Children of Holocaust Survivors's topics - tribe.net

stifled emotions

Josepha — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:13:49 GMT

Hello,

I am new to this list and hope it is still active, as I'm beginning counseling, and my counselor suggested I find a 2nd Generation group.

One of the issues I need to deal with is stifled emotions--my father is a survivor, and I was raised with the idea that he was the only one who had the right to express strong emotions, especially anger. I remember once being told that I didn't have the right to be angry (about something my Mom had had said to me) because I hadn't been through what he'd been through. There was always this sense that I had to behave because we wouldn't want to bother Papa-- he had enough on hi mind.

I saw my mother subdue her emotions rather than argue with my father, and have grown up usually doing the same thing.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

posted in Children of Holocaust Survivors - 0 replies

speaking about the Holocaust

Alix — Thu, 01 Jul 2004 20:59:19 GMT

hi people,
i'm wondering whether any of you second or third generation types have ever been asked to speak about your family's experience with the Holocaust. I am going to be doing it for the first time soon, at the Holocaust museum in DC of all places, and feel quite strangely about it. On the one hand, it's a great honor to be asked, and I was asked because they are having a musical program about hidden children, of which my mom was one. She passed away from cancer just over 2 years ago, so they would have asked her to participate, but they asked me in her stead. I feel like I have to do such things when asked, because there's no one else. However, the "play" or however you want to put it, that the Holocaust gets in the Jewish community often sickens me. I never go to Holocaust commemoration events, I don't read new books about it, etc., only see films that I hear are "must sees," etc., because I feel that I have enough Holocaust in my life. And, as someone very involved in the Jewish community, I find that the most pressing issue facing us these days is Israel-Palestine, and that it is up to us to do everything in our power to get Israel to end the occupation. So I feel a real conflict in speaking at such an event...I'm wondering if any of you have any thoughts to share...
thanks,
Alix

posted in Children of Holocaust Survivors - 5 replies

how do i put this sensitively...

buttons-and-knob — Sat, 06 Mar 2004 02:17:27 GMT

i'm a grandchild of holocaust survivors (hope it's okay that i'm here), and i'm curious about people's experiences with old holocaust survivors. basically... my grandparents (2 still living, two recently deceased) are/were odd in many ways. e.g. my dad's parents were always frugal to the point of absurdity, and were always terrified of flying. when i talk to people about these sorts of things, opinions are divided: some people think that these sorts of things are the result of the trauma experienced by holocaust survivors, while others think it's just ordinary old-people craziness.

i've always kind of assumed that a lot of it is just old-people craziness, and yet... i read maus recently and the narrator is driven crazy by his father's neuroses, in particular his obsessive frugality - very reminiscent of my dad's late dad. i wonder if anybody's ever studied the psychological effects associated with the trauma of concentration camps.

posted in Children of Holocaust Survivors - 13 replies

Psychological Effects on You as a "Child of the Holocaust"

Fri, 19 Mar 2004 21:29:25 GMT

I was wondering what, if any, effects you personally feel from being raised by survivors. The reason I started this group initially is because I have been interested in attending a group locally but haven't found the time.

I personally see a lot of similarity in my emotional reactions to friends who grew up similarly.

Anyone?

posted in Children of Holocaust Survivors - 2 replies

Central European Geneology?

Govega — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 13:45:34 GMT

Dear list members

We are trying to do a little research on my dad's family. We only know the names going back to my great-grand parents. As you all know, many records were destroyed during the war. My father's family comes from Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary, in the 1800's and before that rumour has that they all came from Russia, but I don't know how far back. I've tried several Jewish geneology online sites but not much there.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Penny Fischer-Otte

posted in Children of Holocaust Survivors - 2 replies