March of the Living

March of the Living
Native name Marsz Żywych (Polish), מצעד החיים (Hebrew)
DateMarch or April annually
LocationAuschwitz-Birkenau, Poland
TypeMarch
ThemeThe Holocaust
CauseHolocaust remembrance and education
ParticipantsStudents, Holocaust survivors, dignitaries
Websitehttps://motl.org

The March of the Living (Hebrew: מצעד החיים, Mits'ad HaKhayim; Polish: Marsz Żywych) is an annual educational program which brings students from around the world to Poland, where they explore the remnants of the Holocaust. On Holocaust Memorial Day observed in the Jewish calendar (Yom HaShoah), thousands of participants march silently from Auschwitz to Birkenau.

The March of the Living was founded in 1988, under the leadership of Israeli Likud politician Abraham Hirchson, Shmuel Rosenman, and Israeli attorney Baruch Adler, a child of a Holocaust survivor who was hidden by one of the Righteous Among the Nations.[1][2][3] Since its inception, almost 300,000 participants – including world leaders, educators, Holocaust survivors and students – have taken part in the program.[4][5]

  1. ^ Rubenstein, Eli (2015). Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations. Liberation 75 Edition. Canada: Second Story Press. pp. 2–4. ISBN 9781772601503.
  2. ^ "Holocaust Remembrance Day: Vanguards of the March of the Living". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Never again... and again... and again". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  4. ^ "The importance of the March of the Living – analysis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  5. ^ "The International March of the Living's 35th anniversary – interview". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.