Threat and challenge: Holocaust survivors, succeeding generations, and the coronavirus pandemic

• Published date: 01 July 2023
• Author: Laurie Glick,Anat Romem
• Date: 01 July 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12860

RESEARCH

Threat and challenge: Holocaust survivors, succeeding

generations, and the coronavirus pandemic

Laurie Glick | Anat Romem

Department of Nursing, Jerusalem College of

Technology, Jerusalem, Israel

Correspondence

Laurie Glick, Department of Nursing,

Jerusalem College of Technology, 7 Beit

HaDefus St., Jerusalem, Israel.

Email: laurie@g.jct.ac.il

Abstract

Objective: To examine the “sense of threat”and “sense of

challenge”among Holocaust survivors and second- and

third-generation cohorts during the first coronavirus lock-

down in Israel.

Background: Aging, especially among people who experi-

enced trauma during their early years, as did Holocaust

survivors, can be challenging when unusual circum-

stances, such as the coronavirus pandemic, coincide with

it. Studies are inconclusive regarding the effect of trans-

generational transmission of trauma of survivors to their

offspring.

Methods: 129 participants filled out a questionnaire based

on Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive theory of psychologi-

cal stress and coping. Data were collected through online

questionnaires or phone interviews.

Results: All generations reported “feeling this is a difficult

situation.”Compared with the second generation, survi-

vors reported a significantly higher “sense of threat”and

significantly lower “sense of challenge.”

Discussion: This study found that all generations felt some

degree of vulnerability, although their response overall

was resilient.

Implications: Awareness of the harmful effects of stressful

life events on the vulnerable Holocaust survivors and their

descendants has prompted the need to establish support

systems that can be activated to assist them. Future

research should also investigate whether these reactions

were prevalent among Holocaust survivors and their

descendants in other countries.

Author note: We express our sincerest gratitude to Sharon Kanon for her valuable insight, creative comments, commitment, and the time

she has dedicated to help us throughout the process of this research project. We also acknowledge Dov Kanon for his encouragement

related to the importance of this project for Holocaust survivors and their descendants and for being a role model of resilience for us

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Received: 21 December 2021 Revised: 9 June 2022 Accepted: 30 December 2022

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12860

© 2023 National Council on Family Relations.

Family Relations. 2023;72:891–905. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare 891