The March of the Living -
Adult & Family Delegation
DATES: April 16 - April 27, 2012
LENGTH: 12 Days
APPROPRIATE FOR: Adults & Families
COST: $5,750 (Includes flights from NYC)
EXPERIENCE: Poland & Israel
Join thousands of fellow Jewish travelers worldwide this April 16 - April 27, 2012 on a journey of remembrance and renewal. The March of the Living provides a unique opportunity to bear witness to the destruction of the Holocaust in Poland followed by a celebration of the State of Israel in the Jewish Homeland.
Program Overview
BBYO’s National Adult & Family Delegation to the March of the Living is open to Jewish adults and families of all backgrounds. The Adult & Family Delegation follows the same general path of our Teen Delegation, however, the exact itinerary will vary and the staffing and coach bus transportation is separate. The Adult & Family Delegation stays at 4-star hotels and includes higher quality meals in Poland and in Israel – all kosher. Participating in BBYO’s National Adult & Family Delegation presents a unique opportunity to take part in the March of the Living while being connected to the larger cross-generational nature of the MOTL experience.
NOTE: Participants need not be the parent of a teen participant or have any prior connection with BBYO.
About the Experience
Confronting The Destruction in Poland
We begin our journey in Poland learning about the rich history of the Jewish People in Europe prior to the Holocaust. Explore the old Jewish Quarter of Krakow, the restored Nozyck Synagogue in Warsaw, and the famous Yeshiva of Lublin where Jewish life in Galicia thrived dating back to medieval times.
With this deeper appreciation of our proud past, we confront the destruction of the Holocaust bearing witness at the concentration camps and the death camps of Treblinka, Majdanek, and ultimately, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Along the way, we will stop at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising memorial, Mila 18, and Oscar Schindler's factory. The BBYO delegation is accompanied by a survivor in Poland, which creates a link between generations and fosters a personal connection to our history.
The March of the Living experience in Poland culminates with Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Rememberance Day), with a three kilometer march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest extermination camp complex built by the Nazis during World War II. Retrace the steps of the “March of Death,” the actual route which countless numbers of our People walked on their way to the gas chambers at Birkenau. However, our march will be a “March of the Living” concluding with the singing of Hatikvah which reaffirms “Am Yisrael Chai – The Jewish People Live.”
Our emotional journey in Poland concludes in Warsaw where our focus shifts to the resurgence of Jewish life in Warsaw today -- with newly re-dedicated synagogues, schools, organizations and youth groups. Stand hand-in-hand with the modern day Jewish community which continues to keep the flame of our People alive in Poland.
Celebrating Renewal in Israel
Departing Poland, we fly overnight to Israel where we land in the vibrant, sun-soaked Jewish State. Our travels in Israel begin in Tel Aviv where we will eat a celebratory welcome breakfast on the beach, retrace the founding of modern Israel in 1948 and experience the contemporary heart of Israeli culture.
From Tel Aviv, we travel to Jerusalem. Here, we experience the ancient and the modern together. Our Jerusalem journey starts in the Jewish Quarter at the Western Wall – our most cherished link to the past. Relive the glory of ancient Jerusalem history; recount its 2000 year-old destruction; celebrate the reunification in 1967; and imagine a Jerusalem of the future.
On Yom Hazikaron (Israel's Memorial Day), we join together with all of Israel to mourn fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The following day is Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day), and all of the March of the Living delegations from around the world reunite in Jerusalem for a second march followed by an international celebration event that evening. Having witnessed the darkness of the Holocaust firsthand, these life-affirming experiences in Israel are especially moving and meaningful.
Program Itinerary
The March of the Living - Adult & Family Delegation is based on the following core itinerary elements. Actual itineraries and final hotel locations may vary slightly and will be re-confirmed approximately 2-3 months prior to arrival. Meals included: L=Lunch / D=Dinner / B=Breakfast
Monday, April 16 / Depart for Poland
- Depart from JFK Airport in the early evening (TBA)
Tuesday, April 17 / Old Krakow
- Arrive to Krakow in the morning
- Explore Kazimierz – Krakow’s old Jewish Quarter
- Plaszow work camp, Ghetto Wall, Schindler’s Factory, and Pharmacy
- Overnight: Witek Hotel, Krakow [L + D]
Wednesday, April 18 / Auschwitz & Birkenau
- Visit to the grounds of Auschwitz and Birkenau
- Ceremony at Oswiecem Synagogue – on the outskirts of Auschwitz
- Overnight: Witek Hotel, Krakow [B, L + D]
Thursday, April 19 / Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
- Return to Auschwitz and take part in the March of the Living
- Travel northwards to Warsaw and arrive in the evening
- Overnight: Novotel Centrum, Warsaw [B, L + D]
Friday, April 20 / Treblinka
- Clean-up project in Warsaw’s old Jewish Cemetery
- Umschlagplatz - Gathering place before transfer to Treblinka Death Camp
- Travel to Tykochin and Treblinka Death Camp
- Return to Warsaw and prepare for Shabbat
- Kabbalat Shabbat services at Warsaw’s Nozyk Synagogue
- Overnight: Novotel Centrum, Warsaw [B, L + D]
Saturday, April 21 / Shabbat in Warsaw
- Optional Shabbat services at hotel
- Walking tour of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Old City
- Overnight: Novotel Centrum, Warsaw [B, L + D]
Sunday, April 22 / Lublin & Majdanek
- Checkout of hotel and travel through the Polish country side to Lublin
- Explore the Jewish history of Lublin and visit to the Majdanek death camp
- Arrive back to Warsaw for check-in to overnight flight to Israel [B, L + D]
Monday, April 23 / Ascent to Jerusalem!
- Pre-dawn arrival to Ben Gurion Airport – Welcome ceremony at the Haas Promenade in Jerusalem
- Early morning check-in to our Jerusalem hotel and rest!
- Meet back-up for shopping and lunch at Mahane Yehuda open-air marketplace
- Herzl Museum – The founding of Zionism and the path to Statehood
- Enter the Old City – The Kotel and the Kotel Tunnel Tour
- Group dinner in the Jewish Quarter at Bein HaKshatot Restaurant
- Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem [B + D]
Tuesday, April 24 / Celebrating Statehood
- Travel to Tel Aviv in the morning
- Explore the newly opened Yitzhak Rabin Center
- Relive the founding of the Jewish State at Independence Hall
- Shopping at Nahalat Binyamin and free time along the Tel Aviv coast
- Return to Jerusalem in the late afternoon – dinner included at hotel
- Evening: Take part in a local Yom HaZikaron ceremony
- Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem [B + D]
Wednesday, April 25 / Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day)
- Reflections at the Mt. Herzl National Memorial
- Explore the campus and public memorials at Yad VaShem
- Geo-political tour of Jerusalem – The Seam, the Wall & the Future
- Group dinner at Anna Ticho House Restaurant in Jerusalem
- Evening: Celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut at Ben Yehuda Street
- Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem [B + D]
Thursday, April 26 / Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day)
- Tour of the Old City – The Tower of David Museum and Herodian Mansions
- Shopping at the Cardo and final Kotel visit
- Re-join with groups from around the world for the March in Jerusalem
- Evening: Take part in the March of the Living's “Central Event”
- Return to Ben Gurion Airport for overnight flight back to New York City [B + D]
Friday, April 27 / L’Hitraot!
- Arrive back to JFK Airport in the morning (TBA)
Registration Details
Program Costs: $5,750
- The program cost includes round trip flights from New York City, 4-star accommodations, all meals in Poland, breakfasts and dinners in Israel and all programming. Participants are responsible for their own travel to JFK Airport and suggested gratuities of $100.
- The program cost is based on double room hotel occupancy. Participants requesting a single room will be accommodated with a single supplement fee of $700.
- Although participants are encouraged to take part in the entire March of the Living experience, it is possible to join the program in Poland only ($3,800 based on double room occupancy and including roundtrip flights between NYC and Poland).
- Two adults sharing a room with a child are entitled to a room sharing discount of $250 per person in the party.
How to Register
In order to sign-up for BBYO's National Adult & Family Delegation to the March of the Living, please download and complete the program Registration Form. There are also a limited number of spaces available for the 2012 March of the Living group flights, so we encourage you to register early.
Questions about the March of the Living?
- Program-related questions:
Sherrie Stalarow (Program Director) - Registration-related questions:
Aaron Robbin (Registration Manager)
Payment Terms & Conditions
Payment Schedule
An initial $250/person trip deposit is due with your registration, and the balance of payment is due by December 31, 2011.
Cancellation Policy
All payments, including the $250 trip deposit, are fully refundable until December 31, 2011. Following that date a $750 cancellation fee applies. After March 1, 2012, all program payments are non-refundable.
Terms of Acceptance
Acceptance to the program is conditioned upon the receipt of a full application Receipt of deposit and application forms does not guarantee acceptance to the program. BBYO reserves the right to deny acceptance according to its own discretion. BBYO reserves the right to consolidate and/or cancel specific programs and/or trip dates according to its own discretion. Participants reserve the right to cancel and receive a full refund in such an event if they so wish. Finally, the March of the Living reserves the right to adjust the price of the program by up to 5% based on exchange rate and airline fuel fee fluctuation. Again, participants reserve the right to cancel and receive a full refund in the event of a price increase if they so wish.
Traveler's Insurance
BBYO Passport has partnered with Travel Insurance Israel to provide an optional discounted travel insurance package. According to the terms of this policy, children under the age of 18 traveling with parent(s) are covered for FREE. The cost of the policy is a function of the total cost of your trip, including airfare booked on your own. The policy must be issued before final payment in made on the program, and some benefits are only available within 14 days of registration. Take advantage of it!
