Dear Friend,

As we come to the end of yet another challenging and tumultuous year, it is fitting that we should celebrate multiple 'Festivals of Light' (Chanukah and Christmas) at this time. 

2022 has been a continuation of a 'long and winding road' for us all, but we hold every hope that we are finally emerging 'on the other side' - may we do so safely, positively, and with continued support of one another.

All of us here at March of the Living Australia would like to wish you and your loved ones a safe, festive and joyful holiday season, and a very Happy New Year!

In this edition (if viewing this on a desktop, click on each heading to skip to that section):

At the end of August this year, we held our 2022 Matched Giving Day Fundraising Campaign - See For Themselves - with the all-important aim of raising funds to enable the future leaders of our communities, the Gen Y and Gen Z cohorts, to experience the unique and life-changing March of the Living Program.  The campaign was an incredible success, and following an extensive application and interview process, we are thrilled to announce that we have selected an exceptional group of 13 participants who will make up our 2023 Young Adult cohort (all of whom have received a substantial subsidy to fund their participation on the program) - we are incredibly impressed by the breadth, diversity and quality of each of our selected participants, and cannot wait to share in this unique 'journey for a lifetime' alongside them.

In addition to our Young Adults, we are extremely excited to announce that, in collaboration with the NextThink Group and with the incredibly generous support of additional funders, we will be joined on our program by three to four 'high-profile' participants. Each considered to be important influencers across multiple fields and industries, their involvement symbolises a significant and vital step forward for March of the Living Australia in our continued efforts to 'spread the message' of the crucial importance of Holocaust memorialisation and education.

Lastly, we are thrilled to announce that, in light of the significance of the 2023 March of the Living Program (which will coincide with special celebrations of March of the Living's 35th and Israel's 75th anniversaries, as well as the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising), our Australian delegation will be accompanied by a crew who will be filming a new documentary.  Directed by Adam Dostalek (2014 MOTL Alumnus) and his business partner, Ben Saravia, the documentary will explore the MOTL experience from a wholly unique and different perspective.

In the coming months ahead of the program, we will be sharing further details and profiles about our Young Adult and high-profile participants, as well as 'behind the scenes' information about the documentary - stay tuned!

We are excited to announce the new make-up of our Committee of Management, voted upon and confirmed at our recent AGM held on 27 November 2022:
 

Co-President: Cedric Geffen
Co-President: Alex Kats
Treasurer: Gavin Rubinstein
Secretary: Shirley Atlas
Member of the Committee: Eva Zeleznikow

We are particularly excited to welcome Eva to the Committee in light of our efforts and drive to engage and work with the 'Young Adult' demographic, and have no doubt her insight and expertise will be of invaluable benefit to the MOTL Australia team!

Eva graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work with Honours from RMIT University in  2018. She has been a leader with Hineni Youth and Welfare and was also a leader for the Academy Onward Program in 2016/2017 where she led over 40 Australian youth in Israel for six weeks. She is the granddaughter of the late Avram and Masha Zeleznikow, Holocaust Survivors and owners of Café Scherezarde, which was a social hub for Survivors after they immigrated to Australia. From 2018 to 2021, Eva worked as an Activities Facilitator and Social Worker at Jewish Care Victoria, creating and facilitating social activities in the community aged care sector. One example of a program Eva created was the 'Remembering Our Past Group' where Holocaust Survivors had the opportunity to share their life stories. Eva is currently pursuing her MA in Holocaust Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel and interning at the Ghetto Fighters House Museum.  Welcome, Eva!

We greatly encourage all friends and supporters of March of the Living to play an active role in improving and influencing March of the Living Australia, its work, outreach, engagement and programs by becoming a paid MEMBER of the Association for 2023. In doing so, you will have a voice and influence across the organisation. 

The annual membership fee is $18.  If you would like to apply to become a member of March of the Living Australia Inc,  click on this link to download the application form.

Please fill in your details on the form and get two (2) current Members of March of the Living Australia Inc. to support your membership application.  If you do not know any other association Members, please email your completed Membership Form (without endorsement) to the Secretary - Shirley Atlas - at shirley@motl.com.au, and she will be in touch thereafter with regard to endorsement.  Please note that Membership is not automatic and that all applications for membership need to be approved by the Committee of Management.

We greatly look forward to hearing from you, and to hopefully having you join us as a Member of the Association in 2023!

On Sunday 20 November we were thrilled to welcome Jemima Montag, Jewish Olympian in the sport of racewalking, for our online event.  In an immensely moving presentation, Jemima described how losing her Nana one month before the Olympic Games and uncovering her Holocaust survival story in the weeks that followed, changed her approach to sport and life, and how it continues to remind her to fuel everything she does with values-based motivation.

This was an incredibly special event, and we warmly invite you to click on the image below to view a recording of it.

On 14 November 2022, International March of the Living marked 84 years since "Kristallnacht / November Pogrom" with the launch of its third interfaith campaign of unity to remember Kristallnacht under the banner "Let There Be Light".
 
This global initiative called on individuals, institutions, and houses of worship of all faiths to leave an online written message of unity and  mutual responsibility in the shared struggle against antisemitism, racism, hatred, and intolerance via the campaign's dedicated website.  

The International March of the Living together with its partners - the Neishlos Foundation; Crossroad of Civilizations Museum at the UAE, Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM); META; the Austrian Jewish community, and the Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience at Rutgers University - marked the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht with commemorative events in Jerusalem, Vienna and in Dubai, the first event of its kind in the Arab & Islamic world.  Click on the image below to view a video of highlights from these significant commemorative events.

All of us here at March of the Living Australia wish a huge Mazal Tov and congratulations to Dean Levitan (Alumnus of the 2008 Student program, and our leader for the 2023 Young Adult program) on the occasion of his recent engagement to partner Jade.  We wish them every joy and happiness as they embark on this next exciting chapter of their lives together - mazal tov!

It is with sincerest thanks and gratitude that we bid a warm and heartfelt 'farewell' to Matan, our MOTL Australia administrator of almost four years.  Matan joined us on the tail-end of our preparations for our 2019 programs, and has remained with us through the 'thick and thin' of the COVID years.  During this time, his input, support and steadfast efforts were instrumental in facilitating and guiding several pivotal projects for the organisation, namely: MOTL Australia's rebrand in 2020; the overhaul, updating and maintenance of our website and creation of our monthly newsletters and eDMs; setting-up and maintaining MOTL Australia's new database system; several Giving Day campaigns; pivoting to and facilitating our many online events during COVID, and so much more.  We can't thank Matan enough for his tireless efforts, and wish him every success for his future endeavours!

If you or anyone you know is seeking to work for and contribute to a 'for impact' not-for-profit organisation on a casual basis, we warmly invite you to send your CV and Expression of Interest to Cedric (Co-President of March of the Living Australia) - cedric@motl.com.au - without delay!

Here is a selection of recent articles and videos from around the world, many of which we have shared across our social media over the past few weeks:

• The 2023 International March of the Living to be led by United States Ambassadors to Israel

• Holocaust survivor Abram Goldberg has devoted his life to telling others his story. It hasn't been easy
• VIDEO: Holocaust survivor Abram Goldberg fulfils a promise by telling others his story
• In Historic first, holocaust survivor to tell Her story In Dubai, UAE
• Holocaust survivor shares her story with Emirati and Jewish children in Dubai
•  Russia's 'denazification' lie and the whitewash of Roman Shukhevych
• Myths about Auschwitz Jewish 'Sonderkommando,' failed rebellion busted in new study

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For now, it remains for us to wish you a Chag Chanukah Same'ach, a very Merry Christmas to all those celebrating, a festive holiday season, and a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous new year.  We greatly look forward to being in touch again next month, in 2023!

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