Remembering Sidney Zoltak z”l

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line-height:1.7 !important; color:var(--navy) !important; max-width:600px !important; margin:0 auto 28px !important; } .motl-sz .sz-close .sz-bde{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif !important; font-weight:800 !important; font-size:15px !important; letter-spacing:.24em !important; text-transform:uppercase !important; color:var(--blue) !important; margin:0 0 10px !important; } .motl-sz .sz-close .sz-zl{ font-family:'Spectral',Georgia,serif !important; font-style:italic !important; font-size:18px !important; color:var(--ink) !important; margin:0 !important; } @media (max-width:600px){ .motl-sz{padding:4px 16px 32px !important;} .motl-sz p{font-size:17.5px !important;} .motl-sz .sz-lead{font-size:19px !important;} .motl-sz .sz-dek{font-size:17px !important;} .motl-sz blockquote.sz-quote{padding-left:18px !important;} .motl-sz blockquote.sz-quote p{font-size:17.5px !important;} .motl-sz .sz-close .sz-memorial{font-size:18px !important;} } Holocaust Survivor and Eloquent Educator, Saved by Polish Righteous Among the Nations 1931 – 2026 Righteous Among the Nations Zygmunt Krynski (right) kissing his friend Sidney Zoltak in front of the barn where he hid Sidney during the war.Photo: Katka Reszke The International March of the Living mourns the passing of Sidney Zoltak, Holocaust survivor and educator. Sidney accompanied Montreal students on the March of the Living six times, eloquently sharing his moving story and expressive voice with them, as well as with students from across Canada. In addition to his work with the March of the Living, Sidney volunteered decades of his life with the Montreal Holocaust Museum, the Canadian Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Hidden in a Barn Sidney Zoltak was born in 1931 and grew up in the village of Siemiatycze in eastern Poland. During the Holocaust, at the age of 11, he escaped to live in the forest. He was eventually sheltered in a barn for 14 months by the Krynski family. In 2011, after Sidney’s tireless efforts, Yad Vashem bestowed the title of Righteous Among the Nations on members of the Krynski family. Sidney Zoltak and Zygmunt Krynski (right).Photo: Katka Reszke Returning Home As recounted in the book Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations, Sidney returned to his hometown during his 2014 trip with the March of the Living to reunite with remaining members of the Krynski family. On the same trip, he shared part of his story at Treblinka, where nearly one million Jews were murdered, in front of hundreds of March of the Living students from Montreal and in the presence of the son of his rescuer. He told them that of all his classmates, he was the only one who survived. “When we got back to our hometown, less than one percent had survived. Less than 70 from a community of 7,000. The most difficult part for me was that none of my classmates, none of my friends survived. I am the only one. I think about it. The only reunion I can have is in this place among the memorial stones….” Sidney Zoltak Then, turning to Stanislaw Krynski, the son of his rescuer, he said, “I feel like kissing him.” A Reunion with His Rescuer Eli Rubenstein, Director of Education for the International March of the Living, recalled the 2014 reunion between Sidney and Zygmunt as a singularly moving moment. At the time, he told Zygmunt Krynski: “Our tradition says, if you save one life, you save the entire world. I want to thank you on behalf of the March of the Living for not just saving Sidney and his family, but for giving us hope in humanity. Your courage, your bravery is a story we will share with thousands of students around the world. So we can teach them that the world we want to create is not the world that Hitler wanted to build, of endless hate and division and animosity, but the kind of world that you tried to build, of nobility, of sacrifice and courage. So thank you again for helping us give the young people hope in humanity.” Eli Rubenstein To which Sidney added: “I would like to add something. Any Jew that passed by this house always got some sort of help, whether it was food or water or maybe a little time to rest. So, his family, his parents, were righteous way, way, way back, not only to the seven of us who eventually survived, but for many other Jews….” Sidney Zoltak Remembering Holocaust Survivor Sidney Zoltak & His Rescuer Zygmunt Krynski. Watch on YouTube Sidney and Zygmunt’s reunion was captured by the CBC and the March of the Living Digital Archive Project, both of which included the scene in documentaries they created on Sidney’s life. The Documentaries CBC Documentary March of the Living Digital Archive Project Documentary Evan Zelikovitz, the lay founder of the March of the Living Digital Archive Project, reflected on his friendship with Sidney: “I feel privileged to have gotten to know Sidney during our many trips together on the March of the Living. He was both a dear friend and a mentor to me. Sidney felt this extraordinary responsibility to educate others and tell his family’s story of survival, and he did that in such an eloquent and meaningful way. Being able to reunite Sidney and his son Larry in 2014 with Righteous Among the Nations Zygmunt Krynski, who convinced his parents to hide Sidney and his family in their farmhouse in Poland for 16 months, was one of the most emotional and meaningful experiences of my life. And then to have the CBC film share a nationally televised special on it for the entire country to see was incredibly moving.” Evan Zelikovitz Sidney Zoltak with Zygmunt Krynski at the Krynski family farm.Photo: Katka Reszke Song of the Partisans Sidney at the 2013 Canadian March of the Living program honoring survivors, partisans and Righteous Among the Nations, University of Warsaw, April 6, 2013. Video not loading? Watch on YouTube A Bond That Endures Upon learning of Sidney’s passing, Rafal Krynski, Zygmunt Krynski’s grandson, wrote a condolence note to the Zoltak family on the website of the Claims Conference: “My deepest condolences to you and your family. Sidney will always hold a special place in our hearts. The bond between our families will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.” Rafal Krynski Sidney’s son Larry replied: “Your grandfather and great-grandparents are the reason I am alive, and for this we will never ever forget their kindness and are forever in their debt.” Larry Zoltak As the rabbis of old taught us: The righteous need no monuments — it is the lessons they have taught us that are their true memorials. May the life of Sidney Zoltak, and the lessons it still teaches, continue to provide comfort to his family and inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing him. Baruch Dayan Emet May his memory be a blessing.

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Remembering Judy Weissenberg Cohen z”l

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background:var(--yellow) !important; border:0 !important; padding:14px 30px !important; border-radius:2px !important; } .motl-judy .jc-cta a.jc-btn:hover,.motl-judy .jc-cta a.jc-btn:focus{background:#ffffff !important;color:var(--navy) !important;} .motl-judy a:focus-visible{outline:2px solid var(--yellow) !important;outline-offset:3px !important;} @media (max-width:600px){ .motl-judy{padding:4px 16px 32px !important;} .motl-judy p{font-size:17.5px !important;} .motl-judy .jc-lead{font-size:19px !important;} .motl-judy .jc-dek{font-size:17px !important;} .motl-judy .jc-cta{padding:28px 20px !important;} } Holocaust Survivor, Educator, Author & Human Rights Activist 1928 – 2026 “The last time I saw my mother” – Judy Weissenberg Cohen sharing her story with March of the Living students in Poland. From the book Witness.Photo: Naomi Harris The International March of the Living mourns the passing of Judy Weissenberg Cohen. A noted survivor of the Holocaust and human rights activist, Judy eloquently and courageously shared her story with thousands of young people on the March of the Living, through her own website, Women and the Holocaust, and through countless speeches and interviews. Her moving memoir, A Cry in Unison, was published in 2020 by the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program. Judy passed away shortly before Rosh Hashanah, just a few days shy of her 98th birthday. Judy reading to March of the Living participants at Auschwitz-Birkenau.Photo: Courtesy March of the Living Remarks in Her Memory Eli Rubenstein, International March of the Living’s Director of Education, delivered remarks in Judy’s memory during this year’s Kol Nidre services at his Toronto synagogue. Video not loading? Watch on YouTube Judy speaking at a March of the Living commemoration.Photo: Courtesy March of the Living Kol Nidre in Auschwitz Video not loading? Watch on YouTube Read more about Judy in the March of the Living Archive Project. Baruch Dayan Emet May her memory be a blessing. Honor Judy’s Legacy Help the next generation hear the survivors’ testimony and carry it forward. Donate in Her Memory

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Remembering Ted Bolgar z”l

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text-transform:uppercase !important; color:var(--navy) !important; background:var(--yellow) !important; padding:15px 34px !important; border-radius:2px !important; text-decoration:none !important; } .motl-bolgar .tb-cta a:hover{opacity:.88 !important;} /* ---------- RESPONSIVE ---------- */ @media (max-width:640px){ .motl-bolgar{padding:40px 18px 56px !important;} .motl-bolgar p.tb-p{font-size:17.5px !important;} .motl-bolgar p.tb-lede{font-size:19px !important;} .motl-bolgar .tb-pull{padding:24px 22px !important;} .motl-bolgar .tb-pull p{font-size:20px !important;} } In Memoriam Ted Bolgar z”l 1924  –  2026 International March of the Living mourns the passing of Ted Bolgar, Holocaust Survivor and educator, who passed away recently at 102 years of age. Ted participated in 15 March of the Living programs, educating thousands of students during his trips to Poland and Israel. Ted Bolgar lighting a memorial candle alongside a March of the Living student. Photo: Yossi Zeliger Obituary Please see moving obituary below written by Lawrence Witt, chair of the 2017 Montreal March of the Living program, the last time Ted Bolgar took part in the March of the Living Tibor (Ted) was born in Sarospatak, Hungary in 1924. When the Nazi’s marched into his town in 1944, Ted’s life was changed forever. Ted survived one ghetto, Auschwitz as well as four other concentration camps, forced labour and a death march. His arrival in Auschwitz marked the last time that he would see his mother and his sister. Ted survived and rebuilt. He emigrated to Canada in 1948, married, built a beautiful family with children, grandchildren and great-children. Through his participation in the March of Living program, he “adopted” thousands of students who admired him and who continue to perpetuate his story and his legacy of courage and survival. Ted Bolgar with fellow Montreal Holocaust Survivor Ernest Ehrmann at the 2020 Survivors’ Delegation marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Photo: Ryan Blau On the 2017 March of the Living, I was privileged to watch Ted write the final letter and complete a new Torah Scroll in the center of Szebresczyn, Poland – the Torah scroll being a testament and a tribute to the holocaust survivors who participated in the Montreal March of the Living programs since inception in 1990 and whose names adorn the Torah cover. A few years later, I was also privileged to see Ted standing at the ceremony in Auschwitz commemorating the 75th anniversary of liberation – together with his two children by his side. Ted Bolgar with the newly completed Torah scroll on the 2017 March of the Living in Poland — a tribute to the survivors of the Montreal March of the Living, whose names adorn the Torah cover. Photo: Ryan Blau Ted was fond of saying that there are two fundamental obligations. To ensure Jewish continuity and to remember. Ted – rest assured that your courage, dedication and your legacy will ensure that these two sacred obligations will continue in perpetuity by your many friends and admirers whom you have touched and inspired. Today, there is a heavenly minyan in the Synagogue of Synagogues. Mayer Schondorf, Ernest Ehrmann, Tommy Strasser, Johnny Jablon, Harry Baikowitz, Paul Herczeg, Steve Hopman, Ben Bicher and Ben Finkel [all Montreal Holocaust Survivors who travelled with Ted on the March of the Living and who have since passed away] and now our beloved Ted as the tenth. A more righteous and holy minyan there is none. Continue to intercede on our behalf from above so that we may continue your work from below. Watch If the video does not load, watch it on Facebook. Baruch Dayan Emet May his memory be a blessing. Carry Their Stories Forward Your support ensures that the testimony of survivors like Ted Bolgar continues to reach the next generation. Donate

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Remembering Elie Wiesel, 10 Years Later

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} .motl-wiesel .btn-yellow{background:var(--yellow);color:var(--navy)} .motl-wiesel .btn-ghost{border:1.5px solid var(--blue);color:var(--blue)} .motl-wiesel .btn-ghost-lt{border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,.6);color:#fff} .motl-wiesel .btn-ghost-lt:hover{border-color:var(--yellow);color:var(--yellow)} /* donate — royal blue panel */ .motl-wiesel .donate{ clear:both;background:var(--blue);border-radius:2px;text-align:center;padding:46px 30px;margin:44px 26px; } .motl-wiesel .donate h3{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:900;color:#fff; font-size:clamp(26px,4vw,40px);line-height:1.05;letter-spacing:-.01em; } .motl-wiesel .donate p{color:rgba(255,255,255,.85);font-size:18.5px;max-width:560px;margin:14px auto 24px} /* 1990 speech — royal blue block */ .motl-wiesel .memorial{ clear:both;background:var(--blue);border-radius:2px;text-align:center;padding:52px 30px;margin:44px 0; } .motl-wiesel .memorial .eyebrow{color:var(--yellow)} .motl-wiesel .memorial .speech{ font-style:italic;color:#fff;font-size:clamp(20px,2.5vw,25px);line-height:1.6;max-width:700px;margin:0 auto 22px; } .motl-wiesel .memorial .attrib{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-size:12.5px;letter-spacing:.16em; text-transform:uppercase;color:rgba(255,255,255,.6);margin:26px 0 24px; } /* I was there */ .motl-wiesel .witness .name{ font-family:'Raleway',sans-serif;font-weight:900;color:var(--blue); font-size:clamp(28px,4.4vw,44px);line-height:1.02;letter-spacing:-.01em;margin:2px 0 20px; } @media(max-width:640px){ .motl-wiesel .fig-right,.motl-wiesel .fig-wide{float:none;width:100%;max-width:350px;margin:6px auto 22px} .motl-wiesel p{font-size:18px} .motl-wiesel .donate{margin:38px 0} } In Memoriam Remembering Elie Wiesel Ten Years Later 1928  —  2016 Throughout his life, Elie Wiesel stressed the moral obligation to not only listen to the testimony of Holocaust survivors but to bear witness to their painful stories, memorably stating: When you listen to a witness, you become a witness. These simple yet compelling words are, in essence, the mission statement of March of the Living. For almost 4 decades, thousands of young students on the March of the Living have absorbed the stories of the Holocaust survivors accompanying them on the trip, and pledged to be the bearers of their memories and share their testimony with future generations. By Eli Rubenstein From The Jerusalem Post Elie Wiesel addresses the March of the Living, 1990. Photo: Lloyd Wolf July 2, 2026 marks the passing of Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, human rights advocate, and among the most eloquent chroniclers of the tragic events of the Shoah. Wiesel had a significant impact on the March of the Living, serving on the Presidium for the first March of the Living in 1988, during its founding year. Wiesel also attended the March of the Living in 1990, and again in 2005, during the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, where Wiesel addressed over 18,000 in attendance - the largest event in the program's history. Read the full article Support Our Mission Help Holocaust survivors and students from around the world participate in the March of the Living. Donate Elie Wiesel · March of the Living Speech, 1990 Children of the Jewish people will you ever see what I see here? I see so many children, and so many parents and so many teachers and so many students. I see them. Forever will I see them. I see them walking in they are nocturnal processions — wandering, crying, praying. Forever will I see the children who no longer have the strength to cry. Forever will I see the elderly who no longer have the strength to help them. Forever will I see the mothers and the fathers, the grandfathers and grandmothers, the little schoolchildren…their teachers…the righteous and the chasidim… From where do we take the tears to cry over them? Who has the strength to cry for them? — Elie Wiesel, March of the Living, 1990 Watch the address I Was There Tara Strong I was always proud to be a Jew. My grandfather was a Cantor, my mother and Bubby were the caterers at our synagogue. I sang in the children's choir every Rosh Chodesh at services, I went to Hebrew school. I loved traditions — my first job was singing in the Yiddish Theatre! At 13, I sang Papirosen and made all the Bubbies and the Zaydes (the elderly Jews) cry. This year is the 10th anniversary of the passing of Elie Wiesel, and I want share with you on experience I had hearing Elie Wiesel speak at the 1990 March of the Living, which I attended as part of the Canadian delegation. Standing amid the ruins of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wiesel told the students about a young girl he remembered seeing when he was interned in Auschwitz in 1944. “Children of the Jewish People,” he began, “Will you ever see what I see here? Years and years ago I saw…I cannot tell you what I saw. I am afraid if I told you - we would all break out in tears, and we would not stop.” He paused and then continued: “I see a young girl….” Read more

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Remembering Yaacov Agam z”l

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Remembering Abraham Foxman z”l

For nearly 30 years, as national director of the ADL, Abe Foxman was the American Jewish community’s public face and voice…

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Remembering Harry Rozendaal z”l

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It is with deep sadness that the March of the Living mourns the passing of Harry Rozendaal z"l, a 95-year-old child Holocaust survivor and participant on the 2026 March of the Living, who passed away in Warsaw on April 22, 2026. Harry was born in Rotterdam in 1930. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940, his father Joop joined the resistance — and was captured, tortured, and executed in December 1942. Just three days after his father's murder, the family was forced to flee and go into hiding. Over the next two years, young Harry was moved between 21 different locations across the Netherlands, separated from his younger brother and sister. His mother, Catherina, was herself a member of the resistance. Harry's last encounter with her came at a safe house in Utrecht in 1943, where she shared with him a letter his father had written from prison, urging her to ensure their children received a Jewish education. Harry carried that charge for the rest of his life. Catherina was later captured, deported to Auschwitz, and murdered. After liberation, Harry learned that both his siblings had survived in hiding. In 1946, members of the Jewish Brigade visited his orphanage, and at 17 he left for British Mandate Palestine, where he joined the Haganah as a Machal volunteer and witnessed the birth of the State of Israel. He later returned to the Netherlands, reunited with his siblings, met his wife Lotty, and in 1958 emigrated to Canada — first to Montreal, then to Toronto. Harry at the 2026 March of the Living with his daughter, Dr. Betty Rozendaal, and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein. His Final Mission For years, Harry had expressed the wish to travel to Poland and say Kaddish for his mother at Auschwitz. COVID and health setbacks delayed his plans, but by 2025 — at 95 years old — he was undeterred. With his daughter, Dr. Betty Rozendaal, and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein by his side, he joined the Toronto March of the Living Adult Delegation. What began as a deeply personal pilgrimage became something far larger. Standing outside the gas chambers at Auschwitz on the delegation's first full day, Harry shared his testimony with hundreds of students, young adults, and adults. He spoke about his childhood, his mother, and his service in Israel's War of Independence — urging his audience to stand proud and never stop fighting for who they are. He not only spoke about his childhood and his mother, but he also spoke about how he went on to fight in the War of Independence, which was incredibly moving, given the climate that we currently live in. Witnee Karp, Director, March of the Living Canada His words moved the entire delegation. One student, Jillian Kivenko, was so inspired that she wrote a poem and turned it into a song, performing it on Shabbat in front of all the survivors and delegations. Harry was beaming. The day after the closing ceremonies, Harry suffered a serious cardiac event and was admitted to a hospital in Warsaw. He passed away on April 22, surrounded by the knowledge that he had fulfilled his lifelong mission — honouring his mother's memory in the very place she was taken from the world. Not only was he able to fulfil his last wish by paying his respects to his mother, he was also able to make a tremendous impact on so many people in his final days. Dori Ekstein, Co-Chair, Adult March of the Living Throughout his life, Harry was a tireless advocate for recognizing the non-Jews who helped Dutch Jews survive the war. He was instrumental in securing Righteous Among the Nations recognition at Yad Vashem for Andres van der Meer, the resistance fighter who once escorted him across a lake to safety in a boat full of German soldiers. Harry is survived by his daughter Betty and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein, his son Ed and wife Genia, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Lotty, his brother Dov, and his sister Liselotte. May his memory be a blessing.Baruch Dayan Emet. Honour Harry's legacy and the mission of Holocaust remembrance. Donate to the March of the Living → Read the full obituary in The Canadian Jewish News.

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Remembering Daniel Luz z”l

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Photo: Courtesy March of the Living It is with deep sadness that the March of the Living mourns the passing of Daniel Luz z"l, a Holocaust survivor and survivor of the October 7 massacre, who passed away on April 25, 2026, at the age of 92. Danny marched with us in 2024 and lit a torch at Birkenau in one of the most powerful moments of that year's ceremony — linking the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust with the memory of those murdered on October 7. A Childhood in Wartime France Daniel was born in France in 1934. When Nazi Germany occupied the country, his family was swept into the machinery of persecution. Daniel, his mother, and his sister were held in one internment camp; his father in another. For four years, the family was separated — Daniel was just ten years old at the time. The family survived by what Daniel called a miracle. But ten of his mother's siblings and two of his cousins were not as fortunate. They were murdered at Auschwitz. Building a Life in Israel In 1949, Daniel immigrated to the young State of Israel. "I began to breathe again," he would later say. He lived first on Kibbutz Nirim in the Negev, and in later years made his home at Kibbutz Be'eri. A man known for his bold spirit and irrepressible optimism, Daniel built a full life on the kibbutz — one that he regarded as the ultimate victory over the forces that had tried to destroy his family and his people. Top: Photo by Tomer Shunam Halevi. Bottom: Photo by Ronen Zvulun October 7 On October 6, 2023, Daniel and his neighbours celebrated the 78th anniversary of Kibbutz Be'eri. The next morning, he awoke to sirens and gunfire. Together with his partner Edna, he locked himself in their safe room as Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz. Of Be'eri's roughly 1,200 residents, 101 were murdered that day and 30 were abducted. It was mortal fear — more frightening than anything I remember as a child during that war. Daniel Luz Daniel spoke openly about the enduring trauma of that day. He described himself as a Holocaust survivor twice — once from wartime France, and again from Be'eri. In the months that followed, with the kibbutz destroyed and its residents displaced, Daniel moved to a nursing home at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. Lighting the Torch In May 2024, Daniel travelled with the March of the Living to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he lit a torch and delivered testimony that moved all who heard it. Standing at the site where his family members were murdered, he spoke with a steady voice and an unshakable conviction: We, the Holocaust survivors, who built a home and a state — our greatest victory over the Nazis and over antisemitism — light this torch in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, and in memory of those murdered on October 7. Daniel Luz, Auschwitz-Birkenau, May 2024 Shortly before his passing, Daniel lit a torch once more — this time at the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. Speaking to those gathered, he said he had not recovered from the events of October 7, and expressed his hope for peace — not for himself, but for his grandchildren. Daniel Luz lighting a torch at Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2024 March of the Living. May his memory be a blessing.Baruch Dayan Emet.   בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת Honour Daniel's legacy and the mission of Holocaust remembrance. Donate to the March of the Living →

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