Photo: August 2019 participants.
50 participants from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Great Britain and Israel. The youngest was 9 years old, the oldest was 74.
200 words/1 minute read
ICEJ, the International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem lead their memorial walk, dedicated to Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, along the Vrba-Wetzler escape route. Now in its seventh year, two walks will take place in 2020, 12-18 July or 2-8 August to accommodate the growing number of participants.
In five days of walking, the 120 km route is covered, with readings from both Vrba and Wetzler’s books at the locations mentioned. A tour of the Auschwitz Museum beforehand is encouraged.
From their invitation letter:
“The Vrba Wetzler Memorial is a joint endeavour of a wide community of active citizens, based on a vision by Rudolf Vrba’s late daughter, Zuzana, and initiated by Fedor Gál. It is an attempt to cultivate the spirit of community among people who share a concern for sustainable future. Our primary motivation is action: people who have not abandoned their thinking and feelings and want to be more than just passive witnesses are going to walk hundred and thirty kilometers in the footsteps of Vrba and Wetzler from Auschwitz to Žilina. A week of physical effort, joint discussions and lonely meditation, concluded in Žilina by a festive meeting in a synagogue, is a strong and motivating experience for every participant.”
For more information:
http://vrbawetzler.eu/lang_en/clanek/2/
