Polish Jewish Relations: an in-depth look at the March of the Living

Abstract

This paper examines the March of the Living, a program aimed at Jewish teenagers who spend a week in Poland examining Holocaust sites before departing for a week in Israel. About 5 program participants and 10 Polish residents were interviewed for this paper to examine how the trip influences relationships between the two groups. It appears that, though not intentional, the March of the Living portrays Poland in a negative light in order to promote its message: Israel is a thriving Jewish community and Jews must be self-reliant and cannot trust other groups of people for protection.