More than 150 Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) supporters from across the United States embarked on a mission to Poland and Israel, “From Holocaust to Independence,” with Holocaust survivors and 50 soldiers and officers representing all branches of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The mission was the largest in FIDF’s history and celebrated Israel’s 70th anniversary, as well as the establishment of the IDF on May 26, 1948, two weeks after the creation of the state of Israel.

Led by FIDF National President Peter Weintraub and FIDF National Director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir, the nine-day “From Holocaust to Independence” mission spanned Jewish history, from its darkest moments to its most triumphant. Israeli soldiers and Holocaust survivors accompanied the FIDF supporters on a trip across Poland, starting in Krakow and tracing the community’s steps from the city’s ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camps.

The entire delegation then flew to Israel, where they visited IDF bases and met soldiers serving on Israel’s front lines, commemorated Yom Hazikaron and celebrated Israel’s 70th Independence Day, including meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.

“This mission comes at a crucial time, and is one of the last opportunities for survivors to return to Auschwitz and tell of its horrors,” said Weintraub. “We passed through the gates of hell…surrounded by those who survived within the camps’ walls, and also by those who make sure their stories are not forgotten—the brave soldiers who protect their legacy: the state of Israel and the Jewish diaspora.”