"MARCH OF THE LIVING" HELD ON MAY 5^th FROM AUSCHWITZ TO BIRKENAU

18  thousand people from all over the world, survivors of concentration camps and their families, took part in the "March of the Living" this year, which is traditionally held on the route between the notorious camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. Among the participants this year there was a group of 67 Jews from Serbia /Belgrade, Subotitza, Panchevo, Nish, Zemun, Novi Sad, Prishtina.../, which started off on the march "on the road of death", from the gates of the Auschwitz camp to the other camp of Birkenau. A ram horn on May 5^th at precisely 1 p.m. marked the start of the "March of the Living". In a symbolic march of respect towards the victims of the Nazi death factory, the participants walk the distance of 3 kilometers, the distance between the two aforementioned camps, the largest complex of Nazi camps, in which around one and a half million Jews were killed.

Among the Jew from Serbia was Piroshka Perinovic from Nish, a survivor of the concentration camp in Birkenau, who was, at the time, merely tattooed number A – 11799, 16 years old, on whom doctor Mengele himself performed his experiments. Her memories of the time in this concentration camp are extremely painful.

This year the march coincided with JOM HASHOA – the day commemorating the six million Jews that perished during World War II.

The central event held in Birkenau camp was attended by the Prime minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, the Prime ministers of Poland and Hungary and officials from 50 other countries. Photographs of the killed Jews were displayed on large screens, and their names were read out.

Lightning candles along the rail tracks... messages, plaques,  IN MEMORIAM

CADDISH  in the crematorium
survivor with his photograph

Reports - Jasna Ćirić  

more photos    http://www.ronibrandl.com/MOTL2005/index.html   taken by  Roni