissioned the portraits of seven of the UK s last remaining Holocaust survivors as an enduring reminder of the horrors of the Nazi regime in World War II and in tribute to the Jewish refugees who made their home in Britain They went on display in the Queen s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day in late January At a ceremony to unveil the portraits several survivors engaged with Charles who was visibly moved Railway car used in Holocaust exhibit RAILWAY CAR RAISES AWARENESS OF THE HOLOCAUST An immersive multimedia Holocaust exhibit uses a replica of train cars the Nazis deployed to transport millions of Jews to death camps to educate people about the Holocaust Titled The Cattle Car Stepping In and Out of Darkness it began in Canada organized by MOTL alum Jordana Leibowitz and just completed a tour in the US Inside the car it uses projectors to create a 360 degree experience with a film made up of survivor stories historical recreations and information about the Holocaust