March of the Living

International March of the Living is an annual educational program which brings students from around the world to Poland, where they explore the remnants of the Holocaust. On Holocaust Memorial Day, observed in the Jewish calendar [Yom HaShoah], thousands of participants march silently from Auschwitz to Birkenau. Eli assumed the role of National Director in 1989 and led his first Canadian delegation on the March in 1990, where he first met Elie Wiesel. To date, over 310,000 people worldwide have participated in the March.

In 1988, teenagers from around the world participated in the March of the Living for the first time. This inaugural program helped redefine experiential education. The March of the Living introduced a model that brought together thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds for a shared educational experience centred on memory, identity, and responsibility.

From the beginning, the March of the Living has brought together participants who often have little connection to one another prior to the program. At the same time, the experience is far more than the journey itself. The educational process begins months before participants travel overseas and continues to shape their perspectives long after they return home.

For this reason, preparation has always been central to the program. Communities around the world conduct educational sessions and Shabbatonim in the months leading up to the March, helping students explore the history of the Holocaust, the meaning of Jewish identity, and the responsibilities of memory. Madrichim guide this learning process, challenging students intellectually while supporting them emotionally.

Over the decades, communities have developed outstanding educational approaches for preparing their students. This curriculum seeks to bring many of those ideas together into a single framework, offering a comprehensive preparatory course for adolescents about to embark on this powerful journey.

Since 1988, more than 310,000 participants have taken part in the March of the Living. The program has inspired many to strengthen their connection to Jewish life, support Jewish education and community institutions, and engage more deeply with questions of moral responsibility. It has also reinforced a universal message: to speak out against injustice and, in the words of Elie Wiesel, “The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.”

March of the Living Curriculum – Historical Narratives & Our Narratives (Volume II)

This comprehensive educational curriculum was developed in 2015 to prepare students for the unique experience of participating in the March of the Living. Through historical study, personal reflection, and interactive learning, the program helps participants explore the history of the Holocaust, Jewish life before the war, and the enduring responsibility of remembrance.

Designed for educators and program leaders, the curriculum provides structured seminars, primary sources, discussion activities, and multimedia resources that deepen students’ understanding of the Shoah while connecting history to contemporary questions of identity, responsibility, and moral action.

By emphasizing individual stories, survivor testimony, and the broader historical context, the curriculum helps transform statistics into human experiences—encouraging participants to reflect on their own family narratives and their role in preserving memory for future generations.

📄 Download the Curriculum:  2015 MOL Generic Curriculum Vol II.

🔍 Front and back covers: Click to enlarge/view