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Directed by: Max Silverberg
First broadcast on JBS TV on Holocaust Survivor Day, June 4, 2026
Synopsis:
At 98, Holocaust survivor Nate Leipciger returns to Auschwitz-Birkenau with the March of the Living, reflecting on loss, resilience, and the responsibility of passing memory to future generations
In 2026, Nate embarked on this emotional trip for the 22nd time, more than any other Holocaust survivor educator who has accompanied young people to Poland on this life-changing experience.
Guiding participants through the very places where he endured unimaginable loss more than 80 years earlier, Nate recounts the separation from his mother and sister, the courage of his father that saved his life, and the memories that continue to live with him decades later.
Through intimate testimony filmed on location, the documentary captures both the horrors of the Holocaust and the emotional weight of returning to the place where his family was murdered. Surrounded by his daughters, son-in-law, and thousands of young participants on the March of the Living, Nate reflects on survival, grief, and the life he built after the war in Canada.
As one of the last remaining survivors of Auschwitz who is physically able to guide future generations through Auschwitz, Nate carries the responsibility of remembrance for those who could never tell their stories.
This film is a powerful meditation on memory, family, the survival of the Jewish people, and the enduring triumph of life over destruction.
The film closes with Nate’s powerful plea to the world from Auschwitz:
“Auschwitz should serve as a warning and not a prophecy.”
About Nate Leipciger:
Nathan Leon Leipciger C.M. MSM SMV LL.D. (honoris causa), public speaker and author, is one of Canada’s most recognized and honoured Holocaust survivors.
At 98 years of age at the time of this film’s making, Nate has been an active Holocaust educator in Canada and worldwide for over 40 years. In 1985, he co-founded the Toronto Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre. He also served on the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum International Council for 15 years. In 2000, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Gov. General of Canada. In 2016, the Azrieli Foundation published his memoir, The Weight of Freedom (Le Poids de la liberté), recounting his Holocaust journey and post-war life.
In 2017, he was awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers by the Governor General of Canada in recognition of his extensive volunteer work in Holocaust education and remembrance.
In 2019, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Toronto in recognition of his lifelong dedication to Holocaust education and human rights advocacy.
In 2025, Nate was given Canada’s highest honour – the Order of Canada – for “mentor[ing] thousands of students on the dangers of bigotry and intolerance and inspire[ing] thousands more with his personal story of resilience, love and forgiveness.” A dedicated speaker with Canada’s March of the Living delegation, he marked his 22nd participation in the program in 2026, more than any other Holocaust survivor/educator in the world.
