Carrying Memory Forward

Posted on 04/24/2026 @ 06:30 AM

Tags: March of the Living, Teen Education & Engagement

By Carly Orshan, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Teen Department, and Congregational Education

Two weeks ago, Miami teens and staff traveled to Poland as part of CAJE’s Leo Martin March of the Living.

Students described the experience as “life changing,” “meaningful,” and “unforgettable,” with nearly all participants sharing that the journey had a significant impact on them.

In Kraków, students walked through once-vibrant Jewish neighborhoods, encountering the richness and diversity of Jewish life before the war.

At Majdanek, Auschwitz, and Birkenau, they bore witness to the realities of the Holocaust, standing in the very places where history unfolded.

One student reflected, “The experience of being in multiple concentration camps while being with holocaust survivors was incredibly unique, and I will never forget it.”

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At the Rapoport Memorial in Warsaw, our teens joined the Miami Adult March of the Living delegation, led by Mel Mann, Mark Baranek and the Friends of the March of the Living, for a powerful intergenerational ceremony honoring both resistance and loss during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

We were honored to be accompanied by two Holocaust Survivors, Allan Hall and Laszlo Selly, whose presence shaped the experience in profound ways.

Being with Survivors, hearing their stories, and walking alongside them brought a depth to the experience that cannot be replicated.

As one student shared, this was “one of the most life changing trips that I’ve been on.”

Students visited the location in Warsaw where Allan was hidden as a child, hearing his story in the very space where it unfolded. It was an unforgettable moment that brought history off of the page and into lived experience.

Throughout the journey, students demonstrated a deep sense of reflection and responsibility.

They shared takeaways such as “Never again. Silence is dangerous,” “We are stronger together,” and “How important it is to continue my Jewish legacy.”

Many also expressed a growing sense of responsibility moving forward, including a desire to continue learning and to speak up in support of the Jewish community and Israel.

During the closing program, students reflected on what they are carrying forward from this experience, considering their own legacy and the message they want to bring into their lives and communities.

On Yom HaShoah, our delegation joined thousands from around the world in the march from Auschwitz to Birkenau. Wrapped in Israeli flags and walking in solemn unity, their steps affirmed memory, dignity, and Jewish continuity.

Alongside the teen journey in Poland, CAJE’s March of the Living partnered with Beth Torah Early Childhood for the powerful “My Survivor & Me” program, an intergenerational experience that brought together young children, families, and Holocaust Survivors.

In many ways, this program brought the central question of the March of the Living journey full circle, creating a space where memory is not only witnessed, but shared, lived, and carried forward across generations. This meaningful connection between generations is something we hope to continue to build in the years ahead.

We are especially grateful to our March of the Living Chair, Marian Kruss, whose leadership, vision, and deep commitment helped shape and bring this meaningful intergenerational opportunity to life, ensuring that memory is passed on in meaningful and lasting ways.

From now on, both our MOTL teens and our ECE students are not only participants in this journey, but witnesses, carriers of memory, and voices for the Jewish future.