In celebration and memory of my relative Michael Rehfisch, and so many others persecuted in the Holocaust, 22 cyclists will cycle over 300 miles from Prague to Auschwitz on 5th August 2018.

At the age of 14, Michael was captured by the Nazis and over a period of four years he was separated from his parents, imprisoned, tortured, subjected to forced labour and starved. Towards the end of the war, Michael was forced to march from a sub-camp of Auschwitz, west in freezing conditions and expected to die on route; Michael had other ideas. After spending the night in Blechhammer concentration
camp on the second day of the march, Michael took the initiative and hid in the camp’s cesspit overnight. In the morning, the SS guards cleared the camp and continued on their death march leaving Michael and a few others free to escape. Michael and his fellow escapees searched the camp for vital supplies to survive, during the search the SS returned realising that a few prisoners had escaped and riddled the camp with bullets wounding Michael in the process. Despite his injury, Michael still managed to make his escape as was picked upby advancing Russian troops.

Michael survived the war and passed away a few years ago with only a few knowing the trauma he suffered and the strength he demonstrated. So, on 5th August we will set out on bikes from Prague heading for all the concentration camps where  Michael was imprisoned from the age of 14; Therienstadt, Gleiwitz 1, Blechhammer and Auschwitz.

With thanks to the generosity of supporters like yourself, JW3 is able to live stream events – whether talks or performances, into the homes and residential care homes of survivors. In addition to Enrichment programming, which is essential to support Holocaust survivors, their families and refugees, JW3 also provides Holocaust education to the wider community – essential in a world where Holocaust deniers still exist and Anti-Semitism and extremism are on the rise. For Michael and future generations JW3 must maintain commitment to Holocaust education so the life stories of so many people will never be forgotten.