Martin Stone is a 21 year old freshman at the University of Rochester in New York. From April 14th to 28th of 1996, Martin went on “The March of the Living”; a trip to Poland and Israel, sponsored by the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education in Philadelphia.
LK: What compelled you to go to Israel and Poland?
MS: I first went on a family trip to Israel back in 1994 and it changed my life. I discovered the value of my religion there and I appreciated it even more. Also, I became prouder to be Jewish. The March of the Living gave me the opportunity to return. Also, I wanted to learn more about the Holocaust. Growing up, my parents always told me about it and provided me books to read about the Holocaust, and I wanted to see the real thing for myself.
LK: What was the itinerary like?
MS: I visited several concentration camps. We took an amazing and highly emotional march with 5,000 others from Auchwitz to Schindler’s factory, and some of the oldest rare synagogues in Poland. We also saw some of the last remaining Jewish communities in Poland. After that, we flew to Israel and visited important places all over Israel such as Old Jerusalem, and the Masada.
LK: What is the March of the Living all about?
MS: Basically, it was all about learning more about your
heritage. In Poland, I learned what Jewish people were feeling at the lowest point in their lives by visiting all the concentration camps, marching from one camp to another, and seeing memorials everywhere. It taught me how strong the Jewish culture is. Everything we do in our everyday lives does not mean much compared to what Jewish people went through during the Holocaust. In Poland, we saw Jewish culture dying, but when we flew to Israel, it was as if we witnessed a restrengthening of Judaism. This made me appreciate my Judaism even more.
LK: You went with a group of hearing students, did you have an interpreter?
MS: Yes. My interpreter’s expenses were covered by many different grants from CAJE, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, a special needs fund from Jewish Family and Children’s Services, and a grant from Danny Siegel.
LK: Are there any funny or interesting experiences from the trip you would like to share?
MS: There are so many of them, but I think that the most important part of my trip was the bond and friendship that I shared with everyone. I was the only deaf person in a group of 50 people. No one in my group ever saw me as deaf, but they accepted me as Jewish person, and that was important to me.
LK: What was the most memorable part of the trip?
MS: There are many, but I’d say the concert that celebrated the Independence day of Israel was one of my most memorable experiences with my friends there. There were about 5,000 people there and I had a fabulous time!
LK: Would you go back to Israel if you had the chance?
MS: Absolutely, anytime!
LK: Would you encourage others to go?
MS: YES! It would be a great opportunity for each Jewish person to learn more about his/her heritage and see everything in Poland and Israel.
That’s it for this issue! If you have any story ideas, suggestions, or know someone who should be featured in this column, e-mail JDCC at JDCCNEWS @aol.com, or mail your suggestions to JDCC at 1717 Bagley Ave., L.A., CA 90035. Hope to hear from you soon!
