THE EVOLUTION OF MEMORY THOUSANDS OF marchers carry Israeli flags as they walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau.(Yossi Zeliger) EDITOR’S NOTE: 30 YEARS OF MARCH OF THE LIVING he March of the Living Holocaust survivors from Auschwitz Yom Ha’atzmaut, this year the coun- brings students, Holocaust to Birkenau. They are joined by thou- try’s 70th anniversary. survivors and their families, sands of other people of goodwill – of Since the first March of the Living in educators and distinguished diverse backgrounds and faiths – as 1988, over 260,000 participants from Tleaders from all over the world to Po- they march side by side in memory of around the world have marched down land to commemorate Holocaust Re- all victims of Nazi genocide and against the same path leading from Auschwitz membrance Day. prejudice, intolerance and hate. to Birkenau. In Poland, their program includes From Poland, many participants trav- On April 12, 2018, some 12,000 visits to once thriving sites of Jewish el to Israel, the birthplace and home- people will march from Auschwitz to life and culture as well as sites of Jew- land of the Jewish People, where they Birkenau to proclaim: ish persecution and martyrdom. Then, commemorate Israel’s fallen soldiers on WE ARE HERE AND NEVER AGAIN! on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hazikaron (Remembrance Day) the students march arm in arm with and celebrate Israel’s independence on – David Brummer A special Jerusalem Report supplement TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 Greetings from Israeli Prime Minister 22 Survivors Who Built the State Benjamin Netanyahu Two nonagenarians who survived European inferno and fought in Israel’s War of Independence 6 Greetings from Canadian Prime Minister – By Eylon Levy Justin Trudeau 24 Sigmund Rolat 7 We Will Proudly Keep Their Last Will and Sigmund Rolat is the founding donor of POLIN Testament - The Museum of the History of Polish Jews – By Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot – By Robert Sarner 8 Confronting the Past 26 Still Fighting the Fight President Reuven Rivlin reflects on the 30th anniversary Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s posthumous stepsister, has of the March of the Living and Israel’s 70th anniversary devoted her life to Holocaust education and world peace 10 Holocaust Memory: A Daunting Imperative – By Kelly Hartog Phyllis Greenberg Heideman and Dr. Shmuel Rosenman on 28 Angels in the Shoah the impact of the March of the Living over 30 years Jerusalemite Betty Eppel tells her moving story of being 12 Voices from the Past hidden as a child in France during the Holocaust Rabi Yisrael Meir Lau, Yad Vashem Council Chairman, – By Steve Linde speaks about the importance of the March – By Annika Henroth-Rothstein 30 Memorial to Bill Glied A fond look back at the life and works of a March of the 14 A March Toward Prevention Living veteran from Canada who died in February John Farmer and Paul Miller write powerfully about the need to continue education about the Holocaust and 32 Healing Wounded Memories genocide - and the continuation of the March Amek Adler died on the day that he went to yet another school to teach his story of survival 16 Always Remember Who You Are – By Eli Rubenstein Three generations look back at previous marches and look forward to the evolution of memory in the future 34 Born in the Inferno – By David Brummer Angela Orosz was one of only two babies born in Auschwitz to survive the war; she writes an impassioned piece about 20 March of the Living Photo Gallery the dangers of not learning lessons from the past A gallery of images from the March of the Living over 30 years Front Cover: A Student Visits a Jewish Cemetery in Editors Poland during the March of the Living David Brummer and Steve Linde [PHOTO BY ROSEMARY GOLDHAR] Business Development Reut Levy Laursen Back Cover: March of the Living Participants Celebrate Israel’s Independence Day in Latrun. Graphic Designers [PHOTO BY YOSSI ZELIGER] Daniel Feigel, Hana Ben-Ano and Noam Elisha MARCH OF THE LIVING APRIL 2018 3 INTERNATIONAL OF THE LIVING Since 1988, the March of the Living has brought students, Holocaust survivors, educators and distinguished leaders from all over the world to Poland to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Poland, their program includes visits to once thriving sites of Jewish life and culture as well as sites of Jewish persecution and martyrdom. Then, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the students march arm in arm with Holocaust survivors from Auschwitz to Birkenau. They are joined by thousands of other people of goodwill - of diverse backgrounds and faiths - as they march side by side in memory of all victims of Nazi genocide and against prejudice, intolerance and hate. From Poland, many participants travel to Israel, the birthplace and homeland of the Jewish People, where they commemorate Israel’s fallen soldiers on Yom Hazikaron and celebrate Israel’s independence on Yom Ha’atsmaut. Since the first March of the Living in 1988, over 260,000 youth from around the world have marched down the same path leading from Auschwitz to Birkenau. On April 12, 2018 twelve thousand participants will march from Auschwitz to Birkenau to proclaim: WE ARE HERE AND NEVER AGAIN REMEMBER ENSURE THE PAST THE FUTURE MARCH OF THE LIVING APRIL 2018 5 Statement from the Prime Minister of Canada It is with great honour that I welcome you to March of the Living, commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today, we peacefully stand together in remembrance for the millions of Jews and countless others who were murdered during the Holocaust and to honour those who survived the Nazi atrocities. On this occasion, we join those around the world in observing this day and remembering their poignant stories. As we reflect on the painful lessons of the Holocaust, we recognize that our deeper knowledge of the event strengthens our commitment to never stand silently in the face of violence or hate in any form. It is important that we honour the memories of the Holocaust victims by educating successive generations and ensuring that we continue to defend the rights of our fellow humans. Thank you to the organizers of this remarkable event and to all students, survivors, educators and distinguished leaders for being in attendance today. Please accept my warmest regards and best wishes for a memorable event! Ottawa 2018 6 MARCH OF THE LIVING APRIL 2017 LT.-GEN. GADI EISENKOT leads the March of the Living last year. We Will Proudly Keep Their Last Will and Testament n rare occasions, the pass- tioned into the Israel Defense Forces security challenges facing us. ing of time does not allow and were immediately forced to stand We are blessed to have the great perspective, does not heal, for our future, in a battle for our coun- privilege of being born in a remark- and cannot offer an expla- try’s independence. able time in history, a time in which Onation to the events of the past. Several years later, the IDF’s rep- the people of Israel have an inde- Even 73 years after the Nazi killing resentatives returned to the death pendent national home – 70 years machine was eradicated, the Jewish factories, and by doing so, sent a of independence after 2,000 years Holocaust is impossible to digest. message of the IDF’s strength and of exile. In the passage of 70 years During that period, our people saw supremacy against any enemy. Each of independence the IDF is an oper- great darkness in Europe and in other one carrying a silent promise – to ational, advanced and leading army countries invaded by the Nazis, and remember forever. whose military strength is known to dared to dream of hope and a safe As commanders in the IDF, we have all his enemy’s. homeland. In the concentration the privilege and duty to preserve Our duty to assure the existence of camps and ghettos, in the valleys of the memory of the survivors and the State of Israel is not only towards death, in the hiding places and for- those who perished, to remember our family, friends, and citizens. It ests, our people wandered not know- and tell the stories of the victims, is an historic obligation to our peo- ing what their fate would be. their pain, and their hope. To edu- ple who stood unprotected and were A few years later, some of them were cate the generations who did not marched to their deaths, and to those marching in the lines of the Hagana get the chance to know the people who escaped. – holding a weapon, united as one, who were there, in the uncertainty of The blood of 6,000,000 victims men and women from all across the Europe, in humanity’s darkest hour. cries out to us – stand as the guards world. Knowing that the propitious To remember and keep our promise – we didn’t have, assure that Jewish time had come, the time to establish never again. blood will never again be abandoned. a safe home, to protect ourselves from The IDF, the shield of the Jewish We will proudly keep their last will any enemy. Understanding that the people, will forever stand in its obli- and testament, and continue to safe- time had arrived to assure that the gation to provide a safe haven for the guard the State of Israel, allowing it Nazis’ wish to destroy the Jewish peo- Jewish people, a place where we can to prosper and flourish. ple would never be fulfilled. live our lives, where we can create May the memory of our brothers When David Ben-Gurion confident- and develop a modern and innova- and sisters be a blessing.