Holocaust Survivors Lead Annual March at Auschwitz-Birkenau

Holocaust survivors from multiple countries participated in the 38th annual March of the Living at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp complex in Poland on Tuesday. The event coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day on the Jewish calendar. In Israel, sirens sounded and a two-minute silence was observed in tribute to Holocaust victims.

Event Details

The march began at the Auschwitz site and concluded approximately 3 kilometers away at the Birkenau camp. Organizers from the International March of the Living organization reported that 50 survivors participated, with some traveling from Israel.

They noted logistical difficulties for some participants due to airspace restrictions associated with recent conflict between Israel and Iran.

The event is reported to have occurred during a two-week ceasefire following a conflict that began on February 28.

Participant Statements

Revital Yakin Krakovsky, deputy chief executive of the International March of the Living organization, stated that antisemitism has increased since October 7 and is spreading. She said the scale and normalization of this hatred echoes past periods.

Among the participants were survivors of recent antisemitic attacks, including a December mass shooting in Sydney, Australia. Hannah Abesidon, whose father was killed in that attack, said:

"My father didn’t make it because he was a Jew. It starts with the Jews but it doesn’t end with the Jews."

Commemoration in Israel

In Israel, sirens sounded at 10:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, followed by a two-minute silence during which traffic halted and daily activities paused. This annual commemoration, held in April or May according to the Hebrew calendar, is separate from International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

Related Observances

International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed on January 27, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet forces in 1945. Events were held across Europe.

• At the Auschwitz memorial site, former prisoners laid flowers and wreaths.
• In Berlin, candles and white roses were placed at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
• A candlelight march was planned in Terezin, Czech Republic, at the former Nazi camp Theresienstadt.

Historical Context

Nazi German forces killed an estimated 1.1 million people at Auschwitz, predominantly Jews, but also Poles, Roma, and others. Overall, approximately 6 million Jews perished in the Holocaust.

Globally, an estimated 196,600 Jewish Holocaust survivors are alive, with a median age of 87.