The Friends Who Support Our March
Posted on 11/15/2024 @ 05:00 AM
The March is a profound and transformative program that allows participants to bear witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust and the beauty as well as complexities of Israel, while celebrating Jewish identity and resilience.
Among the many dedicated individuals who have contributed to the success and sustainability of this program, one figure stands out as a true visionary - Leo Martin z”l, a Holocaust Survivor from Lodz, Poland.
Leo Martin’s journey with the March of the Living began as a survivor, when he participated in the program in 2000. Moved by the experience, he returned in 2002, 2004, and 2005.
Leo Martin firmly believed in the program’s power to preserve Jewish identity and culture, and he was determined to secure its future for Miami-Dade students. To achieve this, he spearheaded the establishment of the Friends of the March of the Living, Inc., a not-for-profit Florida Corporation.
The primary goal of the Friends of the March of the Living was to create a substantial foundation, dedicated to sustaining the March of the Living for future generations.
The funding for this ambitious endeavor would come from grants, bequests, fundraising events, and individual contributions. Leading by example, Leo Martin generously contributed nearly $1,000,000 to the Foundation, setting the path for others to follow.
Today, individuals continue to contribute to the Friends of the March of the Living and on Sunday, December 15th, the Friends hold an annual Golf Tournament that helps to raise funds for CAJE’s Leo Martin March of the Living.
How do the Friends support CAJE and Miami’s Leo Martin March of the Living?
Since inception, the Friends has provided in excess of $2 million in support for the Leo Martin March of the Living program.
In addition to supporting teens on the March program, the Friends also runs the adult March of the Living that in many ways parallels the teen trip. Miami adults interested in traveling on the March of the Living program have the opportunity to do so with the Friends.
What is the vision for the Friends?
As the Friends of the March of the Living continue their journey, they remain steadfast in their mission and passion to raise the necessary funds required to perpetuate Leo Martin’s vision of preserving the March of the Living.
Through the support of the community, the program’s impact can endure for generations to come, ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust never fade and that hope and resilience will always prevail.
By providing financial contributions to the March of the Living, Mel Mann, along with president Howard Schneider and the leadership and supporters of the Friends, ensure the perpetuation of the March of the Living program for future generations.
Todah Rabbah Rabbah/ Many Thanks to the Friends of the March of the Living and their supporters!
The mission of the Friends of the March of the Living (the Friends) is to ensure the perpetuation of CAJE’s Leo Martin March of the Living Program (the March) through the establishment and maintenance of the Friends’ endowment fund.
The endowment fund will support the March of the Living’s goals of educating Jewish teenagers about the dangers of assimilation, hatred and intolerance. We will instill in them the necessity to ‘Never Forget’ and the importance of continuing to share the stories of the Holocaust Survivors for generations to come.
Mel Mann, Executive Director and Howard Schneider, President of the Friends of the MOTL, at Hero's Square in Krakow, Poland.
SAVE THE DATE!
BARBARA C. ALTMAN CLASSIC 20TH ANNIVERSARY GOLF TOURNAMENT
SUNDAY – DEC. 15, 2024 | 12:30PM TEE OFF
Miami Beach Golf Club 2301 Alton Road - Miami Beach, Florida
Registration Deadline: Dec. 8, 2024
Learn more and register at
friendsmotl.org/events/golf-tournament-2024
Join The Friends of the March for the Living for the
ADULT MARCH
April / May 2025
Adults interested in the Friends’ 2025 trip to Poland and Budapest (taking place April 22-May 2, 2025), can learn more about the itinerary and registration process here:
friendsmotl.org/events/adult-march-2025
