A limited delegation of Holocaust survivors from Israel will travel to Poland for the annual March of the Living, following concerns the event might be canceled amid the war. The trip is proceeding in light of the ceasefire in the conflict with Iran.
This year’s march will take place against the backdrop of ongoing conflict and a surge in global antisemitism. Fifty Holocaust survivors from Israel and abroad are set to lead the march, joined by survivors of antisemitic shooting attacks from the US, UK, and Australia. Together, they will light the torch symbolizing the fight against antisemitism, alongside the Trump administration’s envoy on the issue, Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun, and Sylvan Adams, president of the Jewish Congress in Israel.
Former Hamas hostages Omri Miran and Agam Berger will light the State of Israel torch together with Holocaust survivor Irene Shashar and Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, who lost two sons in the October 7 massacre.
At the closing ceremony in Birkenau, the torch of revival will be lit by Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann, who later served in the Israeli Air Force, together with Avi Dickstein, deputy chairman of the March of the Living. Representatives of Keren Kayemet LeIsrael, (KKL-JNF) a longstanding partner of the event, traditionally participate in the ceremony, reflecting their role in strengthening participants’ connection to the State of Israel.
Despite the war with Iran, approximately 7,000 participants from dozens of countries are expected to take part in the march, which will be held on Tuesday, Holocaust Remembrance Day, along the 3.2-kilometer route between the Auschwitz and Birkenau extermination camps.
Organizers succeeded at the last moment in arranging for 11 Holocaust survivors from Israel to attend, following significant logistical efforts and support from 26 Israeli high-tech companies and venture capital funds. They will be joined by 40 additional survivors from around the world.
However, the participation of approximately 1,500 other Israeli attendees was canceled due to uncertainty over their ability to travel safely to and from Israel.
A delegation of 130 law enforcement officials, intelligence representatives, and police chiefs from dozens of countries is also expected to participate. They will march in a show of solidarity against rising antisemitism and pledge to intensify efforts to combat it. Representatives from this group will light a torch symbolizing the commitment to protect the Jewish people and all individuals from hate crimes.
Now in its 38th year, the March of the Living has become the largest international Holocaust remembrance event held on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The march retraces a path between Auschwitz and Birkenau as a symbol of Jewish continuity and resilience, in contrast to the death marches carried out by the Nazis.
Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, chairman of the March of the Living, said the recent war with Iran underscored “the necessity for the State of Israel to stand firm against those who seek its destruction." He added that, amid rising antisemitism worldwide, this year’s march carries “heightened significance."
“Despite the limitations imposed by the war," Rosenman said, “a smaller delegation of Holocaust survivors from Israel, together with dozens from around the world who experienced firsthand the attempt to annihilate the Jewish people, will march in Poland and inspire, especially at this time, a spirit of pride and resilience for the State of Israel and the Jewish people."