10,000 youths to honor Holocaust survivors at Auschwitz
Six remarkable survivors of Nazi genocide to be chosen for their 'profound lifetime impact on the world'
The International March of the Living recently announced its annual gathering at Auschwitz to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the infamous death camp's liberation with a special theme entitled "Lamrot Hakol: Tribute to the Survivor."
The event will take place on Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 12th, 2010, with over 10,000 youths participating from around the world. The March of the Living is welcoming nominations of survivors from around the world who have demonstrated a “profound impact on the world” who will be honored at the event. Nominations are being accepted by sending a relevant application letter to motl@lonestar.co.il.
This year's program will call attention to survivors of the Nazi period from different professional and social fields to emphasize how the Jewish community has succeeded in rebuilding a new world out of the ashes of the Holocaust.
An international nominating committee has been formed to identify six survivors whose life time accomplishments attained incredible heights in government, business, religion and culture or academia. It was announced that the first survivor to be recognized will be Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, former Israel Chief Rabbi and present Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv who has served “as a beacon of spirituality and leadership on behalf of the survivor community and the Jewish people everywhere.”
“The survivor has been our most important educational link to understand the unspeakable depth of Nazi evil and the unimaginable tragedy of the Holocaust,” said Dr. David Machlis, vice chairman of the International March of the Living. “Yet beyond what these people experienced during the war, their accomplishments after the war years are no less extraordinary and they deserve to be recognized as the true heroes that they are.”
'True scope of the horror'
Since the March of the Living was launched in 1988, hundreds of Holocaust survivors have been part of the annual missions to Poland and Israel to educate youth about the history of that period and the continuing dangers posed by hatred and intolerance.
“We know that we face a desperate race against time to ensure that these survivors receive some small share of the recognition they so deserve and this event is designed to offer a compelling public salute to this invaluable community of leaders and educators,” Phyllis Heideman, chair of the International March of the Living said.
“Without them, the world would have never really understood the true scope of the horror of Nazism.”
The program will be entitled “Lamrot Hakol” in Hebrew (Despite It All) and will highlight the achievements of six extraordinary survivors whose lives had a profoundly positive impact on the world.
“Every survivor has taught the world a lesson just by the fact that he or she remained alive to tell their stories,” stated Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, chairman of International March of the Living. “But these six people have stood out because had they perished as Hitler planned, the world would be a very different, lesser place.”
The International March of the Living is working with Jewish communal leaders around the globe to identify the "Lamrot Hakol Fellows" who will be accompanied by family and friends to the program in April.
“The world is left with so few opportunities to give thanks to the survivors that it would be a huge disservice to miss out on this occasion to do so," Dr. Rosenman added.
For more information, interviews or to suggest a nominee for consideration please contact motl@lonestar.co.il
