Holocaust Survivors Remember With Resilience
Holocaust Survivors Remember With Resilience
January 9, 2017
Reuters — Can traumatic memories foster endurance and contentment in the present? New research from a BGU psychologist suggests they can.
For the study, Prof. Norm O’Rourke, of BGU’s Department of Public Health, and his team of researchers interviewed 269 Holocaust survivors in Israel.
“Even though they’re haunted by memories, they’ve carved out lives with families and careers,” says Prof. O’Rourke.
“They do not define their lives based on trauma and loss, but on their ability to rise from the ashes and bear witness to the past to help secure the future.”
The researchers asked survivors how often they reminisced and why. Despite never asking participants to recall specific events about the Holocaust, most did.
They also expressed a duty to share memories with others, such as grandchildren or soldiers, so that history isn’t forgotten.
“I will share my memories because in a few years, people my age will be gone and unable to testify,” one participant said.
In the future, Prof. O’Rourke and his team hope to expand the study to include those who emigrated to other parts of the world after World War II.
“The survivor communities in New York City and Los Angeles are large, and their memories and ways of coping are likely different,” says Prof. O’Rourke.
Read more on the Reuters website >>
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