OTHER VIEWS

Stronger And Prouder

s a participant on the
March of the Living-
Detroit Teen Unity
Poland/Israel Experience, it
is important to inform the writer of
the letter to the editor, "What Are
The March's Benefits?" (May 18, page
6), of the great benefits of this trip.
Although I don't,like to label
myself, like the writer of the abo , e-
mentioned letter, I also am one who
"would be referred to in the secular
media as ultra-Orthodox."
I agree that there is a tendency to
transform the Holocaust into a reli-
gion of its own, without seeing the
many other dimensions of Judaism.
However, the March of the Living
offers so much more than just the
horrors of the Holocaust. The trip
instilled in me a sense of Jewish pride
that was incomparable to any other
experience I have ever had.
I felt this most in Poland, of all
places, when the entire March of the
Living group (comprising contingents
from many countries) gathered on
Shabbat morning to pray. Following
services, the entire congregation broke
out into spontaneous dancing and
singing of 'Am Yisrael Chai" (the Jew-
ish nation lives on).
Standing on the very ground of a

A

Chana R. Leaf, 18, of Oak Park is a

12th-grader at Yeshivat Akiva in South-
field. She will attend Midreshet HaRo-
va in the Old City of Jerusalem in the
fall.

country where so
many of our
ancestors per-
ished, I felt- deep
pride to be part
of a people who
have endured so
much sorrow in
their history yet
GHANA R.
who have been
LEAF
invincible.
Community
In addition,
Views
during the sub-
stantial time our
group spent in
Poland, visiting the Jewish Quarter
with its many synagogues and other
institutions, we learned that those
who died in the Holocaust were much
more than helpless victims of concen-
tration camps; they were people who
lived rich lives with many beautiful
traditions that we must not forget.
Following the tour of Poland, the
participants were given the opportuni-
ty to "go up" to Israel and to witness
the sense of awe and liberation that
the survivors of the Holocaust must
have experienced during their aliyah.
We spent an entire week in Israel,
filled with wonderment at the land
where we saw the fulfillment of bibli-
cal visions and miracles, where we wit-
nessed firsthand the uniqueness of our
people, as well as the many joys in our
religion and history.
Our trip coincided with Yom
HaZikaron (Israeli Martyr and
Heroes' Memorial Day) and Yom
HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence

Day), meaningful observances that
showed us the tremendous spirit of
achdut (unity) that prevails among the
Israeli people (in spite of the apparent
differences that we hear so much
about in the media).

administration (how to still provide a
worthwhile academic experience to
the remaining students) and is not rel-
evant to the actual event of the march
itself

We Must Remember

Personally, the two weeks of school
that I missed to go on the March of
the Living will remain in my memory
far longer than any two weeks that I
can remember throughout my school
years. Since not all instruction is con-
ducted in a classroom, our experiences
in Poland and Israel, as facilitated by
the wonderful teachers who accompa-
nied us, provided a tremendous
amount of concrete learning that
encompassed many fields of knowl-
edge.
Of even greater value is what I
gained in personal growth and under-
standing of life, which, in my opinion,
are more important than any formal
education.
Looking at the "measurable bene-
fits" of the March of the Living, the
tremendous gains on this trip for
both the participants and for the
memory of those who perished are
evident. Personally, I feel stronger
and prouder about my Judaism than
ever.
I hope to honor the memory of
those who suffered by living my own
life more fully each and every day. I
also hope to pass on the awareness
that I gained to the next generation so
that the Holocaust will never be for-
gotten! ❑

Yes, we do focus on the Holocaust
more than on some other tragic events
in Jewish history "because we live in a
time so close in proximity to the actu-
al events." Time frame notwithstand-
ing, we focus on the Holocaust
because of the monumental level of
horrific tragedy that it wreaked on -the
Jewish people. We can never forget,
for as Jews, we have a biblical com-
mandment to remember what Amalek
did to us and to never forget.
To me, remembering the Holocaust
and what the Nazis did to us is our
generation's duty in observing the
injunction of "remember what Amalek
did to you;" surely, there is no better
way to prepare oneself than to observe
the desolation and destruction of the
Holocaust firsthand.
Concerning the practical issues
such as money and time spent away
from home, I have seen many people
spend far more money and time away
from home on extravagant vacations
that impart no meaning or education-
al value at all.
As far as the time that was missed
in school due to significant numbers
of students being absent to participate
in the march: This is an issue that
needs to be addressed by the school

Deeply Enriching

•

►
ly Look Like It.

Dear Zach,

Seems like yesterday you were
learning how to ride your
BIG WHEELS! Now look at you,
a handsome young man on your
way to becoming a doctor.
We are just beaming with
pride and joy. Good luck at
William M. Scholl College of

Specialties:

to. Woods It. Stones

5/25
2001

32

► Glass

and More!

►
Allied Member • ASID

Podiatric Medicine.

Look out Chicago!

Love, Mom, Dad & Joshua