I participated in the second March of the Living with a large delegation of Florida students. At that time I served as rabbi and mental health professional (I am a Florida licensed Mental Health Counselor) for our group. At that time Florida always sent a mental health professional with their delegation. We also met with each participant before the March to determine their mental health for the trip. There was a weekly meeting for at least a month before the trip discussing what the students would see. There was a booklet given to each student to study for the pre-trip meetings, including at the end a piece on the stages of grief directly connected to the March experience dealing with what the student might experience psychologically due to the experience. (I wrote that section.) During the March, we had nightly sessions in which the students talked about their feelings and their experience.
Having been away from Miami for the past 14 years, I do not know if they still prepare their students in the same way, or if they still use the booklet. You can contact CAJE (it has a new name now) which is part of the Miami Jewish Federation to obtain what they use now.
Stu Grant
