Dr Tracey Farber has worked extensively with both Holocaust survivors and their children. She has conducted research among survivors and provides psychological therapy to 2nd generation survivors in her private practice in Tel Aviv. She also works with international students at Tel Aviv University, and specialises in psychotherapy relating to trauma.
She is the co-author of Catastrophic Grief, Trauma, and Resilience in Child Concentration Camp Survivors: A Retrospective View of Their Holocaust Experiences. (Available for borrowing from the Jacob Gitlin Library.)
As the number of survivors of the Holocaust still with us dwindles, the focus moves to their descendants: the 2nd and 3rd generations. Although they were not directly subject to the terrors of the genocide, they are regarded as second generation survivors because of the impact that their parents’ experiences had on them as they grew up.
For psychologists, the experience of the 2nd generation survivor presents an interesting field of research and clinical work. One leader in this field is South African clinical psychologist Dr Tracey Farber, who has lived in Israel for the past three years but retains strong connections with her home country.
Prompted by the commemoration of the Holocaust during May, the Cape Jewish Chronicle spoke to Tracey about the psychological impact on
the descendants of survivors.
Trauma may be passed on consciously or unconsciously
Tracey points out that, even though most parents would have been loving parents, wanting only the best for their children, the pain and trauma they suffered may have been passed on to their children, in many cases unconsciously. As she explains, “When a newborn baby is held by its parent, it will pick up the parent’s mood and emotional distress, even though the parent may consciously be doing things of a loving nature. So, the children born of a person traumatised by an event like the Holocaust will carry a psychological burden from their earliest days.”
There are also situations in which the 1st generation survivor consciously passes on the trauma. Either way, the child may demonstrate a psychological scar as a result of the conscious or unconscious passing on of trauma. “This is known as transgenerational trauma,” Tracey says, adding that, “Psychotherapist Dina Vardi wrote a book called ‘Memorial Candles’ (1992) in which she explains how the second generation carry the wounds of their parents. I would add that they also have had the experience of parents who are role models of survival and resilience.”
As regards more than one child born to a Holocaust survivor, Tracey points out that the transgenerational trauma may manifest differently in each child. “It’s common for one child to take on the mantle of the Holocaust, and that child becomes a Holocaust activist – the one who reads whatever they can about the event, who attends functions relating to the Holocaust, who speaks out about it, and so on,” she explains. And another child of the same parents may exhibit no particular interest in the Holocaust. “It’s very much an individualised response, and will differ from family to family. The response of the child is influenced by the level of attachment that the child has or had with the survivor parent.”
Another element of the 2nd generation experience is that the child acknowledges the tremendous resilience shown by the parent who has gone through such a terrible experience. These are people who made new lives after unbelievable suffering, and the child is a core element of that new life. For many 2nd generation survivors that pans out in them being high achievers – they are driven to reflect their parents’ resilience by proving their successful presence within society. It’s also demonstrated in their desire to make an impact because they are driven to make the world a better place.
Current triggers that cause greater discomfort for the 2nd generation survivor
The rise in openly antisemitic acts and statements since the October 7th attacks is causing renewed anxiety among many 2nd generation survivors. As Tracey elaborates: “More than other people, the descendant of a survivor of the Holocaust sees the current events through the lens of the Holocaust because the Holocaust experience is so much a part of their being and is so personal to their lives. And, so, there is heightened trauma for these people at the moment.”
Another issue affecting 2nd generation survivors is that they have to cope with a survivor parent who is ailing in old age or who has recently passed away.
Transgenerational trauma in other communities
The experiences seen among the descendants of survivors of the Holocaust are also evident among children of survivors of other genocides, such as the Rwandan killings of 1994.
Tracey highlights the impact of the trauma among anti-apartheid activists in our own country, explaining that, “The children of activists demonstrate numerous responses similar to 2nd generation Holocaust survivors. Knowing of their parents’ experiences of being imprisoned or tortured has resulted in transgenerational trauma for many of them.”
Helping the 2nd or 3rd generation survivor to cope
As a psychologist, Tracey is obviously an advocate of therapy for 2nd generation survivors who struggle with the issues, but she does not believe that it is the answer for everyone. “Therapy is useful to assist the 2nd generation survivor to identify and understand the trauma they have experienced, growing up with a survivor parent and also to help them to understand the impact that this has on their lives. Dina Vardi says that group therapy helps the second generation to separate from the pain of their parents and develop their individual identities. These groups can allow sharing of feelings and experiences. “This helps to normalise the person’s experience,” Tracey explains. “The person learns that their experiences are similar to those of other people; group bonding and social support play a crucial role in helping people to cope. ‘No one can face trauma alone.’( Dr Judith Herman, 1992).”
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