As a commemoration of the Holocaust of Balkan Jewry, “The March of Living” is held every March in North Macedonia. A group of over forty members from the Jewish community, Bitola Monastir, was led by Dr. Rachel Levy Drummer, president of the Heritage of the Jewish community Bitola Monastir. Participants included delegates from villages within the Gaza envelope, as well as representatives of second and third-generation Macedonians and Balkans; Rabbi Yizhak Shapira with a group of students from the Department of Music at Bar Ilan University, along with students representing the Arab sector; representatives from the ministry of foreign affairs, Ambassador Dan Orian, head of the department of Civic Society, and Mr. As the cantor for all ceremonies and public prayers, Uri Buskila served as deputy mayor of Bat Yam. It was supported by the HJBM NGO, “Netaim” Organization, “AKIM Israel” and The Dangoor Center.
Israeli 2024 delegation participants
During a visit to the ancient Jewish cemetery of Bitola, Israel’s delegation, along with a delegation from the European Jewish community, the German ambassador, and a delegation from Germany, conducted a special traditional ceremony and prayed together. The Mayor of Bitola hosted an official reception following the ceremony. During the “March of the Living” walk, a delegation of esteemed officials led the participants, including the Mayor of Bitola, the Minister of Culture of N Macedonia, the Director of the “Dr Haim Abarbanel Hospital”, and local officials. As part of the march, participants marched along the streets of Bitola all the way to the train station from where the Jewish community was transported to Auschwitz during the Second World War.
The Israeli delegation attended a memorial ceremony hosted by Prof. Amiri at the Monopole tobacco factory in Skopja. Among the participants were Stevo Pendarovski, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Prime Minister, the Israeli Ambassador, several European Ambassadors, delegation members, and guests. The Israeli delegation was invited to the Jewish community’s reception following the ceremony.
Dr. Levy Drummer states that one of the highlights of this trip to North Macedonia was a meeting with Mr. Filip Tosevski, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During their visit to Skopje, the delegation viewed the film “The Monopoly” and toured the Holocaust Museum in the presence of the President of North Macedonia. In addition, the Israeli delegation visited the Bitola Archive under the guidance of its director, Mr. Goce Stojanovski.
The following members of the special delegation participated in the ceremonies, seminars, and prayers:
▪ Dr. Rachel Levi Drummer, Head of Delegation
▪ Dr. Joel Rappel who has been leading the annual weekend seminar.
▪ Mr. Uri Buskila, Deputy Mayor of the city Bat-Yam, Twin city of Bitola, who led the religious ceremonial prayers.
▪ Mrs. Ruth Reinich, the director of the Music Equality program “Kelim Shluvim” at Bar Ilan University, supported by Akim-Israel and the Israeli Ministry of Welfare.
▪ Mrs. Moran Hagbi, representative of the Gaza envelope villiges and member of the Board of NETAIM. Mrs. Hagbi shared in interviews and discussions the horrors of the 7.10.2024 events.
▪ Mr. Rifat Swidan, a Ph.D. candidate and the Rector’s advisor for Arab and Muslim population sector at Bar Ilan University.
▪ Mr. Yossi Solominis, tour guide and representative of the second and third generation Jewish community of N. Macedonia.
▪ Dr. Rivka Rosenberg, lecturer at Lewinsky- Wingate College of Education, Tel Aviv.
Dr. Rachel Levi Drummer concludes, “We are deeply grateful to all of the organizers and supporters for their support, initiatives, and dedication. These have been critical to the success of the project and to the preservation of the memory of Balkan Jews. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the ambassador of N Macedonia in Israel, Shpend Sadiku, to Pepo Levy, and to the entire Macedonian Jewish community, EZRM, for the organization of all the commemorative events. Thanks are due to the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia for ensuring the safety of every member of our delegation throughout the entire visit. All of us were welcomed by North Macedonia’s officials and people with warmth, kindness, and empathy. We hope that your welcoming support will enhance the relations between our two countries.”
