An Introduction

On April 16, 2007, thousands of Jewish teens from countries around the world will share in a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they march the three-kilometre distance separating Auschwitz from Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built by the Nazis during World War II. You could be there — along with hundreds of other Canadians taking part in this event.

The March takes place on Yom Hashoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day — established in memory of the six million Jews who perished during the war.

As one of the marchers representing some thirty nations, you will walk hand in hand in silent tribute to all victims of the Holocaust and in memory of the hundreds of thousands of Jews forced by the Nazis to cross vast expanses of Poland’s terrain under the harshest of conditions — the infamous “death marches”.

During the March of the Living, you will join thousands of Jewish youth like yourself making the affirmation: “Am Yisrael Chai — The People of Israel Live!” You will march in silence through the gates of Birkenau, joining hands, and holding aloft the blue and white flag of Israel with the Star of David emblazoned on it.

From Poland you will proceed to Israel and on April 24th, Yom Ha’atsmaut, you will join with the entire country as they celebrate Israel’s 59th Independence Day.

Yom Hashoah and Yom Ha’atsmaut are two of the most important dates in modern Jewish times. By taking part in this special event along with thousands of other Jewish youth, you will share an unforgettable moment in history and bear witness to the undying spirit of the Jewish people. Those who participated in previous “Marches” (first held in 1988) returned home with a new sense of themselves, their people and their history. It was an experience that will remain with them for a lifetime.

Canadian Participation

Approximately 400 Jewish high school students, from a variety of religious and educational backgrounds all across Canada, are expected to participate in the 2007 March. The group will be accompanied by chaperones, including Holocaust survivors, educators, and religious leaders. The March of the Living will bring together Jewish youth from Israel, Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, France, Great Britain (and other European countries), South Africa, South America and Australia. There will also be groups from Eastern Europe — the countries of the former Soviet Union, Hungary and Romania.

Canadian participants in the 2007 March of the Living will have an opportunity to meet many of the teenagers from around the world who are also taking part in the event. Together you will share in the moments of sadness and joy, as you begin to form new friendships with one another.

Eligibility & Participation

All participants in the 2007 March of the Living will be carefully chosen and acceptance will be based upon emotional maturity and academic ability. In addition, applicants will be requested to submit an essay and attend a personal interview in order to qualify for the program. If you are accepted, you will be expected to attend several educational seminars specifically created for the March of the Living. These seminars are designed to equip you with basic knowledge and background on the Holocaust and Israel prior to your departure. Key themes include: the duty to remember, the meaning of Jewish identity, the richness and diversity of Jewish life in pre-war Europe, the history of anti-Semitism & the dangers of racism, the rise of Nazi Germany and the destruction of European Jewry, the birth of the modern Zionist movement and the State of Israel.

The MOL Program

• In Poland: The program will include visits to a number of Polish cities, towns and villages that were once vibrant centres of Jewish life and learning. You will be taken to historic sites in Warsaw (the ghetto memorial, Mila 18, the Jewish Cemetery), Cracow (the Jewish Quarter, the Ramah Synagogue) and Lublin (the famous Yeshivat Chacmei Lublin). You will also visit the concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek and Treblinka where much of European Jewry was annihilated. Your stay in Poland will be marked by special observances, culminating with the March of the Living itself on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
  
  
• In Israel: The program will combine visits to a number of exciting locations and ancient sites, including Jerusalem (the Western Wall), Masada, the Sea of Galilee, Tel Aviv, the Negev and more. During your stay in Israel, you will take part in many special events organized specifically for participants in the 2007 March of the Living. On Yom Hazikaron – Israel’s Remembrance Day – students will take part in ceremonies honoring Israel’s soldiers who gave their lives in defense of their country. The next evening will include a stirring tribute to the 59th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. On April 24th, Israel’s Independence Day, all the groups from around the world, joined by hundreds of young Israelis, will come together one last time to participate in a colourful and exciting finale in celebration of Israel’s national birthday.

Your visit to Poland and Israel will be a study in contrasts. In Poland you will search for traces of a world that is no more. You will discover that, of the hundreds of Jewish schools, synagogues and institutions that existed in Warsaw before the war, almost all that remains is one sparsely attended synagogue (used by the Nazis as a stable during the war) and the centuries-old Jewish cemetery that was left relatively untouched by the Nazis during their occupation of Warsaw.

Like many others you may leave Poland still wondering how it was possible for the destruction of an entire generation of Jews to occur — but you will pledge to yourself to keep their memory alive. Yet, even in Poland there will be moments of hope. You will have the opportunity to connect with a new generation of Polish Jews who are committed to keeping Judaism alive in Poland. And you will meet with young non-Jewish Polish students to discuss our shared past and to build bridges between our two cultures.

When you arrive in Israel you will encounter a country that is striving valiantly to keep the age-old flame of Jewish nationhood alive. On Yom Hazikaron you will cry together with all of Israel as they mourn their fallen soldiers and on Yom Ha’atsmaut you will dance in the streets of Jerusalem as you celebrate Israel’s independence along with the entire country.

The Holocaust is a stark reminder of the anguish of our past — but Israel represents the hope of our future. This experience will show you how important both aspects are to your identity as a Jewish teenager living at the start of the new millennium.

Passing on the Legacy – Becoming a Witness

Sadly, with each passing year, fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors are able to take part in the two-week journey to Poland and Israel.

You are the last generation of Jewish youth privileged to listen to Holocaust survivors share their experiences – firsthand – in the places where their personal stories transpired.

On the 2007 March of the Living, you will visit the towns where the survivors and their families once lived and thrived … you will travel to the places where some were hidden by compassionate neighbors, and others were mercilessly handed over to the Nazis.
You will witness the sites of their imprisonment and torture, the camps where their friends and families perished … and from where they were, ultimately, liberated.

As the survivors speak, you will hang on to every word describing their heroic struggle to remain alive in the face of the most evil terror humanity has ever known … and you will vow to never forget their stories.

As one survivor and past participant in the March of the Living has said, “When you listen to a witness, you become a witness…”

The Cost

The estimated fee for the trip is CDN$3750, subject to a possible fluctuation of up to 10%. (Final fees will be confirmed by the end of 2006.) Tips, Medical Forms and other expenses are extra. The Canadian March of the Living program is coordinated by Canada Israel Experience, a department of UIA Federations Canada, and is subsidized by local UJA/CJA Federation campaigns and UIA Federations Canada.