"You're living in Heaven and you don't even know it"

As I mentioned in a previous post, and as my very supportive mother mentioned in her blog, I had the opportunity to contact and meet with Philip Riteman, who spent his teenage years in five different concentration camps, including Auschwitz.

I was so unbelievably touched and amazed by Philip's story and his courage to devote his time to educating my generation about the Holocaust, in hopes "you'll never need to know, you'll never understand."

Through word of mouth and through a friend of my mom's, I found out about Philip, and from there, contacted him about meeting to discuss his experiences and the Holocaust in general. I was so pleased when Philip obliged, and we had a wonderful chat over coffee last week.

I have chosen Philip as the subject for the actual March between Auschwitz and Birkneau, in May. I will be marching with Philip in mind; for his strength and determination when he was in the camps, and his strength and determination to date, in educating and recalling his younger years, to educate. As Philip gave me a hug and thanked me for taking interest in his story and the Holocaust, I started to tear up, and thought of how it is he who should be thanked; for having the courage to educate and for sharing his painful, yet amazing, story.

Philip's book, Millions of Souls, is a must read. I will cherish my special, autographed copy for years to come and have found myself thinking of Philip and the read several times in the last few days; this morning I had a warm shower, and thought of Philip, shaved and stripped down in January, in a freezing shower, as his book describes. Philip has received many letters about his book, just released this past fall, including one from a Nova Scotia Judge saying this is a book every Canadian citizen should read. So whether you're interested in the Holocaust, looking for an engaging, real-life story of years past, or are planning a visit to Auschwitz, I urge you to read this book to put a voice and a face to the visuals.

As I am not Jewish, nor have I experienced anything life-altering such as this, I am finding it hard to connect and was struggling to find a reason for my participation in this program. However, I can now say that Philip is the reason; that reading of the mass murders is not enough, one must really feel and hear the emotion in someone's voice; and hearing Philip talk has inspired me to engage in this program all that I can and make a difference upon returning home.

For more information on Millions of Souls, click here.

I hope to stay in touch with Philip in the time leading up to my trip and upon returning home, so please stay tuned.

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible" - Christopher Reeve