Sylvan Adams addresses pre-Holocaust Remembrance Day gathering in Krakow

In Krakow, Poland, ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sylvan Adams, President of the World Jewish Congress – Israel Region, delivered a powerful message to a gathering of 2,000 students and international business executives. Adams underscored that the annual March of the Living serves a dual purpose: to remember the six million Jews who perished and, crucially, to showcase the enduring vitality and resilience of the Jewish people.

"You are not here only to remember how Jews died," Adams stated, "You are here to show how Jews live. We are walking this path not as victims, but as the next chapter of our glorious history. We remember the dead, but we also commemorate how they lived and regret their unfulfilled contributions that the world never got to see."

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You are not here only to remember how Jews died. You are here to show how Jews live. We are walking this path not as victims, but as the next chapter of our glorious history. We remember the dead, but we also commemorate how they lived and regret their unfulfilled contributions that the world never got to see.

This year's march carries the theme of combating antisemitism, a phenomenon that has alarmingly surged to unprecedented levels since October 7, mirroring the pre-Holocaust era. Adams, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, acknowledged the rise in antisemitism but urged Jews not to lose perspective. He reassured the audience that a "silent majority" supports them, and that organized hatred does not represent the global sentiment. His call to action was clear: "The answer to the haters is not to shrink. Our answer is to stand taller. Be proudly Jewish. Be visible. Be informed. Be unafraid."

Adams will lead the March of the Living from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day, accompanied by 50 Holocaust survivors from around the world and a delegation of 10 Israeli survivors aged 90-100. An estimated 7,000 participants, including students, young professionals, and adults from numerous countries, are expected to join.

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I know from my travels around the world that not everyone hates us. Not even close. But the loudest voices are not the majority. Most people, the silent majority, are with us. Do not let organized hatred convince you that they speak for the entire world. Because they do not. The answer to the haters is not to shrink. Our answer is to stand taller. Be proudly Jewish. Be visible. Be informed. Be unafraid.