ORI GIN AL PA PER

March of the Living, a Holocaust Educational Tour:Effect on Adolescent Jewish Identity

Alan L. Nager • Phung Pham • Jeffrey I. Gold

� Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Abstract March of the Living (MOTL) is a worldwide two-week trip for high school

seniors to learn about the Holocaust by traveling to sites of concentration/death camps and

Jewish historical sites in Poland and Israel. The mission statement of MOTL International

states that participants will be able to ‘‘bolster their Jewish identity by acquainting them

with the rich Jewish heritage in pre-war Eastern Europe.’’ However, this claim has never

been studied quantitatively. Therefore, 152 adolescents who participated in MOTL vol-

untarily completed an initial background questionnaire, a Jewish Identity Survey and a

Global Domains Survey pre-MOTL, end-Poland and end-Israel. Results suggest that

Jewish identity did not substantially increase overall or from one time period to the next.

Keywords Holocaust � Jewish education � Jewish identity � March of the Living �Students

Introduction

From 1939 to 1945, the Nazi regime systematically conquered Eastern European territories

and among other peoples, killed six million Jews. This destruction has had a lasting impact

on Jews throughout the world. Families were dismantled and fragmented, ultimately

A. L. Nager (&) � P. PhamDivision of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital LosAngeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Mailstop#113, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USAe-mail: nager@chla.usc.edu

J. I. GoldDepartment of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

J. I. GoldDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of SouthernCalifornia, Los Angeles, CA, USA

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leading to individuals who now struggle in an attempt to repair their lives socially, cul-

turally, and religiously. Personal challenges and losses have led to educational remem-

brances of history through the creation of trips to Israel and Poland in order to pay homage

to lost friends and relatives. In addition, Jewish communities around the world remember

this tragedy by teaching lessons of the Holocaust in schools, building museums, and

holding annual commemoration ceremonies.

In 1988, the Israeli Ministry of Education became the first to establish a Holocaust

educational tour and referred to it as March of the Living (MOTL). It is now adminis-

tratively centered in North America under the auspices of the MOTL International and

consists of a two-week group trip to Poland and Israel. In 2012, approximately 10,000 high

school seniors from 40 countries attended and participated in this unique excursion. The

staff accompanying each delegation worldwide includes educators, community leaders,

social workers, psychologists, medical professionals, and Holocaust survivors. While the

trip has a Jewish emphasis, roughly 2,500 participants from various regions of the world

are non-Jews predominantly interested in learning about genocides and atrocities.

Participants of MOTL are high school seniors who join the group tour to learn about the

Holocaust. Holocaust survivors join the trip, walk with the attendees and describe to the

participants the catastrophic events that affected their lives and that of their families. At

multiple points during the trip, survivors and students together enter the Holocaust sites,

including concentration camp barracks, death camp grounds, and the crematoria in which

the bodies of their friends and family were burned.

In 2012, the Los Angeles MOTL delegation under the direction of Builders of Jewish Edu-

cation (BJE) sent nearly 200 high school students, 8 survivors, and a team of other staff to sites in

Poland, including Krakow (synagogues, cemeteries), concentration camps (Auschwitz/Birkanau/

Majdanek), death camps (Chelmno/Treblinka), and various cities and monuments (Lodz, War-

saw, and Lublin). Other assorted historical places visited included mass graves, orphanages, train

stations, and sites of Jewish history and prayer. Sites may have been fully destroyed or left almost

intact in the Nazi’s attempt at the final destruction of Jews, many non-Jews, and their lands.

Beyond visiting stores, museums, synagogues, and interacting with the Polish people, the

students also have a chance to integrate with survivors and discuss family life, Jewishness,

anti-Semitism, bigotry, and hatred. The culmination of ‘‘March of the Living’’ is a three-

kilometer-long walk from Auschwitz to Birkanau. This is attended by delegations from

around the world and serves as the counterpoint to the ‘‘death marches’’ of the Holocaust in

which Jews were forced to march in freezing conditions to the gas chambers at Birkanau for

extermination. At the conclusion of the march, students write personal notes on wooden

placards and place them on the railroad tracks where thousands of Jews were transported by

cattle car to their deaths. The event closes with a large memorial service held outside the gas

chambers and crematoria. Within this vicinity, a loud speaker echoes the names of those

people killed during the Holocaust and from which country they originated. Other activities

include speeches, songs, and words by the various military members who rescued prisoners,

liberated concentration camps, and allowed for future freedom.

The second week of the trip takes place in Israel. Students and survivors travel from the

horrifying destruction and death in Poland to the vibrancy of Jewish life in Israel. In Israel, the

group visits the ancient city of Caesarea, travels to Tel Aviv and the Old City of Jerusalem,

participates in nature hikes, visits charitable organizations, attends religious services, shops

for gifts, and swims in the Dead Sea. In addition, students participate in another march

through Jerusalem to celebrate ‘‘Yom Ha‘azmaut,’’ Israel’s Independence Day.

As described on the official Web site, part of the mission of MOTL International is ‘‘to

bolster the Jewish identity of the next generation by acquainting them with the rich Jewish

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heritage in pre-war Eastern Europe,’’ and included in this goal is ‘‘a commitment in living

our Jewish lives today in a way that reflects the diverse values and traditions of pre-war

Europe Jewry’’ (March of the Living International 2012). Accordingly, BJE MOTL

organizes the tour with the hope that the experience teaches students a profound lesson in

Jewish history, strengthens their Jewish identity, and that it will have a powerful, life-

changing impact on them. The official BJE MOTL Web site states that the program ‘‘will

uniquely help teens to face the most significant events in the modern history of the Jewish

people as they weave them into their own personal connection to the Jewish people’’

(Builders of Jewish Education March of the Living, n.d.). The historical sites chosen and

the general configuration of the trip are meant to increase participants’ Jewish identity.

Despite the claim that MOTL will have an impact on the students’ Jewish identity and

even though there are positive anecdotal reports in the lay press, there is no known

quantitative, scientific research performed to date, which affirms that MOTL directly

impacts Jewish identity among participants. Therefore, empirical validation of the trip’s

effect on Jewish identity is warranted. In this study, we hypothesized that adolescents’

Jewish identity will decrease by the end of the Poland portion of the trip, compared to

baseline level of Jewishness (pre-MOTL), but increase at by the end of the Israel segment.

Methods and Procedures

The study protocol and materials for recruitment and assessment were approved by the

Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. All participants were

Jewish-American high school seniors from the Los Angeles area. Attendees participated in

three preparatory meetings conducted under a set curriculum developed by the BJE. At the first

meeting, BJE reviewed the trip itinerary, distributed educational materials for discussion

among students, and showed attendees Holocaust movies and discussed vignettes shared by

Holocaust survivors. The second trip meeting included other preparatory activities with dis-

cussions on such topics as bigotry and hatred. Additional activities included role-playing

exercises regarding ‘‘Choiceless Choices,’’ dilemmas involving devastating choices, such as

when Jewish prisoners are put in charge of killing other Jews and forced to decide between

accepting the role, refusing it and dying at the hands of the Nazis, or committing suicide. The

third trip meeting included parents/guardians and discussed the trip itinerary in greater detail.

During the last trip meeting, a scripted study information sheet was provided to students,

which described the study and its procedures (e.g., to participate in three surveys at pre-

MOTL, and two surveys at end-Poland and end-Israel). The study sheet emphasized vol-

untary participation, in accordance with IRB regulations. Verbal consent was obtained from

students willing to participate in the study. Following consent, study participants were ulti-

mately assessed at three times: pre-MOTL (Time 1; April 1, 2012), end-Poland (Time 2; April

23, 2012), and end-Israel (Time 3; April 29, 2012). All study measures were paper-based and

administered in a group setting at designated times, with ample time allocated for completion.

Study Measures

Background Questionnaire

Fifteen items, investigator-developed, which ask for demographic information, such as age,

high school type, family history of Holocaust victims (death vs. survival), description of

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self and parents’ Jewish affiliation, history of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, synagogue activities,

participation in formal/personal prayers, and reason for attending MOTL (section

‘‘Appendix 1’’). The background questionnaire was administered only at Time 1.

Jewish Identity Survey (JIS)

Eleven items, investigator-developed, which include items 16–23 (Jewish practices) and

items 23–26 (Jewish values). All items use a 4-point Likert scale (not at all, a little,

somewhat, or very). The JIS was administered at Times 1, 2, 3 (section ‘‘Appendix 2’’).

Global Domains Survey (GDS)

Four items, investigator-developed, each representing a domain (personal identity, peer

affiliations, spirituality, and political awareness). All items use a 5-point Likert scale

(strongly disagree, disagree, mixed/not sure, agree, or strongly disagree). The GDS was

administered at Times 1, 2, 3 (section ‘‘Appendix 2’’).

Analytic Plan

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 17) was used to analyze all study

data. Summary statistics were used to describe the sample. Principal components analysis

(PCA) was conducted to assess the construct validity of the Jewish Identity Survey. One-

way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), with Huynh–Feldt correction, was

used whenever the assumption of sphericity was not met, as our primary statistical tech-

nique to examine study data at Times 1, 2, and 3.

Results

Sample Characteristics

The initial sample at Time 1 consisted of 196 participants (172 were assessed at Time 2

and 177 were assessed at Time 3). Approximately 78 % of the initial sample was assessed

at all three times, which yielded the final sample size of 152 for statistical analyses. In the

final sample, mean age was 17.58 years (SD = .51, range 17–19 years), and 69 % of

participants attended a religious private high school (23 % secular private, 5 % public, 2 %

other, missing data = 1 %). Mean level of reciting personal prayers was 1.91 (SD = .91,

range 1–5), while mean levels of formal synagogue prayer and synagogue activities were

3.66 (SD = 1.11, range 1–6) and 1.79 (SD = .63, range 1–3), respectively. Furthermore,

91 % of participants reported having visited Israel previously. Reasons for attending

MOTL varied: 45 % of participants sought to increase own education and awareness, 25 %

aimed to understand their own family history, 9 % wanted to feel more Jewish, 5 %

wanted to feel connected to other attendees, and 2 % desired to make friends (other

reason = 6 %; missing data = 8 %).

Approximately 51 % of participants reported themselves as Conservative (moderate

observance), while 31 % reported Reform, 7 % reported Jewish but cannot categorize, 6 %

reported themselves as culturally Jewish but not religious, 2 % reported themselves as a

non-believer, and 1 % reported Orthodox (missing data = 2 %). Additionally, as reported

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by participants, 51 % of their mothers were Conservative, 32 % Reform, 6 % Jewish but

cannot categorize, 5 % Orthodox, 4 % culturally Jewish but not religious (missing

data = 2 %), while 48 % of their fathers were Conservative, 31 % Reform, 7 % culturally

Jewish but not religious, 6 % Orthodox, 5 % Jewish but cannot categorize, 1 % non-

believer, and 2 % other. Concerning relatives, 43 % of participants had a relative who died

in the Holocaust, and 43 % were related to a survivor.

Construct Validity

Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on Time 1 data to assess the construct

validity of the Jewish Identity Survey. Several aspects of the data were reviewed in order to

ascertain the appropriateness of PCA (Tabachnick and Fidell 2007). First, the ratio of

participants (n = 152) to variables (survey items = 11) was approximately 14:1. Second,

the inter-item correlation matrix included statistically significant rs C .30. Third, the

factorability of the correlation matrix was well represented by a high Kaiser–Meyer–Oklin

value of .80. Finally, Bartlett’s test of sphericity was statistically significant (p \ .001).

PCA indicated the presence of one principal component with a high eigenvalue of 3.99,

which explained 36.25 % of the total variance. A second component with an eigenvalue of

1.76 explained an additional 15.98 % of the total variance. The unrotated component

matrix showed that 8 of the survey items (Jewish community, marriage, children, formal

synagogue prayer, Shabbat, history/religion, keeping Kosher, and believing in God) loaded

strongly onto the principal component (loadings ranged from .59 to .79). The remaining 3

items (tolerance, religious freedom, and sanctity of life) loaded more strongly onto the

second component than the principal component (loadings for principal component ranged

from .25 to .33; loadings for second component ranged from .57 to .82). Varimax rotation

also indicated the presence of one principal component and a second smaller component.

Overall, the results suggest that our survey measures the construct of Jewish identity in

terms of two dimensions: practices (8 items) and values (3 items).

Jewish Identity

By summing the responses on Jewish practices (8 items) and on Jewish values (3 items) at

each time, two sets of scores were created for each participant. Table 1 presents the sum-

mary statistics of practices and values at Times 1, 2, and 3. Practices were examined by

evaluating formal synagogue prayer, synagogue activities, and personal prayers as covar-

iates in a one-way repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), given that all of

these variables were significantly correlated with practices at all three times (rs .31–.48,

ps \ .001). A statistically significant effect was found for practices after controlling for the

three covariates (F(1.93, 233.05) = 10.47, p \ .001, partial g2 = .08; MTime 1 = 24.74,

SD = 4.65; MTime 2 = 25.26, SD = 4.30; MTime 3 = 25.50, SD = 4.28). Post hoc pairwise

comparisons with Bonferroni correction suggested a significant increase in practices from

Time 1 to Time 3 (Mdifference = .76, SE = .28, p = .02). However, the small effect size (as

indicated by partial g2) and mean difference from initial to final assessments, which was less

than 1 point, ultimately indicate that the increase in practices was not substantial.

Next, values were examined by conducting a one-way repeated measures analysis of

variance (ANOVA). Since formal synagogue prayer, synagogue activities, and personal

prayers were not significantly correlated with values at any time, these variables

were excluded from the analysis. No statistically significant effect was found for values

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(F(2, 294) = .11, p = .90, partial g2 = .001; MTime 1 = 11.40, SD = 1.22; MTime 2 =

11.45, SD = 1.06; MTime 3 = 11.43, SD = 1.06).

Global Domains

Table 2 presents summary statistics for personal identity, peer affiliation, spirituality, and

political awareness at Times 1, 2, and 3. For each of the four global domains, a one-way

repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted. Although a statistically

significant effect was found for global identity (F(1.93, 289.71) = 5.84, p = .004, partial

g2 = .04; MTime 1 = 3.99, SD = .93; MTime 2 = 4.15, SD = .93; MTime 3 = 4.21,

SD = .88), and post hoc pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction suggested a

significant increase in personal identity from Time 1 to Time 3 (Mdifference = .23,

SE = .07, p = .007), the small values of the partial g2 (i.e., effect size) and the mean

difference from initial to final assessments indicate that the increase in personal identity

was not meaningful. No statistically significant effects were found for peer affiliation (F(2,

298) = .28, p = .76, partial g2 = .002; MTime 1 = 4.51, SD = .69; MTime 2 = 4.47,

SD = .72; MTime 3 = 4.48, SD = .77), spirituality (F(2, 300) = .71, p = .49, partial

g2 = .005; MTime 1 = 4.07, SD = .90; MTime 2 = 4.02, SD = .99; MTime 3 = 4.11,

SD = .90), and political awareness (F(1.93, 285.89) = .67, p = .51, partial g2 = .005;

MTime 1 = 4.05, SD = .85; MTime 2 = 4.01, SD = .85; MTime 3 = 4.09, SD = .87).

Discussion

March of the Living is a tour which allows high school students to see ‘‘up close’’ the

extent of the atrocities committed against Jews and others during the Holocaust, and

contrast this with today’s flourishing Jewish community in Israel. This study attempted to

determine through a sequence of surveys the impact of such a trip on Jewish identity.

Although the term Jewish identity itself may conjure up controversy, in a general non-

academic sense, it refers to those influences (personal, family, and community) that help

shape one’s interpersonal view of life from a Judaic perspective. Studying Jewish identity

is inherently difficult because of the multifaceted and interwoven relationships among

religion, culture, nationality, ethnicity, psychology, language, education, prejudice, and

Israel (Cohen 2010). Therefore, studying Jewish identity is often accomplished by looking

Table 1 Summary statistics for Jewish practices and values at Times 1, 2, and 3

Meanscore

Standarddeviation

95 % Confidenceinterval of mean

Minimumscore

Maximumscore

% missingdata

Practices

Time 1 24.76 4.55 24.02–25.50 10 32 3

Time 2 25.39 4.24 24.70–26.09 13 32 3

Time 3 25.54 4.28 24.82–26.26 14 32 9

Values

Time 1 11.40 1.21 11.20–11.59 6 12 2

Time 2 11.44 1.06 11.27–11.61 7 12 1

Time 3 11.42 1.06 11.25–11.59 7 12 2

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within certain demographic populations, environments, and/or by examining Jewish

identity based on the specified goals of a program, school curriculum, etc.

In the current study, an attempt was made to configure those factors deemed to con-

tribute greatest to Jewish identity. The survey instruments, from an analytical prospective,

are valid and do appear to measure Jewish identity in a cohesive, scientifically sound

manner. Jewish identity, however, was not altered for students on MOTL as our hypothesis

states. The overall complexity and host of measurable and non-measurable factors that

were either studied or not studied may have influenced our results.

The students from the Los Angeles delegation were varied in certain characteristics,

(i.e., one-fourth of participants had Iranian-American ancestry and roughly one-third of

students were from secular schools), but overall, socio-demographically, the students were

relatively homogeneous. The participant background survey, as shown in section

‘‘Appendix 1,’’ was evaluated to determine whether any single or group of factors were

associated with changes as determined by the results of the JIS (practices and values).

Jewish practices were found to be correlated with synagogue activities, formal synagogue

prayer, and personal prayer at Times 1, 2, and 3. The change, however, was small indi-

cating that the influence upon Jewish identity was limited. In other words, Jewish practices

as a proxy for the enhancement of Jewish identity did not have a significant apparent

influence. Similarly, synagogue involvement and prayers were not correlated to the

questions associated with values (religious freedom to practice Judaism, understanding and

being tolerant of non-Jews, and understanding the sanctity of life). Other factors as

reported on the background questionnaire were not correlated with Jewish identity. In this

regard, one could perhaps conclude that religiosity and ethics, albeit related and

Table 2 Summary statistics for global domains at Times 1, 2, and 3

Meanscore

Standarddeviation

95 % Confidenceinterval of mean

Minimumscore

Maximumscore

% Missingdata

Personal identity

Time 1 3.99 .93 3.84–4.14 1 5 0

Time 2 4.14 .92 4.00–4.29 1 5 0

Time 3 4.21 .88 4.07–4.35 1 5 1

Peer affiliation

Time 1 4.51 .69 4.40–4.62 2 5 0

Time 2 4.48 .72 4.36–4.59 2 5 1

Time 3 4.47 .77 4.35–4.59 1 5 1

Spirituality

Time 1 4.07 .90 3.92–4.21 1 5 0

Time 2 4.01 1.00 3.85–4.17 1 5 0

Time 3 4.11 .90 3.96–4.25 1 5 1

Political awareness

Time 1 4.07 .84 3.93–4.20 2 5 0

Time 2 4.02 .84 3.88–4.16 2 5 1

Time 3 4.10 .87 3.96–4.24 1 5 1

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interwoven, did not impact students in a major way or contribute to their Jewish identity on

the trip.

Regarding GDS data, personal identity (being Jewish is central to how I identify myself)

did change from Time 1 to Time 3 and appeared to have a statistically significant effect;

however, upon further analysis, the mean difference indicated that personal identity was

insignificant and not meaningful. This perhaps relates to the idea that Jewish identity is

multifactorial and merely having a sense of one’s Jewish identity does not mean it will be

enhanced or amplified during a two-week historical trip. Other domain items were not

associated with Jewish identity. Many or all my friends are Jewish may not have impacted

the students’ Jewish identity since it is conceivable one could associate with some non-

Jews, or even primarily associate with all non-Jews and still maintain a sense of him/

herself as Jewish. Conversely, one could potentially associate primarily with other Jews,

yet still lack a Jewish identity of one’s own. Being Jewish is important to my sense of

spirituality may not be correlated to the construct of Jewish identity as it is possible to lack

spiritual awareness, but still identify with Judaism in other regards. On the other hand, one

might have a strong spiritual sense without relating this sense to Judaism or identify such

spirituality as Jewish. Finally, having an awareness of Jewish/Israeli politics is important

may be unrelated to Jewish identity, as an interest in Jewish and Israeli politics is not a

prerequisite to having a sense of self as a Jew or having a causative effect on Jewish

identity.

The sociology of tourism is a specialty concerned with the study of touristic motiva-

tions, roles, relationships and institutions, and the impact of these factors on tourists and on

the societies who receive them (Cohen 1984). A related entity, Travel Education, is a

modality written upon and discussed by various investigators (Cohen 2006; Senn 2002;

Tomasi 2002). It has been described that ‘‘one way in which Jews in America and else-

where seek to reaffirm and strengthen their affiliation to Judaism is demonstrated through

their travel patterns’’ (Ioannides and Ioannides 2004). In addition, travel education allows

the traveler to integrate new information, concepts, patterns of understanding, and explore

a subject utilizing the combined influence of cognition, emotion, and behavior (Cohen

2011). Confounding variables, however, may include age, gender, religion, knowledge

about and attitudes, and expectations surrounding the trip or its sites. Thus, although

MOTL gave students the opportunity and chance to gain a sense of Jewish identity, learn

about history, and participate in Jewish and Israeli activities, this form of educational travel

appears to have lacked the full essential components necessary for the student to

‘‘strengthen Jewish identity, a sense of Jewish peoplehood, and a connection to Israel’’

(Cohen 2011).

The curriculum on MOTL, albeit diverse, is primarily educational, allowing the student

to observe, discuss, and reflect upon sites of Jewish history. Although the personal, family,

and community ramifications of visiting Jewish historical sites of destruction are complex,

visualizing such sites predominantly causes participants to feel the outpouring of emotions

one feels when faced with loss of life, abandonment, persecution, and death. In a previous

MOTL study looking at spirituality among students before, during, and three months after

the trip, it was shown using the World Health Organization survey that strength and hope

increased while students were in Poland and was maintained even after the trip. Partici-

pants’ ‘‘Jewishness’’ was correlated with spirituality before and after the trip, but showed

no relationship while the students were in Poland (Nager et al. 2011). Since spirituality is a

part of Jewish identity, and despite its effect on students, perhaps death which overshadows

the Poland portion of the trip impacted the students ability to ‘‘feel’’ more Jewish or to

increase their sense of Jewish identity.

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Alternatively, one might assume that the highly emotional content in the Holocaust tour

would strengthen one’s Jewish identity. After all, emotions frequently drive motivations,

which could enable the participant to feel and internalize the Jewish tragic past and

strengthen oneself as a Jew. However, for participants, the opposite may have occurred due

to emotional overload and numbness. After numerous interviews with ten Israeli families,

in which each family consisted of three generations (Holocaust survivors, their children,

and their grandchildren), Chaitin (2000) concluded that some younger people were

knowledgeable about the past, but appeared to have no emotional connection to it, while

others were so overwhelmed while discussing the Holocaust that they became emotionally

paralyzed. In other words, instead of strengthening Jewish identity, an emotional bom-

bardment of repetitive stories and vignettes regarding death and destruction during the tour

may have caused the adolescents to become detached from the Holocaust experience and

their Jewish identity as a whole.

This same phenomenon may have occurred in the current study, whereby students may

have felt a distancing and numbing effect as they compared Jewish life immediately before

and after the Holocaust to their current, privileged lives as modern-day Jewish Americans.

Participants frequently expressed themselves emotionally, although not necessarily from a

Jewish perspective. And even though there were momentary reflections from a religious or

spiritual perspective when the group attended religious services or visiting sites of worship,

this sense appeared to be overshadowed by the emotion produced in this ‘‘Holocaust

environment.’’ Therefore, possibly as a consequence of the trip, the statistical results and

analysis demonstrate that Jewish identity did not change over time, nor was it enhanced or

intensified compared to baseline levels of Jewishness, contrary to the goal stated by MOTL

International. Although one could claim that the trip was designed to enhance Holocaust

awareness, not Jewish identity, the MOTL organization clearly states that increasing

Jewish identity is a goal of the trip.

Even though the perception and impact of educational travel on students may be var-

iable, the effect of the travel experience on the participant’s Jewish identity should not be

confused with its educational impact. In other words, education as provided during MOTL

could have an effect on the student’s Jewish identity in general. However, among many

other potential factors, such as the influence of the trip’s educational curriculum, the

participant’s background, history of synagogue involvement, and expectations may further

alter Jewish identity to a greater degree. Thus, it may be realistic to believe that the trip

added to the participants Holocaust knowledge and to their emotional expressivity without

having an impact on Jewish identity. Of note, the vast majority of students stated that the

greatest benefit of attending MOTL was to increase their education or awareness or to

understand their own family history. A small minority said they wanted to ‘‘feel more

Jewish,’’ yet despite this goal, this minority of participants did not increase their Jewish

identity, perhaps because the curriculum did not match their expectations.

Most Jewish educational research that focuses on measuring Jewish identity have

looked at intellectual aspects, such as knowledge of Jewish culture, social practices, and

maintaining customs and rituals. The outcome of this list, however, is difficult to measure

and omits many other variables that may contribute to one’s Jewish identity, such as birth

city and current city/country, religion of peer group, influence of mixed relationships or

marriage, and Jewishness or lack of Jewishness among parents or other influential figures.

Horenczyk and Wolf (2011) suggest that Jewish identity is a meshing of social context

(personal, family, community, local, and global) and psychological development (affec-

tive, cognitive, and behavioral). In this regard, life events and influences are detailed in this

‘‘identity space’’ that grow and develop over time, ultimately leading to an identity

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structure. By comparison, a short, two-week MOTL trip is unlikely to lead to a solidifi-

cation or enhancement of Jewish identity, although the trip could for certain individuals

lead to an affirmation of Jewish identity.

Limitations

The current study attempted to analyze and describe the impact of MOTL on participant’s

Jewish identity. Since the study was a descriptive analysis of developed surveys, no control

group was utilized, thus eliminating comparison between participants and non-participants.

The study included a number of paper-based surveys that were voluntarily completed by

the participant. Human factors may have impacted the truthfulness or reliability of

responses including fatigue, frustration, distraction, resentment, or boredom. The students

may also have been influenced or impacted by other students around them, the staff, and

survivors in close proximity and/or the first author in attendance and administering the

surveys. It is also possible that students may have provided certain or altered responses

knowing that the study was looking specifically at Jewish identity.

As no existing Jewish identity survey or instruments necessarily fit the trip itinerary and

format, survey instruments were devised which appeared statistically to be valid and

scientifically sound. However, the surveys were untested previously and may have been too

limiting given the vast multifaceted nature of Jewish identity. Also, as many of the students

come from Jewish schools, it is likely that their level of Jewishness was at a heightened

level at baseline, thus limiting the possibility for change. Lastly, the surveys were con-

ducted pre-MOTL end-Poland and end-Israel and were directly related to an assessment of

Jewish identity while being on the trip. Since MOTL and its effect on Jewish identity long-

term (after the trip) was not studied, comment on this scenario cannot be made.

Conclusions

Builders of Jewish Education (Los Angeles) MOTL and MOTL international Web sites both

claim among other goals that Jewish identity will increase among participants. Despite the

difficulty in studying Jewish identity, a number of surveys (background, practice, and

values) and global domain questions to assess MOTL and its impact on Jewish identity at

three separate time periods were administered. After data analysis, results demonstrate that

Jewish identity did not increase overall or from one time period to the next.

Future Directions

MOTL is a long-standing trip which enables participants to learn and share with survivors

as they tour through the remnants of the devastation afflicted upon victims of the Holo-

caust. The curriculum of MOTL is long-standing and to a large degree has not been

changed or altered in years. As an outcome of the current study, the organizers and

curriculum developers could choose to amplify or alter the trip to enhance those factors

likely to change Jewish identity. Being Jewish and visiting sites of Jewish destruction do

not necessarily create or magnify Jewish identity. Perhaps, the MOTL administration

should consider adding or altering those activities that cognitively impact ‘‘Jewishness,’’

then test the impact of such a change to determine its success. Such a curriculum shift, by

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example, could ask and focus on the religious aspects of life in Eastern Europe, Jewish

culture, entertainment, family dynamics, and the ethics associated with persecution and

atrocities. In addition, because Jewish identity is a mission of the MOTL program, efforts

should be made to involve those educators and Jewish leaders who have expertise in

Jewish identity studies in order to alter the curriculum, making the trip, not just educa-

tional, but one that fosters Jewish identity.

Acknowledgments The authors want to thank the BJE, Monise Neumann (Director of MOTL), and theparticipants. Appreciation is also expressed to Joyce Williams, and Leighanne Johnson MS for their tre-mendous and valuable input during the preparation of this manuscript.

Appendix 1

March of the Living Participant Background Questionnaire

1. What is your age?

17 years, 18 years, 19 years

2. Which choice best describes your high school?

1 = secular public, 2 = secular private, 3 = religious private, 4 = other:

_______________

3. Did you have a relative who died in the Holocaust?

1 = Yes, 0 = No

4. Did you have a relative who survived the Holocaust?

1 = Yes, 0 = No

5. Has a close friend or relative of yours died within the past 12 months?

1 = Yes (Please describe relationship: _______________________) 0 = No

6. Did your parents separate or divorce within the past year?

1 = Yes, 0 = No

7. Have you ever visited Israel?

1 = Yes, 0 = No

8. Which choice best describes your Jewish affiliation?

1 = Reform, 2 = Conservative, 3 = Orthodox, 4 = culturally Jewish but not religious,

5 = Jewish but cannot categorize, 6 = non-believer, 7 = other:

______________________

9. Have you had a Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

1 = Yes, 0 = No

10. How involved are you in synagogue activities other than formal services (e.g.,

volunteer programs, youth group)?

1 = not at all involved, 2 = somewhat involved, 3 = very involved

N/A (do not belong to a synagogue)

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11. How often do you go to formal services at a synagogue?

1 = never

2 = for special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs)

3 = only on Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur (‘‘High Holidays’’)

4 = high holidays, and/or special events, and occasionally throughout the year

5 = on average, once a month, 6 = on average, once a week

12. How often do you do your own personal prayers (in any location)?

1 = never

2 = once a month or less

3 = every week or almost every week

4 = every day or almost every day

5 = more than once a day

13. How would you best describe your father’s Jewish affiliation?

1 = Reform, 2 = Conservative, 3 = Orthodox, 4 = culturally Jewish but not

religious, 5 = Jewish but cannot categorize, 6 = non-believer, 7 = other:

______________________

14. How would you best describe your mother’s Jewish affiliation?

1 = Reform, 2 = Conservative, 3 = Orthodox, 4 = culturally Jewish but not

religious, 5 = Jewish but cannot categorize, 6 = non-believer, 7 = other:

______________________

15. What is the greatest benefit to you by going on March of the Living? (Choose one

answer.)

1 = feel more Jewish

2 = increase my education/awareness

3 = feel connected to the group/other attendees

4 = understand my family’s history

5 = make friends

6 = other:

_______________________________________________________________

Appendix 2

Jewish identity survey

16. Being part of a Jewish community Not at all A little Somewhat Very

17. Believing in God Not at all A little Somewhat Very

18. Observing Shabbat and/or Jewishholidays

Not at all A little Somewhat Very

19. Attending formal services atsynagogue

Not at all A little Somewhat Very

20. Marrying a Jewish person Not at all A little Somewhat Very

21. Raising Jewish children Not at all A little Somewhat Very

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123

Appendix continued

22. Learning about Jewish historyand/or religion

Not at all A little Somewhat Very

23. Keeping Kosher (in and/or outof the home)

Not at all A little Somewhat Very

24. Having religious freedomto practice Judaism

Not at all A little Somewhat Very

25. Understanding and being tolerantof non-Jews

Not at all A little Somewhat Very

26. Understanding the sanctity of life Not at all A little Somewhat Very

Global domains

27. Being Jewish is central to howI identify myself

Stronglydisagree

Disagree Mixed/Notsure

Agree Stronglyagree

28. Many or most of my friendsare Jewish

Stronglydisagree

Disagree Mixed/Notsure

Agree Stronglyagree

29. Being Jewish is important to mysense of spirituality

Stronglydisagree

Disagree Mixed/Notsure

Agree Stronglyagree

30. Having an awareness of Jewish/Israeli politics is important

Stronglydisagree

Disagree Mixed/Notsure

Agree Stronglyagree

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