The March of the Living Southern Region hosted its Kristallnacht Commemorative Program, Marching Forward: Honoring the Past, Empowering the Future, on Sunday, November 9, at Zinman Hall on the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County campus. The program honored Rabbi Dr. Leon Weisberg for a lifetime of leadership in Holocaust and Jewish education and rallied community support for the March of the Living Scholarship Fund, which ensures that every eligible student can participate regardless of financial means.
The program was chaired by Lesli K. Ross, with Southern Region Co-Chairs Phyllis Gutmann and Deborah Rudmann. Guest speakers included Julia Jassey, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish on Campus, and Natalie Sanandaji, Public Affairs Officer at the Combat Antisemitism Movement and a survivor of the October 7 Nova Music Festival massacre.
Dr. Roni Rab, head of school at Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida, moderated the discussion. Survivors, teens, parents, educators, and community leaders participated in a solemn six-candle lighting in memory of the Six Million, joined together for Mourner’s Kaddish and Hatikvah, and viewed a short film highlighting the transformational impact of the March of the Living on local teens.
Igor Alterman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, stated, “Our Federation is invested in the future of March of the Living. Through commemoration we honor those who came before us. Through immersive and accessible education we strengthen Jewish identity today and help secure a strong Jewish future. Together we are stakeholders in bringing essential Holocaust education to the next generation.”
Stephanie Nichol, Director of March of the Living at the Federation, noted, “Looking around this intergenerational gathering, my heart is full. The thirty-eighth year of the March reminds us how much there is still to remember and to teach. As antisemitism rises, Holocaust education and Jewish identity are more vital than ever. Your support keeps survivor testimony alive by placing it directly into the hands and hearts of our teens.”
Honoree Rabbi Dr. Leon Weisberg reflected on lessons from decades of leading March of the Living groups, observing, “Memory is a verb. It is not only what we know; it is what we do with what we know. Numbers have names, and the best answer to Jew-hatred is living a joyful Jewish life. If you see a tear in the fabric of our community, be the thread.”
Jassey and Sanandaji offered practical guidance for empowering students to respond to contemporary antisemitism on campus and online, underscoring the role of testimony, relationship-building, and accurate information in countering disinformation and apathy.
“Real change comes from the conversations that aren’t public — the hard, uncomfortable ones,” said Jassey. “If we don’t have those conversations with our friends, our children, and our grandchildren, the next generation of leaders will grow up never hearing our stories.”
Sanandaji added, “Every time we share our stories, we give others the courage to speak, too. I survived the Nova Music Festival attack because others fought for me — now I speak so that no one ever has to feel alone in their Jewish identity again.”
