• An Open Letter to Jewish Students: Never Let Hatred Define You

    on September 1, 2026

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Today marks the 87th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II—the day that changed my life, and the lives of so many others, forever. I was fifteen years old when the Nazis deported my family from the ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau. My father and I survived together. Most of our family did not. Young Nate As a new academic year begins, I am writing because many of you are returning to campus carrying more than books, plans and ambitions. Since October 7, 2023, you have also carried grief, fear, anger and a painful awareness of how quickly antisemitism can enter spaces that promise knowledge, openness and belonging. You may have seen the murder and kidnapping of Jews met with excuses, celebration or silence. You may have heard ancient accusations in modern language, or been asked to answer for distant events before anyone asked whether you were mourning, afraid or safe. Some of you have wondered whether to hide a Star of David, a kippah or your voice. Please remember: You are not responsible for the hatred directed at you. You do not have to conceal who you are to earn the right to belong. Never permit those who hate you to define you. Antisemitism has recognizable habits. It assigns collective guilt to Jews, reduces individuals to symbols and demands that Jews answer for being Jews. The injury is especially deep on a campus. A university should be a place where evidence matters, difficult questions are examined honestly and disagreement never becomes intimidation. Criticism of any government, including Israel’s, is legitimate. Harassing or excluding Jewish students, celebrating violence against Jews or demanding that they renounce part of their identity is not criticism. It is discrimination. Do not allow anyone to force you into a false choice between your Jewish identity and your place in the wider world. Nate on the 2026 March of the Living Photo: Kinneret Rifkind Jewish identity is not merely a response to persecution. It is an inheritance of faith, learning, family, creativity, justice and hope. Across millennia, Jews have studied, questioned, prayed, and thrived. We are defined by what we create and carry forward. Learn that inheritance. Read Jewish history beyond persecution. Ask your family for its stories. Enter a synagogue, a Jewish student centre or a Shabbat table. Learn a Hebrew word, a melody or a page of text. The more deeply you know who you are, the less power a slogan has to define you. No one should demand that you deny Jewish history, disown the Jewish people or surrender your connection to Israel. For those of us who lived when Jews had nowhere safe to turn, a Jewish homeland is not an abstraction. It is an answer to Jewish powerlessness. Jewish rights are not a special favor to be granted only when we are popular. As I have said before: Jewish rights are also human rights. Be courageous, but do not stand alone. Find one another. Support the classmate who is afraid or isolated. Build alliances. Stand against racism, hatred of other minorities and every form of dehumanization and discrimination. And as importantly, diligently study Jewish history so you are able to confront all the lies and propaganda being spread against the Jewish People and the Jewish state. Jewish pride is strongest when joined to moral courage. I would like to remind you that during the Holocaust Jewish youth made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve the dignity and honour of the Jewish people - by fighting to their deaths in the Warsaw Ghetto and all across Nazi occupied Europe. Today, we do not ask you to risk your life. But please be aware that there are others, the same age as you, who do put their young lives at risk every day in the state of Israel, defending the Jewish state and the future of the Jewish people. Nate gives his testimony to students at the March of the Living Photo: Igal Hecht After everything I witnessed, people ask how I can still have hope. I have hope because I have seen Jewish life rebuilt. For almost 3 decades, I have walked in Auschwitz with thousands of March of the Living students who came to affirm Jewish life. I have seen them listen, learn and change. The future of Jewish life is passing into your hands. Carry it without apology, with compassion and strength. You belong to a people that has endured exile, persecution and attempts at erasure, yet continues to learn, celebrate, love and hope. Antisemitism is old. Your future is not. Sincerely, Nate Leipciger Holocaust Survivor and EducatorMarch of the Living Nate in the barrack he was held in Birkenau Photo: Ziv Koren Nate Leipciger (98) Nate Leipciger was born in Chorzow, Poland, in 1928. After, the Germans invaded Poland. They decided to make Chorzow “Judenrein.” Nate’s family was forced to move to Sosnowiec, which became a ghetto. At age 15, Nate and his family were transported to Auschwitz, where Nate was separated from his mother (Faigel Leah) and sister (Linka), who he never saw again. Nate recalls his father saving his life twice while there. “Once, I found myself in the queue for the gas chamber, only for my father to pull me out and bring me into the camp with him. On a second occasion, the Nazis were about to send my father to a factory in Germany, but he convinced an officer that I was a practical electrician, so they let me accompany my father”. Nate survived the death march and the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Funfteichen, Gross Rosen, Flossenberg, Leonberg, and Muhldorf am Inn and Waldlager (two sub-camps of Dachau). Nate and his father were liberated on May 2, 1945, by American troops. Nate immigrated to Canada in 1948, where he married Bernice and had 3 daughters, and later 16 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Nate has attended the Toronto March of the Living 22 times, more than any other Holocaust survivor from the Diaspora. On the trip, Nate advises young people not to hold hatred in their hearts. “You cannot have hate in your heart without being hateful against yourself....when you are hateful, you become bitter, you resent everything, and that becomes part of your nature.” Share Nate’s message Pass this letter on to a student who needs to read it. 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  • Alumni Book Club: The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal

    on August 24, 2026

    Alumni Book Club · Our Next Selection The Sunflower On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness — by Simon Wiesenthal Our first gathering asked how a survivor chooses freedom after the unimaginable. Our second asks something harder, and leaves it unresolved on purpose. While imprisoned in a concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was pulled from a work detail and brought to a hospital room. A dying SS soldier wanted to confess what he had done to a Jewish prisoner — any Jewish prisoner — and to be forgiven for it. Wiesenthal listened. Then he stood up and left the room without a word. He spent the rest of his life asking whether that silence was right. Decades later he put the question to others: What would you have done? The second half of the book is their answer — a symposium of theologians, writers, jurists, and fellow survivors, including the Dalai Lama, Harold S. Kushner, Desmond Tutu, Dith Pran, and Harry Wu. They do not agree with each other. That disagreement is the point. Why we chose it Wiesenthal survived the Holocaust and spent the decades that followed pursuing accountability for it. He is not a neutral narrator of this question, and the book does not pretend otherwise. What it offers instead is a structure our alumni already know well: a story that will not resolve into a lesson, held open long enough for a group of people to sit inside it together. It is a short book. It is not an easy one. Come with your answer, and be ready to have it moved. Some of what we will discuss Can forgiveness be granted on behalf of people who are no longer alive to grant it? Is Wiesenthal’s silence a refusal, a mercy, or something else entirely? What is the difference between forgiving, excusing, and forgetting? Where do the responses in the symposium land for you — and why that one? When & Where Sunday November 1, 2026 10AM LA · 12PM CHI · 1PM NY · 6PM UK · Online via Zoom Clocks change that morning. Daylight Saving Time ends in the U.S. at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1 — set your clocks back one hour before we meet. Register Now An English-language book club, open to all alumni. Questions? bookclub@motl.org Alumni Book Club Every selection, in one place See what we are reading now, revisit what we have read together, and sign up to hear about each new title as it is announced. See All Selections March forward. 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  • Alumni Book Club: The Choice by Edith Eger

    on August 9, 2026

    Alumni Book Club · Our First Selection The Choice Embrace the Possible — by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, z”l In August 2026, alumni from across the world gathered online for the first meeting of the Alumni Book Club — a new space to reconnect, reflect, and keep the conversation going. Sent to Auschwitz as a teenager, Dr. Edith Eva Eger survived and went on to become a renowned psychologist. The Choice is her memoir of trauma, resilience, and the freedom we can choose even after the unimaginable. We read her story in loving memory of Dr. Eger, z”l. The session was moderated by Scott Saunders MBE, CEO of the International March of the Living. After opening remarks, alumni moved into small breakout groups to discuss the book together, then returned for closing reflections. The Session ReadAugust 2026 ModeratorScott Saunders MBE, CEO, International March of the Living FormatOnline via Zoom, with alumni breakout discussions In loving memory of Dr. Edith Eva Eger, z”l · September 29, 1927 – April 27, 2026 Buy the Book Alumni Book Club See what we are reading next The Book Club meets a few times a year to read one title together. Find our current selection, register for the next session, and revisit everything we have read. See All Selections March forward. Remember together. Choose hope. #motl-bcpost{ --blue:#0021BE; --yellow:#FDD000; --navy:#0D1B36; --ink:#1a1825; --rule:#e2ddd4; --maxw:820px; background:transparent; color:var(--ink)!important; font-family:"Spectral",Georgia,serif; line-height:1.68; -webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased; } #motl-bcpost *{box-sizing:border-box;} #motl-bcpost .bp-wrap{max-width:var(--maxw);margin:0 auto;padding:0 22px;} #motl-bcpost p{font-size:1.1rem;color:var(--ink)!important;margin:0 0 20px;} /* head */ #motl-bcpost .bp-head{padding-top:48px;margin-bottom:34px;} #motl-bcpost .bp-eyebrow{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:800;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.28em; font-size:.7rem;color:var(--blue)!important;margin:0 0 14px; } #motl-bcpost .bp-h1{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:900;line-height:1.03; font-size:clamp(2.3rem,5vw,3.4rem);color:var(--blue)!important;margin:0 0 10px; } #motl-bcpost .bp-sub{ font-family:"Spectral",serif;font-style:italic;font-size:1.2rem; color:var(--ink)!important;margin:0; } /* the book */ #motl-bcpost .bp-book{display:grid;grid-template-columns:230px 1fr;gap:34px;align-items:start;margin-bottom:14px;} #motl-bcpost .bp-cover img{ display:block!important;width:100%!important;max-width:210px!important; height:auto!important;min-height:0!important;max-height:none!important; object-fit:contain!important;object-position:center!important; border:1px solid var(--rule);border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 12px 28px rgba(13,27,54,.16); } #motl-bcpost .bp-lede{ font-size:1.24rem!important;line-height:1.5;font-weight:500; color:var(--navy)!important;border-left:3px solid var(--yellow);padding-left:16px;margin-bottom:22px; } /* session details */ #motl-bcpost .bp-meta{ background:#fff;border:1px solid var(--rule);border-left:6px solid var(--blue); border-radius:6px;padding:26px 30px;margin:26px 0 22px;box-shadow:0 2px 10px rgba(13,27,54,.05); } #motl-bcpost .bp-meta-label{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:800;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.18em; font-size:.68rem!important;color:var(--blue)!important;margin:0 0 14px!important; } #motl-bcpost .bp-meta ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0;display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:11px;} #motl-bcpost .bp-meta li{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-size:.98rem;color:var(--ink)!important;display:flex;gap:14px; } #motl-bcpost .bp-meta li span{ font-weight:800;color:var(--blue)!important;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.1em; font-size:.66rem;flex:0 0 92px;padding-top:4px; } #motl-bcpost .bp-memorial{ font-family:"Spectral",serif;font-style:italic;font-size:.95rem!important; color:#6b6658!important;margin:0 0 24px!important; } #motl-bcpost .bp-actions{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:14px;} /* buttons */ #motl-bcpost .bp-btn{ display:inline-block;font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:800;text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.12em;font-size:.82rem;border-radius:999px;padding:15px 34px; text-decoration:none!important;cursor:pointer;border:2px solid transparent; transition:transform .15s ease,background .15s ease,color .15s ease; } #motl-bcpost .bp-btn--outline{background:transparent!important;color:var(--blue)!important;border-color:var(--blue);} #motl-bcpost .bp-btn--outline:hover{background:var(--blue)!important;color:#fff!important;} #motl-bcpost .bp-btn--onblue{background:var(--yellow)!important;color:var(--navy)!important;} #motl-bcpost .bp-btn--onblue:hover{transform:translateY(-2px);background:#ffdb1f!important;} /* cta band */ #motl-bcpost .bp-cta{background:var(--blue)!important;border-radius:10px;padding:48px 22px;margin:44px 0 0;} #motl-bcpost .bp-cta-inner{max-width:600px;margin:0 auto;text-align:center;} #motl-bcpost .bp-cta-kick{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:800;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.3em; font-size:.7rem!important;color:var(--yellow)!important;margin:0 0 12px!important; } #motl-bcpost .bp-cta-h{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:900;font-size:clamp(1.7rem,3.2vw,2.3rem); color:#fff!important;margin:0 0 14px;line-height:1.08; } #motl-bcpost .bp-cta-copy{color:rgba(255,255,255,.92)!important;font-size:1.08rem!important;margin:0 0 28px!important;} /* tagline */ #motl-bcpost .bp-tagline{ font-family:"Raleway",sans-serif;font-weight:800;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.24em; font-size:.82rem!important;color:var(--blue)!important;text-align:center;margin:40px 0 8px!important; } @media (max-width:760px){ #motl-bcpost .bp-book{grid-template-columns:1fr;gap:24px;} #motl-bcpost .bp-cover img{margin:0 auto;} #motl-bcpost .bp-meta{padding:22px 22px;} #motl-bcpost .bp-meta li{flex-direction:column;gap:2px;} #motl-bcpost .bp-meta li span{flex:none;padding-top:0;} #motl-bcpost .bp-btn{width:100%;text-align:center;} }

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  • In Memoriam: Ted Bolgar

    on July 13, 2026

    @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Raleway:wght@600;700;800;900&family=Spectral:ital,wght@0,400;0,500;1,400;1,500&display=swap'); .motl-bolgar{ --blue:#0021BE; --yellow:#FDD000; --navy:#0D1B36; --ink:#1a1825; --rule:#e2ddd4; --muted:#6b6560; font-family:'Spectral',Georgia,serif !important; color:var(--ink) !important; background:transparent !important; max-width:760px !important; margin:0 auto !important; padding:56px 24px 72px !important; -webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased; } .motl-bolgar *{box-sizing:border-box !important;} /* ---------- HEADER ---------- */ .motl-bolgar .tb-kicker{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:800 !important; font-size:13px !important; letter-spacing:.42em !important; text-transform:uppercase !important; color:var(--blue) !important; margin:0 0 18px !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-name{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:900 !important; font-size:clamp(34px,6vw,52px) !important; line-height:1.02 !important; 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line-height:1.6 !important; color:var(--muted) !important; margin:0 0 30px !important; padding-bottom:26px !important; border-bottom:1px solid var(--rule) !important; } /* ---------- PULL QUOTE ---------- */ .motl-bolgar .tb-pull{ margin:44px 0 !important; padding:30px 32px !important; background:var(--blue) !important; border-radius:2px !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-pull p{ font-family:'Spectral',Georgia,serif !important; font-style:italic !important; font-weight:500 !important; font-size:23px !important; line-height:1.5 !important; color:#ffffff !important; margin:0 !important; } /* ---------- VIDEO ---------- */ .motl-bolgar .tb-video-label{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:700 !important; font-size:12.5px !important; letter-spacing:.2em !important; text-transform:uppercase !important; color:var(--blue) !important; margin:52px 0 14px !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-video{ position:relative !important; width:100% !important; padding-top:56.25% !important; background:var(--navy) !important; border-radius:2px !important; overflow:hidden !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-video iframe{ position:absolute !important; top:0 !important; left:0 !important; width:100% !important; height:100% !important; border:0 !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-video-fallback{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:600 !important; font-size:13px !important; color:var(--muted) !important; margin:12px 0 0 !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-video-fallback a{ color:var(--blue) !important; text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom:1px solid var(--blue) !important; } /* ---------- CLOSING ---------- */ .motl-bolgar .tb-close{ margin:56px 0 0 !important; padding-top:36px !important; border-top:1px solid var(--rule) !important; text-align:center !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-close .tb-bde{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:800 !important; font-size:15px !important; letter-spacing:.24em !important; text-transform:uppercase !important; color:var(--blue) !important; margin:0 0 10px !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-close .tb-zl{ font-family:'Spectral',Georgia,serif !important; font-style:italic !important; font-size:18px !important; color:var(--ink) !important; margin:0 !important; } /* ---------- CTA ---------- */ .motl-bolgar .tb-cta{ margin:44px 0 0 !important; padding:34px 30px !important; background:var(--blue) !important; border-radius:2px !important; text-align:center !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-cta h3{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:800 !important; font-size:22px !important; line-height:1.25 !important; color:#ffffff !important; margin:0 0 12px !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-cta p{ font-family:'Spectral',Georgia,serif !important; font-weight:500 !important; font-size:17px !important; line-height:1.6 !important; color:rgba(255,255,255,.9) !important; margin:0 0 22px !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-cta a{ display:inline-block !important; font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:800 !important; font-size:13.5px !important; letter-spacing:.16em !important; text-transform:uppercase !important; color:var(--navy) !important; background:var(--yellow) !important; padding:15px 34px !important; border-radius:2px !important; text-decoration:none !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-cta a:hover{opacity:.88 !important;} /* ---------- RESPONSIVE ---------- */ @media (max-width:640px){ .motl-bolgar{padding:40px 18px 56px !important;} .motl-bolgar p.tb-p{font-size:17.5px !important;} .motl-bolgar p.tb-lede{font-size:19px !important;} .motl-bolgar .tb-pull{padding:24px 22px !important;} .motl-bolgar .tb-pull p{font-size:20px !important;} } In Memoriam Ted Bolgar z”l 1924  –  2026 International March of the Living mourns the passing of Ted Bolgar, Holocaust Survivor and educator, who passed away recently at 102 years of age. Ted participated in 15 March of the Living programs, educating thousands of students during his trips to Poland and Israel. Ted Bolgar lighting a memorial candle alongside a March of the Living student. Photo: Yossi Zeliger Obituary Please see moving obituary below written by Lawrence Witt, chair of the 2017 Montreal March of the Living program, the last time Ted Bolgar took part in the March of the Living Tibor (Ted) was born in Sarospatak, Hungary in 1924. When the Nazi’s marched into his town in 1944, Ted’s life was changed forever. Ted survived one ghetto, Auschwitz as well as four other concentration camps, forced labour and a death march. His arrival in Auschwitz marked the last time that he would see his mother and his sister. Ted survived and rebuilt. He emigrated to Canada in 1948, married, built a beautiful family with children, grandchildren and great-children. Through his participation in the March of Living program, he “adopted” thousands of students who admired him and who continue to perpetuate his story and his legacy of courage and survival. Ted Bolgar with fellow Montreal Holocaust Survivor Ernest Ehrmann at the 2020 Survivors’ Delegation marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Photo: Ryan Blau On the 2017 March of the Living, I was privileged to watch Ted write the final letter and complete a new Torah Scroll in the center of Szebresczyn, Poland – the Torah scroll being a testament and a tribute to the holocaust survivors who participated in the Montreal March of the Living programs since inception in 1990 and whose names adorn the Torah cover. A few years later, I was also privileged to see Ted standing at the ceremony in Auschwitz commemorating the 75th anniversary of liberation – together with his two children by his side. Ted Bolgar with the newly completed Torah scroll on the 2017 March of the Living in Poland — a tribute to the survivors of the Montreal March of the Living, whose names adorn the Torah cover. Photo: Ryan Blau Ted was fond of saying that there are two fundamental obligations. To ensure Jewish continuity and to remember. Ted – rest assured that your courage, dedication and your legacy will ensure that these two sacred obligations will continue in perpetuity by your many friends and admirers whom you have touched and inspired. Today, there is a heavenly minyan in the Synagogue of Synagogues. Mayer Schondorf, Ernest Ehrmann, Tommy Strasser, Johnny Jablon, Harry Baikowitz, Paul Herczeg, Steve Hopman, Ben Bicher and Ben Finkel [all Montreal Holocaust Survivors who travelled with Ted on the March of the Living and who have since passed away] and now our beloved Ted as the tenth. A more righteous and holy minyan there is none. Continue to intercede on our behalf from above so that we may continue your work from below. Watch If the video does not load, watch it on Facebook. Baruch Dayan Emet May his memory be a blessing. Carry Their Stories Forward Your support ensures that the testimony of survivors like Ted Bolgar continues to reach the next generation. Donate

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  • Remembering Elie Wiesel, 10 Years Later

    on July 2, 2026

    @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Raleway:wght@400;500;600;700;800;900&family=Spectral:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,500;0,600;1,300;1,400;1,500&display=swap'); .motl-wiesel *{margin:0;padding:0;box-sizing:border-box} .motl-wiesel{ --blue:#0021BE; --yellow:#FDD000; --navy:#0D1B36; --ink:#1e1c26; --muted:#5a5852; --warm:#f7f5f0; --rule:#e2ddd4; max-width:860px;margin:0 auto;padding:0 0 20px; font-family:'Spectral',Georgia,serif;color:var(--ink);line-height:1.75; } .motl-wiesel:after{content:"";display:table;clear:both} .motl-wiesel a{color:var(--blue);text-decoration:none} .motl-wiesel .body{padding:0 26px} .motl-wiesel p{font-size:19px;margin:0 0 22px;color:var(--ink)} .motl-wiesel .ral{font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif} /* ---------- HEADER (royal blue block) ---------- */ .motl-wiesel .head{background:var(--blue);text-align:center;padding:54px 26px 48px;border-radius:2px} .motl-wiesel .head img.logo{width:168px;height:auto;display:block;margin:0 auto 24px} .motl-wiesel .head .overline{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:800;font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.34em; 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} .motl-wiesel .btn-yellow{background:var(--yellow);color:var(--navy)} .motl-wiesel .btn-ghost{border:1.5px solid var(--blue);color:var(--blue)} .motl-wiesel .btn-ghost-lt{border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,.6);color:#fff} .motl-wiesel .btn-ghost-lt:hover{border-color:var(--yellow);color:var(--yellow)} /* donate — royal blue panel */ .motl-wiesel .donate{ clear:both;background:var(--blue);border-radius:2px;text-align:center;padding:46px 30px;margin:44px 26px; } .motl-wiesel .donate h3{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:900;color:#fff; font-size:clamp(26px,4vw,40px);line-height:1.05;letter-spacing:-.01em; } .motl-wiesel .donate p{color:rgba(255,255,255,.85);font-size:18.5px;max-width:560px;margin:14px auto 24px} /* 1990 speech — royal blue block */ .motl-wiesel .memorial{ clear:both;background:var(--blue);border-radius:2px;text-align:center;padding:52px 30px;margin:44px 0; } .motl-wiesel .memorial .eyebrow{color:var(--yellow)} .motl-wiesel .memorial .speech{ font-style:italic;color:#fff;font-size:clamp(20px,2.5vw,25px);line-height:1.6;max-width:700px;margin:0 auto 22px; } .motl-wiesel .memorial .attrib{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-size:12.5px;letter-spacing:.16em; text-transform:uppercase;color:rgba(255,255,255,.6);margin:26px 0 24px; } /* I was there */ .motl-wiesel .witness .name{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:900;color:var(--blue); font-size:clamp(28px,4.4vw,44px);line-height:1.02;letter-spacing:-.01em;margin:2px 0 20px; } @media(max-width:640px){ .motl-wiesel .fig-right,.motl-wiesel .fig-wide{float:none;width:100%;max-width:350px;margin:6px auto 22px} .motl-wiesel p{font-size:18px} .motl-wiesel .donate{margin:38px 0} } In Memoriam Remembering Elie Wiesel Ten Years Later 1928  —  2016 Throughout his life, Elie Wiesel stressed the moral obligation to not only listen to the testimony of Holocaust survivors but to bear witness to their painful stories, memorably stating: When you listen to a witness, you become a witness. These simple yet compelling words are, in essence, the mission statement of March of the Living. For almost 4 decades, thousands of young students on the March of the Living have absorbed the stories of the Holocaust survivors accompanying them on the trip, and pledged to be the bearers of their memories and share their testimony with future generations. By Eli Rubenstein From The Jerusalem Post Elie Wiesel addresses the March of the Living, 1990. Photo: Lloyd Wolf July 2, 2026 marks the passing of Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, human rights advocate, and among the most eloquent chroniclers of the tragic events of the Shoah. Wiesel had a significant impact on the March of the Living, serving on the Presidium for the first March of the Living in 1988, during its founding year. Wiesel also attended the March of the Living in 1990, and again in 2005, during the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, where Wiesel addressed over 18,000 in attendance - the largest event in the program's history. Read the full article Support Our Mission Help Holocaust survivors and students from around the world participate in the March of the Living. Donate Elie Wiesel · March of the Living Speech, 1990 Children of the Jewish people will you ever see what I see here? I see so many children, and so many parents and so many teachers and so many students. I see them. Forever will I see them. I see them walking in they are nocturnal processions — wandering, crying, praying. Forever will I see the children who no longer have the strength to cry. Forever will I see the elderly who no longer have the strength to help them. Forever will I see the mothers and the fathers, the grandfathers and grandmothers, the little schoolchildren…their teachers…the righteous and the chasidim… From where do we take the tears to cry over them? Who has the strength to cry for them? — Elie Wiesel, March of the Living, 1990 Watch the address I Was There Tara Strong I was always proud to be a Jew. My grandfather was a Cantor, my mother and Bubby were the caterers at our synagogue. I sang in the children's choir every Rosh Chodesh at services, I went to Hebrew school. I loved traditions — my first job was singing in the Yiddish Theatre! At 13, I sang Papirosen and made all the Bubbies and the Zaydes (the elderly Jews) cry. This year is the 10th anniversary of the passing of Elie Wiesel, and I want share with you on experience I had hearing Elie Wiesel speak at the 1990 March of the Living, which I attended as part of the Canadian delegation. Standing amid the ruins of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wiesel told the students about a young girl he remembered seeing when he was interned in Auschwitz in 1944. “Children of the Jewish People,” he began, “Will you ever see what I see here? Years and years ago I saw…I cannot tell you what I saw. I am afraid if I told you - we would all break out in tears, and we would not stop.” He paused and then continued: “I see a young girl….” Read more

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  • Alumni Reflection: Tara Strong, 1990 Toronto Student

    on June 30, 2026

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(Lloyd Wolf)Elie Wiesel & Rabbi Israel Meir Lau — March of the Living, 1990 (Yad Vashem) My grandfather was a Cantor, my mother and Bubby were the caterers at our synagogue. I sang in the children’s choir every Rosh Chodesh at services, I was always proud to be a Jew. I went to Hebrew school. I loved traditions - my first job was singing in the Yiddish Theatre! At 13, I sang Papirosen and made all the Bubbies and the Zaydes (the elderly Jews) cry. This year is the 10th anniversary of the passing of Elie Wiesel, and I want share with you on experience I had hearing Elie Wiesel speak at the 1990 March of the Living, which I attended as part of the Canadian delegation. Children of the Jewish people — will you ever see what I see here?— Elie Wiesel Standing amid the ruins of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wiesel told the students about a young girl he remembered seeing when he was interned in Auschwitz in 1944. “Children of the Jewish People,” he began, “Will you ever see what I see here? Years and years ago I saw…I cannot tell you what I saw. I am afraid if I told you - we would all break out in tears, and we would not stop.” He paused and then continued: “I see a young girl….” Toronto students — March of the Living, 1990 (Tara Strong, second from right). (Lloyd Wolf) Suddenly he shook his head and left the stage, unable to continue his story - it was just too heartbreaking for him to go on. A few moments later, the Toronto March of the Living student choir which I was part of began to sing Hannah Senesh’s Eli, Eli. Soon, thousands of participants – survivors and students, educators and political leaders, from Israel and countries around the world – all joined in, amid the ruins of the crematoria, filling the void with song where words could not It really was such an incredibly moving moment, during what was already the most moving trip of our lives. Elie Wiesel, a world renowned speaker, who spoke for millions, and yet in this moment - in this very moment - he could not speak. His silence said so much: the idea that he could vividly still see that little girl, and was so overcome. It was all so moving - and I WAS THERE. There’s a new silence now, a different kind of silence. Silence from my colleagues and friends in the entertainment business. People afraid they’ll lose followers, people afraid others won’t like them, or it may cost them a gig. The cost to post on social media (compared to not posting) is so relevant right now. Yes, it may “cost” you some followers, but the real world cost is our kids’ safety at colleges, Jewish lives around the world,...why was it controversial to post for our hostages?? To post indisputable historical facts? To beg others online to understand we deserve to live!! I touched the shoes ripped from my people’s feet. Well, I remain UNAFRAID to use my voice. To use all my voices. I care not about losing followers, or having trolls online, people who don’t know me, or know my heart, yelling at me. If asking for the return of my people and praying for peace means I would lose a gig? That means there’d probably be some antisemites at that gig anyway. I am unafraid to use my voice today because I WAS THERE. I sat in the children’s barracks. I remember the paintings on the walls so vividly. I touched the shoes ripped from my people’s feet. I marched with four thousand strong from Auschwitz to Birkenau - I can picture how it looked, how it felt, the chill in the air, the drizzling rainfall. Holding hands with members of my global mishpacha, each and every one of these beautiful souls alive today because… one of our ancestors survived being hunted. I was always proud to be a Jew, but never prouder, than on that day, the day of the March. The solidarity, the idea that we are one, that we were one with Hashem, who that day smiled on us by making the rain stop and the sun come out, when we began to sing “Eli Eli” on top of that crematorium. There wasn’t a dry eye. No one could ever deny the Holocaust to me ever again, because I WAS THERE. No one could ever deny the Holocaust to me ever again, because I WAS THERE. I remember every moment of that trip in Poland, both the comforting ones and the challenging ones. I remember stones thrown at our bus. I remember swastikas painted on the bus. I remember Polish teenagers laughing as they tossed cigarette butts into the massive pit of Jewish ashes at Majdanek. I remember the inscription carved in stone at Majdanek saying “Our future is a warning to you.” But I also remember on Shabbat, we were singing and dancing outside in the courtyard of an ancient synagogue, somehow left standing in the heart of the city, and a very old Polish man, walking painstakingly slowly with his cane, came towards us, his head bowed with age and seemingly some hardships. He began to cry and our tour guide translated for us that he had said, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen the Jewish people here, and it’s so nice to see them come home”. It is heartening to note, and should be pointed out as well, that in the years since 1990, one of the largest delegations joining the March each year has been comprised of Polish high school students. I remember the feeling when we DID come home, when we landed in Eretz Yisrael. It’s an overwhelmingly powerful feeling, on a cellular level of being safe, of being home, of true connection. I remember all the beautiful places we went, all the beautiful people we met. I remember dancing in the streets of Tel Aviv, being on an army base, floating in the Dead Sea and even having time to visit with my cousins. I remember EVERYTHING from this trip, this incredibly important trip. Never Again Is Now. The goal of the March of the Living is to make sure we NEVER FORGET, and NEVER AGAIN. Well, NEVER AGAIN IS NOW. The amount of people, my colleagues, my friends, people I once looked up to, people I respected, people I marched with, while their people were being threatened, marginalized communities I have spoken out for in person, at rallies and marches, and posted for them online, raised money for their causes. Because I truly believe we are one. Hating an entire group of people will never make any sense. Toronto Students — March of the Living, 1990 (Tara Strong, third from left) Tara Strong— Singing at March of the Living event honoring Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Beverly Hills, California, February 10, 2005Tara Strong (right) — Speaking at March of the Living event at the home of artist Yishai Jusidman, Brentwood, California, September 8, 2024 And yet now: Silence. Where are they? Why are they afraid to use their voices to speak up for my people. And many Jews, also afraid to speak up for their own people, deafening silence. Where are the countless women’s organizations we all marched together with? In solidarity against all sexual violence? Believe all women, right? Why don’t you believe mine? And although their silence is different from Elie Wiesel’s, the message is loud and clear. In Hebrew the word for enough is Maspeek. Maspeek being silent, Maspeek being afraid to use their voice. Maspeek denying the atrocities our people suffered on Oct 7th. Everyone MUST SPEAK!! If all are afraid to use their voices, if all stay silent while our people are being tortured, stolen, slaughtered, if no one will speak truth, the Jew hating propaganda machine grows, faces no fact checkers, the hostages had no voices, the mourning families, the thousands injured, the hundreds of thousands displaced in Israel, have NO ONE speaking for them. Because it’s hip to hate Jews again. I get death threats and despicable messages on my social media EVERY single day. The brazenness of today’s Jew haters is mind boggling. When I go to Comicons, I meet kids clutching their hidden Stars of David and whispering to me, “Thank you for using your voice to speak up for our people.” Of course I will because I WAS THERE. I saw firsthand what happens when this hate goes unchecked. Unchallenged, when kind, compassionate voices are silenced. For the founders and supporters of the March of the Living, thank you for empowering me, and kids like I was, and others, and future generations. For helping others like me toBe There. First appeared in the Jerusalem Post, JUNE 30, 2026

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  • International March of the Living Mourns the Passing of Celebrated Israeli Artist Yaacov Agam, Designer of the Iconic March of the Living Logo

    on June 21, 2026

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  • International March of the Living mourns the passing of Abraham Foxman, extraordinary Jewish leader, Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), for almost 3 decades

    on May 11, 2026

    For nearly 30 years, as national director of the ADL, Abe Foxman was the American Jewish community’s public face and voice…

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  • In Memory of Harry Rozendaal z”l — A Final Act of Remembrance

    on May 8, 2026

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It is with deep sadness that the March of the Living mourns the passing of Harry Rozendaal z"l, a 95-year-old child Holocaust survivor and participant on the 2026 March of the Living, who passed away in Warsaw on April 22, 2026. Harry was born in Rotterdam in 1930. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940, his father Joop joined the resistance — and was captured, tortured, and executed in December 1942. Just three days after his father's murder, the family was forced to flee and go into hiding. Over the next two years, young Harry was moved between 21 different locations across the Netherlands, separated from his younger brother and sister. His mother, Catherina, was herself a member of the resistance. Harry's last encounter with her came at a safe house in Utrecht in 1943, where she shared with him a letter his father had written from prison, urging her to ensure their children received a Jewish education. Harry carried that charge for the rest of his life. Catherina was later captured, deported to Auschwitz, and murdered. After liberation, Harry learned that both his siblings had survived in hiding. In 1946, members of the Jewish Brigade visited his orphanage, and at 17 he left for British Mandate Palestine, where he joined the Haganah as a Machal volunteer and witnessed the birth of the State of Israel. He later returned to the Netherlands, reunited with his siblings, met his wife Lotty, and in 1958 emigrated to Canada — first to Montreal, then to Toronto. Harry at the 2026 March of the Living with his daughter, Dr. Betty Rozendaal, and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein. His Final Mission For years, Harry had expressed the wish to travel to Poland and say Kaddish for his mother at Auschwitz. COVID and health setbacks delayed his plans, but by 2025 — at 95 years old — he was undeterred. With his daughter, Dr. Betty Rozendaal, and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein by his side, he joined the Toronto March of the Living Adult Delegation. What began as a deeply personal pilgrimage became something far larger. Standing outside the gas chambers at Auschwitz on the delegation's first full day, Harry shared his testimony with hundreds of students, young adults, and adults. He spoke about his childhood, his mother, and his service in Israel's War of Independence — urging his audience to stand proud and never stop fighting for who they are. He not only spoke about his childhood and his mother, but he also spoke about how he went on to fight in the War of Independence, which was incredibly moving, given the climate that we currently live in. Witnee Karp, Director, March of the Living Canada His words moved the entire delegation. One student, Jillian Kivenko, was so inspired that she wrote a poem and turned it into a song, performing it on Shabbat in front of all the survivors and delegations. Harry was beaming. The day after the closing ceremonies, Harry suffered a serious cardiac event and was admitted to a hospital in Warsaw. He passed away on April 22, surrounded by the knowledge that he had fulfilled his lifelong mission — honouring his mother's memory in the very place she was taken from the world. Not only was he able to fulfil his last wish by paying his respects to his mother, he was also able to make a tremendous impact on so many people in his final days. Dori Ekstein, Co-Chair, Adult March of the Living Throughout his life, Harry was a tireless advocate for recognizing the non-Jews who helped Dutch Jews survive the war. He was instrumental in securing Righteous Among the Nations recognition at Yad Vashem for Andres van der Meer, the resistance fighter who once escorted him across a lake to safety in a boat full of German soldiers. Harry is survived by his daughter Betty and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein, his son Ed and wife Genia, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Lotty, his brother Dov, and his sister Liselotte. May his memory be a blessing.Baruch Dayan Emet. Honour Harry's legacy and the mission of Holocaust remembrance. Donate to the March of the Living → Read the full obituary in The Canadian Jewish News.

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  • Statement from Scott Saunders, CEO of International March of the Living, Founder & Chairman of March of the Living UK

    on April 29, 2026

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