A. Welcome

Dear March of the Living Participant,

You are about to embark upon an exciting experience, one that may just change your life. The March of the Living will take place in a few months. You will be transported, along with 6,000 other teens from all around the world, back in time to one of the darkest chapters in human existence, to one of the most terrifying times in Jewish history. Then, before you can take a deep breath, you will travel to Israel, the Jewish Homeland, to celebrate with the people of Israel, Independence Day.

It will be a journey from darkness to light. It will be an experience of a lifetime.

You will be one of the chosen few who will walk in the footsteps of the 6,000,000. The march from Auschwitz to Birkenau will be along the same path which once two million of our people marched to their death in the gas chambers and crematoria of hell. You will visit the death camps of Treblinka and Majdanek. You will be witness to the remnants of the once vibrant Jewish population centers of Warsaw, Cracow and Lublin. You will see Israel as you have never seen it before, through the prism of your Polish experience.

To get you started on this journey we have enclosed the first installment of the "The March of the Living Study Guide". In the coming months you will receive three additional installments. READ THEM CAREFULLY!!! Your experience on the March will be greatly enhanced by the amount of time you spend now in preparation. Previous Marchers have told us how important it was for them to read such material before going on the March.

We would like to suggest that you:

• Buy a 2" three-ring binder for these and future chapters, so you can add material as it arrives;
• Clip out articles from newspapers and magazines about Poland, the Shoah or Israel and place them in your binder;
• Create a JOURNAL - either use the binder or purchase a more appropriate "Diary" so that each day you can write down your own thoughts about the upcoming trip. You can then take the Journal with you to Poland and Israel and continue your writing. (See the enclosed "Chapter E: My Journal")
• Call your local Bureau of Jewish Education or Federation to see if there are other participants coming from your area. Try to meet with them so you can study together. If all else fails, call the National Office and we will tell you who is coming from nearby.

The March of the Living is now only months away. As we are sure the excitement will begin to grow, we will share with you the plans for the March, and send you further updates from the Study Guide. READ AND LEARN!

We look forward to meeting all of you soon. Mark the date. Afterwards, you may never be the same! And you may like what you will become.