Cincinnati Marches

SHS seniors participate in March of the Living

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MARCH. The Cincinnati March of the Living Delegates will first travel to Warsaw, Poland and then make their way to Krakow, Poland. After their time in Poland, they will visit all of the major cities in Israel including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and many more.

   On Sunday, April 28, 27 Cincinnati teens will embark of March of the Living (MOTL), which is a life-changing trip to Poland and Israel. 20 of these teens are current seniors at Sycamore High School. The trip is two weeks long, and participants will spend a little less than a week in Poland and the rest of their time in Israel.

   During their time in Poland, the group will be visiting the Concentration Camps from the Holocaust and learning about the country and as well as participating in the March from Auschwitz to Birkenau.

   In Israel, the group will visit the Dead Sea, spend time at a local high school, and be involved in Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). They will also be riding camels and spending time at the Western Wall.

   Senior Taylor Miller is following the footsteps of her older siblings by going on the trip. “I am looking forward to March of the Living because I have heard so many great things and I can’t wait to experience it myself and learn about the history of the Jewish people.”

   “The March begins in Poland, where the group will join other groups from around the world to march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built during the Holocaust. They will then travel to Israel to celebrate  Israeli independence,” according to the Mayerson JCC website.

   Leading the trip is Sycamore Alumni, Becca Pollak, the Tween and Teen Coordinator at the Mayerson JCC.

   For these students, MOTL is a privilege that comes with being a Jewish teen in Cincinnati.

   “The March of the Living Cincinnati is organized by the Mayerson JCC, in partnership with The Holocaust and Humanity Center. Cincy Journeys’ Israel Travel grants are generously funded by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and administered by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. The grants are not need-based and are offered to Cincinnati Jewish high school seniors who have not already used their high school Israel travel grant,” according to mayersonjcc.org.

   “[The travel grant is unique to Cincinnati because it helps] every young adult travel and learn in Israel, giving them the skills, experience, and desire to become tomorrow’s community leaders,” according to cincyjourneys.org.