In memory of the first victims of the camp

83rd anniversary of the first deportations of Jews to the extermination camp in Bełżec

A group of delegates walks through "The Rift" toward the Niche-Ohel memorial. In the foreground, two women carry silver lanterns, accompanied by a man in uniform carrying a white wreath. Tall, raw concrete walls inscribed with the names of victims are visible in the background.
On 17 March, commemorative ceremonies marking the 83rd anniversary of the first deportations of Jews to the extermination camp were held at the Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec. The event was attended by students, teachers, and representatives of local authorities, who together paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.

Students of the Piotr Firlej Secondary School No. 2 in Lubartów presented a moving spoken-word and musical performance titled “Following in Your Footsteps,” which served as a tribute to the victims and an expression of remembrance for their fate.

A particularly significant moment of the ceremony was an online meeting with Mrs. Vira Bornstein, a Holocaust survivor. Her testimony, full of emotion and personal experiences, provided an invaluable history lesson, prompting reflection on the tragedy of the Holocaust and the importance of preserving memory of the past.

The final part of the event was dedicated to the figure of Nachum Sternheim—a distinguished Jewish composer and musician from Rzeszów and a victim of the Holocaust. Although it is not certain whether he was murdered in Bełżec or in the Rzeszów ghetto, his work remains alive, especially in the United States and Israel. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the Nachum project, inspired by his legacy. This initiative brings together outstanding musicians from both the mainstream and independent music scenes, helping to restore memory of Sternheim and his music.

A group of teenagers dressed in black performs in a raw museum hall. In the foreground, young people are captured in dynamic poses, putting on or taking off dark coats. The rest of the group stands in the background under a large white screen. The audience is seated on the right, watching the performance.

Participants toured the site and the museum exhibition, learning about the history of this tragic place and the fate of thousands of people who were murdered there.

The commemoration concluded with a wreath-laying ceremony and the lighting of lanterns in the Ohel Niche, during which a joint prayer was offered for the victims of the extermination camp in Bełżec.

 
A guide at the Museum in Bełżec is leading a group of visitors, pointing to a board with lists of names. In the background, educational panels with historical texts and archival photographs are visible.
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