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Alumni Spotlight: Erik Hirschhorn (’15), Mexico City, Mexico
Erik Hirschhorn (Mexico ’15), FilmmakerThis month we are proud to feature Erik Hirschhorn, an alumnus from Marcha de la Vida Mexico. Inspired by his experience on the March of the Living, Erik went on to direct and produce a short Holocaust film, entitled Standpoint, to serve as testimony and witness to future generations about what he experienced. Growing up Jewish in Mexico City, my roots and heritage were always very engrained in my family traditions; the history of my people were constantly reinforced at school and in synagogue. I lived a very normal life where everyone I knew and interacted with was also a part of my community. When I was 16 years old, I decided to leave my home and travel to the United States where I had the opportunity to attend an Arts boarding school for high school in order to learn filmmaking. In 2015, my junior year of high school, I knew what my old classmates back in Mexico were about to experience the March of the Living. I approached my old school in Mexico as well as some directors from March of the Living Mexico and made a request to travel together with my old classmates to the 25th March of the Living. My high school agreed to let me travel with the caveat that I make up all of the lost work, and also put together a presentation regarding my experience to my classmates upon my return. One of the most important things I got from the trip was perspective. Previously, I imagined Auschwitz as a place out of this world. But being inside the camp, looking around, in real-time, was an experience that still chills my body. It’s as real as the room where you are sitting right now. Time travels just as fast, and the laws of physics perform just like anywhere else. It’s a place built by humans. The actions and intentions that existed there can’t be measured in anything else but the feeling of loss. You can’t do anything but imagine the thousands and thousands of lives that walked through those doors into the camp and left, stripped away from everything, including, their life. I walked in one person and walked out another. It took me some time to understand and collect the pieces my soul had broken into and make them into something bigger and brighter. Today I recognize that the trip transformed me into someone more compassionate and understanding. I stopped seeing life as a given, and more like an opportunity. The first thing I knew after coming back from this trip was that I needed to use my art and medium to express my emotions. I knew that I needed to create something bigger than myself that could serve, eternally, as a piece of evidence and testimony. This work would not only serve as testimony of the atrocities that happened, but would also help make sure that, today, in the 21st Century, there will be people to carry on the message of remembrance and “Never Again.” Click on the video player to watch the trailer I wrote and directed a short-film called Standpoint. It is about of a Jewish ballerina trying to escape Nazi-occupied Poland to get to American Ballet auditions in Prague in order to save her family from the hands of war. Standpoint went on to complete a very successful festival run and got multiple awards in international film festivals. When I look back on the March of the Living, of course, I remember the atrocities I learned about, but what stays with me most is the feeling of community and love for all those people who were there to march and remember. Most importantly I take one thing with me: we must celebrate life.
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HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TRIBUTE VIDEO
The International March of the Living is proud to be a partner in the world’s inaugural Holocaust Survivor Day, on June 24, 2021, along with many other organizations around…
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Special Film Premiere of “Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations”
A special film premiere marking the first ever international Holocaust Survivor Day honoring the resilience, courage and contributions of Holocaust Survivors. International March of the Living…
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March of the Living congratulates Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog on his election as the President of Israel
President-Elect Herzog has a rich history of public service to Israel and follows in the footsteps of his beloved father Chaim Herzog, z”l, who served as President of…
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Speak Up Against Hate – Never Means Never
SIGN THE PETITION Antisemitism is on a global rampage. We cannot allow history to repeat itself – verbally and physically – on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in our cities.We have learned and witnessed with our own eyes the brutal and inhumane consequences of unchecked antisemitism and unbridled universal hatred.Many of us, alumni and friends of the International March of the Living, of many faiths and backgrounds, have personally marched on the blood-stained grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau and heard first-hand testimony from survivors of these atrocities.We have all painfully learned how “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”Hatred, Racism, Bigotry or Intolerances of any form have no place in our world.We invite all who believe in our message to join us by signing our petition ensuring a better future for all.#NeverMeansNever #SpeakUpAgainstHate Join us in declaring that antisemitism has no place in any society. Sign us and sign our petition at change.org/SpeakUpAgainstHate Sponsoring Organizations (in formation): For more information on joining as a sponsoring organization, please email motl@motlmail.org. SIGN THE PETITION
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MOTL Stands with Israel
This week, Jewish People around the world will read Parshat Bamidbar. Bamidbar which means ‘in the desert”, begins the fourth book…
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The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Campaign
Today, April 19th, 2021 marks the 78th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising – the largest Jewish insurrection during World…
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New educational resources from USC Shoah Foundation and International March of the Living
We are pleased to share with you a joint project of USC Shoah Foundation and International March of the Living using the most recent technologies to preserve and enhance testimony of Holocaust survivors. IWitness Introduction to Auschwitz This lesson activity in IWitness allows for delegations to engage students/participants online and is comprised of an introduction to the Auschwitz camp complex with Holocaust survivor testimony clips. LEARN MORE IWalk in Auschwitz and Krakow IWalk activity: Auschwitz – Block 21 with Holocaust survivor and March Of The Living educator Max Eisen. It is an activity using your IWalk app on your phone; medical themed; located in Category Poland and Organizations under IMOL. A second IWalk activity located on the same page features a visit to Krakow augmented by Holocaust Survivor testimony.Please download the app IWalk – USC Shoah Foundation by clicking on one of the buttons below. Once you have downloaded it please click on Organizations then “International March of the Living” logo. You will see two activities available.This 20 min. activity includes clips of Max Eisen’s 360 interview footage; including the story of his rescue by a Polish doctor in Auschwitz, as Max tells his story in front of Block 21 where his life was saved.A second IWalk featuring Holocaust survivor and March of the Living educator Edward Mosberg guiding viewers around his home town of Krakow is also available on the same page. IWitness Resource Page for the Medicine and Morality Seminar on Erev Yom Hashoah Explore curated clips of testimony on topics related to Medicine and the Holocaust, including testimony from Holocaust Eva Kor, survivor of the Mengele experiments, survivorFreda Weiss remembering Auschwitz doctor Gizella Perl who saved her life in the camps, and survivor Max Eisen’s rescue by Polish doctor mentioned above. Tipis covered include: Medical and research ethics; Eugenics; Euthanasia and forced sterilization; Medical experimentation; Role of medical professionals in society; Geriatrics (dementia, social factors and risk); Trauma and memory. LEARN MORE
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2021 Virtual Torch Lighting at Auschwitz
While we were not able to March from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah 2021, we were there in spirit. A virtual ceremony was held and the memorial torches…
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