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Alumni Reflection: Ryan Leibowitz, 2015
This past April, I embarked upon the March of the Living. Prior to the trip, I traveled by myself through Hungary, Austria,…
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Reflecting on Ezra Schwartz’s murder
By Jack Rosenbaum I write this with heavy heart and compassion for family and friends of Ezra Schwartz in Sharon, Massachusetts and…
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Kristallnacht Film Forum draws 1,000 to see ‘Defiant Requiem’
Ivy Dash, chair of this year’s 14th annual Kristallnacht Film Forum, first went on the March of the Living in 1990 as a…
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Most Meaningful Moments from Liz Pearl
Tears and Pride at Auschwitz Back in February at the MOL Shabbaton with the students I experienced my first meaningful…
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Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat announced as Honorary Chairman of the ‘Campaign for the Future’
ANNOUNCEMENT New York, NY – Monday, November 16, 2015 – The International March of the Living, a leading institution in Holocaust education, announced that Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat has been appointed as Honorary Chairman of the 'Campaign for the Future'. As a Special Advisor on Holocaust Issues, Eizenstat is committed to the mission of this annual program which brings individuals from around the globe to Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hate. "The International March of the Living is proud to have Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat assume the helm of our Campaign for the Future,” said World Chair, Dr. Shmuel Rosenman. “Ambassador Eizenstat has been a long-standing leader in the world arena and his commitment to Holocaust memory and legacy is in perfect harmony with the mission and goals of this organization. On behalf of the MOTL Board, Staff, world leadership and alumni, we welcome his recognition of the work we do and the importance of our role in the future of Holocaust education. We look forward to setting new standards and reaching new heights under his Campaign Chairmanship." An expert on Holocaust-era Issues, providing belated justice for victims of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi tyranny during World War II, Eizenstat has negotiated major agreements with the Swiss, Germans, Austrian and French, and other European countries, covering restitution of property, payment for slave and forced laborers, recovery of looted art, bank accounts, and payment of insurance policies. Ambassador Eizenstat served as chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981); U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration (1993-2001). “Assuring Holocaust justice for survivors and for the families of victims and perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust has been a central part of both my public and private life,” said Ambassador Eizenstat. “Because of this, I am particularly honored to be able to serve as the Honorary Chairman of The International March of the Living ‘Campaign for the Future’, which is one of the most important ways to assure that the memory of the Holocaust and its contemporary lessons are imparted to future generations. Since its inception in 1998, over 200,000 people from over 52 countries have attended. A recent study validates the impact on Jewish identity and the participant’s commitment to the State of Israel and the future health and vibrancy of the Jewish world. Few other institutions have had this dramatic and lasting impact on young Jews around the world.“ The 2016 March of the Living will take place on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Since the first March of the Living in 1988, over 200,000 participants, from 52 countries, have marched down the 3-kilometer path leading from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Memorial Day, in silent tribute to all victims of the Holocaust. For more information please contact: Ariana M. Heideman Starburst Communications Email: ariana@starburstcommunications.com Phone: 202.670.6723 JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE
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Book Passes The Torch of Holocaust Memory
Seventy years after the end of World War II and 25 years after March of the Living (MOL) began bringing Jewish high school students and survivors to European death camps, MOL is employing the latest in 21st-century technology to help tell the story of the Holocaust. MOL recently launched a handsome coffee table book titled Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations, which records the testimony of survivors and the reaction of students to the terrible events of the Holocaust. Built into several pages in each copy are digital watermarks that users can scan with a smartphone or tablet and then view video testimony by Holocaust survivors. The free Digimarc Discover app allows readers to expand their experience of the book by viewing – or witnessing – the recorded first hand testimony of survivors themselves. The videos are provided by Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation Archives and MOL’s Digital Archives Project. The book itself is a treasure trove of photographs, poetry, commentary and history designed to enlighten a broad audience about the events of the Holocaust. Many of the survivors featured in the book are Canadian, including Nate Leipciger, Max Iland, Sidney Zoltak and Max Eisen. With 7,500 copies in print, there is also interest in translating the work into German, Spanish, French and Hebrew, among other languages, said Eli Rubenstein, national director of MOL Canada, who compiledWitness. In gathering the content for the book, Rubenstein raided the MOL archives for photos, taken both by professional photographers who were part of the MOL team as well as those taken by participants. He combined them with the poems of the young participants and added sections to provide a historical underpinning to explain the events that led to the murder of Europe’s Jews. Rubenstein believes that the underlying message of the book is a positive one, despite the grisly historic event that is at its core. “This book is about hope and making the world a better place. It’s not about hate or revenge. The aim is to heal,” he said. In addition to survivor testimony, the book includes sections dedicated to Jews who fought back – both physically through force of arms and through spiritual resistance – to liberators and to Righteous Gentiles. “No one survived unless someone helped them,” Rubenstein said. The book is based on an exhibit that premiered at United Nations headquarters in New York in 2014 under the title, When You Listen to a Witness, You Become a Witness. That exhibit, which is smaller in scale than what can be found in the book, will go on display later this month at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre at the Lebovic Jewish Community Campus in Vaughan. In a unique touch, the book opens with a message from Pope Francis, who expresses his support for March of the Living. In that, he was following in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II, who also supported the MOL initiatives of remembrance, Rubenstein said. Witness was officially launched at Congregation Habonim last month and is on sale at Chapters Indigo and online at Amazon. Negotiations are under way to provide a downloadable version of the book, Rubenstein said. Original article published HERE. BUY THE BOOK
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March of The Living Exhibit is open to the visitors of Auschwitz Museum
The International March of the Living Exhibit is now open to the visitors of Auschwitz-Birkenau…
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MOTL Film Captures Devotion Of Guide Dogs And Their Masters
It’s amazing the impact…
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