Children of Holocaust Survivors
February 18th, 2026
Intergenerational traumas in Voices of Resilience: An Anthology of Stories Written by Children of Holocaust Survivors (Amsterdam Publishers $31.19) brings together the voices of twelve writers born to Holocaust survivors, each exploring the enduring impact of war, genocide and displacement on their lives. Through a series of closely connected personal narratives, the contributors examine themes of resilience, identity, memory and healing, shaped by the legacies their parents carried into the postwar world.
The stories span continents and generations. Set in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, they reflect a wide range of historical and personal circumstances. Some contributors grew up with a clear awareness of their Jewish identity and family history, while others discovered their Jewish roots only later in life. Childhoods unfolded under vastly different conditions, from communist regimes marked by upheaval and revolution to the relative safety of postwar North America. Yet across these varied settings, shared patterns emerge.
Each writer contributes multiple pieces, allowing a deeper view into individual lives shaped by inherited trauma and moral responsibility. The narratives reveal how the experiences of the Holocaust were transmitted across generations, influencing relationships, identity formation, emotional sensitivity and personal resilience. Alongside accounts of fear, loss and rupture are stories of love, compassion, continuity and renewal.
The anthology also situates these personal testimonies within a broader historical and psychological framework. An essay by historian Chris Friedrichs provides essential historical context, while psychiatrist and child survivor Dr. Robert Krell contributes a foreword that addresses the psychological dimensions of intergenerational trauma and post-traumatic growth. Together, these perspectives illuminate how the Holocaust continued to shape Jewish families long after the war, across diverse societies and political systems.
At a time of renewed global instability and increased attention to Holocaust education, this collection offers a meaningful contribution to discussions of memory, displacement and the long-term human consequences of genocide. It stands as both a work of remembrance and a thoughtful exploration of how history lives on in the generations that follow. 9789493418622
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