Past Participation Reflection
March of The Living has given me a chance to catch up on a lot of stuff I missed out on.
I have become friends with a lot of Jewish kids I would otherwise never have met.
No matter how much you read about the camps, the gas chambers, the pits; no words can describe what its like to go there and see it with your own eyes. It gave everything a new dimension of meaning.
I went on MOTL to bring all of that home and to share my experience with everyone. TAL - MELBOURNE
For me, Poland was the highlight of the March of Living experience. Not only did I learn so much about the Holocaust, I learnt so much about humanity and my place within society. HANNAH - MELBOURNE
Walking out of the doors I was soon confronted with a beautiful view over Jerusalem. My heart leapt with exhilaration due to my sudden realisation of what the landscape I was gazing over means to the Jewish people. A sense of security swept over me as I felt that as long as Israel exists our future as the Jewish nation is secured.
My journey from the darkness had finally turned to light. AIMEE - MELBOURNE
I walked into the cemetery not knowing where to put the plaque down. I looked around at the damaged and worn down tombstones, covered in vines, leaves and overgrown grass. I saw small tombstones which were not kept in good condition and large beautiful tombstones which were immaculately kept. It was evident that many of the tombstones had relatives or friends who came to visit. Some even had fresh flowers on the graves. I made my decision to place the plaque with my name and my cousin’s name on it at a grave which was neglected and hasn’t had anyone visit it in a while. As I placed the plaque, it came to me that I’m not only placing this for that one person who died but for everyone who was killed in the Lodz ghetto. JARED - SYDNEY
An experience I will never forget was our meeting with Polish-Jewish students. I was surprised that there were any practising Jews in Poland and even more surprised to learn that this number was growing! Throughout the day we learnt about what life was like as a Polish-Jew, and as a Pole in a country with such a history. To add to my surprise I learnt that Jewish history was an extremely popular subject amongst all the young Polish students, especially within the non-Jewish ones! To know that these students, not that much older than us, are actively seeking out what happened to us is a reassuring thought. I was relieved as well to finally meet a Pole as all I had known was out of books and what I had been told, I didn’t know what to expect JONATHAN - SYDNEY
after attending a school assembly run by the graduates of MOTL 2007, i decided in 12 months time, i would board a plane to Poland. For me, it was time to bring life to the black and white photos of my Holocaust textbooks and i could not think of a more suitable place to initiate my quest for understanding.
JESS - MELBOURNE
The Holocaust was horrific and a tragedy, one of the darkest moments in history but I had no connection to it as my family grew up safely in
South Africa. The word ‘responsibility’ kept jumping into my mind.
Who is responsible for carrying the memory of what happened and passing it on to generations to follow? If not me, than who.
I felt that it was my duty to witness what took place and see all the evidence of this most horrific event. I felt I had to listen and learn from the survivors, carry their stories with me and never take my life for granted. I had to be a part of this experience and bring the Holocaust close to me as a Jew by representing my people and marching as a united group of absolute equals. This was one mission I had to take part in and I hopefully have carried messages and memories into my life and will never forget
BENJY - SYDNEY
Carol Pearson once said “there is often in people in whom the worst has happened an almost transcendent freedom for they have faced the worst and survived it”.
I can think of no better way to describe the two survivors who accompanied us on March of the Living,
Henry Neufeld and Joe Schwarzberg. It was an incredible experience to travel through Poland with two men who had seen this country at both its best and its worst. As Chanachim of March, we went as observers; these men went as our witnesses. As they recounted their experiences during the holocaust, we were enveloped into their lives, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I’ll never forget what they shared with us. EMILY - SYDNEY
Yom Hazikaron, is the national holiday where Israel unites to remember her Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. A few minutes before 11 our busses pulled off the road and we all stood silently remembering. At exactly 11 o’ clock, what I have only heard about was about to become so real to me. Sirens sounded simultaneously across the whole country, cars pulled off the road, and the drivers got out like us to remember, everything stopped, everything and everyone was silent in thought
JAIMIE - SYDNEY
The day of independence, Yom Ha’aztmaut….. We could not just simply forget what we had seen. We could not just forget what we spent a whole week trying to engrave in our memories! We CHOSE to march once more. Once more we marched, but this time, we marched to freedom, towards the Kotel, our most prolific point of unification. I stopped and stared at 10 000 young Jewish faces CHOOSING to march, going to a place 6 million never got the chance to go. 10 000 young Jewish hands touching the brick walls of the holy Kotel, 10 000 young Jewish lips uttering ‘never again’ so powerfully. Those 6 million never saw the striking blue and white balloons on the sidewalk, the pinstriped and magen david adorned Israeli flag blowing like a perfect picture in the wind.
They never heard the words Am YIsrael Chai echoing through the streets of beautifully golden Jerusalem.
I fulfilled my purpose, that day, I fulfilled my duty. Even if I had gained nothing else been taught nothing more in the most memorable 2 weeks of my life, I can say I gained one powerful message that day. Israel is MY home, the Jewish people are MY people, and I can never, never forget this
JODI - SYDNEY
Reflecting back on my time in Israel, there were moments that brought our group even closer together. Moments that varied from standing on the side of the road during Yom Hazikharon deep in reflection, to moments of pure excitement such as the celebrations of Israel’s 60th birthday. We bonded through moments of fun and moments of solidarity, soaking up every minute of it.Most of us threw ourselves into Israeli culture, spending money on clothes, music and mostly presents for those back home. More significantly than that, however, we felt an incredible bond to the country, and to all the Jewish youth that had travelled from around the world to share the celebrations of Israel’s 60th birthday. I feel an amazing strength when I look back on my times in Israel, and the connection that we, as global teenagers shared even though we came from different backgrounds and cultures.
SIVAN - SYDNEY
A life changing experience - an expression underrated yet overused. but in describing March of the Living and the experiences we shared through this trip there is no saying more fitting and no more appropriate than exactly that. March of the Living was an experience that changed my life, in every sense of the meaning.. it has transformed the way i view life, people and issues.and most importantly, it has opened up my eyes to the frightening contrast of the harshest actions of mankind and yet the lack of action of humanity.
DEAN - MELBO
I embarked on the March of the Living seeking meaning and slightly naively, understanding. What i found were only more questions. Questions that i still don't have the answers to but from which i draw my values and attempt to shape the person i am. A participant doesnt simply 'go' on March and return three weeks later. A participant sees, feels, remembers and learns. And if he's lucky, in a matter of time, he will begin to understand what he's learnt.
JESS - MELBOURNE
Somehow going on this trip fitted inside my brain, somewhere and somehow. I didn’t know how then and to a degree I still don’t know now. I think even those people who tell themselves they know exactly why they desire to go on the trip don’t truly know their real reasons.
For me, going on March taught me about my own family, things that I didn’t know and more so things that I didn’t want to believe. It taught me about humanity, the bleakness of people and society and also about the righteousness of some. It taught me and still does every day, about myself. For these reasons I went on March of the Living. Joel – Victoria
The actual march from Auschwitz to Birkenau was a very spiritual and solemn time. Treasuring the silence, walking hand in hand, we retraced the steps of the actual route thousands of Jews took on their way to the gas chambers at Birkenau. Proudly we stood under the Australian sign and followed the train tracks along with 8000 others, Jewish and non Jewish, commemorating those who had perished, until we arrived at the Birkenau station. Everyone showed their respect in different ways; however the Australian contingent marched in silence so that the dead could hear our footsteps. Tal - nsw
We experienced a deep sense of happiness and pride as we were now marching not only for those who perished and suffered during the Holocaust, but also for us – the living. Our march was a final statement as if to say: We are still here, and as long as we are – we will never forget. Tyrone – Victoria
When we arrived we were faced with a memorial. A huge memorial, tributing to the loss of life. There we had a view of the entire camp, and I don’t understand how something so visible to the public was ignored and how no one stepped in to stop what was happening. Michael - nsw
Bringing life back to that shul was one of the most important things we did in Poland, not just for us, but for those who sang there before us.
Still, as we sang, I could not help but look over at the empty space where the ark should have been. Despite our efforts, it was almost as if while the stunning body of the shul was still intact, its soul and spirit, its torah and its community, were long gone. Tali – victoria
We spent our Shabbat weekend in Warsaw with hundreds of other March participants from all over the world. This was an experience to be remembered. It was terrific to see Jewish youth celebrating Shabbat as one. This was no ordinary Shabbat, in the middle of dinner we had a ruach session which carried on for most of the meal. That evening we had time to converse with the other students in our hotel lobby, giving us an opportunity to make new friends. On the Saturday morning we went to a shul near the hotel where many of the March participants joined us. At lunch we were privileged to have as our guest the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich. Warsaw was a perfect place for our Shabbat experience. Natalie and Michael – victoria
We scrubbed and struggled with matzevah after matzevah. After we were done we gathered together, locked arms and sang John Lennon’s song, ‘Imagine’, a song about the dream of a world without war, violence or hate, a world of tolerance and love. This was a new experience for me, and I’m sure for everyone else who was there. I enjoyed the concept of a place of grief, becoming a place of song and togetherness. - Gary – victoria
Along with all the Australian participants and some Polish students who had joined us, we overlooked a grave yard which was a huge space in a forest with many graves broken, buried and left nameless. For hours we cleaned and excavated gravestones which had been bashed, broken and vandalised during and after the war. This experience was an extremely fulfilling one for all of us.
Personally, I felt extremely satisfied to know that I along with everyone else were restoring graves which had been buried for years, at time it was not just simply brushing of dirt from these graves we would rip huge amounts of soil that was on top and recover these grave stones. One memory I share with another participant was we uncovered a tomb stone which was intact and writing still deeply engraved and we found out it was a Levi. This was truly rewarding.
It was amazing that all of us together could do such a selfless act. Alyce – nsw
Waking up to sore throats and aching feet we marched wrapped in Israeli flags hand in hand with Jews from all over the world from Safra Square to the kotel. Our spirits were high and the energy was astounding. The atmosphere was buzzing with bongos and songs. We arrived at the Kotel, where we continued to celebrate with song and dance. The Western wall was packed with young Jews trying to squeeze their way to the front in order to place their small note of prayers. Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel, standing next to an Israeli, attempting to talk Hebrew, listening to Jewish music is a memory we will never forget.
We continued our week touring, shopping, eating felafel, climbing Masada, camel riding, floating in the Dead Sea and drinking tea in Bedouin tents. We were in Israel, and it felt like home. Sera & Brogan – vict
. The trip was overwhelming – overwhelming is an understatement. But these two weeks of our lives will take more than a lifetime of thought and introspection to really grasp. I was nervous, when first returning to Melbourne after such an experience, that the things that I had gained would be lost amongst the busy life of a young student – in fact these things have independently developed themselves without any conscious effort of my own. Every day I make a new discovery when remembering an old memory. March of the living is a memory, which will grow with us as we do, a memory which we will embrace and hold close to our hearts. Joel - vic
This experience has shown me that our role in the Jewish world is vital .We need to impart to others, both within and outside of our community the lessons of the Holocaust and the value and importance of Israel.
To share these experiences with my friends, to meet Jewish people of my age from around the world, to know that we were there in the shared experience of continuity for the Jewish people, to truly understand our history,…all of this ensured for me that the March of the Living experience changed me forever- A truly unique experience that no Jew should miss out on.. BRETT - Melbourne
Now, looking back and seeing photos, diaries and movies from the Holocaust period, they have become much more meaningful to me. It is not that I received the answers I was longing for, or that I can truly understand the Shoah. I cannot. It is rather the profound meaning and wisdom, which I believe, each participant has acquired and the realisation that this knowledge must be passed down, and remembered. JUSTIN – Melbourne
The survivors that accompanied us emphasized the importance of survivors, not only as first hand witnesses to some of the horrific events encountered in the Shoah but also for hope and inspiration for future generations.
Unfortunately the survivors of the Shoah won’t be alive for much longer so it is important to acknowledge them whilst we still have the privilege to see them, hear them and continue to pass on their unique and courageous stories of survival. LAURA – Sydney
After experiencing such diverse emotions in Poland, the group was ready to enter their next stage on the March of the Living journey. I didn’t have any expectations of what I was going to feel in Israel after understanding and experiencing the program in Poland. I was anxious yet very excited. The transition was very impacting as Israel’s itinerary was very uplifting and jubilant in comparison to Poland. Israel combined with Poland was a learning curve for me, coming to senses with many unanswered questions. We all boarded the plane. All of us. It was incredible, and I speak on behalf of everyone else, it felt like we were going home. DAVID - Sydney
After we placed roses beside the Wall of Remembrance, there was a short ceremony in which people from all countries spoke about the importance of the day. And then, in the blink of an eye, in the sound of a trumpet, like a wave crashing down, the mood ferociously changed once again, from despair to celebration, from sadness to joy, because the day of Independence had arrived. NADAV – Melbourne
March of the Living was more than just a 2 week trip. It was a learning experience that changed my view on the world. It is a journey that has already started to guide me on my path into the future and I know it will continue to stay with me for the rest of my life. TYGER-LEE Melbourne
