Echoes of transgenerational trauma in the lived experiences of Jewish Australian grandchildren of Holocaust survivors

Abstract

Objective: Previous experimental research has yielded inconclusive findings regarding the effects of Holocaust trauma to survivors' descendants, while qualitative studies have suggested diverse long-term impacts of this traumatic past. While the extant literature has focused mainly on Israeli and North American children of survivors, this study drew on theories of transgenerational trauma transmission to explore the lived experiences of six Jewish Australian grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Method: Data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to investigate how the impacts of historical trauma are experienced across generations in an Australian sample. Results: The impact of their grandparents' Holocaust experiences was found to echo across the participants' affective experiences, their sense of connection to family histories, their understanding of being different to others, and their political and ethical values. An analysis of these findings suggested that the participants define themselves in a collective manner as part of a group of survivors' descendants, with their post-Holocaust positioning existing in a state of tension alongside their Australian identity. Conclusions: This study extends the literature on transgenerational trauma by shedding light on how the identities of Australian grandchildren of Holocaust survivors continue to be profoundly informed by their identification with familial narratives of trauma, despite their generational distance from the Holocaust.

Caring for older people with dementia reliving past trauma

“…(I. 4) Both humour and songs were mentioned by the NAs as effective methods of diversion, when needed. The NAs explained how they tried to understand the person's interpretation of the present context.…”

“…(I. 4) Newly recruited NAs were encouraged to read the person's life story and, if they had questions, ask other NAs rather than asking the older person about their background. According to the NAs, it was, however, important to be aware and take into account that the person could suddenly be reminded about their traumatic past.…”

“…(I. 4) All NAs were given a comprehensive introduction on avoiding triggers. The NAs described how the PWDs were easily scared, and therefore you should, for example, ensure that you announce your presence when entering a PWD's room or when touching them.…”

“…2 The research focus concerning Holocaust survivors has shifted from investigating this cohort’s symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to discovering the sources of strength and resilience, and exploring the perspectives of second- and third-generation survivors. 3,4 Earlier literature concerning ageing Holocaust survivors initially focused on camp survivors who had experience of receiving psychiatric treatment 5,6 and found that they were more predisposed to mental health problems since they had to deal with age-related life transitions and struggle with continuous post-traumatic memories from the Holocaust. 2,7 –11 It has also been described that individuals who have been exposed to massive trauma suffer from greater physical 12,13 and psychological morbidity.…”

Wellbeing and national identity in three generations of Czech and Slovak Holocaust survivors

“…The impact of trauma like the Holocaust is transmitted through the ruptures in the community and changes in identity ( Lehrner and Yehuda, 2018 ). Traumatic symptoms of parents can result in similar symptoms among second-generation individuals who were not exposed to the Holocaust trauma or did not hear about it ( Cohn and Morrison, 2017 ). Wellbeing can be an example of a psychological variable that, in addition to current and dispositional variables, is also a reflection of phenomena transmitted through generations, including trauma ( Weinberg and Cummins, 2013 ).…”