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This rich and varied volume contains moving and informative essays by psychoanalytic therapists who speak about the profound meanings of the Holocaust in their lives and the lives of their patients. The essays attest to collective memory as a formidable way to witness the presence of the traumatic past in the lives of its victims and all who are witnesses. In an effort to raise consciousness of the still-unknown stories of those who died in the Holocaust, the editors immersed themselves in its theory and in personal testimonies. Reading the volume provides an able introduction to both.
The authors of the essays are committed to telling the truth about the past, ascertaining its presence in the lives of people now, and seeking ways to continue efforts to heal severed personal, historical, and cultural bonds. Contributing to the burgeoning fields of Memory Studies and Trauma Studies, it contains five sections: (1) “A Triptych to the Power of Witnessing”; (2) “Reflections”; (3) “Reverberations”; (4) “Traces”; and (5) “Links.” The first section employs Nancy Goodman's metaphor of “The Anti-Train,” as a way to begin to comprehend the terrible experiences of Holocaust victims. The second section, “Reflections,” discusses how individual exposure to stories about the Holocaust have affected each of the authors. The third section, “Reverberations,” focuses on the transmission of trauma, while the fourth, “Traces,” explores how different art forms offer ways to represent, assimilate, and transform Holocaust trauma. In the last chapter, “Links,” witnessing the Holocaust is extended to include other genocides, and also to the very personal traumas that challenge clinicians in their work.