We were very disappointed to read Rabbi Dow Marmur’s negative remarks about the March of the Living, and fully agree with the response signed by the 26 Toronto Holocaust survivors who have dedicated their lives to sharing their stories and the lessons of the Shoah.

International March of the Living completely rejects Rabbi Marmur’s description of the March of the Living.

Our goals, as stated on our website, include, among others:

To never again allow any kind of discrimination directed by any individual or group against another to gain strength, to acquaint our students with the rich  Jewish  heritage that  existed in pre-war Poland, to enable our students to learn from the altruistic actions of the “Righteous among the Nations”, and to reach out to people of other faiths and cultures.

International March of the Living has developed excellent relations with the Polish government and numerous Polish NGOS – in fact their cooperation is essential to the success of the March of the Living, and they are full partners in every aspect of our work in Poland.

Our mission on the March of the Living, in its broadest sense, is Tikkun Olam.  Honoring the Righteous, fostering positive relations between Poles and Jews, listening to the survivors stories, and teaching our students about the dangers of any and all forms of racism – these are among the many important objectives of the March.

As one of our former March of the Living leaders, Gene Greenzweig Z”L, used to say about visits to the former death camps:

“We did not bring you here to teach you to hate, but to teach you what evil can really do in the world.”

Recent long terms studies on the March of the Living have shown remarkably positive results in the ares of dedication to the Jewish community and Israel, pride in Jewish identity, faith & practice, commitment to Holocaust remembrance and combatting  anti-Semitism, as well as advocating for human rights & promoting tolerance.

Today we have over 200,000 March of the Living alumni around the world who have successfully absorbed these positive outcomes.

We invite Rabbi Marmur to meet with the leadership of the March of the Living, or better yet, with the students, so he can gain a more accurate understanding of the noble goals and outstanding impact of the March of the Living on so many dedicated and sincere young people, a significant number of who will become the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Sincerely,

Dr Shmuel Rosenman
Chairman
International March of the Living