If Not Now e-Journal Letters to the EditorVolume 1, Winter 2000Volume 1, Fall 2000Volume 1, Spring 2000Volume 2, Winter 2001Volume 2, Spring 2001Volume 3, Winter 2002Volume 3, Spring 2002Volume 3, Fall 2002Volume 4, Fall 2003Volume 5, Fall 2004Volume 6, Spring/Summer 2006Volume 7, Winter 2007

Volume 6, Spring/Summer 2006 - If Not Now e-Journal

Welcome to the 2006 edition of If Not Now.  While the Journal has been inactive for awhile, the community of people who care for and about Holocaust survivors has continued to come together from all corners of the world.  The ongoing work of sharing our understanding of the impact of the Holocaust on survivors and their descendants continues to evolve. 

This Edition will focus on children.  It examines the children of Terezin, some child survivors and the legacy of teaching the Holocaust to the children of the world today, to ensure a better world tomorrow.

This is a very special edition for me. It is dedicated to the work and the memory of  Shari Ben Natan, a colleague but more importantly friend, an Israeli social worker, the wife of a child survivor, the daughter of a survivor, the mother of two second generation sons and a passionate advocate for the rights and the care of all abused and marginalized children.  As the Director of the Transitional Home for Severely Abused Children in Be’er Sheva, Shari developed innovative therapeutic treatment plans for the children living in her home. 

In Shari’s world, politics, religion and nationality were not as important as the individual child’s need for a safe haven and entitlement to a secure future.  Most of the kids in her care were under six, and not only did they have to contend with all types of domestic violence in their short lives, but even while they were being helped, they lived under a cloud of war and political strife.  Shari’s work with these children was a remarkable combination of clinical expertise, sensitivity and kindness, practical and pragmatic planning and always the best interest of each individual child guiding every intervention.

Shari’s work on the art of the children of Terezin, and the impact of extreme and mostly fatal child abuse during the Holocaust, was an important lens to view her work in the Children’s Home.  Her paper, Art in the Shadow of Death, published in this edition, reflects her intimate understanding of the importance of recognizing and creatively treating children’s trauma and pain.

This edition also contains the work of two child survivors, taking a challenging journey through their past and demonstrating a unique courage to share it with others. The concept of sharing stories, engaging in conversation and keeping the legacy alive is further explored from both clinical vantages and educational considerations. We even have the thoughts of a grandchild, chiming in with new perspectives and in a very poignant piece, raising some critical issues.

It is fitting that this Edition, with its emphasis on child survivors, comes out just prior to the upcoming annual World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust’s 18th Annual International Conference of Child Survivors,   Second and Third Generations, Spouses & Families in Detroit, Michigan, August 25 to August 28, 2006. Registration forms are here and further information can be found at http://www.wfjcsh.org/ 

Paula David
Coordinator, Holocaust Resource Program
Baycrest, Canada

 

 

Volume 6 Spring/Summer 2006 Articles

• Art In the Shadow of Death
• Through The Eyes Of The Child: Survival Of The Holocaust
• My Private Little Holocaust, A Personal Point Of View
• Maintaining Sensitivity to Traumatic Life Experiences through Therapeutic Conversations
• Who Owns the Legacy for Holocaust Education?
• Zachor, Remember: But What? And How?
• The Truth Is In The Leftovers: Three Generations of Trauma and Food