From Remembrance to Revival 2024: “Our Marching Steps Ring Out: ‘We Are Here!’”

A month after October 7th, Haim Taib and his wife Iris visited Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha. Standing in front of one burnt home, their accompanying security officer told them about its resident, 81-year-old Holocaust survivor Jacqueline Glicksman. Jacqueline jumped out of her safe room window to escape the Hamas terrorists who were setting her home on fire. In an interview with Yair Weinreb on the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Kan Bet, Haim shared how he felt at that moment, as he remembered how his grandfather Haim, his namesake, saved himself by escaping the forced labor camp in which he was imprisoned during the Nazi occupation of Tunisia.

Standing in front of Jacqueline’s burned home, Haim wondered to himself, “How is it possible that the children who escaped the horrors of the Nazis by jumping out of trains are now fleeing for their lives once again, jumping out of windows, even as grandparents?”. Haim reflected on the events of October 7th and made the connection to the Holocaust: “Both events had one purpose: to annihilate the Jewish People,” said Haim, and at that moment, he decided to initiate the Otef delegation to the 2024 March of the Living. Triggered by the recent events, he felt that the march must be led by a courageous group of people who survived the October 7th terrorist attack. He believed this delegation would send a powerful message to the Jewish People and to the world that Am Israel Chai, the People of Israel live on. Haim and his wife, who is also a second-generation Holocaust survivor, met with Jacqueline and the other members of the delegation in Poland. “We marched together, and I believe that the display of Jews gathering from all around the world showed just how strong the Jewish People are,” said Haim.

The 36 Otef delegation’s members, many of whom marched on the blood-soaked soil of Auschwitz-Birkenau draped in Israeli flags, echoed this message. Their words touched millions of Israelis, Jews, and people around the world through articles, interviews, and news reports in local and international media, as well as videos, pictures, and posts on social media uploaded prior to and during Holocaust Remembrance Day. The delegation included six Holocaust survivors who also survived Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack on October 7th, hostages freed from Hamas captivity through the captive exchange or IDF’s heroic rescue, and the families of hostages still being held by Hamas, Nova music festival massacre survivors and their families, IDF soldiers who were injured in battle, and bereaved families of those who lost their lives defending the western Negev region. All shared their staggering inspirational experiences, praised the heroism of all those who fought and perished, and most of all, emphasized Israel’s unity and resilience.

“Here We Stand as Jews, Proud of our People and Country”

81-year-old Judith Tzamir from Kibbutz Mefalsim survived the Holocaust thanks to a Berliner foster family. She didn’t even know she was Jewish until after the war when her mother came back for her. In her many interviews with the Israeli media outlets, including Galei Tzahal, ynet, and Channel 13, Judith said that she thought she would never again set foot on Polish soil, but “after what happened, I thought I need to remind even to myself to be proud that I’m a Jew, to remind the world that we are alive, and that we will carry out our lives as Jews, proud of our People and country. No one will move us, not from these feelings and not from our land.” In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Judith added: “I don’t know if the world will listen, but even for myself, it’s important to remember that there’s still antisemitism around, and there are still people who will kill just for religious reasons.” AP brought her message to the world.

86-year-old Bella Haim also vowed to never return to Poland, which she left after the war at the age of 12. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, opening the evening news with renowned anchorwoman Yonit Levi, Bella appeared draped in the Israeli flag, marching across Auschwitz extermination camp. “Indeed, I’m a bit trembling, but I feel very powerful,” She said. Bella survived the October 7th attack on Kibbutz Gvulot in the western Negev. Her grandson, Yotam Haim z”l, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Yotam managed to escape his captors but, in a nationally heartbreaking tragedy, was mistakenly killed by IDF soldiers. Yotam was buried in Gvulot. “First and foremost, I’m here for my grandson and for all the Otef region, for all the people who will not return,” said Bella. On the morning of October 7th, Yotam still managed to call his grandmother and tell her: “Grannie, I’m a little nervous. There are terrorists here. It can happen anywhere, please take care.” These were the last words Bella heard from her beloved grandson. In a special issue of Yedioth Ahronoth dedicated to the March of the Living in the wake of the October 7th attacks, Bella said: “Hearing my grandson describing how the terrorists are burning his home – it reminded me of the Holocaust. After what I’ve been through in my life, seeing my son, second-generation to the Holocaust, bereaving his child – it is horrendous. But I’ve returned to my home in Gvulot. I’m once again listening to the music l love. I’m excited about the reopening of our senior’s club despite everything we have lost in the Kibbutz. Seeing our children smiling again is our revenge and revival. I decided to participate in the March of the Living so the world will see and know,” said Bella, and her message rippled to the world through Reuters’ report and in articles in the Jewish communities’ media worldwide. Radio France International (RFI) quoted Agence France-Presse (AFP) and concluded its report on the Otef delegation to the March of the Living: “The marchers had a simple message: ‘The Jewish People are alive.’”

Choosing Life, Choosing to Rebuild Israel

Another member of the Otef delegation was Yuval Danzig, whose father, 75-year-old Alex Danzig – the son of Holocaust survivors, historian, and among the initiators of March of the Living – was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. In interviews with Channel 13, Keshet 12, and Yedioth Ahoronoth, Yuval said: “March of the Living symbolizes the survivors’ life and revival. For the first time, the march is personally linked to my father, who also worked with Yad Vashem and trained guides for the Israeli youth journeys to Poland.” Yuval, who talked to his young fellow marchers, felt he was carrying on his father’s legacy and stressed the urgency of bringing his father and all the hostages back home: “I hope he will be able to continue his journey himself. His journey has not yet ended. His journey must go on.”

After being held in captivity for 54 days, to march in Auschwitz-Birkenau was profoundly inspiring and empowering for Liat Atzili. Liat was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her husband, Aviv, was murdered in the horrid terrorist attack. That Saturday, she, being a high school teacher, was busy planning the school journey to Poland, “a journey that will not take place,” she said to Dafna Liel at Keshet 12: “Our takeaway from Holocaust survivors needs to be their spirit. The spirit of rebuilding and recovering. They chose life, they chose to build a homeland.”

Alongside the Holocaust survivors, side by side with the returned hostages and hostages’ families still awaiting their loved ones’ return, marched Omri Nissim Arental, a reserve combat soldier in the engineering corps. Omri was severely injured on January 7th, 2024, when a bullet from a tunnel shaft in Gaza hit him directly in the face. Miraculously, Omri survived. In a live broadcast from the March of the Living on Keshet 12, he said: “Eighty years ago, in one of my grandfather’s many escape attempts from the concentration camp, a Nazi soldier put a gun to his head and said: ‘You’re not even worth a bullet.’ Eighty years later, I’ve managed to stay alive despite Hamas’s attempt to kill me, so me marching here is even more powerful. To my grandparents, both Holocaust survivors, it was extremely important that we keep on fighting for our country. My grandfather, although not young, served in the military and fought in the Israeli wars. For my grandmother, an Auschwitz survivor, it was so important that we keep the legacy and be patriots and Zionists because we have no other country.”

“We will Plant and Build and Flourish Again”

Another member of the Otef delegation was Ilan Hamami, father of Colonel Asaf Hamami z”l, valiant warrior of Israel. Asaf, commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Strip, was killed on October 7th while fighting Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nirim; his body was taken to Gaza. In an interview on Kan 11, Ilan told Ayala Hasson: “I’m here to voice the connection between what happened in Poland and on October 7th. To remind the Israeli People what can happen to us when we fight each other, and to show how strong we are when we are united, bonded, unbreakable.” Ilan’s grandson, Asaf’s six-year-old boy, was in his father’s military base on October 7th. When the attack was launched, Asaf took him to the operations room, kissed him on his forehead, told him: “Dad loves you very much,” and went into a battle he would never return from. That day, Asaf quickly understood the magnitude of the events and was the first to announce and radio to his soldiers: “This is Com-1, war.”

Ilan added: “The Israeli youth is our future, and we see this generation fighting the war in Gaza, how persistent and determined they are, risking their lives for the mission, just like my son, each and every one of them a hero. We have a future. We endure and we thrive.”

The significant role of the young generation in the future of the Jewish People was reiterated by Haim Taib in a Facebook post and interviews with Israeli, Jewish, and international media: “Together we march, heads held high, with thousands of youths from all over the world, united in the face of evil, knowing that just as before – we will rise from the ashes with fortitude and endless determination, we will plant and build and flourish again.”