2017 Liessin Delegation to the March of the Living

“We have studied the Holocaust for years, but being there gives it a completely different meaning. It is a commitment I will carry for life.”

Since 2007, Liessin School in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, has participated in the March of the Living. Over the years, the school has sent more than 1,200 participants — including students, educators, and family members — establishing a continuous commitment to memory, education, and historical responsibility.

In 2026, the delegation will include 55 students and 45 parents and family members, forming an intergenerational group that reinforces the educational and formative nature of the experience.

The delegation includes students who are great-grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, some of whom are still alive. These students will march in honor of their own families. For them, this makes the march a deeply personal act, connecting history, family memory, and collective responsibility.

Since 2013, Liessin School’s March of the Living delegation has included students from a non-Jewish school in Rio de Janeiro as part of an initiative focused on dialogue and shared education. This initiative was paused after October 7, but in 2026 it will resume, with two guest students joining the delegation. This return holds special meaning and reaffirms the role of education as a bridge between communities.

In preparation for the March, the students participated in weekly preparatory classes integrated into the school curriculum. The process included historical study, ethical reflection, and discussions on memory and responsibility. In addition, the students led a fundraising campaign that enabled the entire class to take part in the journey.

Felipe Redenschi  from the delegation shares their excitement ahead of the journey: “I feel anticipation, emotion, and respect. I know it will not be easy, but I know it is necessary.” 

Luiza Bak reflects: “Marching in Auschwitz is not just about learning history. It is about carrying the story of my family and of an entire people.”

Rafael Azamor, one of the leaders of the Delegation, adds: “Liessin School’s delegation understands the March of the Living as part of an ongoing educational process that begins in the classroom and extends into adult life. Marching means remembering but also taking responsibility for transmitting this memory with seriousness, empathy, and commitment to the future.”