David (Dugo) Leitner (1930–2023) survived some of the darkest chapters in human history and emerged with a message rooted not only in remembrance, but in life itself.
Born in Nyíregyháza, Hungary, Dugo was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, where he was separated from his family and imprisoned alongside thousands of other children. In January 1945, he was forced onto a death march that took him through Mauthausen and Gunskirchen, where he was liberated in May of that year.
After the Holocaust, Dugo chose to rebuild. He immigrated to Israel in 1949, served in the Israel Defense Forces, helped found Moshav Nir Galim, and raised a family that now spans generations. His life became a living answer to the destruction he survived.
Each year on January 18, the anniversary of the death march, Dugo marked his survival by eating falafel. What began as a personal ritual grew into Operation Dugo, a global act of remembrance that replaces despair with defiance, grief with life, and silence with a declaration of Am Yisrael Chai.
This week, ASHER was honored to join Boston-area Tzofim scouts to commemorate Dugo’s legacy. Teens and young adults participated in ASHER’s Memories and Legacy education program, engaging with survivor testimony and exploring what it means to carry memory forward with responsibility and purpose.
At ASHER, we believe that memory must lead to action. Our Memory and Legacy curriculum is free to download and classroom-ready, designed to help educators and community leaders bring meaningful Holocaust education into their learning spaces with confidence and clarity.
Though Dugo passed away in 2023, his message endures. He taught us that remembrance is not only about what was lost, but about what we choose to build. Through education, his legacy continues.
