Jenn Green (’06, ’14, ‘17-’18), Toronto, Canada

Jenn Green (Toronto ’06, Staff ’14, ’17-’18), Holocaust Education PromoterThis week we are proud to feature Jenn Green (Toronto ’06, Staff ’14, ’17-’18), alumna from March of the Living Toronto, Canada, whose experience on the March of the Living has propelled her to become a champion of Holocaust education.  As a 16-year-old travelling on the March of the Living I did not know what to expect. My grandfather, Nate Leipciger, is a survivor so I grew up hearing stories of the Holocaust. I had also read a few books on the subject. Nothing had prepared me for what I was going to learn about my own history, the tragedy that occurred and the lessons of how hate can incite and embolden a population to commit unspeakable horrors against its fellow man.  Hearing from Holocaust survivors, including my grandfather – in the places they experienced these atrocious acts and where their families were murdered – stayed with me and shaped my life trajectory. My grandfather brilliantly simplifies the reason he and his family were ripped from normal life, became numbers, living on death row, suffering terrible hardships and living with constant fear of being murdered for no reason at all. It was an accident of birth – being born Jewish in Poland in 1928 – that condemned him to death. With this understanding, I have made it my mission to help those who are in need because of an accident of birth. I was honoured to be asked to accompany my grandfather as he toured Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, through Auschwitz and Birkenau. Witnessing my grandfather, who was in this murderous place 75 years earlier facing death and destruction, back now with his wife, daughter, granddaughter and the Prime Minister of his country, reinforced for me the power of resilience and that one’s life is not defined by where they come from. This is every Holocaust survivor’s truth and is inspiration for all – no matter your background. In an effort to continue teaching and spreading the lessons I have learned on the March of the Living I travelled on the MOL again, twice as a chaperone and once as a survivor liaison, helping to ignite this fire in the next generation. As well, I co-founded the Mahj for the March to fundraise for the Young Adult March of the Living and was a co-chair of the March of the Living “Legacy Gala” in Toronto. To share my grandfather’s history and lessons with the next generation, I am now working with Carrying Testimony, where I present my grandfather’s story aided by recordings of his testimony as well as pictures and documents from the Holocaust. The MOL has inspired the direction of my professional life. I am the Director of Affordable Housing and Corporate Social Responsibility at Greenwin Corp., a real estate development company in Toronto, Canada. I have been blessed with the responsibility to develop and build safe and affordable housing for those who cannot afford market rent. In this role, I also have the privilege to support at-risk youth, and provide them with meals, mentorship, education and empowerment through our company’s social outreach arm, Greenwin Cares.

Continue reading

Highlights from the 2020 LET THERE BE LIGHT Kristallnacht Campaign

Despite the fact that Kristallnacht, which saw the destruction of thousands of synagogues and Jewish institutions, took place 82 years ago, the world has still not learned the lessons…

Continue reading

Alumni Spotlight: Sabrina Naimark (’09, ’19), Panama

Sabrina Naimark (Panama ’09, Staff ’19), Founder and CEO, ImpactaThis week we are proud to feature Sabrina Naimark (Panama '09, '19), alumna from March of the Living Panama, whose experience on the March of the Living inspired her to found a company, Impacta, whose goal is to foster social impact to create a better world. As a young and passionate member of the Panamanian Jewish Community, I have always carried around the feeling of being a proud Jew. I strongly believe that our culture and traditions bring happiness to our lives. With this in mind, I had one mission when I was 17 years old – to commemorate Iom Hashoa in Poland and Iom Haatzmaut in Israel by attending the March of the Living. After having the opportunity to attend as a janija (student) in 2009 and again as a madrija (staff) in 2019, I can definitely confirm that no books can teach you nor make your heart ache the same way as if you were there personally. Walking through the concentration camps in Poland, with more than 8,000 people from all over the world is a moment that I will never forget. That experience taught me the true meaning and value of the word unity. We were such a diverse group of people, from different cultures and traditions, coming from countries all around the world, standing together for the same purpose – declaring NEVER AGAIN. The March of the Living inspired me to bring that sense of unity back home. I experienced the power of bringing people together for the greater good on the March of the Living – and sought to create a similar experience, making an impact in communities that need us the most back in Panama. I founded the social impact company Impacta. We create social impact projects with the main goal of bringing people together to help others in need, by creating a strong and powerful impact in our society. I identify communities in need, create projects from the ground up, and connect them with volunteers and companies that want to make a difference. The power of unity will help us all create a better world.

Continue reading

March of the Living global interfaith initiative to commemorate Kristallnacht: #LetThereBeLight

Despite the fact that Kristallnacht, which saw the destruction of thousands of synagogues and Jewish institutions, took place 82 years ago,…

Continue reading

Let There Be Light: 2020 Kristallnacht Commemoration

In honor of the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass, on November 9th, 2020, the International March of the Living aired our 2020 Kristallnacht Commemoration…

Continue reading

Let there be Light Gallery of Houses of Worship & Institutions (2020)

Thank you to all of the Houses of Worship and institutions around the world who participated in our “Let there be Light” Kristallnacht commemoration campaign to fight anti-Semitism, racism,…

Continue reading

Let there be Light Projections in Jerusalem & the UK (2020)

International March of the Living Kristallnacht Commemoration projected on the Old City Walls of Jerusalem and Coventry Cathedral in the UK Help us send the message to the world, help…

Continue reading

The Hampton Synagogue Kristallnacht Commemoration (2020)

On the eve of the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass – International March of the Living World Chairman and CEO, Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, participated…

Continue reading

Presidents of Germany, Austria, and Israel say LET THERE BE LIGHT (2020)

“Eighty-two years, and the dark shadows of the past have not disappeared from our streets.” The Presidents of Germany, Austria, and Israel stand together in a joint call against…

Continue reading

Alumni Spotlight: Joana Kirsch (’19), Costa Rica

Joana Kirsch (Costa Rica ’19), EducatorThis week we are proud to feature Joana Kirsch (’19), alumna from the Costa Rican Adult delegation, whose experience on the March of the Living inspired her to pursue a career in early childhood education, where she helps instill a love for the Jewish people and Jewish heritage among her students on a daily basis. I traveled with the March of the Living Costa Rican Adult Delegation in 2019. I experienced the March of the Living as a married woman, and as a mom of three, making this journey vastly unique. For many years prior to the trip, I had wrongly believed that traveling to the concentration camps was superfluous since I had already attended a Jewish day school and had learned about the Holocaust in depth. Boy was I wrong! Being in Poland was entirely different than learning about the Holocaust through books and movies. By visiting the different shtetls, synagogues and camps and learning from our extremely knowledgeable guide about all facets of WWII, I was moved to heights that I never believed possible. Even prior to the trip, I was active in my Jewish community by volunteering for WIZO and for my children’s Jewish day school, Scheck Hillel Community School, in my current home state of Florida, but this trip strengthened my resolve to do so even further. Upon my return, I was offered a position as an early childhood educator at the aforementioned Jewish school, and I knew instantly that this was how I could do my small part in ensuring Jewish continuity. Daily as a teacher, I think about the struggles that the people who endured the Holocaust navigated in order to guarantee the survival of the Jewish nation. This motivates me to instill in my students a love for their people and their heritage even at their young age. Overall, I value life so much more now than I did before the March of the Living, and I am especially grateful for the freedom of religion and speech that we enjoy today.

Continue reading