March of the Living: a life-changing experience

By Jo Michaels--
In late April every year, participants from across the globe take part in a unique program guaranteed to change the way they look at the world. The March of the Living (MOL) - sponsored in Toronto by UJA Federation - is a two-week international program featuring a trek to Polish concentration camp sites, coinciding with Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) followed by a trip to Israel to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day).

The goal of the MOL has always been to educate Jewish teenagers about the Holocaust and to inspire them to do what they can to ensure that the Shoah never happens again. Today it is not just young people who experience all that the MOL has to offer, but adults as well. The Adult March of the Living was modeled after the teen March and this year’s sojourn to Poland and Israel promises to be especially exciting and meaningful as Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Participants will march the three kilometers from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp built during World War II. Upon arriving in Israel, they will take part in tours of the country and Israel’s exciting 60th anniversary celebrations.

Cyndy Rosenthal, along with her husband Ron, will be chairing this year’s Adult MOL. Rosenthal, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, remembers asking her father, Jack Rapoport throughout her childhood, about the number B4449 tattooed on his arm.

“I didn’t truly understand what he was saying until I took part in the 2007 Adult March of the Living,” says Rosenthal. “This is a journey that everyone should take - Jews and non-Jews alike. It takes you back in time and allows you to see what can happen when power is violently abused. I had no true understanding of who I was or who my parents were until I walked those three kilometers and heard the names of those who had died being read out loud as I entered Birkenau. I felt the stories I had heard all my life come alive inside of me.”

The Adult MOL is open to all who make a minimum family gift of $1,000 to UJA Federation’s Campaign 2009. Those interested in participating in the year’s Adult MOL are encouraged to attend an information meeting on October 23 on the 4th Floor of the Lipa Green Building, 4600 Bathurst Street, or call 416. 631.5671.