My name is David Abady and I'm a senior at Donna Klein Jewish Academy. I would like to thank Rabbi Broide, Rabbi Plotkin, and all of the staff members and educators that accompanied me on the March of the Living. Your passion and dedication really showed throughout this trip. A big thanks to Rabbi Goldberg and Rabbi Moskowitz for everything they do in this community. I would also like to thank my parents for raising me in a Jewish home and sending me to Jewish day schools throughout my entire life. They did a great job in preparing me for such a meaningful trip.
I would like to share with you a couple very meaningful and emotional moments that I experienced while in Poland and in Israel. After touring Auschwitz and Berkenau and hearing and seeing the horrors that occurred in these places, it was finally time to go on the March.
15,000 plus marchers gathered together to march from Aushcwitz to Berkenau. I could not believe my eyes. As we were leaving Aushcwitz, all I could think about was the people that entered this camp but were never given the opportunity to leave. I felt a sense of pride walking hand in hand with thousands of Jewish people out of the concentration camp. Once we arrived at Berkenau, my emotions shifted. I burst into tears.
Sitting on the train tracks, I reflected on the lives the prisoners of the Holocaust were forced to live. I could not imagine what they had to go through every second of the day, separated from their families and homes. I thought about Holocaust survivors that I know and have spoken to. This made my emotional connection even stronger. My mind shifted to my family and my home. I thought about how grateful and thankful I should be for the family and friends I have and the community I live in. At that very moment, I so badly wanted to give my parents a huge hug and thank them for everything they have ever done for me. I then understood that I have to show my gratitude more often and I have to appreciate all the little things I have in my life that prisoners of the Holocaust so undeservingly lacked.
After a few days of reflecting, it was time to shift gears and head to Israel. Getting off the plane in Tel Aviv, a sense of extreme happiness came over my entire body. This is my home. This is a place that prisoners of the Holocaust would have killed to have. I have to cherish this as a place that will always welcome me even if other countries wouldn't. Once I got to Israel, I was looking forward to one event in particular: the March to the Kotel with all the other marchers.
Surprisingly, the actual march to the Kotel was not the most meaningful part of that day. However, the period right before the march was more meaningful to me. During this hour and a half or so, all 15,000 plus marchers were gathered together outdoors in an enclosed area singing and dancing to Israeli songs. We all united in circles and started singing songs that we have avoided singing for as long as we could remember. I would always feel embarrassed singing songs like Am Yisrael Chai, Tov Lehodot, and songs alike, but not this time. I felt extremely proud singing and dancing along with all my brothers and sisters. Together, we celebrated life and freedom.
The March of the Living reminded me that I can never forget where I come from. I am a Jew and I'm happy and proud to be one. I promise to never be embarrassed to represent the Jewish people. I now realize more than ever that the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling very rapidly. These survivors will not be able to tell their stories for much longer. We are the generation that has to tell their story and share their memories. I promise to always do so. As much as I learned about the Holocaust in the classroom, there is truly nothing that compares to visiting the camps firsthand. I recommend this trip to everyone. I believe it is something everyone has to experience.
Thank you,
David Abady, Class of 2016
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