AUSCHWITZ, Poland (Press Release) — The 36th annual March of the Living took place Monday on Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day, traversing the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in memory of the Jews murdered in the Holocaust and in honor of those who survived. Over 8,000 people participated in the March, renewing the eternal call of “Never Again.”
This year’s March was led by 55 Holocaust survivors from countries around the world. They were joined by thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish students and adults from around the globe, university presidents from campuses in the United States and Canada, a global delegation of top TikTok creators, and a Transnational Law Enforcement delegation.
Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration and extermination camp complex, stands as a harrowing symbol of the Holocaust’s atrocities. Over 1.1 million individuals, primarily Jews, perished in the gas chambers or from starvation and disease there. Auschwitz serves as a solemn reminder of the depths of human depravity and the urgent need to remember and educate future generations about the horrors of genocide.
Addressing the ceremony at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nate Leipciger, who survived Auschwitz, said, “I stood here over 80 years ago. My family’s ashes are spread all over this site. They and all those killed here are testimony to the worst hatred humanity has ever seen. That is why I marched here today. And this is why I say to you today: We must stand up to antisemitism and fight hate and falsehood wherever we are. And that is what we will do. Am Yisrael Chai.”
Addressing the ceremony via video message, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “This year, the darkest tragedies of our past do not feel so distant. Although the Holocaust stands alone in the history of human crimes, we have been grieving deep tragedy over the past months. The sickness of blind hatred has been unleashed, once again, in our own world and time. May your March go forth proudly this year. May it carry the history of everyone who has ever fought for justice and humanity in the face of hatred. And may it send a resounding call for freedom for every last hostage, for the values of justice, democracy, humanity and life across the world.”
Among the Holocaust survivors who marched were seven who were personally impacted by the October 7th attack in Israel. They marched alongside several former hostages released from Hamas captivity, along with families of Israeli hostages, bereaved families, wounded survivors, and mayors from the south of Israel. The delegation was organized by the Menomadin Foundation under the leadership of Haim Taib, a third-generation Holocaust survivor from Tunisia.
Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, President of International March of the Living said, “This year’s March of the Living holds profound significance, as the horrors of the past intertwine with the present ongoing nightmare faced by the State of Israel. The recent incomprehensible massacre on October 7 serves as a constant reminder of the persistent threat posed by antisemitic hatred. This year, more than ever, we understand why preserving the memory of the Holocaust is still essential. Fighting against the continuous and overwhelming wave of antisemitism makes the March of the Living’s mission to remember more important and more relevant than ever. We will strenuously continue to teach about the history of the Holocaust, and we will continue to stand together against antisemitism.”
Haim Taib, Founder and President of the Menomadin Group, said, “History has proven over and over that the Jewish people are very strong. I stand here with you today with a group of people who survived the Holocaust, and those who survived the attack on October 7. Together, they represent the enduring strength and enduring hope of our people.”
This year’s commemorations also saw a separate March of the Living in Budapest on Sunday, the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking 80 years since the destruction of Hungarian Jewry during the Holocaust. Led by 80 Hungarian Holocaust survivors and joined by thousands of others, the March began at the Dohany Synagogue adjacent to the birthplace of Theodore Herzl-the father of modern Zionism-and concluded with a ceremony at the Keleti Train Station where the first deportation of Jews from Budapest to Auschwitz-Birkenau took place. Following the formal ceremony, a “Train of the Living” of hundreds of Hungarian students departed for Auschwitz on an educational journey retracing the path of the death transports from Hungary.
Over 550,000 Hungarian Jews perished in the final stages of World War II. Within a span of weeks in the Spring of 1944, the majority of these victims met their life’s end in Auschwitz-Birkenau or during death marches to Austria. Close to 15,000 people were murdered per day and tens of thousands were tragically slain along the banks of the Danube in Budapest.
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Preceding provided by the March of the Living