RJC Abroad: Reflecting on the March of the Living

Today, on Yom HaShoah, I had the honor of marching alongside our RJC delegation and over 8,000 participants from 40 different countries from Auschwitz to Birkenau, as part of the March of the Living.

(RJC delegation joined by Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon)

We traveled by bus to Auschwitz where we listened to Shoah educators and heard powerful stories from Holocaust survivors who reminded us to, “Live with gratitude and hope”, and that “Freedom is precious, never take it for granted.”

Before the march began, we heard speeches from Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Polish President Andrzej Duda, who reminded us of the importance of being here together to remember, to honor, and never forget what happened. From the front of the line to the rear, thousands upon thousands of proud Zionists draped themselves in and waved Israeli flags, sang Hebrew songs, and danced—it went unspoken, but the message throughout was clear: our enemies have tried time and again to annihilate us, and we are still here, proudly and loudly. 

As we passed under the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” metal gate, out of Auschwitz, we were joined by a group of Israeli hostages freed from Hamas captivity, along with their families. Being in their presence was incredibly powerful and deeply emotional. On the grounds of Birkenau, Daniel Weiss, a survivor of the massacre at Kibbutz Be'eri whose parents were murdered on October 7th, sang Shir Hamaalot, accompanied by violinist Agam Berger, an IDF soldier taken hostage at the Nahal Oz army base and returned to Israel after 482 days in Hamas captivity. Agam played the ancient song on a 130-year-old violin that survived the Holocaust.

Never Again is Now. We must hold true to the promises and memories of the past and commit to ensure the horrors of the Shoah never happen again.

More to come, and I look forward to sharing updates with you as we travel to Jerusalem this evening.

Am Yisrael Chai.

Sincerely,

Norm Coleman
National Chairman, RJC