March of the Living: The Only Choice
By Gary Weintraub

“Remembrance alone is not enough. We must remember, educate, and act…” reads the Marcher’s Declaration, written by participants of the March of the Living. The March of the Living takes place on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, when thousands of Jewish high-school teens gather in Auschwitz and march to Birkenau. Shortly after, the teens travel to Israel for Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day, and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. The March symbolizes the will and resilience of the Jewish people; we survived the Holocaust and forever vow, “Never Again.”

Unable to participate in high school, I selected the Taglit-Birthright Israel March of the Living trip, 5 days in Poland and then 10 in Israel. At the end of my short journey, I concluded that the March of the Living should be the only Birthright trip in existence. Pushed by my older brother who went on the trip, I was told that Poland would be life-altering. Walking through Majdanek, a fully intact death camp adjacent to Lublin, Poland that can be fully operational in 24 to 48 hours, boarding a plane to Tel Aviv, and then climbing Masadah, all in less than a day, was the most intense experience of my life.

Almost all Jewish teens learn about the Holocaust, reading books and articles in Hebrew School. I went to a Jewish day school and Hebrew High School but I had no idea. I read the books, looked at the pictures, went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. numerous times, watched the movies and still, I had no understanding of the Holocaust and what it really was. When I entered Majdanek, it all became real. I cannot explain how I felt but I will never forget the time I spent in that death camp. In those few hours, I started to comprehend the reality of the Holocaust, impossible to do without seeing this firsthand in Poland. Also, Israel took on a whole new meaning for me. Would we have Israel today without the Holocaust? What if it happened again? Why did it have to happen?

Participating in the March of the Living was one of the best choices I have made thus far in my life. While it is extremely intense, mentally and emotionally, going to Poland is a choice we should all make, although it may not be for everyone. This is a rough time for Israel and I know parents are reluctant to send their children anytime soon. Unfortunately, the concentration camps will not remain intact forever. It is our responsibility to go and see what happened and pass it on to others.

If you are a high school teen or a college student, try and get your parents to let you go. If you are a parent, send your kids. Go to http://www.motl.org for more information about the March of the Living. Please contact me by phone, 610.999.1711, or e-mail, garydw[at]umich[dot]edu with any questions or comments. Registration for the summer programs has opened on the Taglit-birthright israel website at http://www.birthrightisrael.com

Avraham Hirchson, the Founder of the March of the Living, proclaimed, “The March of the Living is the strongest protest of Jewish youth all over the world against the denial of the Holocaust. These young people will be the bridge between the survivors and the next generation.” We should all be a part of that.