Recently, I had the great privilege of participating in the March of the Living, “an educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) to march from, the largest concentration camp complex built during World War II, and then to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron, (Israel Memorial Day), and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, (Israel Independence Day).” This year almost 10,000 teens from around the world participated in the event. I went with the Los Angeles contingent, a group of about 160 teens and seven survivors of the Holocaust including myself.

For our group the trip also included visits to the Warsaw Ghetto area, Treblinka, Jewish area of Krakow, Lublin, Majdanek and Zbilagovska Gora Forest where 800 children were brutally clubbed to death.

Majdanek Dome Of Ashes

The event was one of the most important and meaningful events that I have ever participated in. There is also no question that this was a life altering event for the students who participated, one that can never be forgotten.

After I returned home, I sent a letter to all the members of our group. I wanted to share it with you in the hope that it might give you some idea of what I participated in.

If you or someone you know might benefit from a trip like this, I hope you will tell them about my experience. It was certainly something that I will never forget.

Thank you is not enough. I feel truly blessed and privileged to have made this trip with all of you. The entire "March of the Living" experience is so moving, profound and important, that it is deeply etched into our hearts and memories and will always be remembered…"Zachor."

To the hosts and organizers:
All of you, each and every member of the staff did a perfect job of organizing and coordinating every aspect of this trip. The travel, meals, sites and activities were not only perfectly timed, they created a most impactful trip for all the participants. I would have to write a book to describe how much each has added to this journey. However, I must single out a few of our staff members.

Monice Newman, you are remarkable. Clearly you are a great administrator. More importantly, you have a wonderful heart, treated all of us as family and added a level of emotion to everything we did that touched us all. Much of the meaning and purpose of this trip was enhanced because of you and who you are. Thank you for making this trip so special for all of us.
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Ronnie Mink, you are a true historian. Your stories were brought to life by your knowledge and understanding of these horrible events. We have not only learned from you, but will remember it because of you. You are a great teacher and were a great friend to me on this journey.

Victor Kuptel, our tour guide. The fact that you were able to organize a side trip for all of us to go to Bochnia, taking five busloads of tourists to visit my parents gravesite with a police escort, was Extraordinary.

I know that the students will long remember this visit. I want you to know that I will always be grateful to you for having arranged it.

To the students and my fellow survivors:
Remembering the past is the greatest method we have of preventing history from repeating itself. We have taught, shared and shown you all that we can. It is now up to you.

We share our experiences with the hopes that they will be remembered and handed down from generation to generation. Together we laughed, cried, ate, danced, and witnessed (or re-witnessed) those places where much of the world’s greatest atrocities took place. The places where once again the world has tried to eliminate the Jewish people and failed.

You are privileged to have been able to make this trip with our group of survivors and with that privilege comes a responsibility. You are the last generation to be able to make this trip with survivors. It is now up to you to tell your children that you went to these camps with a survivor, this is what they told you and this is what you learned. I cannot stress enough the importance of remembering…"zachor".

I hope you have also learned about the importance of family and to take nothing for granted because someday you may no longer have that which is most precious to you. Gratitude is the opposite of taking things for granted. Be grateful for your parents and siblings. Be grateful for each day that you are blessed with. They are all gifts from Hashem.

To my children, grandchildren and much of our extended family, I am known as "Papa Ben". I am sure that our other survivors are also known as papa, bubbie, safta and saba, and that all of us would be honored to be called that name by any of you. Through this trip and process we have bonded in a way that few others will ever know. We are all now a part of a bigger family.

You are member of an eternal people, a link between generations. The hopes and dreams of our silenced ancestors live on in you. Accept that responsibility with pride. Always be proud that you are a Jew.

To the parents
Please know that by allowing your children to participate in the “March of the Living”, you have given them a life altering experience. You have connected them to our people and past generations in a way that will last throughout their lifetimes. This may be one of the greatest gifts you could bestow upon them. I for one, am extremely grateful to you for having done that.

A Final Thank You
Without all of you students this trip would have little to no meaning. The fact is that you have made this trip one of my life’s fondest memories. "Dayenu". It would have been enough. But you went even further and surprised me with a gift that I never anticipated and that moved me to tears. Your generous donations to the Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation is a true mitzvah. Because of you thousands of others will receive this tangible memento of what they learn about the Holocaust.

This heartfelt gesture makes  me even prouder to know you and to be considered as "your papa".

I really do love each and every one of you.

Ben Lesser (a.k.a. "Papa Ben")