Ralene Carr Reuveny
As a first-generation Australian Jewess, I was thrilled to receive the Miriam Orski Memorial Scholarship to attend March of the Living 2026. Tracing the footsteps of my family members alongside Holocaust survivors was a transformative, life-altering experience. It forged a deep visceral connection to the harrowing reality that my mother fled Warsaw as a seven-year-old child late in1938. Throughout her life, she steadfastly refused to discuss or ever visit Poland. Yet, following her passing in 2022, I felt an undeniable yearning to visit her birthplace.
One of the most profound aspects of the 2026 trip was the rare privilege of sitting down with a few of the 50 Holocaust survivors who led our march. These brave individuals, now aged in their 80’s and 90’s, carry a fading, irreplaceable firsthand memory of the Shoah.
As a middle-aged wife and mother, I occupied a unique generational space. Absorbing the firsthand testimonies of these elderly survivors alongside the younger, non-Jewish participants in our group, was a surprisingly beautiful and deeply poignant gift.
From the beginning of our journey in Krakow, a city where vibrant Jewish life once flourished, through to the site of the Krakow Ghetto and Plaszów Labor Camp, I was overcome by an immense wave of grief for the rich, luminous world that was wrenched from my family.
The actual three-kilometre march on Yom HaShoah from Auschwitz-Birkenau was an out of body experience. Surrounded by Jews from every corner of the globe seeking connection, listening to teenager’s singing Am Yisrael Chai, every soul of those present and departed melding together under the sheer weight of remembrance. The official Yom HaShoah commemoration ceremony took place amidst the ruins of the crematoria at Birkenau. It was a powerful, international gathering defined by solemn prayers, stirring music, and the flickering light of memorial torches.
Looking out over the sprawling, desolate expanse of Birkenau, the harrowing realisation that my mother could have easily been sent here struck me with full force.
From the historical vibrancy of the Lublin Yeshivah to the chillingly preserved barracks and gas chambers of the Majdanek Concentration Camp, the sheer obliteration and industrial slaughter left me emotionally paralysed. The terrifying reality that this camp could be fully operational in less than a week reinforces our sacred duty to remember, to educate and to fiercely resist all antisemitic attacks.
Words on a page fail to capture the staggering, unimaginable scale of the Treblinka extermination camp just outside Warsaw……..
In Warsaw, walking through the epicentres of Jewish resistance - the Rappaport Memorial, the Route of Heroes, and Mila 18, the bunker that served as the command centre for the brave fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - I felt deeply uplifted. It was a profound realisation that our people resisted with fierce courage wherever they could.
Standing before the final remnants of the Ghetto Wall, a stark reckoning took hold of me. This trip was never just about tracing death; it was about honouring how my mother lived, and how her culture survives through me. The legacy of Miriam Orski, through the Miriam Orski Memorial Scholarship, ensures that people can go and bear witness that while the Nazis attempted to obliterate our people; our history, spirit and resilience can never be decimated.
Although we missed the opportunity to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel, our intimate Australian delegation discovered an unbreakable bond. The shared experiences of this journey have forged a lifetime connection between us.
As the world continues to feel upended and subverted, I return home fortified, invigorated, and deeply motivated to inspire, to educate, and to passionately ensure: NEVER AGAIN.
Thank you to the generous donors for making this dream a reality.
