Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Advisor

Rochelle Clarke

Abstract

Third-generation Holocaust survivors may be the last generation to have recurrent and continuous contact with Holocaust survivors, which uniquely positions them in helping individuals understand the intergenerational impact of the Holocaust (Olstein et al., 2023). The importance of the effects of the Holocaust on third-generation survivors lies in how these impacts might shape their experiences, perspectives, and interpretations of the world. This dissertation was an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the lived experience of third-Generation Holocaust survivors (N = 6). The intergenerational impact of historical trauma on the participants and how they are making sense of the war in Gaza were explored by using semi-structed interviews to gain insight into the transmission process of historical trauma in subsequent generations and its impact on one’s worldview. I analyzed the data using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and examined the results through a Bowen family systems theory framework to find five themes: (a) presence of the Holocaust in family communication, (b) understanding Jewish history and stereotypes, (c) significance of Israel’s existence, (d) emotional conflict over Israel and Gaza, and (e) advocacy for others. The main takeaways from this study are the third generation’s willingness to recall and explore their family’s Holocaust background, the emotional conflict they express about the war in Gaza, and their emphasis on advocacy. Keywords: third-generation Holocaust survivors, historical trauma, intergenerational transmission, interpretative phenomenological analysis, Bowen family systems theory

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