March of the Living 2025 Reflection

This year, I led a March of the Living group from our area for the second time.

The March of the Living is a two week program that begins in Poland for the week of Yom HaShoah [Holocaust Remembrance Day], then continues to Israel for a week during the time of Memorial and Independence Days [Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut]. Temple Emanuel, with support from the Greensboro Jewish Federation and many generous donors, has been participating in this program for nearly 30 years now.

I am so proud of the high school seniors from our Temple as well as the adults who were part of this group. I am even prouder that we are part of a delegation that not only traveled to Poland, but that also went on to Israel. Some March of the Living delegations this year decided to skip the week in Israel. Not ours!

If you know a local Jewish rising junior or senior from our area or nearby who is interested in being part of the March of the Living in 2026, please contact me. The same goes for adults who are thinking of making this journey.

There are so many memorable moments that take place during any March. I want to describe one that truly speaks to my heart and soul.

On Yom HaShoah, there is an actual march that takes place from the Auschwitz I facility to the Birkenau death camp. It is roughly a two mile walk. This year, an estimated 12,000 - including 80 survivors - made this sacred pilgrimage.

As we walk, the road curves and passes over another road. As the curve continues, Birkenau appears in the distance. And yet, if you only focus on that source of pain for our people, you will miss something very special. Because out in front of you is a sea of Jewish diversity, experience, and life.

The picture here is just a small glimpse of this sight.

Our tradition includes a blessing for nearly everything. There is even a blessing for seeing 600,000 Jews. Why that number? That is one of the numbers cited when we talk about how many of our people left Egypt during the Exodus.

Here's the blessing:

Blessed are You, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, knower of secrets.

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, chacham harazeem.

The fact is that I didn't see 600,000 Jews during the March of the Living. But what I saw was a blessing. It's the blessing of being with large groups of our people while touring Israel a week later.

And it's the blessing that our Temple reflects each and every time we are together for the broad range of gatherings that our congregation provides.

Truly, God is the knower of secrets, but we too know a secret. It is the secret of the beauty that emerges when we are together. Let's not keep that secret. Instead, let's share it far and wide as we continue to reinforce our blessed and holy congregation.

Rabbi Andy Koren

Senior Rabbi