CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
THE _JFFECTS OF THE HOLOCAUST
ON SIX OFFSPRING OF SURVIVORS
A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in
·~
Educatiot:.., Edec.ational Psychology, Counseling & Guidance
by
Lucy Baumgold l.bl2ser
__....~"~
June, 1980
The Thesis of Lucy Ableser :i.s approved:
California State University, Northridge
ii
For my mother and father, who survived
For all our loved ones, who perished
For my husband and d~ughter, who were
patient, loving and always supportive
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
• TITLE PACE
l
ii
APPROVAL PAGE
: TAHE o:F' CONTENTS
iii
ABSTRACT
iv
Chapter
l.
INTRODUCTION
1
REVIEH OF THE LITER.'\TURE
5
3.
METHODS ANTI PROCEDURES
12
4.
FINDINGS
17
CASE STUDY A
lf.
CASE STUDY B
20
STUDY C
23
CASE STUDY D
25
CASE STUDY E
27
STUDY F
30
IHPL ICAT IONS
33
CASE
CASE
5.
SUMN.I'..RY AND
~ECOHMENDATIONS
37
: REFERENCES
:' APPEt.'IHCES
A
ADLERIAN
B
INTERVIE\v QUESTIONNAIRE
43
HORK-UP
50
iv
ABSTRI\CT
THE EFFECTS OF THE HOLOCAUST
ON SIX OFFSPRING OF SURVIVORS
by
Lucy Baumgold Ahleser
Master of Arts in Educational Psychology
The Nazi Holocaust inflicted serious emotional and
I~1ysical
scars on ::.ts victims, producing a characteristic sy;.nptomatology
known as the "surviv0r synd:r.:ome. 11
There is now
evidE~nce
emerging
that these effects of the concentration camp experiences are being
transmitted to the offspring of the survivors, the second gen0ration,
and possibly even ·to a third generation.
It is >vith these trans-
mittible effects of the Holocaust experience that this paper is
concerned.
Six adult offspring, aged twenty-nine to thirty-three, of .Jewish
survivors were interviewed in-depth through the use of an Adlerian
work-up and a se1.f-·deve.loped questionnaire.
vh~ws
The pt::r:pose of the inter-
was to add to the growing body of lmm.zledge about the character-·
v
ist:tcs of the second generation.
The findings were
p~esent.ed
in terms of six case studies.
It
\oms revealed that these six individuals share a number of commonalities, both among themselves and with ethers reported on in the
literature.
For
all~
the Holocaust was a distinctive and formidable
heritage thv.t has had an undeniable influence on their lives.
reported that their parents
suffen~d
All
some emotional and phys:Lca1
scars due to the Holocaust th:Jt has affected their own lives :Lrr
varying \vays and to val:'ious extents.
well functioning men and women.
of disturbanc.ed such as:
At present, all are prima::-ily
However, they did display a rmrr.bcr
overinvolvement Hith, and
over.depe~1.dence
on, their parents; difficulty with identity development; ar<d separation anxiery.
They also evidenced highly passive behavior trait<;.
vi
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
In the spring of 1978, American television broadcast the mini-seri~s~
"Holocaust," thrusting into homes around the country .scenes
depicting the horrors and indecencies suffered by European Jews under
:the Nazi regime.
For days, public airways and private conversations
'were filled with talk of Nazis, World War II, and concentration camps.
At the same tirr.e, there was an anti-S<c'mitic iGc:i.dent near my home
·i-:.1 a San Fernando Valley suburb of Los Angeles.
Swastikas were paint-
ed on a synagogue's walls and the private pl-operty of some of its members was defaced.
I drove past that temple, using a route I take al-
. u.ost daily, accompanied by my young daughter.
As we ca,ne upcn the
. sign smeared >vith a large, black swastika, she asked, "Hommy, are the
.Nazis going to come get us too?"
"No," I answered.
"The people v;ho
·did this are not like the Nazis who hurt Grandma and Crandpa."
·voice lacked conviction, and I
dre\~'
But my
her. near and held her tightl;c
ar3
we drove off.
The following year, there \vas again increased attention given to
the subj E.~ct of the Holoc.aust.
ized "HDlocaust \-ieek."
Hany residents of l.os Angeles memorial-
There was the dedication of the Simon Wiesen-
thal Center for Holocaust St11dies and a presentation to the University
· of California at Los Angeles of a Chair for Holocaust Studies.
The
time had finally arrived for fcrmal·acknowledgement of the importance
1
2
and scope of this tragic period of history.
For myself, the above events triggered a personal reawakening.
With :hr:; increased public focus on the Holocaust, it was no longer
possible to continue to
minimiz(~
and avoid my personal invoh'eir,ent.
It was novJ time to confront and deal openly with the fact that I am a
child of survivors of the Nazi concentration camps, born and reared in
:a Displaced Persons Camp in southern Germany.
According to Fogelman
;and Sa-vran (4), many child::_·en of survivors "search for a persona:! way
; to express their thoughts and .feelings. about the Holocaust and develo;:'
a meaningful continuity with their family's past" (4, p. 99).
Unde:r-
'taking this thesis has provided me with just such an opportunity.
The horrors of the Holocaust have been well documentated, as has
'been the fact that it played havoc \vith the lives of those who ;vere
dJrectly :::;ubjected to it; l.e3."ling th2n1
,nent emotional and physical scars.,
\~.rith
scrj_cus, and c£tcn
pe·~~rna-
Additionally, in the period fol-
.lowing liberation, there were further deprivations and struggJ.es.
\17as a time when the surviving victims of the Holocaust,
~11hile
It
still
suffering from their tragic past, were attempting to rebuild their
lives.
All were faced with the problems of readjustment and relc-earn-
::i.ng; with the necessity of saying good-bye to the old and welcoming
. the ne\v.
They experienced anxiety and uncertainty about a. shattered
;past, a bleak present, and a tenuous future.
Life \vas even more com-
;plicated for the many who were ill and undernourished, jobless and un,skilled, penniless and homeless, and left without families and
,friends.
Their daily existence consisted of personal hardships and
·constant reminders of the Holocaust and its victims.
It was into such
3
a mileu, and to such parents, that I and several thousand other children vTere born.
There is nm.;r evidence emerging that the l'ffects of the concentrat:ion camp experiences, and the subsequent life styles and conditions,
of the immediate victims extend beyond them to their children, the
second generation; and may even possibly afflict their grandchildren.
lt is tvith this "ripple effect'' that this paper is concerned.
Th-is thesis \vill present. a number of in-depth case studies of
adult· children of survivors.
It is an endeavor that seeks to make
available additional information about the characteristics of the
second generation; to discover and define what similarities and differences, and what strengths and weaknesses, exist within this population.
A number of papers (l, 5, 13) suggested the need for further data and
rGsearch into this area.
j
'
Hopefully. this study will aid in fulfilling
that need and thus enable those counseling and/or examining th2 mem-hers of this group and their fctmilies to increase their knowledge and
effectiveness.
In addition, the results of this study may contribute
ito the more generalized research dealing with the effects of different
•types of parental trauma and varying circumstances of birth and upbringing.
Moreover, by telling the stories of several children of survivors,
I hope to try to ease the burdens that this population carries.
All
of the interviewees came to realize the possible value of expressing
their viewpoints and feelings.
Many were even relieved and satisfied
by the opportunity to be able to do so.
It was as if there
~vas
an
awatE.ness that the time was finally ripe for coming face to face with
4
--·-··-·-··
···- ... ·-----·
-·-
-
·-··-
an inescapzble legacy; perhaps in an attempt to discourage forgetting
and thereby presumably help prevent reoccurrence, but also perhaps because the passage of time has eased, at least to some extent, the pain
in remembering.
It is important for the reader to be advised, and COl<tinue to
bear in mind, that I could not conduct these interviews, or write this
'paper, completely free of personal bias.
Obviously, the very choice
'of this particular subject mat1.:er stems from a personal concern and
·, inte:cest.
ThE~
questicns I chose c·o· ask-, and· the ;rranner Jn wt.ich I· did·
·so, reflect my own opinions and values as well as the information I
obtai·1ed from the literature.
Because my subjects and I share a mutual
:heritage, more than just the spoken 1:vord passed betv1een us.
a ;:;ense of understanding, fellowship, and cariag.
scs!:;:ions, lasting often as long as
, physically draining.
Lh:r~,"'e.
There was
Also, the interview
huur:s, wd:e etctotil,na11y aoJ
I frequently identified with, and was sadd0n2d
by, disclosures; and occasionally found it necessary to held back my
tears.
Therefore, the.results presented in this thesis are a product
of the interactions bet·;;veen myself and the interviewees and must be
viewed as s11eh.
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-- --- ----- - --- -
~-----
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--------~
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Chapter II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The survivors of the Nazi concentration camps have that general
experience, and all of its ramifications, in cmmnon.
in turn, share that commonality.
theix childnm can
b·~
Their children,
However, neitht::r the parents nor
viewed as homogeneous groups.
:war existences ,,;ere highly varied.
The parents' pre-
They came from all walks of life,
·had different life circumstances, and had assorted personalities.
All
: of these fact;ors served to influenc.e the manner in which these indii
• viduals coped with the e:dgencies of camp life, which were also great.
, ly varit:d; and how successfully they <.;ere able to conduct their lives
'
l
thereafter. especially as regards the rearing of their offspring.
1
1
Nevertheless, the research in this field supports the contention that
both these parents and their children suffer from some long-term, and
apparently transmittible, effects of the Holocaust
exp,~rience.
A revi''W of the 1:! terature reveals that most of the inmates of
the concentration camps ·Here subject to
repeated ~rutal and sadistic traumata
. characterized by:
1. The constent prevasive threats and reality of torture and
death
2. Extreme deprivation and suffering
3. The necessity of absolute control and the suppression of
any aggressive or altruistic reaction
4. The immersion in and .::onfrcntation -with death in its most
ghastly and grotesque forms as a relentless factor of daily
experience (14, p. 7).
~htle
the extent and severity of such tramatization may have differed
5
6
from individual to individual, the majority of survivors manifest certain sy-mptoms.
Typical characteristics of this "survivor synd:r:ome"
(10, p. 165) include the follmV'ing:
survivor or death guilt; chronic
depression and anxiety; an overwhelming sense of anomie; disturbances
in rneri1ory aud cognition; heightened vulnerability to, and awareness
of, danger.; problems with identity, self-image, and body-image; chronic
insm:mia and nightman-;s; and psychosomatic symptmns such as considerable physical disabil:! ty in the intestinal tract and sharp, piercing
headaches.
In addition
to the display of these symptoms, there
i3
often an accompanying permanent, irreversible personality change so
that, regardless of what an individual's pre-existing character was
like, he now resembles in "almost photographic similarity" (10, p.
1G7) other survivors.
Researchers have subsequently quest1.oned whether or r1ot s••ch
individuals have thus been impaired in their ability to function as
parents; and whether, in turn, this has had a deleterious effect on
1
:their children.
Certainly a child's development is influenced by many
1
;variables; among them the "personality structure of the individual
'parents, the quality cf the perents' interaction with each other, the
I
ifamily dynamics, and life circumstances" (5, p. 94).
Even so, the
'
:studies that I reviewed held that the Holocaust experiences of the
parents wer8 major contributing factors in the development of their
offspring.
It \vas found that a large number of these pitrents lacked
"in varying degrees some important functions needed for child-rearing"
(5, p. 94).
This fact, when coupled with the very existence of the
Holocaust as a personal heritage, has led to disturbances of various
l.
.
7
and intensities in the children of survivors.
Several studies were conducted involving the adolescent childr-en
r.
O .L
survivors by J. Sigal et ol.
General HospiU!l in Montreal.
(17, 18, and 19), at the Jewish
In comparing these youngsters to a con-
I
i t-rol
group, it was concluded that there \\7 ere a number cf significant
I
'
ii d-1f·Fe,··~'n·~e"'
· among them being poorer coping behavior, greater sense
.. _
~
.i.. £:,
"~
:of anomie,
... )
'
~nd
heightened feelings of alienation.
It was additionally
:determined tha:: these chilc~ren shO\o7ed excessive sibling rivalry and
more probleTJ!s in the control of_ behavior: .and emotion::; that did the
'others.
Using the information gathered in these studies, Sigal et al..,
'have postulated the ex1stence of a "familial survivor syndrome" (19,
, p. 321).
The hypothesis they propose is that:
People experiencing the same or sind.lar chronic depression, or
distortions of other kinds in their psychological envircnment, .
~·7:U1 r-ubsP.qiH'ntJy fl.ev<>1op distortions in their capacity for
human relations similar to others having the same experience; the
distortion in this capacity tv-ill produce distm~t:ions connnon to
this group in their relationships to their children; and the
distortions common to the parent-child relationships of these
people will produce dis tortious in behavior coin.TUon to their
children (19, p. 321).
These researchers further hold that this conunonlaity is due to the
hcausal link bet\veen the preoccupation of the ]Jarents and the proble.ms
in the famili 1 (19, p. 396).
They state that:
The parents affective resources were so totally bcundeJ by the
concentration camp experiences and their continual reliving of
these memories or unsuccessful attempts at trying to r2press them,.
that they had few resources left over for coping ~v-ith the flexibility ~md the continual re-adaptation dem<.:nded of the parent as
children move through the va:;:oious developmental stages (19,
p. 395}.
In addition, "later personality cHfficulties in the children"
(19, p. 396) may be of such a nature that "the children themselves
rear disturbed children so that the r,vartime experiences
adversely affect the functioning of children generations removed"
p. 396).
1he reader is cautioned that these findings dealt only
with families seeking psychological. help and may therefore be of a
i
i limited nature \vhen applied to non-cl.inical. families.
i
Another study done on adolescent ddldren by Trossr:tan (20)
i
i delint~ates s2veral characteristics conmon to the parent-child rela; tionships 1;vi.thin survivor families.
1.
They are:
excessively overprotective parents who are constantly
:warning their children of impend:ing danger so that the chi:ldren are
•either moderately phobic or locked in combat as they try to resi.st
.smothering;
2.
parents who are using their children as a constant
: audience in the relentless recounting of terrifying memories result-· ing in a pathology of a depressive nature so that the children otten
· fE~el guilty about their better future;
3.
bitter, hardened Jewish rarents ·Hho present a suspicious
and hostile attitude to the Gentile world around them 12ausing either
active rebellion, such as non-Jewish dating, or conflict in thi.lt !:he
children see the irrationality of the parent attitude yet are aware
of the suffering that caused it thus often becomi.ng paranoid and m:i.strustful themselves;
4.
a parental attitude that the child must provide meaning
for the parents' empty lives, vindicating all tbe suffering, provid-
; ing salvacion, and making up for all the lost relatives; often resu.lting in children who give up in despair or rebel since they c3nnot
9
:be redeemers of unhappy lives;
5.
parents so preoccupied and so debilitated that they are
i
!ineffective in their roles causing children to experience difficulties
jiu identity formation and sexuality; and
''
I
6.
parents who are so fraught \vith the guilt of surviving
!that their children develop success related anxiety caused by the
itremendous emotional investment in succeeding coupled with the guilt
I'
\created by exceeding their parents.
i
'
Hany of these findings were echoed by Russell (16) in a report
: describ:i.ng the results of family therapy on thirty-four survivor
!
'families.
He. concluded that the prognosis for improvement was very
:poor, that: few "of these adolescents could be helped to separate from
:their pm:ents, and vice-versa" (16, p. 614), and that "their psycbosocial rlevplnpment was and will be r1elayecl" (16, p. 615).
families
1.1e
Of their
states that:
they presented even more than the exp(~cted double-binds, ske(vS,
and schisms, destructive dyadic and triadic alliances, in con-~
gruenciPs, dysfunctional communicatio~ patterns, and maladaptive
behavioral sequences (16, p. 615).
Klein (8), in a study done on Holocaust survivors and
t~·t2ir
families living in Israel, verifies many of the above mentioned
: common.:1lities, but finds them to be of a .lesser nature in that life in
the kibbutz minimized the effects of the parental trauma and provided
the children with a sense of identity and family not available elsewhere.
In a recent informal presentation given at the Califorrda
State University at Northridge, Klein (9) cautioned against the
stereotyping of survivors and thefr children.
Still, he felt that
r
10
~~----··-·--·- --~---------·
----
··---
--
..
there are certain issues specific to these offspring.
They are:
(1) difficulties in separation, with parents being very intrusive into
the lives of their children; (2) difficulties in experiencing isolation; (3) fear of expressing anger toward parents; (4) a continual
need to give and receive nurturence; and (5), a sense of feeling
special which often leads to difficulties in accepting everyday life
' experiences.
He has f'.lrther found that \vhile some parents bombarded
their children with the facts of the Holocaust, others completely
; avoided the snbjec.t matter.
'rhe offspring of this latter group knou
little about their parents' real experiences and instead fantasize
about . them and their lives; and often resort to using them as scapegoats for thei1.· problems.
Dr. Klein add:Ltiona1ly suggested that
therapy groups consist of parents and children plus individuals from
Clif!'er':~nt 'back£;l~o,mrls
in an attei\lpt to curtail such scapegoati:ng and
subsequent paranoia.
In an unpublished thesis, Greenblatt (7), studied the existence
of "survivor guilt" (7, p. 89) in ten adult children of survivors;
five of vJhom had been in therapy, five of whom ha,d not.
He found
that there existed a difference between the parents of th2 clinic2l
and non-clinical groups, the latter being able to adapt to the
environment and changes therein while the former could not.
He con-
eluded that the offspring w'ho suffered from disturbances were those
\17hose parents exhibited "inadequate coping mechanisms" (7. p. 90),
"strong evidence of survivor guilt'' (7, p. 89), and the inabiltty to
"nuture their children" (7, p. 93).
Freyberg (5), studying adult offspring who sought out psycho-
.
'
11
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..
-
·- ----
------ -·------------·-· -- ··----·-- -------·
psychonnalysis found that "symptomatology, presenting
reasons, and severity of pathology" (5, p. 88) varied widely among
Yet, all were "m.;rare that something important in themselves
was amiss" (5, p. 38).
of symptoms:
She determined the existence of the follov1ing
'~lurring
of ego boundaries, confusion of self
regressiv3 identification with the object, feelings of
emptiness and lonel:i.ness, lack of clarity about mood states, and
difficultiE.s in distinguishing personal feelings ::md opinioas from
. those of significant othersn. (5, '='• 93).
Fogelman and Savran (4), in a report on nine short-·term avJareness
·group~'
conducted wit-t a similar populaU on, re:itterate many of the
; previously mention·:=d symptoms.
They add, hm.,revcr, that while the
:Holocaust is a signifieant fac:tor :i.n the Lives of these people, marty
immigrants" (!f. p. 98).
From their work as the1:apists with these
; groups, they conclude that these individuals have. "undergone painful
. experiences that they must nolive in order to work them through"
(4, p. 107).
Both of these last two studies (4 and 5) have
important observation.
m~de
one additional
While they support that the offspring of
survivors of the concentration camps conti_nue to display sigr<s of
disturbances, they also point out that most have "at least average
coping capacities" (4, p. lOS), and that many "are well functioning
in many aspects of their lives, especially vocationally" (5, p. 88).
Chapter III
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
The subjects of this study are six adults, aged 29 to 33, whose
parents are survivors of the Nazi concentration camps of World
Wa;~
II.
The demographics of the sample are as follo\vs:
1. ·All are of Jewish parentage.
1
1
, •. 1
2.
All live in or close to Los Angeles.
3.
Four are women; two, men.,
4.
Four were born in Germany and immigrated to the UDited
States t.Jithirt the first five years of their lives.
Two were born in
this country.
5.
All are married, with one in a secor..d marriage.
Two are
• married to non-Jewish spouses; one, to a child of survivors.
6.
Four have their ovm children; one, a step-child; and one
'·plans to have children later on.
7..
Five of the subjects attended college,. four graduated.
Of these, three attended graduate school.
~:Master's
1
One completed with a
degree and one, with a professional degree.
All have
spouses v1hose education equals or exceeds their mvn.
l
;
8. Based on the jobs held by four of these individual3 and/or
i
I
.!•:·their spouses, their styles of living, and their places of residence;
I
· t
I.:would consider them to be middle to upper-middle class.
Two are
.still in the process of "getting settled," and shared a need for more
12
13
r-·--- -·-·-- ____
r
______
--
·--·-·
····----
---···· -·-
!"fina~-::ifl1 security.
---
11
1
l
The method used to obtain this sample was to inform friends,
'associates, and a community of survivors to\Jhich I have access to
through my parents; of the nature of my thesis and r.iy need for persons
. to interview.
I vJas thus supplied with a list of nine names and phone
'numbers
of prospec.tive subjects.
:
One of the subjects called me; the
,others I contacted.
During the initial phone contact I presented a brief overvie\v of
my thesis; explained that the interview vJC:mld be· "ir>-depth" and lnst
for approximately two to three hours; answered general questions; and
I
'attempted to arrange an interview appointm.ent.
Two of the possible
·interviewees ';<Jere umvilling to participate, claiming essentially
·of time."
. u·iJ
i
six
11
1ack
One '"as "interested," but thwarted every attempt at setting
a11 iLtterview until I finall·y
intervie~s
~~topped
pur:~~::;uing
tl1e.
matte~.
Of the
conducted, four necessitated making several appoint-
.ments in that for a variety of reasons originally scheduled sessions
'were canc.elled.
One of the interviews was conducted in a mutually
agreed upon meeting place; the others, in the subjects' l:omes.
Three of the subjects were very enthusiastic about this project,
• with one expressing that she had at one time considered conducting a
similar study.
Th1:·ee, however, were at first reluctant to commit
themselves to being interviewE:d.
They communicated. concern about a
i number of iE>sues including:
'
1
1.
confidentiality;
2.
the extent to which <:tn in-depth interview \'lOuld probe
into their lives;
f
3.
thc~mselves,
the possibility of casting negative dispersions upon
their families, and their parents; especially w·hen dis-
closures might involve details they
~vould
"never share v7ith their
·1
pa-rents;
4.
the possibility of reinforcing stereotypes and being
"pegged and i_abeled;" and
5.
discomfort with focusing "too heavily 11 on the past .
. I assured them that I would use fictious names and elimi:l<lte any ide.n-
tifying chB.racte.ristics as much as. possible.
1
T f,Jrther offered that,
while I could not guare2:ntee anyone's reacti.on to this thesis, I
. sincerely believed that it would, in the long run, serve to benefit
:survivors, their children, and even future generations.
I also
• volunteererl to make the resultant thesis a.vailab1e to th.em if they so
enough for them to consent to being. interviewed, there is 1:i..ttle
doubt that these misgivings shaded some of.the responses.
Stili,
given the nature of the data that was obtained, I feel that there was
a minimum of filtering and/or withlwlding of information.
Each of the subjects also asked fer additional information about
the topic.
I explained that, in order to avoid possibly
prejudi~ing
the results, I vrould share \vhat I knew after the interview sessions.
The actual interviews consisted of two parts.
First, the sub-
jects were asked to respond to an Adlerian-based questionnaire containing a "sibling trait rating" section, a "relationship between
parents" sectfon, and an ''early recollections" section (see appendix
A).
The use of this questionnaire was suggested by Dr. Loren Grey,
'
15
an Adlerian clinician and the chairman of my thesis cormnittee.
He
both supplied the questionnaire rmd Ji.rected in the interpretation of
the resalts.
My decision to employ an Adl.:-:!rian assessment tool vms based on the
desire to add a theoretical orientation and interpretation to the dB.ta
collected by this study.
According to Adlerian theory, "the family
:constellation constitutes the primary social environment :for the
!grmving ch:Ud," with
11
sup:::-eme importance" being placed on "the childts
·position .in the family constellation 11
(13~
p. 46).
Therefore, a
: "life-·style investigation" procedure was developed when:by a pe.rson' s
i
;"family constellation is explored to ascertain conditions prevailing
l
; when the child was forming his life-style convictions, 11 allovring
'"glimpses of v;hat position he found ancl hmv he vrent about finding his
: r-1a.,.":e witP..in the family, i.n scho·:-.1, and
amnD£: 1yi.s
peers" (Ll, p. S6).
!Also of interest i.s an individual's "early recollections" whic:h are
:"treated as a projective technique" whereby one can relate the "'Story
; of My Life'" (13, p. 56).
From the data gathered by this assessment
method, a trained clinician can make a "life-style analysis,"
, including the manner in which a person perceives his life, his "basic
:mistakes" (13, p. 56), and his assets.
I believe that such an inter-
. pretation provides an additional dimension to the case studies and
enhances the understanding of the personalities of those interviewed.
The second portion of the interview consisted of a sel£-de.ve1:-c.onp:t1e"!1_dfr·------
! questicmnaire dealing directly lvith the subject of the Holocaust, the
survivor parents, and the offspring of sur:vivors (see appendix B).
The questions were a product of combining my own opinion and experi-
16
with the information I obtained from the literature.
They were
in an open-·ended fa::>hion and respondents v1ere encouraged to
elaborate or provide additional information if they so desired.
In
almost every interview, I was given answers of a greater depth and
range than I had anticipated.
Oftentimes there vms a snow-ball effect
so that questions led to more questions, providing even further data.
, No tHo intervievJS proceeded in exactly the. same manner.
Though I did
attempt to follow the order of the questionnaire, there w·ere occa, sional deleti'.)i:lS or additJons >vrle<{ necessary in or'der to avoid
repe:ti~
, tion, eliminai:e confusion, and clarify or expand on an answer or
question.
- ,_, ___ ------- ----·--·-------
--- --- ---··----------·
-~--------
-·· ----------·-·------------ --- ·----··-
~---------
...
----
...
-·-· -------· ·-
·-- --------·---
-
-
Chapter IV
FINDINCS
The main body of this chapter consists of six case studies.
Of
necessity, these case studies do not reveal a total picture of the
lives of these subjects.
The data they shared with n:e was limited by
, the nature of my investigatie>n and the questionnaires.
Also, in
order to maintain confidentiality and/or retain relevance to Lhe
·issues at hand, certain information ·\:Vas ommitted or eamoflagued.
: Still, such a method of presentation helps to avoid extensf_ve impersonalization and allows the reader an opportunity to drm.,r his mvu
: conch:sious.
In order to report some of the findings of this study, it has
been necessary to present these subjects as representatives of a
group and to deal with them as such.
However, I believe that it is
equally necessary to treat tl1ese subjects as the unique individuals
th:1t they arc.
To Hitler and his followers, ot:r parents and loved
ones were only "Jews," stripped of all other indentities.
In no vay
do I intend for this paper to possibly reinforce such stereotyping.
I thank Dr. Sarah Moskovitz, a member of the com..tUittee for this
thesis, for making me aware of, and \orary of, contributing to such a
possibility.
I therefore implore the reader to bear in mind that
these subjects are multi-faceted individuals.
Though they have been
singled out for this study because of a certain shared background,
17
13
they are more than only "children of survivors."
CASE STUDY A
Hrs. A. contacted me by phone when she heard that I was seeking
people like herself to interview.
11
She told rr.e that she really had
no story 11 to tell but: that she \vould be very interested in talking
·to me.
She em{Jhasized several times that she >;vasn 1 t sure if she could
:"help." me but that the idea of being interviewed excited. her and she
.anxious to partfcipate yet wanted to minimize the possible significance
!of doing so.
Mrs. A. \vas only mildly m-1are of her background and thai: of her
parents until her early teens.
·· ,wLth stories
<.H:
inforrr.ation.
She was never
dir~ctly
approached
,\11 she ever hei:lrd ~·ere "tJts an.J. pieces
'in Yiddish" while her pareats conversed with friends.
i questions and stiJ 1 Hill not do so.
I
She never asked
She ahre>.ys felt as if her pare:nt.s
• were talking about events <:md people that had nothing to do w:i th her .
. While she :;::-ealized that her parents had been through the Holocaust,
·"it just never seemed real 11 for her.
Only twice, at times of her
. parents' serious illnesses, did they offer glimpses into their lives
;before and during the camps.
When she began to share those with me
she suddenly had difficulty speaking and became flushed.
i if
she was aware of what was happening to her.
I
I asked her
She told me that she
; v1as and that a real fear had suddenly engulfed her:
that something as
'
:dreadful as what we were discussing could possibly happen to her
children.
Ow'TI
She said, "I feel apprehensive and anxious talking now .
19
:uneasiness in that this could happen again . . • bothered by anti:Seini t ism."
Mrs. A. has a very close relationship with her parents and her
ic-.:hl1'·ng
......
.
;
~
.
She is "always thE!re .for them now," and ~vould neve::- consider
'moving more than a few miles away from them because "they would be
;crushed. 11
She is very protective of both of her parents and keeps
·anything pDinful from them.
She stated:
I've bec:nme the pA.r"'~nt nm..r • • • • ·ay mother overdramatizes every-·
thing, Every e'Jent is a tragedy. Everythtng is the end of ever)>
thh!g . " • . When she :Ls dmro I get reaL tear.y but there '.s· nothing
I can do to make it better.
I feel helvless.
Hrs. A. has never been involved in any therapy.
She seeks no
jnvolvel:lent in any ore&nizations dealing with the Holocaust
:other children of survivors.
0!:"
T.Vith
She told me, "I don't knm.;r if l' d \vant
·to deal with it."
Hrs. A. feels that her children are the recipients of some unv.ritting transmission of the survivor syndrome, primarily through the
behavior of her parents.
They are cor1stantly on guard with their t:r,w
'grandchildren, feeling that disaster is imminent if the latter are
crying or even slightly ill.
H~r
father, additionally, cannot
tolerate any "fooling around" by his grandchildren and is constantly
demanding perfection in their behavior.
Mrs. A.. considers herself fortunate in that she has a good
marriage, unlike that of her parents.
Both of her parents were
i
i
:married and had famil:.:_c.s before the war and have never gotten over
·the loss suffered.
Their present marriage was one of convenience,
an attempt to find security and companionship in a scattered \vorld.
20
It was) like so rn.any others at that time, a "hurry-up" partnership
between two strangers.
Though she feels troubled by her parents'
relationship, she fe2l that they do "the best they can" considering
the circumstances.
Based on this interview and my personal observations of Mrs. A.,
I believe that she exhibits only mild signs of disturbances that are
directly related to the effects of the Holocaust.
However, as I left
her home, she commented that "all kinds of things have suddenly come
jup" for her.
I
was sc®ewhat disturbed_by her disclosure and offered
!my help should any difficulties arise for her.
I had the distin~t and
'uneasy feeling that I had inadvertently opened up a possible Pandora's
:box.
CASE STUDY B
Hr. B.'s parents never "sat down" and discussed their 1,;artime
experiences with him.
"When. they were feeling good, they were talka-
tive and >·70uld tell stories" of what it had been like before the
but not during it.
~v-ar,
\\That information he learned about their camp lives
\Y'as obtained by eavesdropping while he was supposedly asleep or >vhile
his parents calked with friends.
He never asked questions as a chtld
and is still hesitant to do so, though he has nade some recent attempts.
He did receive some general information from his mother but:
will probably not pursue any furr.her explanations in that "it's
really a hastle ••
She '11 get upset and change the subject.
It's a weird feeling
it's no business of mine
that she won't tell the truth .
• thn t
that I really don' t "'ant to know."
21
only a minimal, and
som~vJhat
negative, relationship
l>7ith his mother, who is his sole surviving parent.
He "feels a loss';
at this situtation, but has "tried, but given up."
He stated, "I
don't know hovl to fit in and feel good about myself and do what she
wants me to do . •
I don't fit her irtlage of what a son should be..
' • . Whatever I do isn 1 t good enough."
reactions are "overdone.
'dm,'ll to the minute.
'and rslate.
He claims that all of her
She feels she needs to regulate my life
So much control is needed for her to be happy
She'd like to be sorting out rny laundry and cleani:1g my
closets."
Mr. B. is very conflicted about his relationship with his mother.
He feels that she has often used her Holocaust ,::xperiences "as a
weripon. ''
i:-ie
He quotes her as saying, "'I went through so much.
'"
~~tateri:
I'd like it to be a parent-son relationship vJithout games.
I'd even play games and pretend to be what she wanted if I could
keep myself together .
. but even my very presence upsets he1· .
• • • The more I build myself u.p and feel as if I'm a grown-up
and a ';)erson, that what I do is all right, the more I have to
listen to her get made and start yelling.
. She makes me feel
as if I mm her and m.;re her. It's expected of me. I owe her
everything.
. It's a debt that 1'11 never fulfill or 'Pay off.
Mr. B. believes that his mother is stronger than he is "since
; she co 11ld survive," and that it would be useless for him to try to
help her.
He revealed that he stayed at home until he was twenty-
three in order to take care of her and his father's business but that
he did not succeed.
He told me, "Every year I lost more of myself
and it got progressively harder and harder to show her I cared."
Mr. B. contends that his life would have been quite different
22
r........... ·-----· .
thad hls parents been spared their camp experiences.
He tells:
i
My first memories of my parents are 'vorking long hours and
struggllng daily. They had very confortable financial lives before
the war and didn't have to struggle. If the struggling to get
some,>Jhere Houldn' t have been there, I think they 'muld have had
emough •..:imf? left over to shm>J me they loved me, I remember little
physical contact from my father. He didn't h;o.ve the time. And my
mother \vas alw·ays yell:i ng because of the partial deafness that was
caused by working with bombs during the war.
Hhen he -.ms troubled, Hr. B. went "at first to mother, then tried
;father."
He continued.:
But in the end I went to myself, Father \·:as too busy to get it
togerher for the. family and my mother didn't seem to understand.
Ii was too much for her or maybe she didn't want to get involved.
My problems didn't seem important to her.
Mr. B. remembers no sigEs of affection or liJarmth bet\veen his
;parents, nor any displays of anger or fighting.
"so serious and hardworking."
• to thP opes they h::Jd.
They had few friends and were not close
He feels that, like them, he has problems with
·interpersonal relationships.
close.
They always seemed
He states, ''It's not easy for me to get
I c.an be very suspicious or strangers and have few friends."
He further feels that he usually "sees the worst in everything'; but
is presently "struggling" with those feelings.
Mr.
n.
is often disturbed by a sense of loss and tragedy.
He
sees a large "emptiness and void" in his life, especially in having
no grandparents and other relatives.
As a child, he would "try to
imagine what they looked like" and often fight feelings of "being a
nobody" because he had no relatives.
He asked in a soft voice,
do you belong to when there is nothing to belong to?"
"~lhat
He is contin--
ually combating the feelit1g that. he has "got to fill in the gaps that
are gone" from his life and the lives of his mother and siblings.
Mr. B. ts "very drawn" to
caus t.
~<latching
and reading about tbe Hole-
He has many questions concerning the reasons for its occur-
renee, especially "why i.t happened to such an extent."
He.believes
that he is at a point: in his life \vhere he can "relate to what happened;" stating that,
11
1 no\-.· understand what my parents we·nt through
and, by fitting bits and pieces together, know why Mother is the way
she is."
He is concerned that another holocaust, similar to the one
of \.Jorld Har II, could occur, but doesn't want to tkink about it
since. he
feeL:~
that he "cm.,_ldn' t
~.ar..dle
it" if it did.
Though Mr. E. T.vas raJsed in an Orthodox Jewish horae and sent to
·a religious day school, he has complet2ly rejected any form<:ll JudaL;rrr
, and refused to allow his wife to conve·ct, though she offered to do so.
He has a limited, but not active, interest in IsraeL
a number of distu:rbar.ces that can be tied directly to the effects of
ithe Holocaust.
'er.
He is certain, however, that the future will be bright-
He feels that he has spent much of his life building up to this
ipoint, that "things are getting better," and that he's "feeling
happier now than in a long time."
He concluded, "I'm as capable and
as good as the next person and I'm beginning to feel that I deserve
:what 1 want. 11
CASE STUDY C
Mrs. C. knows a great deal about her parents' lives before and
during the war.
Though her father "didn't talk much about it," her
mother told her "the '"hole story from the
start,'~
and also about her
24
l
~-·--·----~-
__ , ________ . .-....-. --···---·------·---
!£ather.
She related:
I used to feel very bad about it and as if it had happened to me.
I worked my feelings through in therapy . . . . The Holocaust
was a major issue at that time . . . . I focused too much on it.
. . . It wasn't my life but their 1 s. . . . h"'hen I thought about it,
1 could get into it so much that: l felt as if iL really happened
to me.
I don't do that anymore.
Mrs. C. feels that her mother was very overprotective, "over-
I
I
I
jhearing, and domineering;" and continues to try to be so.
She states,
!"As a child, I didn't know any better, so l
I never
!remember complaining.
just gave in.
• Ny mother still has a tendency to tell me
:what to do • • . • I'm thirty-t-.70 and she 1 s still teaching me."
Yet,
;Nrs. C. does not seem to want to change that relationship, telling me,
.
0
1: feel better living close to my parents.
.
don't want to get
'away from them . . . ,.;rouldn 1 t mind living in the same apartment
'building . .
My parents are always there for n;e."
Nrs .. C. remembers "very little happiness at home."
~1ere
Her parents
usually depressed, especially her fe ther, tvho "slept a lot, ,.;ras
I
,quiet, and not too social."
She feels, "Except for being female,
; I am really just like him."
Her parents w·ere also very "negative
about Gentiles," believing that "everyone who isn 1 t Jewish is anti·.Semitic," and leading her to think that "there was something to fear
about Gentiles and to be
c:~reful''
around them.
Mrs. C. has "ah.;rays felt different," lacked a sense of belonging,
and led the life of a "loner;" never being "in any particular social
clique \vhile going to school or workjng."
bot:r\ered by feelings of "desolation."
She is occassionally
She acknowledges that she
suffers from problems that relate to her parents' Holocaust experi-
25
r· ··-- ---·-. ··- ---- ---·-----··--·-- ---- ... ------- --···
!ences.
--·- ----------------------··-
-..... ----·-- ------------- ·---- -----
She noted that it became most obvious to her at a time of cri-
isis, her divorce, and that her subsequent therapy was very beneficial.
j
~Presently, Mrs. C. is still uncertain about several issues in her
!H.fe, and has turned to medi.tat.ion and a far eastern religion in order
I
! to promote her o;vn well being and grmvth.
I
I
'I
Mrs. C. worked for several years in her career.
I'
!staying at home, involved in raising her toddler son and occassionally
Mrs. C. feels that she is
ihelping her ln1sband with their business.
! 11 basica'lly
happy, but eould have more money."
When asked about her
'goals 5_n ltfe she concluded that the most important one at this moment
:\vas "to develop more independence fro:n" h,.:;r ehild.
She stated:
He really c.ries a lot vJhen I leave hin.
I feel anxious
about getting back to him.
. l 'm confused by general feeling
of needing to be near him.
. I want to be ir..dependent and for
hilll to be indepei.1dent in a way that \von't be too hard for him .
.• . . I don 1 t want to be c:may from him rhat rn1Jeh.
. , I have
never left him crying or with a stranger, only Hith my parents or:
husband.
. There's a mutual dependency.
CASE STUDY D
Mr. D.'s parents began relating specific information about the
Holocaust \vhen he was about eight or nine.
He remembers being
, "occupied vlith trying to visualize and understand" v;hat he was being
told.
He recalls no emotional
reac~ions
in given instances, but
rather an "overall intense and deep sympathy."
Mr. D. feels that his mother is a "worrier, overly possessive,"
and highly "concerned and apprehensive about the future, both her
and her children's."
o~;m
He attributes her "emotionality and high
strung 11 behavior to the effects of t.he cmnp experiences and allows her
26
umore latitude" than he would "others tJho had not gone through the
same emotionally scarring" situations.
Mr. D. contends that his parents are now "less ready to offer
advice and interfere 11 \-lith his life tha11 in the past.
He stated,
'"They worried more than they needed to especially since I didn't give
,them any real need for concern . .
• I knew that they expected me to
joccupy some respected position in the community."
Because he has
'lived up tc those expectations, he feels that he has "emotionally
: satis·f.i.ed then1."
He is pleased t1.-tat he -and his~·paren.ts l1nv2 "good,
istrong feelings for one ano;::her . .
tions arE brushed aside."
. every day."
that more intense ccnfronta-
He. talks to them by telephone "almost
"Leaving his parents would be a major consideration in
making any move out of the state, regardless of the job potentials.
·lie .-·~.oricludt:d, "I wo1.1lG be COiJ.ce:rned if I v;ere a" great distailCtf- fron~
them."
Mr. D. has difficulty reading any articles about the Holocaust
that are
11
graphic."
his parents.
anxious
They create an "increased level of concern" for
He stated, "They are hard to deal v7ith.
f~elings
• usually a painful experience
• lead to
tormenting
to hear what my loved ones went through."
Mr. D. believes that the main personal
impa~t
of the Holocaust
has been his "degree of apprehension about the future and life" and
1his "uptightness."
1
He told me, "Sometiml's I feel like I'm over
planning . • • needing to make a secure little fortress that wiLl
alHays protect me and my fami1.y. 11
Thoueh Mr. D. belongs to a temp.le, he finds "very little ful;
_, _l
27
He celebrates the major Je1.-lish holidays, has a
belief in God that is "not a clear image," and is interested in sustaining Israel a.s a "modern day outpost of Jewish culture."
Both he
and his wife are very involved with community affairs and reveal a
high social consciousness.
Mr. D. believes that his life is "very happy and improving."
:has-no specific goals other than advancing in his career.
He
Though these
:latter goals "vary from month to month," making him feel "a little
bit aimler.:s)" he holds th2.t he is- not really any different from most
·men of his age and position, and actually "more steady than some. 0
Mr. D. contends to have suffered minimally from the effects of
'the Holocaust.
Still, he ,.;ras very interested in ascerta:Lning what
characteristics children of survivors have in common, and especially
investigations on h:ts own, >-7hich he seemed inclined to do, that he
\.;rill discove1: more about himself and the similar] ties he has to
other children of survivors.
CASE STUDY F.
Mrs. E.'s parents talked little about their specific camp
experiences.
She believes that "they didn't vlant to put" her and
her sibli-ngs "through the horror."
Even so, she feels that "it \vas
transmitted" tc her "from day one, from conception."
11
She recalls a
strong need to really know what had happened," getting into reading
"every horrendous book about the war'' from the time she was about
1
eleven.
She felt that she had a "crazy kind of thur.st for it
28
it but needing to find out and read no matter how much it
her.
She remembers feeling "shocked, horrified, terrified,
sickened" with what she learned; and that, as a result, she has
been left with a nlow respect for mankind . . . pessimistic 8.bout t'be
human raee .
that it's capable of destroying itseJ.f."
She never
told her parents about her reading because it "all seemed too pain· ful."
Several years ago, she finally "stopped . . • put down the
!last book . . • was hysterical and decided enough was enough .
I
:felt so fucking deprest>ed . • . · o<Tersaturated." · She tv-as also comI
ipclled and "drawn to reading horrors in newspapers," even though such
'action was causing her to becDme "physically sick."
At the present,
'shP does not "read that stuff anymore . . . . It was sick input . . .
unhealthy. 11
Mrs. f<:. recalls that her chi:Edhooc! was a highly emotional (;ne
with
11
lots of underlying violence."
Her parents Here continually
. angry, \dth "arguments of such intensity" that they used to upset her
"terribly. 11
Her father was "capable of getting pretty crazy, 11 sub·-
ject t.o "uncontrolled outbursts," and "terrified 11 her.
She still
has difficulty handling "verbal assualts."
Mrs. E. never felt protected by her parents.
Instead she found
.them "emotionally overwhelming" and that it was necessary "to cut
·off a lot
in
order to survive," denying her own feelings and supress-
: ing her ovrn emotions.
She stated:
I have difficulty with excessive emotion. I can't see it or
feel it in order to survive or function . • . • I have no
tolerance for violence • • • get crazy and hysterical . . •
react \vith terror and a desire to flee • • • want to scream.
29
lJntil her twentys, Hrs. E. Has "angry and embarrassed by" her
parents, "denying and cutting off a lot of what was going on" in order
to prevent "getting hurt as much" as she feels her siblings vlere hurt.
Her father died during her teen years and, for a long time thereafter,
she avoided "connecting with" her mother because of the need to "pro-teet" herself and take responsibility for her life.
She said, "I
still feel tremendous guilt that I \van ted to lead my own life.". How·ever, she novr admits to having "reached an age" where she has "a new
: auar~~ness of the past and can look back."
She has developed
."re~~pect
; for survivors and their abilities to succeed as well as they did."
'This has led to greater acceptance of her parents, and the ordeals
they were forced to endure.
She stated, "It pains roe nmv to see my
mother's pain and I see so much more clearly how much my parents
gave i..o
\i.S •
"
The birth of Hrs. E.'s child opened up many new feelings' for her.
She became mvare of the "loss of grandparents and how it wonld feel
to have had that kind of :celationship."
She also experienced feeling
closer to her mother, though she has been upset by her mother's continual avxiety that "something will happen to her or the baby."
Mrs. E. is eoneerned that she is nmv transferring to her ch'Lld
the violence that she was subjected to in her family.
"I vent my violence against my own child.
'don't want to mess him up with it.
that.
She stated,
He'll trigger it but I
But I feel relieved when I do
• \fuy do we use our children as a safe way to release
anger?"
Also since the birth of her child, Mrs. E. has found a renewed
30
in Israel and Judaism.
She stated:
When I was young, I couldn't have cared less, but now I want my
child to have a sense of Jewishness, to know \vhere he belongs
and \vho he is. I also have an increased interest in Israel, so
much so ~hat I'd be willing to ~ight for Israel if threatened.
Hrs. E. has been in therapy for "off and on up to ten years."
For her, the Holocaust did emerge as a significant issue; and she
feels that it "will get even more important" as she "explores more. 11
• She believes that she suffers fro;n a number of disturbances related
i
: d:irec::ly to her parents' incarceration, but that she is in the pro'
.cess of "working them through" in her therapy.
Since Mrs. E. is presently in a job that provides her with a lov1
: level of satisfaction, she is actively seeking a more fulfilling and
• financially rewarding position.
In addition, her husband is com-
· pleting advanced training in his profession and she is looking fon,1ard
to the comforts that vdll accrue once he becomes established.
In
short, she sees a future of improvement in both her life-style and
her level of satisfaction with her family and herself.
CASE STUDY F
Mrs. F.'s parents "spared none of the details" of their lives
during the camps.
From her earliest days, she recalls being told
"story after story."
She explained:
It v1as as if my p&rents never had enough. They wanted to make
sure that I wouldn't forget. How could I? Their faces were
constant reminders to me of how miserable life could be . • • •
Everything was related to Hitler and the \var, good times and bad.
When times were bad, they cursed n1m. When things were good,
they told him to "rise again and see what he couldn't destroy."
i Usually the story-telling ;..:auld start casually enough; some incident
31
,-~·
-···--- ---- ··-
-~~-·-------
--~----
...
··-
---··~-- ··-~-·-
- .. ----- ..
----~-------
1
lor friend would remind her parents of certain events. ·She recalled:
I
l
Then my father \>JOuld become very disturbed and my mother would
begin to cry. At first, I remember feeling helpless and frightened. But it finally got to the point '.·.There I ,.;as ovenibelrned
and couldn't: listen anymore. I would refuse to listen. I'd tell
them to stop, or I'd leave the coom. I felt thal: if I let it all
in again, it would consum.:> me.
i
i
I
I
:
I[that
Mrs. F. recall.s
pe~iods
of happiness in her childhood, but feels
the ''unhappy times were so much more real. 11
Her father could be
I
lhighly volatile and violent, or very passionate and caring.
ifelt that she. "walked a t:i.ght rope" with him.
I
i
She
She stated, "It seems
:that I '"as either perfect or 't<'Onder£ul for him, or awful and a monster.
;
:I never knew how he was going to react to me.
II
.
--
Some of that stil.l
,,
ex1sts today._
Mrs. F.'s relationship with her mother was a very protective
:one.
She related:
Mom was always so sad, alw·ays cried a lot, especially at holiday
times. It was like our family was never enough for heT. He co~lld
never make up for all the brothers and sister she lost. I ahvays
felt that life had beer.. much better for her ''a1: home .. " I tried
to make her happy, but there was always that underlying sadness.
She was also sick a lot, with headaches and stomach problems,
and very accident prone. I would get so depressed a.bout her and
her life. Sometimes I'd want to comfort her~ but sometimes I
just wanted to run away from it all.
Mrs. F. is concerned about her relationship with her own child.
She finds herself repeating some of her father's inconsistencies,
"expressing anger very easily and occassionally inappropriately,
being very warm and loving or very distant and hostile."
She is also
disturbed with the fact that \vithin the last two years her child "has
been. worried and anxious" about separating f:·om her.
"It's become a real issue for me.
She stated,
It makes me feel very uncomfor-
32
table.
The more she holds on, the more I want to push her away.
I'm
trying to go with it now, to see if accepting it might make it ease
up. 11
She feels that if this probler:1 continues for much
long~r,
she
•;.dll seek some professional help for her daughter.
Hrs. F. is very close to her parents.
life
11
She has tried to live her
up to their standards," i.n order to "not let them down and
because of all they went through and suffered."
She is beginning to
be uncomfo-ctab le with the '\.reigh t of this burden, n and hB-s found, to
her sTrprise, that her parents have heen."up t:o handling" more than
she realized.
Still, she hesitates to "disappoint them," and con-
tinues to desire their approval in many matters.
Furthermore, she
11
experien:::es "a great deal of sadness" and suffers from pangs of
huYt
and di.stress" when she thinks of her parents' "unhappy and tormented
!1;-UP"
i .- ..... _ ..-.,. II
Mrs. F. l1as an expanding interest irt Juda-Lsn1 a11d Israel.
Sh.~~
: al"'.d her family belong to a temple, but are only minimally involved.
As a teenager and young adult, she resisted identifying with her
i
religious background, stating, "I used to be embar:;:-assed by any
attention to my Jewishness, espec:tally being a refugee, or to IsraeL
· But I no longer feel that way.
I'm beginning to be proud of my
· heritage and of who I arr.."
Hrs. F. has been in therapy.
Hhile the Holocaust issue was not
the reason she sought counseling, it did emerge as an important
factor in her problems.
Though Mrs. F. acknowledges a "fair amount'' of contentment ·in
her life, she is looking forward to ';bcdng more successful and find-
33
r··--- . --------------·-----------·----------------------. - - - - -------- ------ -------------------i irlg
I
greater meaning"
in her l:i.ft~.
.
She feels that sh2 is "coming to
i
!grips w:i.t:h" some of the major issues that have previously stood in
I
!her
v1ay and that she sees a "clearer and more stable road ahead."
I
IMPLICATIONS
From these case studies, I believe that it is apparent that t·hese
isix individuals share a number of commonalities.
1
In addition to being
children of survivors, all are also ehildren of iirmtigrants, with four
being inu7igrarits themselves.
,of extended family members.
I
All suffered severe • j f not t:JtaJ -. lc"3
None had surviving grandparents; some
;only a limited number of other relatives.
All have lived Hitl: the
f knowledge
that their kin were murdered; dying in possibly horrid, un·i
I
'mentionable ways. All reported that their parents suffered some
e·m,.Jt-:iGI1o.l &rid physical scars due _to the
1Iolo~au.~:;t,
affsctii:g bo::h
:the live2 of their parents ar..d their o1.om lives in varyiag and signi-
It must also be pointed out, however, that all of these subjects
I
'have parents who were functioning -v1ell enough to marry; raise and
support a family; and establish and lead lives within the mainstream
of Americ3Tl society.
These parents did model for their children that
:adversity can be dealt with; that one can emerge from even the harsh!
est of c:ircumstances and go on to face the future.
'VJhile they have
their share of weaknesses and difficulties, they have been able to
survive.
To varying extents, many have at the least coped w·ith, and
some even transcended, their past.. and its dreadful legacy.
children appear to be doing likewise.
Their
All are pr:esently productive,
contributing members of society.
Three have sought the aid of ther-apy
to better the quality of theiY existence; three have not felt that
need.
Though none are completely satisfied with their lives, all feel
positive about their futures and believe that their lives will continue to improve.
Still, these subjects have revealed certain disturbances.
The
most common and striking one centers around their overinvolvement in
the lives of their parents, and vice-versa.
All of the subjects
. retain close physical and emotion:-:l ties with their parents, or,
'as in the case of Mr. B., desire such.
Most shared that they feel
•responsible for their parents' Hell·- being, or are so closely emeshed
'in it, that they experience distress and concern should they not
i
. "bE~ there for them, 11 either physically or emotionally.
· mutl1al i11te.rdependei1ce tltat hotli sides
St!eili
There is a
reluctant to dis~otltlL1ue.
•There is also some evidence (subjects A, C, E, and F) that this dependency and separation anxiety is being transmitted to
. children.
th~~
grand-
It is as if .the camp experience that separation often
meant death and never again seeing loved ones, have instilled themselves in the psyche of these survivors and their offspring.
Having
lost so much, they fear letting go, and perhaps even losing mo·c2.
Related to this familial overinvolvement is an apparent failure
among these subjects to develop their ovm separate, strong identities.
Several are so closely bound to their parents that they at times feel
the Holocaust happened directly to them and that they are but exten-
si0ns of their parents.
One shared with pride that he is living the
type of life his parents planned for him.
Some expressed comfort with
35
'
!this steong parental overidentification; some have found it painful.
i
!and strt1ggle against it..
!
There are a nun:ber of observations thnt have come from the inter-
I
'pretations provided by Dr. Lon::n Grey of the Adlerian work-ups.
All
of the subjects appear to be fairly typical of the general population
in the areas of sibling patte:cns and traits.
1
The five who are first-
born children shmv characteristics that are common to their position
·in the family; sucil es introspection, the need to control, the need
't0 p}ease, and high conformity.
The o-ue you:1gest child was also not
atypical.
A possibly ~:;ignificant difference was uncovered, hm·7ever,
In almost every
through the subjects' "earliest recollections."
• recollectio::1 the subjects are passive and there is little overt
: acttv1t)t.
O:Ete:n. t:l1ey did not even report tliat they were "i:: tl1c;
: picture," and had to be asked v.rhere they were at the time.
\-!hen they
d5_d describe themselves, they used terms such as "sitting," "standing,"
"watching," '\,ondering," and "looking around."
· Il'.erely
t~nl.ookers
Usually they were
or outsiders; 'Jsing such phrases as:
"left alone
3ittir:g in the sand box;" left standing on a street corner by my-·
self; 11 stand:i.ng by the front door;" "standing vrith my back against
the doo·<:;" "not :i.n the room everyone else is in .
around the
i stairs;" "no picture of myself at school;" and "looking out the
!
i
; window."
'Jpon exmnining these recollections, Dr. Grey felt that they
sho'.red an "ovenvhelming pattern • • . incredible. • . . Not only are
they doing nothing, but nothing's happening to them.
There's
36
r-- -----------------------------------------·------------·
--- ---- ------------·---
!where you see the effect of the Holocaust. 11
He bel:ieves that a-
I
I
'
ipossible
interpretation for such evidenced passivity is that these
i
i:tdiv:iduals are
~:afraid to
act .
don't dare to participate."
There is an t'.nderlying attitude that seems to convey t!'lat "a? long as
!one stays on the sidelines and doesn't get involved, he'll stay safe.
!
If he rebels or sticks his neck out, something terrible will happen."
This equation of passivity with safety may have been transmitt:ed to
' these subjec.ts by their parents who, when inmates in the camps,
I
I
/perhaps fonnd passivity an
a~set
to survival.
Also, passivity is
generally designed to "get someone to do something for you.''
In
these cases, the parents were apparently so oven.rhclming :Ln their
relationships with their children, that the latter supp!:essed any
overt challenges to parental position and autho.ci_ty and adapted
passive modes of behavior as the
mP~nR
to gettihg their needs met •.
- ·---------·-·-··--·-· -·-. ·- --
···--·-~---~----··----~--··-
----· ---~ ----.- -~~------------------- ---
----~---~---·-··------ -~----~-----
·-· ---··-----··
Chapter V
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Holocaust was a world event of great magnitude.
It changed
'the lives of millions of people and has solidly imprinted itself in
, the mind of mankind.
For Je\vs, it was one more page in a history of
perspcatic'n and anti-Semitism.
For the six subjects, it began a
'chain of events that has been a determining factor in ther lives.
i
,Most li~zely,
not 0r1e of them "''ould be who, or where, he is today had
not the Holc;caust so d-r-amatically affected the lives of his parents
'a.nd others.
3ome might never have been born because their parents
:met ,only as a result of the war.
Others might have spent their lives
in the villages of Europe from which their parents carne.
It \vas the
·displacement of war, and the·accompanying loss of family, that
, caused their parents to leave Europe and seek new lives in America.
As Jews, these subjects share a cultural and religious heritage
that beg;:m thousands of years before the infameus Holocaust.
Also,
as members of immigrant families, they all shared the experiences
incumbent upo:\ new· arrivals in a ne'"' land.
Without question, both
of these factors are important considerations in determining what
influenced these individuals' developments.
To determine to what
extent they did so, however, is beyond the scope of this study.
Perhaps future investigations ca:1 single out these variables and
account .for their impact.
37
38
Therefore, it is extremely difficult to effectively isolate the
Holocaust as the one variable in the lives of these subjects responsible fo:: given developments.
To further complicate matters, caution
must be exercised in drawing any broad, sweeping generalizations from
this particular study, limited by th2 small, non--random nature of the
:sA.mple.
Still, I believe that these case studies de provide valuable
I
:data that adds to the growing body of knovJledge about the offspring
of survivors and as such can be useful.
For counselors vorking with t-:1e chi.1.dren of survivors and their
• fam:Llies, becoming far;tiliar with the material in such case histories
can be quite beneficial.
These studies can provide fertile back-
, ground inforn1ation; increase the therapists understanding of, and
sensitivity to, such clients; and alert them to poss-ible symptoma-·
to).o·g]'.
Const=qacnt::.y, tbey may be able to proceed nwre effectt·•1ely
and achieve greater success than they otherwise would have been able
to.
Additional studies are needed to further clarify what has been
reported iu this paper.
Hy suggestions are that there be more inte!'-
views, and that these interviews should include the subjects' parents
and immediate family members.
Obviously, with more subjects, more
data. w'ill be raade available.
Also, by interviewing parents as v1ell
as their children, a uurnber of added benefits can accrue.
First,
• insight can be gained into the speeific parental personalities and
the possible vmys in which certain characteristics work to influence
:off3pring development.
Second, parental interviews can provide
: greater information concerning the family systems of survivor fami-
39
lies, and the ways
~-n
which, and the extent to v1hi:::h, they are
funct:i.oual.and/or dysfunctional.
Third~
such interviews can allow the
to present their side of the stcries, resulting in a fuller
of the lives of the subjects and either validating or tontradicting the subjects' disc] osures.
H'nile this may or may not in-
crease the accuracy of that which is reported, it can reveal J.f, and
what types of, distortions · exi.s t.
Also the possible existence of
d:i.screpe.ncies can serve to caution the researcher and reader alike
:to ccitieally viev.J f:i.ndings and the imp lieat:i.ons drawn from them.
Intervie1d.ng immediate family members can provide some of the
same benfits as parental intervi.e\ving.
Additionally, the former can
,be means of securing first-hand information about the possible
transr<tission of disturbances to both a third generation or yet qnother P'Yf' 1..!J.ntion, spouses li!ho hav8 diss·hrtilar backgr0unds.
In conclusion, much of what is presented in these case studies
is similar to that which has been reported in the studies of children
of survivors that I have review-2.d for this paper.
Though the exact
details may differ, the stories told had a familiar ring to them;
revealing common threads that connect the members of this specific
population.
Like their peers, these six show a number of disturbances;
most prominent_Ly in areas relating to dependency, separation, and
,identity development.
Additionally, these subjects have revealed
,highly passive behavior traits.
Yet, like those discussed in the
·literature, they are primarily <vell functioning men and women.
Regardless of their life-styles, these six people share a
.distinctive and undeniable heritage that has had a formidable
in~
i -------·----·-·--··--· ······-·- ... ··--·- ··- --·- .... ·---ifluenee-on their lives. At times, this legacy has taken a back seat
I
! position in their lives, emerging only seldom and •.vith varying degrees
I
•
!I o f. unportance.
I
I
At other times, it has been an everpresent theuw,
;permeating their entire existence.
REFERENCES
.
1. Barocas, H., and Barocas, C., "Manifestations of Concentration
'camp Effects on the Second Generation," American Journal o_!'..__P.sychi~L
Vol. 130:7, 820-821, July, 1973
2. Epstein, H., Children of the Holocau_st, G. P. Putman's Sons,
Nm·7 York, 1979
3.
Epstcd.n, H., "The Heirs of the Holocaust," Ne\•7 Yor~!:!:_mes
12-15, 74-76, June 19, 1977
~2~i~e,
4. Fogelman, E., and Savran, B., ''Brief Group Therapy With 0ffspring of Holocaust Survivors: Leaders' Reactions," A:nerican J~_mr~~l.
of Orth~~~l]_iatry~ Vol. 50(1), 98-108, January, 1980___ _
5. Freyberg, J., "Difficulties in Separation-Individuation as
Experienced by Offspring of Nazi Holocaust Survivors," American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 50(1), 87-94, January, 1980
Grauer, H., "Psychodynamics of the Survivor Syndrome, 11
(;-~~..:.1Q.~?.:!l:._.P_l:_3ychi~~E-~_c .A~~?.9..S:J.?t !_on ~~ou!_na!_, Vol. 1 L,, 617--620, 1969
6.
7. Greenblatt, S., "The Nazi Concentration Camp Survival
Syndrome:
Its Contagious Effects on Succeeding Generations of Jews,"
Unpublished Haster' s thesis, School of Social V.Jelfare, University of
C?.liforr.ia at L0s Angeles, 1979
8. Klein, H., "Families of Holocaust Survivors in the Kibbutz:
Psychological Studies," in H. Krystal and W. Niederland (eds.),
_!'~_ychic Traumatizat1-...<?n:_~'\ftereffects in Individual~nd ~ommunitiP_~_,
~nternationa! Psychiatry Clinics, Vol. 8, No. 1, Little, Brown and
Ct.)mpany, Boston, 1971
9. Klein, H., Unpublished lecture d2livered at California State
University, Northridge, February 14, 1980
10. Koranyi, E., "Psychodynamic Theories of the 'Survivor
Syndrome, 111 ~anadian Psychiatric Association Journal, Vol. 14,
165-171, 1969
11. Ludzki, M., "Children of Survivors,'' The __Jewi~h Spectator,
41··42, Fall) 1977
12.
Hatussek, P., "Late S:y·mptomatology Among Former Concentration
Camp Inmates," inS. Arieti (ed.), _Il1_e \vorld Biennial of Psv_ch~~
.?.Esl_P~:hotheraE_Y:
Volume I, Basic Books, Inc., New York, 1971
41
42
1:1. Hosak, H., and Dreikurs, R., "Adlerian Psychotherapy." in
R. Corsini (ed.) ~~r~ent P~L~~~!~erapies, F. E. Peacock Publishers,
'Inc.., Itasca, Illino:i.s, 1973
14. Neidcr1and, w., "Introductory Notes on the Concept, Definition, and Rc:o.ng2 of Psychic Traun~<t." in H. Krystal and W. Neiderland
,(eds.), P~chi c 'I'raumati~atiCl~£_.-.-::~fter_effec ts in InJividuals and
~ommunities, Internat:Lcnal Psychiatry Clinics, Vol. 8, No. 1,
Little, Brow~ and Company, Boston, 1971
i
Rabinowitz, D., "The Holocaust as LlVing Hemory," in
,, Northv;estern University • Evanston,
Illinois, 19 77
15.
TJ~~ns_:~:9.!1s _of __!}]:£_Holcc_aust
16. Russell, A., "Late Psychosocial Consequences in Concentration
Camp Survivor Families," ~!!.~.E.i~t.!...l~yr~~}:.__'?_LQ.0hops_y_.::;_hi_at.!:2• Vol.
44(4), 611-617, July, 1974
·
17. Sigal, J., ''Secon~-Generation Effects of Massive Psychic
Trauma, 11 in H. Krystal and W. Neiderla-ad (eds.), ~-~chi£:__Traumatiza­
E:.!~n:
Aftereffects in Individual~?;g_~ Co_!Ilmunities, International
Psychiatry Clinics, Vol. 8. No. 1, Little, Bro\>m and Company,
Bostnn, 1971
18. Sigal, J., "Some Second-Generation Effects of the Nazi
Percecution," American Journa1__9f_JJ-rt:h..S!_P~_y_chi§lt:l~)'• Vol. 43, 320-327,
1971
19. Sigal, J., and Rakoff, V., "Concentration Camp SurvivalA Pilot Study of the Effects on the Second Generation," Canadian
l'E_ychi~ttri_:;_!issociation Journa:!., VoL 16, 393-397, 1_971
20. Trossman, B., "Adolescent Children of Concentration Camp
Survivors," ~-------·----'-Canadian Psvchiatric Association ,Journal, Vol. 13,
121-123, 1968
,-
----
·----··-- -·- -- ------ -·-·
;
APPENDIX A
ADLERIAN WORK-UP
:
iN ame ••• , •••• " • • • • • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • •
.Lf\g e ................................ .
Occupation ..........•............
Highest School Grade ............. .
,Natural Father's age ..........•..
Deceased ......................... .
Occupation .......................
Highest School Grade ............. .
. Natural Mother's age .............
Deceased ......................... .
Occupation ......................•
Highest School Grade ............. .
Stepfather (if any)
Age .........
Occupation ....................... .
Stepmother (if any)
Age.........
Occupation ....................... .
v-.
First names and ages of siblings in your family in order of birth:
1st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Age .............................. .
: 2nd . ............................ '" .
Age . ............................... .
· 3rd . •.................. (' .....
Age . .................. , ........... .
?
•
•
•
•
4th..............................
Age ............ , .................. .
Others ( j_f any) ...................... ~ ............................... .
Which sibling were you most like?
In what ways?
Which sibling were you most unlike?
43
In what ways?
SIBLING RATING SHEET
INSTRUCT IO!'!S
The following is
~.i.
sibling rating sheet to detenn:i_ne the diffe:-
ent personal characted.stics of your family from your own point of
view.
. <i
Trdnk of a time Hhr:·n most of your brothers and sisters \·Jere
still. living at home and you '""'re
~
small child, and compare your-
. self •.vit.h your sibli:1.gs by stating who rated the highest and lowest
in ench of the .Listed attributes.
On the
hCXt
page you will find the rating
she~t.
Write the
names of your sibl:i.11gs, and yourself as "me," under the numbered
coJvmu :i.n the order of birth.
Af_ter each name ,_,rite the age of your
s1bl1ng and yourself at the time your were small.
In order to rate yourself and your siblings, write H
L (least) in 0ach column.
as siblings.
(mos~)
or
If you are an on.1.y child, use your parents
List all the children living at ymn home for any
constant period of time, even if adopted or unrelated.
Please indi-
cate any child who is adopt0d or unrelated to you.
If -y·our family includes more than one child besides yourself,
place, in the column where you list yourself, the name of the sibling
who is closest to you (if you did not rate yourself as being the
moat or least) in the trait indicated.
For example, if you consider
your older brother the most intelligent and your younger sister the
least intelligent, in your column write the name of the one closest
45
to you in intf:lligence.
Traits
.!.~tel~igei?_C!:_
2nd child
3rd child
4th child
Others
Name
Age
~
Name
Age
Name
Age
Name
Age
:_L__ ,
I
_Best Grade;?____
I
Helped Around
--=
I
L_j_
~±
1··· . __j_--·- I
--
I'
~.J"orker
Hardest
lst child
Name
~
I
::::o~fp£----+=t -·
_j
~·------~~-=--=
I
RebellioHs
---~-----+------
to
~~~;a~:.f__
--------
Cot~-~_j_<:!~£~.!:.~I<..f0S
§elfi~lt..:r~ss
Having
Wav
o~m
·""---
l _____~L.___
____ __[
.
I
---+-------~
'-------
--·
________
·--- --
- I
,
L__
I
·j
_
. __
~-----1-----
I
I
I
--r----
sens~u.ve_+·--+-1--t----ir·---1---
Temper
TantrUT.lS
Sense of
t ---r
I
_
~~l_lm_or .-'--~----t----ldeallstlc
Standar~:.__
Athletic
I'
Je~:~.'-~
I
-+-t---
---...:.j___
-----~.I
I'
I
-···~----·-·
---f------_____1______
Materialist_i:-_c
High
.
.
I
___.
I
I
i
I!
-r·--I
I
i
I
---
_-. -
.---L-'-
------- t--·
-
FAMILY CONSTELLATION
Please ansvJer the following questions according to the same time
period used when you rated yourself and your siblings.
W'nat: kind of person was your £ather?
;In what ways do you feel you were mcst like him?
What kind of person was your mother?
In what ways do you feel you were most like her?
In what ways do you feel you were most unlike your father?
I:1 what ways do you feel you "Tere most unlike your mother?
'How well did your parents get along?
47
,Who, i [ anyone, was dominant?
'
.Did they display affection for each other?
'
Did they fight?
How often? ·About what?
.To whom did you go when you were in trouble?
Why?
Ail.Y significant other relatives you remember in your early life?
mlat. was your status with them?
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS
Think back to the tim0 when you were very small.
memory, your earliest recollection?
Hhat is your first
1.
If you had a Polaroid camera, 'vhat is the visual picture that you see?
.was the memory pleasant...........
neutral?..........................
2.
What is your second memory?
Visual picture?
unpleasant ...............•....•...
Age at that time ......•.••...•....
:Was the memory pleasant. . . . . . • • . • .
'neutral?
•.••.••..••••• _............
I
unpleasant .....•.••••.••• , •.....•.
Age at that time ........•.••••....
l
:3.
What is your third ntemory?
Visual pict:m:e?
\\las the Itiemory pleasant. ......... .
neutral? .............••...........
4.
unpleasant: ....................... .
Age at that: time .......•...•......
What is your fourth memory?
Visual picture?
Was the memory pleasant .....•.....
neutral? ....•......•. , .. , ..•......
5.
unpleasant ..•.....•.......••...••..
Age at that time •.......•.......•.
If no mention was given of your mother or father, what is your
first memory of them?
Visual picture?
Was the memory pleasant.... • . . . • . .
-neutral? ............................
6.
unpleasant •..•..•••...•...••..•..•
Age at that time ...... ·........... .
If not already given, what is your first memory of school?
'visual picture?
Was the memory pleasant ...•.•...•.
neutral? . ......................... .
unpleasant ..••....•••.•...•.•.••..
Age at that time .•.•.•....•.•.••..
APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE
Age ...••.•..• Sex .•.•.•..•• Place of birth .••.••..•• Age of entry into the
U.S ......•.... Marital status ..•......• Ages of children ..•..•..•. Ages
of
parents at the t:LT'le of the camps •.•.•...•. Present ages of parents ..
••.•••.. Extent of family loss suffered by the parents as a direct rese1t of the ·war .••........•..•.•..•..••...•...•.......•.•..••.........
Please. e.as•i>lt'X the following questions to the best of your ability.
Feel free to elc>.borate and add any information you feel might clarify
the issues discussed.
1. Briefly descdoe what your life is presently like; including your
immediate family situation, your education, your occupation, your
goHls, .snd your leve1 of s,ifisfact:ion w·it:h t:he presenL.
2. lffiat c-1re the present
of your parents?
physical,~ emotional,
and social cor:.ditior1s
3. What do ycu know about your parents' lives before the ~.:rar'r
did you find out? What are your feelings about their lives?
Hovl
4. ~That do you know about your parents 1 lives during the \var? Hmv
did you find out? \oJhat are your feelings about their war-time lives?
Are there any differences in your knowledge or your feelings now, as
compared to your childhood? If so, to wha.t extent and why?
5. What was your relationship with your parents when you were grmving up and what: is it like now? If it has changed, how and why?
6. mlat is the nature of the present relationship between you and
the immediate members of yom: family? \.Jhat is your parents 1 relaship to your immediate family?
7. \Vhat, if any, formal Jewish affiliations do you have?
do they fulfill?
What needs
8. To what extent do you observe or participate in Judaism?
'religious beliefs, if any, do you have?
50
What
51
i 9.
i
To ·what extent are you interested in Israel and \vhy?
'10. To '.Vhat extent, if any, do you think, speak, or read about the
Holocaust? What feelings are evoked?
:11. Are you involved with any formal org::miz2.ti.ons that deal '/lith
'the Holocaust? To what extent and why or \vhy not'C
12. l\That direct effects do you feel the Holocaust has had on you,
your family life, and your children? How different would your life
have been had your parents not gone through the Holocaust?
Have you ever been in therapy? Hhy? To what extent, if any,
did the Holocaust emerge as a significant issue?
'13.
·14.
Please discuss if you feel, or ha-ve felt, any of the following:
a. a need to suffer
b. survival guilt
c. irreplaceable loss
d. press~re to succead
e. anger at your parents that you could not express
f
different from other people
g. a lack of belonging
h. that your life is a way of making up for lost lives
i. that your parents are overprotective
j. a need to protect Y()UY parents and make their lives happier
k.
r_:onccrn 2bout anti·-Sem:Ltism
1. cone. ern about the possibility of another Holocaust occurring