The Miami March: Teens Encountering Their History
Posted on 02/17/2023 @ 05:00 AM
65 high school seniors representing 7 different schools and 15 different synagogues from across Miami gathered in person for Miami’s Leo Martin March of the Living Educational Session #2.
The Marchers learned, listened, and connected with each other in preparation for traveling to Poland and Israel this Spring.
One of the main tenants of the Miami March of the Living is to educate participants -- the next generation of leaders-- to remember the Holocaust, act as witnesses, and respond to intolerance and antisemitism through education.
Participants had a chance to learn about life before the war, the history and evolution of antisemitism, how it occurs in our society today, and what that means for them as Jewish teens in America.
They evaluated the rise of contemporary antisemitism, intolerance, and hatred and discussed how they can become agents to speak out against injustice.
The program was powerful. The participants left Sunday’s session with a glimpse into what they will experience throughout the March of the Living educational journey.
Here are some of the meaningful takeaways they shared with us in their evaluations:
- Jews were completely integrated in society before the Holocaust, just like us today
- Jewish life was similar before the war to my life today
- I learned the importance of spreading awareness about antisemitism
- I learned that I must advocate for the Jewish people
https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Memoir-Martin-Baranek/dp/1478797207
Each Miami March of the Living student left with a copy of Martin Baranek’s (z”l) moving biography, “Determined: A Memoir”, co-written with Lisa B. Cicero.
Marty (as everyone called him) participated on many Marches with Miami and spoke to teens about his experience. He once said, “I hope that through my shared personal experiences on numerous March of the Living trips I have impacted numerous teens and adults so that the Shoah cannot and will not repeat itself in the future.” Martin's message continues to live on with the 2023 Miami students.
One of the main tenants of the Miami March of the Living is to educate participants -- the next generation of leaders-- to remember the Holocaust, act as witnesses, and respond to intolerance and antisemitism through education.
One of the main tenants of the Miami March of the Living is to educate participants -- the next generation of leaders-- to remember the Holocaust, act as witnesses, and respond to intolerance and antisemitism through education.
