As part of Holocaust Remembrance Day events, a delegation of National-Civic Service volunteers traveled earlier this week to take part in the international March of the Living at Auschwitz.
An Israeli Mosaic Walks Together
In the midst of the Swords of Iron War and the ongoing challenges following the October 7 attacks, the National-Civic Service delegation carried a message of remembrance, unity, and civic responsibility.
The group was made up of volunteers representing the full spectrum of Israeli society: Jews, Muslims, Druze, and Christians; religious, ultra-Orthodox, and secular; young men and women from both central and peripheral areas of the country, as well as volunteers with disabilities.
Watch the delegation sing “Am Yisrael Chai” in Auschwitz:
Third-Generation Holocaust Descendants
Reuven Pinsky, Director-General of the National-Civic Service Authority and a third-generation descendant of Holocaust survivors, described the march as a deeply personal and familial closing of a circle. Speaking to RegaNEWS, Pinsky said, “Especially on Holocaust Remembrance Day, and in the shadow of war, this delegation reflects the resilience, solidarity, and spirit of volunteerism that characterize Israeli society.”
He added, “The participants traveled to remember—and to draw strength for building a future firmly rooted in the past. This is a moral response to evil and antisemitism.”
Encountering Holocaust Stories Up Close
During their time in Poland, the delegation visited several sites of major Jewish and historical significance, including the Treblinka and Majdanek extermination camps, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Children’s Forest near Tarnów.
They marched together in the March of the Living alongside thousands of participants from around the world, walking 3.2 kilometers from the Auschwitz camp to Birkenau, in memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Watch the shofar being blown in Auschwitz:
This year’s march brought together 8,000 participants, including Holocaust survivors, survivors of the October 7 massacre, freed hostages and their families, and bereaved families.
Eighty Holocaust survivors from across the world joined this year—around 40 of them from Israel. Leading the march were Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal, alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, met hostage survivor Eli Sharabi at the March of the Living, along with a delegation of UN ambassadors. “Eli shared a message of hope in the face of darkness. His words carried special weight at a time when other hostages are still in captivity. Eli, you are a symbol of the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people,” said Danon.
A Timely Journey
The National-Civic Service Authority emphasized the significance of the delegation’s visit at this time, as a reflection of the commitment shown by National-Civic Service volunteers—now in the heart of their second year of service—who contribute across many fields within Israeli society.
By Uriel Jamal
