Former Israeli captives, hostage families unite in March of the Living at Auschwitz to declare 'triumph of the Jewish spirit'

At the close of the 37th annual March of the Living on Thursday, survivors of the Holocaust and the Oct. 7. 2023 massacre – along with their loved ones and thousands of others – gathered to honor the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime and to reflect on the enduring trauma faced by the Jewish people.

Survivors of Hamas captivity and relatives of hostages were joined by delegations from 40 countries, as they marched from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) to mark the 80th anniversary since the liberation of the Nazi death camps.

The march, led by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog, alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, and included 80 Holocaust survivors, among them 98-year-old Bella Eisenmann, the older participant.

Eli Sharabi, who was released from Hamas captivity earlier this year – after his wife, daughters, and one brother were murdered in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack – stood beside his brother Sharon and spoke with a trembling voice.

“The Holocaust was unlike anything else – we will never forget and never forgive,” he said. “Our presence here is the triumph of the Jewish spirit. The Jewish people will live forever.”

“The Jewish people sanctify life, not death. The unwritten contract between the state and its citizens must not be broken – all the hostages must come home,” he continued. “I lost my wife and daughters on October 7. I endured horrors in enemy captivity, but I chose life. That gives me hope to get up each morning and begin rebuilding.”

Sharabi’s other brother, Yossi, was killed during Hamas captivity and his body remains in Gaza.

Referring to the group of people standing at the memorial together, Sharon Sharabi declared, “This human wall is stronger than any wall that stood in the ghetto. It’s not only physical – it carries all the necessary strength, the Jewish spirit. This wall cannot be broken. As a people, we will hold accountable those responsible for the blood spilled on October 7 and in the Holocaust our grandparents endured. We will not give up. We will not raise our hands in surrender. As one nation, we will stand tall.”

The grandfather of hostage Bar Kupershtein, cried out near the entrance to the crematorium at Auschwitz, “In this cursed place, the embodiment of evil, I cry out – bring back my grandson! Bring back all 59 hostages!”

Bar’s grandmother, Faina, added, “The entire Jewish people are with us. I thank everyone, but I need my grandson back. We can’t wait any longer.”

The mother of former hostage Omer Shem Tov, Shelly, spoke through tears, “My Omer came back, but we must bring all 59 hostages home. There’s no more time. This is my first time on the soil of Auschwitz – and perhaps the most fitting moment to raise this cry to the heavens and the world.”

Former hostage Keith Siegel sent a message to fellow hostage Omri Miran, who appeared in a Hamas video the day before.

“I’m here in Poland at the March of the Living – the place meant to represent ‘Never Again’ – and yet 59 hostages remain in Gaza’s tunnels,” said Siegel. “I saw the footage of Omri Miran calling to be rescued. I was held with him for months. I met a strong, unbreakable person. Omri – don’t break. I know how terrible the conditions are, the pain, the loneliness.”

“We must bring Omri back now. We must bring all 59 hostages back now. That is our duty – as Jews, as Israelis. This is why we established a state. Omri, if you’re seeing me now, know that Lishay, Danny, the whole family, all your friends and this amazing nation – people fighting every day – won’t give up on you or the others. Stay strong. I love you.”

Many other survivors of the Oct. 7 attack participated in the march, including IDF observer soldier and former hostage Agam Berger, accompanied by her grandfather Aharon, her mother Merav and twin sister Bar. Other participants included Ori Magidish, rescued from Gaza with her mother Margalit; Hagar Brodutch, accompanied by her sister Yaara; and Almog Meir Jan, marching with his mother Orit. Chen Goldstein-Almog, Moran Stella Yanai, and Gadi Mozes with his daughter Moran were also there.

As the March of the Living event began at Auschwitz, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators confronted the attendees, shouting, “Free Palestine,” which were met with chants of “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The people of Israel live”).

Prior to the march, President Herzog met with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The two discussed continuing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and the global rise in antisemitism. They also met with a joint Israeli-Polish youth delegation to discuss the importance of Holocaust remembrance and the responsibility of the next generation to preserve its lessons for future generations.

Following the meeting, the two leaders visited Block 27 – the Jewish pavilion at Auschwitz – where they viewed the Book of Names and delivered joint statements to the media.

“In days when antisemitism rears its ugly head, often cloaked in vile hatred of Israel and calls for the destruction of the State of Israel – we must stand firm and breathe life into the promise of 'Never again' –through legislation, enforcement, education and culture," Herzog said.

"The joint meeting we are holding today with young people gives this initiative strong momentum, embodying the aspiration to deepen the partnership and brotherhood between our peoples and to build a shared future together."

Duda said: "We must not remain silent in the face of hatred between peoples. We must not remain silent in the face of racist or ethnic hatred. If we are silent, the end result can be what happened here at the hands of the Germans during World War II, when wild hatred drove them to annihilate the Jewish people. We call it the Holocaust, but it was simply a wild urge to kill and destroy."

Herzog's office said this year's participation by both survivors of the Holocaust and those recently freed from captivity reflects "the resilience of the Jewish people in their homeland."

Jonny Daniels, founder of the advocacy organization From The Depths, which supports causes important to the global Jewish community, said the atmosphere at the march was "emotional … surreal and difficult,” adding that a sudden downpour forced the official ceremony after the march concluded to last just 10 minutes.

Daniels called the march "a manifestation of life and remembrance," and a "dramatic call of 'never again, no more hatred, no more chauvinism, no more antisemitism.'"