Page 152 - Witness

AFTERWORD
Remarks by Steven Spielberg to the
2020 Virtual March of the Living
Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 21, 2020
We’ve never had a Remembrance Day quite like this.
But today, on Yom HaShoah, we gather for our first-ever virtual March of the Living.
And I wish we could all be together in person. But what’s important is that we are together now. Because this virtual gathering not only gives us a chance to remember the horrors we faced in the past, it also shines a light on the struggles that lie ahead and those we face as a community this very day.
Over the years we have persevered again and again, and the strength of this community will once again lead us all through these difficult times together.
The USC Shoah Foundation was founded as a lasting resource for future generations, and the brav- ery and wisdom of our survivors’ words have already reached our children, grandchildren, and even our great-grandchildren, guiding them through the obstacles they will face in their own lives.
The work we are doing – which is your work – is already having a generational impact.
So for that I can only say thank you.
Thank you for your bravery.
Thank you for your commitment to the March
of the Living.
And thank you for gathering today to look
back, as we continue the vital work of ensuring a better future.
So to the survivors among you: Your stories are safe with us.
They remind not only of your unwavering courage, but also that the days ahead are going to be filled with light and hope.
So stay healthy and stay safe and I hope to see you all soon.
Steven Spielberg is the founder of USC Shoah Foundation whose mission is to develop empathy, understanding, and respect through the testimony of Holocaust survivors and other genocide witnesses. USC Shoah Foundation houses the largest digital collections of its kind in the world. His remarks were given at the 2020 Virtual March of the Living ceremony – the actual March of the Living in Poland was cancelled because of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
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