AJC and March of the Living Join to Explore Contemporary Polish Society

American Jewish Committee
Thursday, 2 March 2000

This Sunday the New York chapter of the American Jewish Committee and New York March of the Living will co-host "The Next Generation: Strengthening Ties Between Polish Society and the American Jewish Community," a pilot program focused on opening discussion between March of the Living (MOL) participants and young Polish leaders.

The discussion will take place during the MOL retreat at the Hilton Parsippany in Parsippany, New Jersey, from 10:00 to 11:30 am on Sunday, March 5. Rabbi A. James Rudin, director of AJC's Interreligious Affairs department, will moderate the panel.

Since its founding in 1988, MOL -- a Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York program -- has brought over 30,000 Jewish high school students from around the world to Poland on Holocaust Memorial Day to retrace the death-march from Auschwitz to Birkenau.

This year, for the first time, AJC and MOL, in cooperation with the Polish government, will integrate present-day Polish society into the march experience by introducing marchers to young Polish leaders and, once in Poland, to Polish youth.

AJC Executive Director David A. Harris, who participated in the 1998 march with his son, says he was able to witness first-hand what an indelible impact the march had on its participants.

"The march teaches vital lessons about the horrors of the Holocaust," Mr. Harris said. "At the same time, it is important that participants also have some exposure to contemporary Polish life, to current topics in Polish-Jewish relations, and to the small but vibrant Polish-Jewish community. Otherwise, an important opportunity will be lost."

In a panel discussion during the MOL preparation retreat this Sunday, a group of young Polish leaders, including Bartek Pawlak, Polish Government Information Center Director; Piotr Cywinski, KIK (Catholic Intelligensia Club) Deputy Director; Piotr Kadlcik, Vice-President of Jewish Congregations in Poland; and Robert Malleck, Prime Minister's Plenipontentiary for Family and Youth Exchange Chief, will address students' concerns about the past as well as the future of Poland.

"Understanding is the first step in healing the wounds of the Holocaust," says MOL Chairperson Cheryl Fishbein. "This program will help our marchers begin the healing."

MOL participants will march in Poland on May 2, and then continue the AJC program before travelling on to Israel. AJC's Warsaw office, together with the Polish Prime Minister's office, will host activities in Poland such as youth exchanges and joint Polish-Jewish visits to the death camps.

"This program will educate our youth for the future," said Minister Counselor Boguslaw Majewski from the Polish embassy. "History is our teacher for life, and we need to teach our young people lessons about the Holocaust."

Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of European Affairs, will also be hosting a discussion with the featured Polish leaders on March 6 at noon at the American Jewish Committee headquarters in New York.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org