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Holocaust Survivors and the Long Shadow of Trauma

Virtual Event
A Jewish girl shown after arriving in England on a rescue transport organized to help thousands of unaccompanied minors—child refugees—escape Nazi Germany, December 12, 1938. National Archives/Public domain

A Jewish girl shown after arriving in England on a rescue transport organized to help thousands of unaccompanied minors—child refugees—escape Nazi Germany, December 12, 1938. National Archives/Public domain

For survivors, their life is forever divided—before the Holocaust and after. Many lost family, friends, and entire communities. They also mourn their stolen youth and dreams for the future.

Long after the war ended, the physical and psychological stresses followed them. It took decades for some survivors to speak about what they endured. Some never did.

By their very presence, survivors exist in defiance of those who attempted to wipe them out, but their lives would never be the same. Join us on World Mental Health Day to hear how some survivors have managed to live with their ever-present trauma.

Guest
Dr. Margaret Polizos Peterson, Facilitator, Echoes of Memory, the writing workshop for Holocaust survivors who volunteer at the Museum; Executive Director, Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity

Host
Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Watch live on YouTube or Facebook. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the Museum’s YouTube and Facebook pages.