Transmission of Trauma and Resilience in Multigenerational Families of Holocaust Survivors: Two Case Studies.

This study examines the relevance and impact of the Holocaust on Australian adults who grew up in multigenerational families of Holocaust survivors (HSs), focusing on two individual cases analyzed through a Phenomenological Interpretative Approach. It highlights how the Holocaust continues to affect descendants decades later, emphasizing two main themes: the personal significance of the Holocaust in participants' lives and familial communication patterns about Holocaust trauma, which included both verbal and nonverbal transmissions such as storytelling and meaningful objects. The findings reveal differences in how trauma and resilience are conveyed within families, with some descendants experiencing open dialogue while others encounter silence, and suggest that these communication patterns influence identity, coping, and mental health across generations. The study underscores the importance for clinicians to consider diverse familial communication styles and the ongoing impact of collective trauma when supporting survivors’ descendants.