A March of Remembrance to mark the 82nd anniversary of Nazi Germany deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp passed through the streets of Warsaw on Monday.
Attended by Holocaust survivor Marian Turski, this year’s march was dedicated to the ghetto’s rabbis, who were gassed to death in the extermination camp.
Termed ‘Grossaktion’ (Great Action), the mass deportation which began on July 22, 1942, was initially disguised as a “resettlement operation.”
Michał Trębacz, director of the Jewish Historical Institute, said: “The announcement prepared by the Germans, published on the day the action began, informed that all residents of the ghetto were to be deported to the east.
“There was no information that this was a deportation to an extermination center.”
By September 21, nearly 300,000 Jews had perished in the overcrowded transports and at Treblinka itself.
The Jewish Historical Institute, which has organized the march since 2012, described it as a symbolic journey “from death to life,” with participants carrying Ribbons of Memory inscribed with the names of murdered Jews.
Following the outbreak of World War II, religious Jews—then the majority of the Jewish population—were harshly targeted by German repressions.
This included having their beards forcibly shaved off and their traditional clothing ridiculed. They were also publicly beaten and banned from holding group prayers or services. Despite this, religion remained a unifying force for many in the ghetto, helping them maintain hope.
Monday’s march highlighted the significant role played by Jewish spiritual leaders by focusing on the lives of five rabbis: Shimon Huberband, Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, Shimshon Sztokhamer, Menachem Ziemba, and Josef Leib Gelernter.
The Jewish Historical Institutes website said: “Each chose a different path in fulfilling their mission, but all took immense efforts to help their communities – at the same time grappling with the meaning of suffering and the presence of God in the cruel world around them.”
The March of Remembrance was also accompanied by an art installation by Warsaw sculptor Norbert Delman, created in collaboration with Warsaw’s HOS Gallery.
The installation will remain in the city until September 21, commemorating the entire period of the deportations.
Termed ‘Grossaktion’ (Great Action), the mass deportation which began on July 22, 1942, was initially disguised as a “resettlement operation.”
Michał Trębacz, director of the Jewish Historical Institute, said: “The announcement prepared by the Germans, published on the day the action began, informed that all residents of the ghetto were to be deported to the east.
“There was no information that this was a deportation to an extermination center.”
By September 21, nearly 300,000 Jews had perished in the overcrowded transports and at Treblinka itself.
The Jewish Historical Institute, which has organized the march since 2012, described it as a symbolic journey “from death to life,” with participants carrying Ribbons of Memory inscribed with the names of murdered Jews.
Each year, the march honors different groups of Jews who were killed in the gas chambers of the Treblinka death camp, with this year’s in memory of religious leaders.22 lipca 1942 roku to jedna z najtragiczniejszych dat w historii Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa. Tego dnia naziści rozpoczęli deportację mieszkańców warszawskiego getta do Treblinki. By uczcić pamięć ofiar tamtych wydarzeń, od 13 lat ulicami stolicy rusza Marsz Pamięci. pic.twitter.com/wEW8F53aJH
— Aldona Machnowska (@AldonaMachnow1) July 23, 2024
Following the outbreak of World War II, religious Jews—then the majority of the Jewish population—were harshly targeted by German repressions.
This included having their beards forcibly shaved off and their traditional clothing ridiculed. They were also publicly beaten and banned from holding group prayers or services. Despite this, religion remained a unifying force for many in the ghetto, helping them maintain hope.
Monday’s march highlighted the significant role played by Jewish spiritual leaders by focusing on the lives of five rabbis: Shimon Huberband, Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, Shimshon Sztokhamer, Menachem Ziemba, and Josef Leib Gelernter.
The Jewish Historical Institutes website said: “Each chose a different path in fulfilling their mission, but all took immense efforts to help their communities – at the same time grappling with the meaning of suffering and the presence of God in the cruel world around them.”
The March of Remembrance was also accompanied by an art installation by Warsaw sculptor Norbert Delman, created in collaboration with Warsaw’s HOS Gallery.
The installation will remain in the city until September 21, commemorating the entire period of the deportations.
🇵🇱 A March of Remembrance to mark the 82nd anniversary of Nazi Germany deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp passed through the streets of #Warsaw on Monday.
— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) July 24, 2024
Read more ⤵️https://t.co/4zjSwkn6ef pic.twitter.com/ZtRJE4AoHC
Source: TVP World, Jewish Historical Institute, TVP info, kultura.um.warszawa.pl
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