Visiting Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred, a group of seniors participated in the annual March of the Living program April 8-23.
The program inspires participants, including Jewish teens and adults, Holocaust survivors and individuals of diverse faiths and backgrounds, to fight racism and injustice by witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust, according to the March of the Living website.
Participants spent the first week travelling around Poland, searching for remnants of destroyed Jewish educational centers, synagogues and institutions that existed before the Holocaust. The first week culminated on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, when delegations of all ages from around the world gathered to march down the three kilometer path from Auschwitz to Birkenau as a tribute to victims of the Holocaust.
The second week was spent in Israel, where participants traveled to world-renowned museums and met with leading scholars. On Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, the Los Angeles delegation joined together with all of Israel to mourn fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The trip concluded on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, when all delegations joined in the Old City of Jerusalem to commemorate the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 and to mark another year of freedom. Delegation members joined with locals to celebrate the holiday at the Armoured Corps Museum of Latrun that night.
Program participant Noah Martin ‘18 said he appreciated learning Jewish history and being immersed into the culture.
“As someone who didn’t really grow up with a lot of Jewish friends, this trip definitely helped me appreciate the Jewish community more, as well as gave me the opportunity to see the history of Jews in Eastern Europe and where we are as a people now in Israel,” Martin said.