2024 March of the Living
Together We Remember:
55 Holocaust Survivors from around the world, including Holocaust survivors who were victims of October 7, to march at Auschwitz in Renewed Cry of ‘Never Again’
The March of the Living from Auschwitz to the Birkenau Death Camp to Highlight Global Solidarity with the Jewish People Amid Global Rise in Antisemitism; March in Budapest to Commemorate 80 Years Since Destruction of Hungarian Jewry
Holocaust Survivor Bellha Haim, grandmother of deceased hostage Yotam Haim:
“I was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust. I never imagined that I would visit Auschwitz but since Yotam marched there, I will march in his footsteps.”
International March of the Living will hold two significant Marches in 2024 under the banner
“Together We Remember.”
This year’s commemorations will begin in Budapest on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day with a March marking 80 years since the destruction of Hungarian Jewry during the Holocaust. Led by 80 Hungarian Holocaust survivors and joined by thousands of others, the March will begin at the Dohany Synagogue adjacent to the birthplace of Theodore Herzl-the father of modern Zionism-and conclude with a ceremony at the Keleti Train Station where the first deportation of Jews from Budapest to Auschwitz-Birkenau took place.
Budapest to Auschwitz
Train of the Living
Following the formal ceremony, a “Train of the Living” will depart for Auschwitz on an educational journey retracing the path of the death transports from Hungary. Accompanied by hundreds of Hungarian students, the train will arrive at Oswiecim after which they will then join the thousands of participants gathered at Auschwitz.
NEVER AGAIN
The 36th International March of the Living will take place on Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day – May 6th, 2024, and traverse the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in memory of the Jews murdered in the Holocaust and in honor of those who survived. The March will renew the call of “Never Again,” a vow broken on October 7th when the State of Israel and the Jewish people endured the most severe atrocities since the Holocaust, sparking an unprecedented surge of global antisemitism.
WATCH THE LIVESTREAMS
Erev Yom HaShoah
Sunday, May 5, 7:00PM Poland
Yom HaShoah
Monday, May 6, 1:00OPM Poland
FOLLOW THE 2024 JOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, Chairman, and Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, President of the International March of the Living, jointly stated, “This year’s March of the Living holds profound significance, as the horrors of the past intertwine with the present ongoing nightmare faced by the State of Israel. The recent incomprehensible massacre on October 7 serves as a constant reminder of the persistent threat posed by antisemitic hatred. This year, more than ever, we understand why preserving the memory of the Holocaust is still essential. Fighting against the continuous and overwhelming wave of antisemitism, makes the March of the Living’s mission to remember more important and more relevant than ever. We will strenuously continue to teach about the history of the Holocaust, and we will continue to stand together against antisemitism.”
The 36th International March of the Living on Yom HaShoah will be led by 55 Holocaust survivors from countries around the world.
Among them 21 Holocaust survivors from Hungary and seven Holocaust survivors who were personally impacted by the October 7th attack in Israel: Bellha Haim, grandmother of the murdered Yotam Haim, who was abducted during the attack; Danit Gabay, who was with her children in Kibbutz Re’im during the attack; Daniel Louz from Kibbutz Be’eri; Smil Bercu Sacagiu whose home was bombed in Ashkelon; Judith Tzamir from Kibbutz Mefalsim; Jacqueline Gliksman from Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha, and Zili Wenkert, grandmother of Omer Wenkert, who was abducted from the Nova music festival. Marching alongside the Holocaust survivors will be several former hostages released from Hamas captivity, along with families of Israeli hostages, bereaved families, wounded survivors, Ashkelon mayor Tomer Glam, and the head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council Tamir Idan.
The delegation of Holocausts survivors and surviving victims from the deadly attack of October 7th was organized by the Menomadin Foundation under the leadership of Haim Taib, a third-generation Holocaust survivor from Tunisia. Following the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel War, the Foundation has collaborated with many local authorities in Israel to bolster communal resilience.
Haim Taib, Founder and President of the Menomadin Foundation and leader of the October 7th delegation to the March said: “The link between the Holocaust, experienced by Jews 80 years ago and the horrors of the onslaught of October 7 underscores our collective obligation as a nation and society to remain resilient, to defend ourselves and to continue shaping the remarkable narrative of our people. I take pride in marching alongside the courageous individuals of the October 7th delegation. Together, we will rise from the ashes of this horrific attack and foster prosperity and abundance in the years ahead.“
Holocaust survivor Bellha Haim: “I was born in Poland, and I survived the Holocaust. I had promised my grandchild a better world, but I couldn’t fulfill this promise. I never imagined that I would visit Auschwitz, but since Yotam marched there, I will march in his footsteps.”
Thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish students and adults from around the globe, University Presidents from campuses in the United States and Canada, a global delegation of top TikTok creators, Pastor Larry Huch representing the New Beginnings Church and Pastor Larry Huch Ministries, and a Transnational Law Enforcement delegation will be among those lending voice and commitment to the importance of remembrance and resilience.
Furthermore, in light of these events, the March of the Living, KKL-JNF in Israel, the Jewish Agency and the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Foundation MAZSOK will jointly hold an international conference in Budapest focusing on the Holocaust of Hungarian Jewry. This conference will feature participation from young Jewish leaders across Europe, initiated by the Jewish Agency and with involvement from the leadership of the JNF, led by Chair Yifat Ovadia, among others. Participants of the conference will also take part in the March of the Living events in both Budapest and Poland.
Ifat Ovadia-Luski, Chair of KKL-JNF, said: “At a time when war is raging in Israel, it is of the utmost importance to remember what the Jewish people experienced 80 years ago. KKL-JNF will continue its many years of activities to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and raise the flag of the revival of the Jewish people in their own country for the sake of those who perished and for the sake of future generations.”
Doron Almog, Brigadier General (Ret.), Chairman of the Jewish Agency: “The Jewish Agency endeavors to empower young leaders to actively engage in Holocaust remembrance and tell the story of Hungarian Jewry. In the face of escalating anti-Semitism, we emphatically declare ‘Never Again!’ Our resolve is fortified by the legacy of Hannah Szenes, a fighter and paratrooper executed by the Nazis in her hometown of Budapest. She famously declared, ‘A voice calls, and I go.’ As that same call resonates with us, we are united in our determination to heed it, drawing strength from her courage. We recognize the weight of our generation’s duty to safeguard the continuity of the Jewish people.”
