An International Educational Program

On Thursday, May 1, 2008, thousands of Jewish teens from countries around the world will share in a once-in-a-lifetime experience
when they march three kilometers from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built by the Nazis during World War II.

The “March” commemorates YOM HASHOAH–
Holocaust Remembrance Day. You can be there – along with over 8,000 students who will be part of this historic event.

As one of the Marchers you will retrace the steps of the “March of Death,” the actual route which countless numbers of our people were forced to take on their way to the gas chambers at Birkenau. You will experience Jewish history
where it was made. This time, however, there will be a difference. It will be a “March of the Living” with thousands of Jewish youth, like yourself, marching shoulder to shoulder.

You will participate in a memorial service at one of the gas chambers/ crematoria in Birkenau, which will conclude with the singing of Hatikvah, reaffirming “Am Yisrael Chai – The Jewish People Live.” From Poland, you will fly to Israel to join the entire Jewish community in celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 60th Independence Day on May 8. You will participate
in a week of unforgettable experiences.

Unforgettable Moment

YOM HASHOAH and YOM HA'ATZMAUT are two of the most important days in modern Jewish times. By taking part in these special events, you will share unforgettable moments in Jewish history and bear witness to the undying spirit of the Jewish
people. Like those who participated in the last ifteen Marches (held in 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007), you will return home with a new sense of yourself, your people and your history. It will be an experience that will remain with you for a lifetime.

The Contrast

Your stay in Poland and Israel will be a study in contrasts. In Poland you will search for traces of a world that is no more. You
will discover that, of the hundreds of Jewish schools, synagogues and institutions that existed in Warsaw before the war, all that
remains is one sparsely attended synagogue (used by the Nazis as a stable during the war) and a centuries-old Jewish cemetery
that was left relatively untouched by the Nazis during their occupation of Warsaw. Today you can see a new resurgence of Jewish culture with synagogues, schools, organizations and youth groups. Like many others you may leave Poland still wondering how it was possible for the destruction of an entire generation of Jews to occur – you will pledge to keep their memory alive.

In Israel, you will encounter a country that is striving valiantly to keep the age-old flame of Jewish nationhood alive. On YOM HAZIKARON you will join together with all of Israel as they mourn their fallen soldiers and the victims of terror and on YOM HA’ATZMAUT you will celebrate Israel’s independence along
with the entire country. Poland and Israel; one, the richness and anguish of our past; the other, the hope of our future. This experience will help you understand how important both aspects
are to your identity as a Jewish teenager living in the 21st century.

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