Insights in the steps of the Holocaust TRIP from G24 found in modern conflicts. The geno- cide in Darfur and Iran's conservative trip," said Sloan. Green called it a life- leadership are two current situations changing experience. "I don't think I'll that the teens said came to mind while ever be the same," she said. in the concentration camps. "It's all related, and it really hit Concentration camp march home," Greenblatt said. "Being there, The actual march takes place on Holo- we realized it can happen again." caust Memorial Day, or Yom Hashoah, On the march, surrounded by thou- which was on April 25. Participants trek sands of Jewish peers, the teens said two miles from Auschwitz to Birkenau, they felt a sense of unity that rein- the largest concentration camp complex forced their religious pride. Attending built during World War II. The event an Orthodox synagogue on Shabbat serves as'a contrast to the death marches after a day spent witnessing the de- that inmates were forced to undertake to- struction and devastation that local ward the end of the war. The Nazis made Jews suffered, Green said she was inmates, already weakened with hunger, amazed to see the people singing and march miles through the snow to dancing in celebration of their faith. "I Birkenau, where many were gassed and got a whole new appreciation of Juda- cremated. Those who fell behind during ism just from the services," she said. the march were shot. It is estimated that The visit to Israel had an equally emo- more than six million Jews and five mil- tional impact on the teens, but, this lion gays, Gypsies and others were killed time, the feeling was one of joy and cele- in the camps during the war. bration of their heritage. "We were over- The event is designed to teach teens come with giddiness, we were just so about the dangers of intolerance and pro- happy to be there," said Sloan. mote diversity and peace. In addition to raising the nearly $4,000 cost of the trip, It changes lives many of the teens had to get permission Stephen Taylor, a school psychologist to miss class and some had to postpone and field worker for B'nai B'rith, said Advanced Placement exams. the debriefing was an opportunity for "They're at such an impressionable age him to see how the teens were dealing in their development," said Fran Haskell, with their experience, but that the regional director for the group. "This group seems to be adjusting well. "They gives them a sense of importance, a sense always come back more serious," he of who they can be and what they can do." said. "Not depressed, just with a differ- The group also visited the Treblinka, ent sense of what's important. It's a real Majdanek and Plaszów camps and spent priority check for them." time in the Krakow and Warsaw ghet- Indeed, trivial matters have been mo- tos, helping restore an old Jewish ceme- mentarily tossed aside, the teens said, tery. Several Holocaust survivors ac- and getting upset over the little things companied the teens on the trip, sharing "just doesn't make sense anymore if you heir own stories. "In a short time, there know what can happen on a bigger vill be no more survivors alive to tell scale," Schwartz said. heir story so it's up to us to keep the Instead, he said, his mind is on the fu- nemories alive so in the future it can't ture and keeping memories of the Holo- appen to any group of people," Green caust alive. aid. "I think one person can't do a lot The trip allowed the group to reflect but one person can start something n the causes of the Holocaust and the that can do a lot," Schwartz said. "It's ADVE 'ay some of those elements can be 11n thine"