A life-changing glimpse into the past

Rhode Island teens at March of the Living 2014.

It’s been called the experience of a lifetime. It starts in Poland and ends in Israel.

In the spring of 2016, thousands of Jewish teens from all corners of the earth will share in this experience when they march 3 kilometers from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration complex built by the Nazis during World War II. March of the Living takes place May 1-15, 2016, and is timed to coincide with Yom HaShoah as well as Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut.

“This is the perfect example of experiential education,” said Jana Brenman, director of teen engagement and education at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, a sponsor of the trip.

This year, the New England region of the March of the Living will send a group of students to join approximately 15,000 other teens from more than 40 countries on this journey.

New England’s teens fly from New York to Poland where they spend time visiting old synagogues, hearing stories of the Warsaw and Krakow ghettos, walking through cemeteries and meeting Polish peers. The march, which traces the route of the infamous death marches, is the powerful highlight of the trip, according to those who have participated in past trips. At the conclusion, there is a memorial service at the gas chambers at Birkenau.

The second week of the trip is spent in Israel, visiting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Galilee, the Golan and Masada. On Yom Ha’atzmaut, the group marches to the Kotel with other participants.

“By traveling together, the teens make and develop lifelong friendships while gaining a deepened appreciation of Israel,” Brenman said. “They also learn how to stand up to injustice of any kind.”

Lexi Kutenplon-Rayess who participated in the 2014 trip said, “When  you are in Poland you are standing on the same ground as our ancestors and you feel it, the emotions are there. A week later you are in Israel… with thousands of teens from around the world… you have Judaism in common. You feel Israel and the Jewish people come together.”

Support for the trip is provided by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Touro Fraternal Association and the Holocaust Education Resource Center of R.I. Students may also use their Gift of Israel funds.

Join us on June 14, from 2-4 p.m. and learn more about the trip. There will be an open house at the Dwares JCC where you can get information on the upcoming march. Past participants will be available to talk about their experiences. Contact Jana Brenman at 401-421-4111, ext. 181 or jbrenman@jewishallianceri.org to RSVP and for more information.