March of the Living alumni feature prominently in new ad combatting antisemitism

New Ad Combatting Antisemitism Released by FCAS – Foundation to Combat Antisemitism:March of the Living Alumni Feature Prominently in Moving PiecePlease see link to “Neighbors”, a moving ad about antisemitism that recently screened at the Oscars on Sunday, March 10. The ad is drawn from a true account of an American synagogue that was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat during a Bat Mitzvah. The neighboring Evangelical Church then gave their space for the Jewish congregation to hold the celebration.The director of the 60 second ad is Jon Weiman whose grandfather, Holocaust survivor Ernie Weiss, took part in the 2008 March of the Living. (See excerpt below from Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust Remembrance to New Generations about his experience on the March.) The ad also features Rabbi Michael Dolgin and Rabbi Cantor Aviva Rajsky, both of whom participated in past March of the Living programs.The ad was sponsored by the FCAS (Foundation to Combat Antisemitism), dedicated to combating antisemitism through positive messaging and partnerships, founded by philanthropist Robert Kraft. The ad is part of the FCAS “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign.You can see more Stand Up to Jewish Hate’s powerful commercials here: https://www.standuptojewishhate.org/stand-up-videos/“International March of the Living is pleased to support the work of FCAS in its critically important campaign to combat antisemitism and all forms of intolerance”, said Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, President, International March of the Living.In the past, as part of International March of the Living’s strategic partnership with the Stand Up to Jewish Hate campaign, every participant on the March was given a 🟦pin on the day of the March and encouraged to post and share 🟦 on social media.The Blue Square emoji is a symbol of solidarity against intolerance. The 🟦 takes up 2.4% of various screens and represents the fact that Jews make up 2.4% of the U.S. population, yet are the victims of 55% of religious-based hate crimes in the United States. The campaign is designed to draw attention to this disparity and empower all Americans to help fight growing antisemitism in the United States and around the world. Blue Square🟦 pins can be ordered here: https://www.fcas.org/pins/Also see:A synagogue bomb threat is dramatized in an Oscars ad by Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat AntisemitismBehind the scenes of a new Oscars commercial against antisemitism—primarily filmed in Toronto’s Kensington Market

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Jewish Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Remarks by Eli RubensteinDirector of Education, International March of the LivingInternational March of the Living Leadership MeetingThursday, March 28, 2024 Jewish Resilience in the Face of Adversity Good morning, afternoon and evening to all:This week, I received an email from a representative of ANU – The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, (Formerly the Diaspora Museum), concerning a special program they are offering for educators about teaching resilience to young people in the wake of October 7th. And in the coming days, we will share with you information on this very meaningful program. See: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ocfcslD2fG2BBNJVl3OK9Ul7nar8oDVD/viewhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1wh5IfFLmKO1cncn4HBrXC6AxB1kiGZ7c/view But as I was discussing this idea, I thought about how as we take our students on the 2024 March,  and we dwell upon the events of the Holocaust and the most recent events in Israel, there is no question that many of our students will begin the March with an extraordinary feeling of vulnerability and fragility.    As they embark on this experience, they will understand all too well that the virus of antisemitism has once again begun to replicate out of control, and that we dare not be complacent – now or ever. And thus we must also be careful in educating these young minds. We must not leave them despondent and bereft, despairing of the future of the Jewish people. We must  also instill in them feelings of hope and resilience, in the face of these horrendous events, past and present.So how do we do this? As I was contemplating this question, I was also attending an on line program that was reviewing one of Shai Agnon’s most famous stories called –  בשעה אחת (In One Moment).See: The Avrum Rosensweig Show with Rabbi Shlomo GemaraFor those of you unfamiliar with Shai Agnon, he is the only Israeli writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which happened in 1966. (As an aside, in a story told by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, “Abba Eban, then foreign minister of Israel, thought that he ought to have a hand in crafting Agnon’s speech at the Nobel ceremony; after all, from a diplomatic standpoint, the Nobel Prize ceremony was an unprecedented opportunity to advance Israel’s diplomatic goals.Agnon, however, took a different view of the matter. It is said that he retorted, “Tell Abba Eban that when he receives the Nobel Prize, he can write his own acceptance speech.”)  The title of the story  , בשעה אחת, according to Rabbi Gemara, refers back to a famous story in the Talmud, about which I will conclude my short Devar Torah with. This story is about many things – but most importantly it’s about the resilience of the Jewish people. Avodah Zarah 18a On their return, they found R. Hanina b. Teradion sitting and occupying himself with the Torah, publicly gathering assemblies, and keeping a scroll of the Law in his bosom. Straightaway they [the Romans] took hold of him, wrapped him in the Scroll of the Law, placed bundles of branches round him and set them on fire. They then brought tufts of wool, which they had soaked in water, and placed them over his heart, so that he should not expire quickly. His daughter exclaimed, ‘Father, that I should see you in this state!’ He replied, ‘If it were I alone being burnt it would have been a thing hard to bear; but now that I am burning together with the Scroll of the Law, He who will have regard for the plight of the Torah will also have regard for my plight.’  His disciples called out, ‘Rabbi, what seest thou?’ He answered them, ‘The parchments are being burnt but the letters are soaring on high.’14גליון נשרפין ואותיות פורחות ‘Open then thy mouth’ [said they] ‘so that the fire enter into thee.’15  He replied, ‘Let Him who gave me [my soul] take it away, but no one should injure oneself.’ The Executioner16  then said to him, ‘Rabbi, if I raise the flame and take away the tufts of wool from over thy heart, will thou cause me to enter into the life to come?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Then swear unto me’ [he urged]. He swore unto him. He thereupon raised the flame and removed the tufts of wool from over his heart, and his soul departed speedily. The Executioner then jumped and threw himself into the fire. And a batkol17  exclaimed: R. Hanina b. Teradion and the Executioner have been assigned to the world to come. When Rebbie (Yehuda Hanasi) heard it he wept and said: One may acquire eternal life in a single hour, another only after many years.יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת ויש קונה עולמו בכמה שנים There is much to learn from this story, but the most important words to me are:גליון נשרפין ואותיות פורחות‘The parchments are being burnt but the letters are soaring on high” “The paper burns, but the letters do not!” There are so many parallels to the Holocaust in this story.  How many Jews and how many Sefer Torahs were burned in the Holocaust? My own Aunt, Gabi Greenblatt, Aleha Hashalom, a survivor of Auschwitz, returned to her home of Debrecen after the war. Her entire family home was ransacked and pillaged from every valuable. Tellingly, the Sefer Torah was still there, but purposefully and gleefully torn into shreds and strewn all over the home, like confetti by the local Hungarian looters – all to add insult to injury. But the messages from the story of Hannina Ben Tradyon and the stories from the Holocaust are the same. “The paper burns but the letters fly away”. Force can never conquer spirit. The message of the Jewish people and our values will never be extinguished by brute force. Not then, not now, not ever. In fact, in the wake of the October 7th attack, a massive Torah scroll writing project was initiated in Israel. “Thousands of Israeli Jews, including President Isaac Herzog, filled in letters on parchment to commemorate the 1,200 dead and raise awareness for the 138 hostages still held captive”, according to the Times of Israel. “One scroll is currently being written specifically for the synagogue of Kibbutz Be’eri, an epicenter of the October 7 massacre.”  (Note: It is a mitzvah for every Jew to write a Sefer Torah, or to appoint someone to write it for them. In 2005, David Greenblatt (Gaby Greenblatt’s son) commissioned the writing of a Sefer Torah in memory of his late father and in memory of all the Sefer Torahs lost in the Holocaust. The Torah was donated to Chabad at NYU.) So as we embark on this year’s March of the Living, and share the stories of love and loss with our students – let us make sure the 2000 year old story of Hannina Ben Tradyon is one of the stories we share. And let us remind our students that the light and message of Israel and the Jewish people will shine brightly forever and never be extinguished. 

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From Budapest to Auschwitz

2024 March of the Living Commemorates 80 Years Since Destruction of Hungarian Jewry in the Shoah

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Joint March of Remembrance and March of the Living Thessaloniki

The Joint March of Remembrance, 81 years after the departure of the first deportation train from Thessaloniki to the death camp Auschwitz – Birkenau, took place on Sunday, March…

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New Film: Irena’s Vow

We are pleased to announce the debut of Irena’s Vow, premiering in US theaters April 15 and April 16 and across Canada April 19. The film tells the heroic story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish nurse and a Righteous Among the Nations, who saved Jewish workers during the Holocaust.Our dear friend David (Dudi) Abadi Z”L, the late Director of the March of the Living in Poland, played a very important role in the making of the film.David passed away in 2023, in Poland, one day after the March of the Living from Auschwitz to Birkenau took place. David joined us on the first March 38 years ago and worked with the March right up until the conclusion of the 2023 ceremony in Auschwitz-Birkenau on Yom Hashoah. He was an exceptionally positive empathetic and optimistic person – who cared deeply about Polish Jewish relations.Because of his commitment to enhancing Polish Jewish ties, Irena’s Vow was a project David felt very passionate about. David was instrumental in making sure the production was successfully implemented when Irena’s Vow began shooting in Poland in April 2022.Irena’s Vow represents another side to the history of the Holocaust – stories of exceptional courage bravery altruism and heroism. As we study the Holocaust and come across the stories of unending barbarism and cruelty we are grateful there are those who show us about this other face of humanity – the shining points of light in a bleak landscape that remind us that even in the darkest times there is reason to hope.Irena’s Vow is a remarkable and timely film- and a lasting legacy to the goodness and kindness that David represented to so many of us who were fortunate to work with David on the March of the Living.The film was featured on February 26, 2024 at People.com – Read moreBUY TICKETSWatch the trailer

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Food, Hope & Resilience: A conversation with the author June Hersh and a Holocaust Survivor

Join us on March 14th at 5PM PT | 8PM ET for a conversation with June Hersh, author of Food, Hope & Resilience: Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors. Moderated by International March of the Living President, Phyllis Greenberg Heideman. REGISTER NOW BUY THE BOOK ABOUT THE BOOKThis vital collection of survivor stories uplifts and inspires alongside recipes that nourish your soul. Read about daring partisans who fought in the woods, hidden children who sought comfort from strangers and those who endured unimaginable internment. For Holocaust survivors, food was a way to connect their lives before the war with the homes they created after. Their kitchens were filled with the aromas of familiar foods like chicken soup and brisket while unfamiliar delights they adopted, like arroz con pollo and gnocchi, became part of their repertoire. These are the recipes they share with you. Culinary icons such as Michael Solomonov, Jonathan Waxman, Ina Garten and more contribute their own recipes as tribute to the remarkable survivor community. Author June Hersh gives readers a taste of history and a life-affirming message that honors the legacy of Holocaust survivors.

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Remembering Sara Rus Z”L

International March of the Living mourns the passing of Sara Rus z’l, Holocaust survivor and educator, who passed away on January 24, 2023 at the age of 96. May…

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President Herzog hosts March of the Living Representatives and Kindertransport survivors

Holocaust survivors honored by the Israeli President Issac Herzog and the first lady Michal Herzog, International March of the Living Chair Dr. Shmuel Rosenman and Wendy Moskowitz (Yossi Zeliger)International Holocaust Memorial DayPresident Herzog hosts March of the Living Representatives and Kindertransport survivorsCeremony included survivors smuggled as children out of Nazi Germany to Britain after the Kristallnacht Pogrom, and later who moved to live in Israel.Among the participating Kindertransport survivors was an elderly resident of Kibbutz Zikim, who was once again displaced from her home, following the Hamas attack on October 7: “I will not be a refugee in my country – I want to return to Kibbutz Zikim”, she said.President Isaac Herzog hosted a special event ahead of International Holocaust Memorial Day, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.The event, held in partnership with International March of the Living, brought together survivors of the Holocaust including those who were saved as part of the Kindertransport operation, which was launched 85 years ago following the Kristallnacht Pogrom of 1938.The event, which had been scheduled to take place to mark the anniversary of Kristallnacht in November but was postponed following the Hamas attack of October 7, was held with the participation of ten Kindertransport survivors.WHAT HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RECEPTIONAt the conclusion of the event, which was also attended by Germany’s Ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, Present Herzog introduced the Foreign Minister of Holland Hanke Bruins Slot to some of the Kindertransport survivors, who spoke of their journey which took them through Holland on the way to the United Kingdom.One of the survivors attending with her family, Mirjam Szpiro, was rescued from Nazi Germany in the Kindertransport operation in 1938. In recent weeks, she was once again evacuated from her home – this time in Kibbutz Zikim on the Gaza border, after the community came under attack by Hamas attack on October 7.Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, President Isaac Herzog, Mirjam Szpiro and Michal Herzog (Yossi Zeliger)Mirjam said at the event: “We had been told we had to evacuate and suddenly I had déjà vu. I was standing there, an 88-year-old woman outside her home, and I suddenly remembered the three-year-old girl I was. I didn’t remember these things before, the emotions, but suddenly I was back there. And this is the second time I leave my house.”She added, “I hope we can return soon. The house was not damaged, and even the tree I planted in the yard two weeks before the war survived.” Mirjam has since been housed in a hotel with other displaced Israelis from her community.READ MIRJAM SZPIRO OP-ED ON CNN »The Holocaust survivors, the children of the Kindertransport who participated in the event, were deeply moved by the welcome by the President and First Lady, and expressed their appreciation to them and the International March of the Living for helping tell their story, and promoting awareness and understanding of the lessons of the past. The survivors who participated in the event are Mirjam Szpiro, Aliza Tenenbaum, Tova Gorfine, Henry Foner, Walter Bingham, Prof. Daniel Reis, Paul Alexander, Frieda Schalkowski, George Shefi, the son of the deceased Ruth Davis, Barry Davis.Kristallnacht, or the November Pogrom, that took place on November 9, 1938, is considered as the culmination of growing anti-Jewish sentiment in Nazi Germany. It was a decisive moment in the understanding that the lives of the Jews were no longer safe in Europe. Following the pogrom, the Kindertransport Operation to save Jewish children from Germany, Austria and the occupied territories was launched, and thanks to the organization of the Jewish community in Great Britain, 10,000 children left by train from Germany to the Netherlands and from there to England during the period from December 1938 until the outbreak of World War II. The children were sent to safety alone, without their parents, many of whom were murdered in the Holocaust.As part of the organization’s work to educate and commemorate the Holocaust, in October, International March of the Living travelled with three survivors of the Kindertransport Operation to retrace their journey to safety. They travelled by train from Germany to the Netherlands, and from there to Britain by boat. Once they arrived in the UK at Harwich, they travelled to London by train, arriving in Liverpool station. They were welcomed in Hyde Park by Britain’s Chief Rabbi Mirvis and Jewish children from the Immanuel College School for a special memorial ceremony.The journey – which took place in the immediate aftermath of the atrocities of October 7 – was filmed for a special documentary which was also screened during the event at the President’s Residence. The film was produced by International March of the Living, with the support of the Moskowitz family – in memory of  Holocaust survivor Henry Moskowitz Z”L and in honor of his wife Rose Moskowitz, and in collaboration with the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum, and with the support of ELAL and Leonardo Hotels.WATCH THE FULL FILMThe survivors who made the journey were: Walter Bingham (100), George Shefi (92), and Paul Alexander (88). “The news and the horrific sights from Israel accompanied us all throughout the journey. We never dreamed that in our lifetime we would see such a terrible pogrom against Jews and more in the Land of Israel” said the three.​President Isaac Herzog: “This is a truly moving event. It is moving to see survivors after 85 years, to hear the personal stories of each and every one of you, and the Zionist story of each and every one of you, but it is especially moving because of the period in which we find ourselves. International Holocaust Memorial Day is not only about remembering the past, it is about our shared responsibility to the present and the future. We have with us survivors of the Holocaust, those who were forced from their homes and taken away from the families because of the Nazis – and to our great sorrow, were witness to the horrors of October 7, and were once again, displaced from their homes. This is day, is about educating the whole world about the dangers of hatred and antisemitism in particular. We have seen where this can lead – and on October 7, we got a terrible and painful reminder.”The President added, “The generation of the Holocaust, those who saw with their own eyes the horrors of Nazism, we owe you a debt of gratitude for your resilience and hope. We are here to say clearly, to you, dear children of the Kindertransport, we will never forget your heroism. We will never forget your bravery and resilience, and how you rebuilt your lives, and helped build the State of Israel. May the memory of the six million of our sisters and brothers be eternally etched on all our hearts.” Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, Chairman of the International March of the Living: “We set out to document this journey which came into being because of the worst anti-Jewish pogrom that the Jews of Europe had known in the years leading to the Holocaust, Kristallnacht. And as we embarked, it was in the hours after the terrible pogrom of October 7 which took place in Israel. Shocked by the stories of the survivors about what they experienced 85 years ago, and horrified by the abhorrent stories from Israel, we were reminded that the hatred of the Jews has no expiration date. It changes its form. But its motivation is the same – the annihilation of the Jewish people”.Mark Moskowitz, a member of the International March of the Living board: “The Moskowitz family is honored to take part in bringing this critically important project to life — documenting the testimonies of three Kindertransport survivors as they retrace their journeys from oppression to freedom.  In the wake of October 7th and the subsequent unleashing of rabid worldwide antisemitism, the work of March of the Living in teaching the lessons of the Holocaust by facilitating Survivors to guide younger generations through their experiences, is more important than ever.   The dedication in honor of Henry and Rose Moskowitz is particularly fitting; much like the survivors featured in this documentary,  they were able to find hope amidst moments of immense despair in the Shoah and after the war, see a future of optimism and rebuilding for the Jewish people.”Journey of Hope: Retracing the Kindertransport after 85 Years will air on i24 News Saturday, January 27th  11:00 AM Israel time (4:00 AM EST) 8:30 PM Israel time (1:30 PM EST) Sunday January 28th 4:00AM Israel time (9 PM EST on 27th)FROM THE NEWSBritish Holocaust survivor who also lived through Hamas’ attack on Israel reveals why Palestinian terror group’s ambush was WORSE than the Nazi regime’s – on Memorial Day of the Auschwitz concentration camp’s liberation (Dailymail)Israel’s president hosts Kindertransport survivors on 85th anniversary of rescue operation (JNS)85 years later, president hosts Kindertransport survivors, draws link to October 7 (Times of Israel)לכל מלחמה התינוק שלה: “הייתי בן שנה וקצת כשנפרדתי מאימא, היא ידעה שלא תראה אותי שוב” (N12/Mako)יום השואה הבינלאומי: אותות הוקרה לשורדי שואה שניצלו במשלוחי הילדים ״הקינדרטרנספורט״ לפני 85 שנה בהם שורדת שניצלה מהטבח ב-7 לאוקטובר (Ynet) 

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If We Never See Each Other Again – Premiere on JBS

A film based on interviews with Kindertransport survivors from the USC Shoah Foundation, produced by the International March of the Living,…

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Journey of Hope: Retracing the Kindertransport after 85 Years

George Shefi, Paul Alexander & Walter Bingham near the Kindertransport memorial at Liverpool Street Station in London (Credit: Sam Churchill)[/caption] International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Honoring Kindertransport Survivors In the Shadow of the Hamas Terror Attack, March of the Living Joined Kindertransport Survivors on a Historic Journey Retracing their Escape from Nazi Germany 85 Years Ago Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, International March of the Living is launching a special documentary on the Kindertransport initiative to rescue some 15,000 Jewish children from Nazi Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia 85 years ago. The film will premiere on January 24, 2024, at a special reception honoring Kindertransport survivors in Israel, hosted by the President of Israeli Isaac Herzog and first lady Michal Herzog. “Journey of Hope: Retracing the Kindertransport after 85 Years” On October 8th, as war broke out in Israel following the horrific terror attack by Hamas, the survivor – who were due to travel to with March of the Living to retrace their escape from Nazi Germany – decided that their mission to remember the horrors of the Holocaust was more important than ever. The terror attack on Israel on October 7th brought back harrowing memories of the danger of antisemitism and hatred. Walter Bingham, Paul Alexander, and George Shefi Credit: Sam Churchill The three Kindertransport survivors, Walter Bingham (100), Paul Alexander (85), and George Shefi (92), retraced the journey they took as children 85 years ago, as part of a documentary produced by the International March of the Living. The film is dedicated by the Moskowitz Family in memory of Henry Moskowitz z”l and in honor of Rose Moskowitz. Henry Moskowitz z”l (courtesy) Together with International March of the Living CEO Scott Saunders and Deputy CEO Revital Yakin Krakovsky, the survivors – who now all live in Israel – flew back to their birthplace in Germany. In their former home, they visited the places where they grew up, walked the streets they once walked, entered the schools they once attended, and viewed the homes they once lived in. Accompanied by family members, they then travelled from Germany by train through the Netherlands, by boat to England, and then again by train to London’s Liverpool Street Station – the same journey they took 85 years ago. From left to right: George Shefi, Scott Saunders, Walter Bingham, Revital Yakin Krakovsky, Paul Alexander (Credit: Sam Churchill) Revital Yakin Krakovsky, Deputy CEO, International March of the Living, said, “We couldn’t have foreseen the events in Israel when planning this project. But against this backdrop, we nevertheless went ahead with this historic journey, reuniting three Holocaust survivors who were rescued from Nazi Germany 85 years ago. With this film, March of the Living continues to broaden its Holocaust education mission, by reminding the world where antisemitism and hate can lead. Never Again is Now.” The International March of the Living is grateful to the film’s sponsors: the Moskowitz family, the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in Israel, El Al Israel Airlines, and Leonardo Hotels for their contribution to the film: “We were touched by their immediate desire to take part in this historical educational initiative,” said Revital Yakin Krakovsky. On Kristallnacht, the Nazi soldiers, along with some German civilians, burned or vandalized over 7,000 Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. They also murdered 91 Jews and arrested 30,000 Jewish men, sending them to concentration camps. It marked a turning point in the Nazi persecution of the Jews and many people subsequently made the difficult decision to send their children away, alone. The Kindertransport Program helped see some 15,000 Jewish children find refuge and shelter, with most of them arriving in the UK. Walter Bingham was born in 1924 in the city of Karlsruhe, Germany. As a child he witnessed Hitler rise to power and saw first-hand the growing antisemitism in Germany. After returning to Israel following the journey he said, “What we have seen in Israel, October the 7th is not just a reminder of the past. It is the past repeating itself. We must educate the whole world about this terrible hatred of Jews and remind them what happens when people stand by in silence and indifference.” George (Spiegelglas) Shefi was born in Berlin in 1931. During the journey he said, “During Kristallnacht I was 8 years old. I slept through that night, and I was not allowed out of the home for three days. I will never forget what I saw when I went out: stores smashed, stores marked, and my synagogue and school completely burned. Seeing Jewish homes burned with families in them on October 7th is something that I never imagined could happen.” Paul Alexander, who was one year and seven months old when in July 1939 his mother put him on the train from Leipzig in the arms of a stranger in order to save his life, said: “I was born a year before Kristallnacht pogrom. As an infant child I did not experience antisemitism directly, my parents did. I was saved from the Holocaust because my parents had the extraordinary courage to send me away after the pogrom. Now, at the age of 85, when I see the extreme level of antisemitism around the world, I feel it as if it is directed to me. It is horrific and totally unacceptable.” The film will be broadcasted on I24 news on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27th, on 11:00 AM Israel time (4:00 AM EST); 8:30 PM Israel time (1:30 PM EST); Sunday January 28th 4:00AM Israel time (9 PM EST on 27th). The film will also be available on the International March of the Living website and social media channels.

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