Eli Beer’s First Visit to Auschwitz With the March of the Living

POLAND – In a profoundly moving journey of remembrance and resilience, Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzalah, visited Auschwitz for the first time as part of the 2024 March of the Living on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. This significant event coincides with the 80th anniversary of the mass deportations of Jews to Auschwitz during World War II.

Eli Beer’s participation was made possible by an invitation from Mr. Leonardo Farkas, the main sponsor of this year’s March of the Living. Mr. Farkas, a philanthropist from Chile and a son of Holocaust survivors from Hungary, extended this invitation to join him in the solemn act of lighting the torch in memory of the six million Jews murdered at this site.

Reflecting on his visit, Eli Beer stated, “Standing at Auschwitz, where millions of innocent lives were cruelly taken, not only reminds us of our duty to remember and teach the horrors of the Holocaust but also underscores the need for self-reliance and protection. It’s a solemn honor to be here, to mourn the past but also to carry forward the message of hope and survival embodied by United Hatzalah. As an Israeli, I am proud to have a son serving in the IDF, currently fighting in Gaza to protect our homeland.”

The March of the Living is an annual educational program, bringing individuals from around the world to Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance, and hatred.