Examining the Narrative Experience of Trauma for Holocaust Survivors and Their Offspring: A Qualitative Multi-Generational Study

When examining the process of the intergenerational transmission of trauma for the experiences of first, second, and third generation Holocaust survivors, there exists both overlapping similarities and unique differences. Understanding the trends that underlie this process is of crucial importance when researching the cultural changes in communication and openness across generations that have occurred over time. In particular, minimal prior research has been conducted regarding the unique perspectives of third generation survivors. It is important to highlight that the third generation offers a unique perspective as the youngest participants of studies on post-Holocaust trauma, given that minimal prior research has been conducted on this young demographic. This study aims to fill in sizable gaps in the literature, comprehensively analyzing similarities and differences through the narrative-telling of three living generations of Holocaust survivors. Based on an extensive review of literature, this study poses interview questions adequately suiting each of the three generations and their respective experiences. Based on the results of the power analysis, a minimum of 966 Holocaust survivors from all three generations need to be studied in order to achieve a powerful effect size. For the purpose of this study, data is analyzed using thematic analysis, a coding method that converts qualitative data into quantitative data and identifies patterns of meaning across a dataset (Padgett, 2008). The research findings yielded from this study further the inquiry in literature on Holocaust survivorship, as well as introducing research questions of the intergenerational transmission of trauma