“Our Liberation: Stories of Holocaust Survivors’ Road to Freedom”

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the International March of the Living and the March of the Living Digital Archive invite you to join us on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, for the premiere of the film “Our Liberation: Stories of Holocaust Survivors’ Road to Freedom“. Click on the video player below to watch the film.  On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the greatest mass murder in human history, where over 1 million of Hitler’s 6 million Jewish victims perished. As the world commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the film tells the moving stories of six Holocaust survivors, as they revisit that pivotal moment in their lives, when Allied troops overran the Nazi death camps, and gave the survivors the Freedom they so deeply yearned for.“Our Liberation” is directed and produced by Naomi Wise. The Holocaust survivors featured in the film are all connected to the March of the Living. They are: Miriam Ziegler, Faigie Libman, Robert Engel Z”L, Ernest Ehrmann, Howard Kleinberg Z”L and Joe Mandel.The first of the six stories, features the poignant return of Toronto resident Miriam Ziegler, to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the infamous Nazi Dr. Joseph Mengele performed medical experiments on her when she was just a child. Pictured in the photo (second from the left) at nine years old, she is holding her arm out with her Auschwitz tattoo number, because the Russian soldier asked her for her name and she instinctively showed him the number on her arm – That was her natural reaction in Auschwitz.Click on the video player below to watch a promo for the special broadcast premiere of the filmon i24News. 

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Alumni Spotlight: Jan Burns (’12), BJE LA Adult Delegation, USA

Jan Burns (BJE LA Adults ’12), AuthorThis week we are proud to feature Jan Burns, an alumna from the BJE LA Adult Delegation in California. Inspired by her experience on the March of the Living, Jan went on to author a book compiling the stories of the survivors who accompanied her on her March of the Living experience. I traveled to Poland on the March of the Living with the BJE Los Angeles Adult delegation in 2012, inspired by my daughter who had made the trip two years earlier as a high school senior. I was excited and terrified to go. I felt a push and pull between wanting to hear, see and be a witness to the Holocaust but also a fear of doing so, not knowing what kind of emotional impact it would have on me. The most powerful impact of my journey was my encounter with the survivors I met on the March. They inspired me with their willingness to share their stories and the life lessons they gained from those experiences.  After returning home I wanted to find a way to keep the experience of the March alive, both for myself and for the students from the LA delegation. I came up with the idea of interviewing the survivors from our trip for a book as a way of preserving and sharing their stories. The following year I published March of the Living ~ Our Stories, a collection of their stories created from my interviews. I hope the book, gifted to the LA BJE delegates, will provide a means for them to share their experiences on the March and the survivor stories they hear, with their children and grandchildren, enabling future generations to read these first-hand accounts.  March of the Living ~ Our Stories was the first piece of writing I’d ever published and the experience opened the door to a new area of creative expression for me. I have since had several memoir stories published. Having written a book has also afforded me the opportunity to speak about the Holocaust and the March in schools and synagogues in California, Arizona, and London. In this way I have become a witness for the next generation.

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Fireside Chat with Ron Dermer

International March of the Living Fireside Chat featuring Ron Dermer, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, aired on Sunday, January 17, 2021.To watch the program, click here or on the video player below. Ambassador Dermer participated in the 2018 March of the Living, along with his wife Rhoda. On Erev Yom HaShoah, he delivered the keynote address during our solemn ceremony at the Krakow Opera House, which left an indelible impression on all privileged to hear it.This program featured Ambassador Dermer having a personal conversation with Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, President of the International March of the Living.

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Statement on the passing of Sheldon Adelson

Together with the entire Jewish world, International March of the Living mourns the passing of our dear friend Sheldon Adelson, z’l. A…

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Alumni Spotlight: Orit Brener (’17), Argentina

Orit Brener (Yeshurun Torá, Argentina '17), Founder and Project Manager, Remember UsThis week we are proud to feature Orit Brener, an alumna from Yeshurun Tora and March of the Living Argentina. Inspired by her experience on the March of the Living, Orit went on to found the organization Remember Us, dedicated to preserving the memory of the victims of the Shoah. I never expected to travel to Poland at all but at the age of 16, I won a full scholarship to attend the March of the Living with my school, Yeshurun Tora, in Buenos Aires.On that trip, in 2017, the first place we visited was the Warsaw Jewish cemetery. This cemetery is different from others, not just because of the fact that it has been affected by many earthquakes but because each headstone carries a specific symbol that alludes to an attribute of the person the headstone belongs to. It was amazing that, in some way, we were able to get to know characteristics of people who died thousands of years ago, not just by their names or age.At some point, we stopped at an open field.I asked our guide: “Why is there so much empty space? They could have rebuilt the graves that were affected by nature disasters.” “These are mass graves,” he answered. “At the time of the Shoah they didn’t have enough time to give each person the grave they deserved.” I felt so unsettled. These people have no memory or legacy – no headstone or name nor date. I yearned to know who were resting there, at least their names, but I couldn’t because nobody knew.    We continued the amazing journey that is the March of the Living in both Poland and in Israel and then returned to Argentina. The whole program was something incredible but I couldn’t stop thinking about those people in the cemetery, and their families who didn’t survive to remember their legacy. This is how Remember Us began, a project that intends to shine a light on the 6 million Jewish souls who perished in the Shoah by remembering each one of them. We implement this through our webpage, in which we provide a name and the story of a Shoah victim.During the year we organize different events and workshops, especially for the youth. One of our biggest annual events is “Marchando por sus Vidas” (Marching for their Lives), a march organized by Remember Us, together with March of the Living Argentina and the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum, at the same time that The March in Poland is held.In 2019, more than 650 participants arrived to our first March, among them, representatives from the Argentinian government, the Poland and Germany Embassy as well as Holocaust survivors. Each person received a name from our database and marched in the name of that victim, having, at least for one day, someone to remember him. Despite the era of Coronavirus, we continue, stronger than ever, inspiring and spreading the importance of remembrance and our role in it.The March of the Living is not just a trip; it’s a possibility to open one’s eyes for what’s important in life.

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“Blind Love” Film Screening & Q&A

On December 22, 2020, the International March of the Living held an Exclusive Screening and Q&A of “Blind Love: A Holocaust Journey through Poland with Man’s Best Friend.” The Q&A featured a discussion between the film’s producer and Director of Education for the International March of the Living, Eli Rubenstein and Liron Artzi, a March of the Living alumna from the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind. Blind Love recounts a trip to Poland of six blind Israelis and their guide dogs who took part in the annual March of the Living, where they visited once thriving sites of Jewish life and culture. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the blind participants and their guide dogs marched from Auschwitz-Birkenau in memory of the victims of Nazi genocide and against prejudice, intolerance and hate.The Q&A portion was recorded, however the film will not be posted publicly. Learn more about how to view the film by clicking on the button below. REQUEST A PREVIEW LINK DOWNLOAD THE TEACHERS GUIDE Click on the video players below to watch the trailer and to learn more about the film.  “Following the March of the Living ceremony in Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day, I thanked the delegation of blind marchers for joining us on our journey through Poland. One of the women softly uttered profound words which I carry with me always and which I shall never forget: 'I saw nothing…..but I felt everything.' Those words, I believe, symbolize the essence and the impact of the March of the Living.” Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, President, International March of the Living To request a preview link to view the International March of the Living’s film “Blind Love: A Holocaust Journey through Poland with Man’s Best Friend,” please fill out the form below: Blind Love Request Name * First Last * Last Email * Phone Country AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCôte d'IvoireCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuracaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint BarthelemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe State (USA) AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming How do you plan to use the film? * Educational Purposes Zoom Screening OtherOther How would you best describe yourself? * Alum Educator Lay Leader Parent Organizational Leader Rabbi Suvivor Tour Guide OtherOther Have you been on the March? * YesNo Year(s)? 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Alumni Spotlight: Dafna Michaelson Jenet (’90, Staff ’98-’00), Colorado, USA

Dafna Michaelson Jenet (’90, Staff ’98-’00), Colorado House of RepresentativesThis week, on the occasion of Chanukah, a holiday that brings light onto the world, we are honored to feature Colorado State Representative and March of the Living Alumna Dafna Michaelson Jenet. In the ultimate expression of bringing light onto the world, she is responsible for creating, and recently successfully passing a bill that has made Holocaust and Genocide Education mandatory in the state of Colorado. I attended the March of the Living in 1990, on the second March. After hearing about the trip on a BBYO Shabbaton, I knew it was something I was destined to do. They were offering a scholarship and I fought with everything that I had to receive it. I have been consumed by Holocaust history ever since I was a young kid; my family lost over 56 members on my maternal father’s side and countless more on my paternal side. I knew I had to do this and experience for myself what I could of my family history. I felt deeply rooted while standing in the Warsaw Jewish cemetery. It’s hard to explain but I felt more at “home” in that spot in Poland than anywhere else in the world, yet, I felt disassociated from the experience – I could not cry. Flying from Poland to Israel and seeing the entire shape of the country lit up from the airplane window was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. I finally started to cry and was able to release all of that emotion – understanding that I had walked on the hallowed ground of Auschwitz and Birkenau, where my family was almost decimated, and was now entering Israel where I felt safe to cry and experience what I just witnessed. This moment renewed my love for the land of Israel and gratitude for her existence. Upon returning home, I started to talk about my experience in the public-school system. During one such talk, a 4th grader told me “but I thought all Jews were dead.” This shocking moment taught me that it was critical to talk not only about the genocide of my people, but also about the vibrancy of the Jewish community. I went on to study in Stern College (where I met up with several March of the Living alumni) and then became the Director of the Holocaust Awareness Institute at the University of Denver. I attended the first March of the Living reunion in Israel and spoke at the Kotel at that event – a real personal triumph for me. There I was recruited to run March of the Living for the Board of Jewish Education in New York and subsequently attended the program three more times. After working for over 20 years in the Jewish nonprofit arena, I decided to run for public office in Colorado, in a quest to become a problem solver, instead of always searching for answers. I have just been reelected to my 3rd term in the Colorado House of Representatives. One of my proudest achievements was starting a bill in the house, which subsequently became law in the state of Colorado, that in order to receive your HS diploma you must complete Holocaust and genocide education. All members signed on and became co-sponsors. In a time of great political divide, that’s a miracle.Click here to read the bill »

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Remembering Howard Kleinberg, z”l

We mourn the loss of Holocaust survivor and March of the Living educator, Howard Kleinberg, z”l, (1926-2020), a well-known and much beloved Auschwitz…

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MOTL commends the Government of Canada on the recent appointment of Irwin Cotler as Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism in Canada

Professor Cotler, Chairman of the Raul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, is one of the world’s foremost human rights advocates, and…

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Survivor Speaker Series: Mania Hudy

On Thursday, December 3, 2020, the International March of the Living held another “When you listen to a witness, you become a witness” Survivor Speaker Series featuring Mania Hudy, from Canada, in an inspirational Q & A with Dalia Mizrachi, Educator and active member of Fundacion Amigos de Yad Vashem Panama – EMET.This program was held in partnership with Fundacion Amigos de Yad Vashem Panama – EMET and March of the Living Toronto.Click on the video player below to watch the full recording of the program.  Mania Hudy’s story is one of highs and lows. Mania, known affectionately to all who know her as “Buba,” was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1933. She lived a comfortable childhood until the Germans invaded in 1939. When her family was forced into the ghetto, Mania, at just seven years old, smuggled food in to help feed her family, due to her Aryan appearance. When Mania fell ill at the age of 10 with typhus, she and her brother escaped to hide with a non-Jewish couple in a forest. After being expelled from the farmhouse, Mania was sent on a train to Auschwitz with other Polish prisoners, yet ended up in Bergen-Belsen. She survived and was liberated by the American army in 1945.After the war, Mania miraculously reunited with her mother and siblings and immigrated to Israel by way of France. She then went on to live in Argentina for over a decade. She currently resides in Toronto, Canada and has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.Mania finds incredible strength in sharing her story with the next generation.

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