| Learning Objective #1: Relate the experiences of 9/11 and the Holocaust | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe family health in relation to 9/11 and the Holocaust |
OBJECTIVE: “Never Again” is the cry relating to 9/11 and the Holocaust that thunders around the world. Yet, we see tragedies of equal barbarity continue in our modern world. How do we prevent this cruelty in our daily interactions from continuing? One way is to keep the stories alive for future generations. DESIGN: A descriptive study utilizing a Phenomenological approach was chosen to examine the problem: What is the nature of the experience of second generation Holocaust Survivors and their families.
SAMPLE: Seven second generation survivors were interviewed. I was touched by their stories and jarred by the commonalties in theirs and mine. Children of survivors pass on stories from one generation to the next, but eventually unless they are recorded, the stories are lost. Maintaining and recording our heritage is important to understanding the phenomenon of family in America.
FINDINGS: Some of the most prevalent themes in the stories are: Surviving, Frightening experiences, Safety, Loss, Daily thoughts, Denial, Minimizing, Connections, Passing on heritage, and Identity. It became apparent that with this major societal issue we must look not only at the structure and behaviors in our society but at ways to change the cruelty of people to people.
IMPLICATIONS: Perhaps keeping these stories alive may prevent future atrocities. The individual stories make the words “Never Again” thunder to life. It is life and the family that we want to preserve and understanding the effects of 9/11 and the Holocaust impacts on preservation of the family. As activists we can enlist the assistance of our government to act early and forcefully when we see tragedies occurring. This is not just for Jews but for all people in our world. We can no longer tolerate such atrocities.
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