Residents throughout our county are joining a unique, worldwide virtual memorial to remember the victims of the Holocaust. Sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic from attending this year’s “March of the Living” which brings thousands of Jews to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration complex in Poland to mourn those who were murdred by the Nazis, members of the Jewish community instead are posting their sentiments on line via the Never Means Never website created for the purpose by March of the Living organizers.
Marcia Tatz Wollner, a San Diegan who organizes annual March of the Living trips to the concentration camps and to Israel, expressed the sentiment this way:
“As the Western Region Director of the March of the Living, I feel that the place where I belong on Yom HaShoah is Auschwitz/Birkenau – standing proudly with my head held high with over 10,000 other people wearing blue jackets- and carrying Israeli flags saying- ‘we are here ,’ ‘Never Again,’ ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ and at the same time- with head lowered remembering in whose steps I am walking, knowing that I am privileged to walk out of the gate that says ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ when 1.1 million people were unable to do so.
“As we know, this year is like no other,” Wollner continued. “I will not be in Poland this Yom HaShoah, I will mourn the loss of the over 6 million Jews here in my home. I will not be able to have the blessing of silently marching arm in arm with Holocaust survivors and chaperoning our brave teens who were willing to spend two weeks learning about the horrors of the Holocaust and using all of their senses to try to make some sense over something so senseless. I will be here in San Diego, thinking of those lost, Holocaust survivors whom I have marched with and who are no longer with us, like Lou Dunst, z”l, I will light a candle, say kaddish virtually with others and say Zachor, remember, we must never forget.”
The virtual salute to Holocaust victims was initiated in Israel with President Reuven Rivlin delivering this message, to be placed on a virtual plaque: “75 years after the Holocaust, the terrible tragedy of our people, as antisemitism raises its ugly head once again across the world, the nations of the world must stand together. Together, in the struggle against racism. Together, in the struggle against antisemitism and extremism. Together, for the protection of democratic values and human dignity. This is the mission of our time. This is our challenge. If we can unite around these things, then we can rise to the challenge.”
Another message came from Isaac Herzog, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel: “How fragile is life. We have to be thankful for what we have daily. The March of the Living — which takes place this year via computer and keyboard–reminds us of the fragility of life and puts it in proportion. May the memory of the six million be blessed, engraved in the collective memory of our people, and the world, forever and ever.”
San Diegan Manya Wallenfels wrote: “I was born in Busk, Poland. As a survivor it was an important mission to participate in the March Of The Living with the many thousands of participants from all over the world. To come and see and be a witness for the 6 million Jewish Souls who perished in the horrific Holocaust. As a survivor it was very difficult to revisit my country and stand on the blood soaked soil. We must not forget the victims and we must tell our stories of those evil atrocities. The future generation must make sure that this will Never Never Happen Again.”
Ryan Friedman, the grandson of Manya and Mike Wallenfels, recalled his experience on the 2015 March of the Living traveling with his grandmother. He said it was “a powerful experience on a physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual level. The plaque we left on the train tracks leading into Birkenau spoke to the importance of Jewish ancestral remembrance as well as living a life rooted in love, equity, and strength.”
Republished from San Diego Jewish World