80 Holocaust survivors and 80 tech employees on the 2025 March of the Living in Auschwitz
Decision follows flight restrictions and heightened security risks within the country; March to proceed with 40 Holocaust Survivors and 6,500 international participants
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – March 23, 2026 – March of the Living – Israel organization announced today that Israeli delegations will not travel to Poland for this year’s annual march, which traditionally takes place from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The decision was made due to increased risks to the safety of delegations departing from Israel via Ben Gurion Airport, as well as ongoing restrictions on the number of passengers per flight and a reduction in the number of daily flights.
Sixty Holocaust survivors from Israel were expected to lead this year’s march, alongside 40 survivors from around the world. Due to the risk to human life, and the complex logistical and security challenges involved in transporting dozens of Holocaust survivors aged 80–100 during a time of emergency, it was decided to cancel their participation.
According to the leadership of March of the Living Israel, the decision was reached after examining all possible alternatives and conducting situation assessments with airlines and relevant authorities. These evaluations led to the unavoidable conclusion that it would not be possible to safely organize the departure of Israeli delegations without putting survivors and participants at risk.
Out of the expected 8,800 participants from around the world, approximately 1,000 were slated to arrive from Israel to take part in the March of the Living in Poland on Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 14, between the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps.
Planned Israeli delegations included an October 7 delegation featuring former hostages, initiated by the Menomadin Foundation together with its founder and president Haim Taib; a delegation from the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization; a delegation of hundreds of employees from Israel’s high-tech sector; representatives from 26 Israeli high-tech companies and venture capital funds, which for the second consecutive year committed to supporting the participation of dozens of Holocaust survivors from Israel and their families; and a delegation of TikTok creators and many others.
International March of the Living noted that the event will proceed as planned, with 40 Holocaust survivors and approximately 6,500 participants from around the world, who will gather to remember the Holocaust and pray for the peace of the Jewish people.
Revital Yakin Krakovsky, CEO of March of the Living Israel, said: “With a heavy yet resolute heart, and with the utmost consideration for our dear Holocaust survivors, their families, and our teams, we are forced to announce the cancellation of the delegations departing from Israel for the March of the Living. Israel’s current aviation policy and the security situation do not allow for safe travel at this time. The Israeli delegation will return to the March of the Living next year with heads held high and will once again join tens of thousands of participants from around the world to carry the torch of remembrance forward for future generations. We will continue to march, we will continue to remember, and we will do so with even greater strength.”
Micha Kaufman, Founder and CEO of Fiverr, added: “Israeli high-tech companies that partnered with the March of the Living last year took on a mission that does not end with a single event or a single year: it is a lifelong commitment. This year, we planned to support the participation of dozens of Holocaust survivors together with their families, alongside a large delegation of hundreds of employees, in order to stand with them, honor them, and ensure their stories continue to be heard. Unfortunately, we will not be able to carry this out as planned. But as the number of survivors continues to decline, our commitment only grows stronger. We are already looking ahead to next year and will do everything in our power to continue, strengthen, and expand this important initiative to preserve memory and honor the survivors; this is our responsibility.”
The March of the Living is one of the flagship events of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Each year, thousands of participants, Jewish and non-Jewish youth from around the world, march alongside Holocaust survivors, heads of state, ministers, religious leaders, and cultural figures. To date, more than 300,000 participants have walked the railway tracks from Auschwitz to Birkenau as a tribute to the greatest loss in Jewish and human history.
