Trauma and Testimony in an Oversharing Society

By :  Edna Friedberg Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; JTS Fellow Posted On Dec 7, 2020 / 5780 | Living a Life of Meaning Monday Webinar

Part of the series, Living a Life of Meaning

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The pandemic has forced us to live much of our lives online. But what happens when experiences that used to be private and intimate are exposed to the glare of public scrutiny? How is the impact of experience changed by retelling it, and does sharing our experiences make them more meaningful?  

This is a discussion of how refugees from war-torn Europe were recast as “Holocaust survivors” and how trauma morphs when repackaged for broader consumption. The session will include pioneering early audio and film recordings of survivors as young people in the 1940s and 50s. 

With Dr. Edna Friedberg,JTS Fellow and historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

ABOUT THE SERIES

The disruption to our normal life, and for many, close encounters with mortality, provides an opportunity to evaluate what is truly important in our lives. Guided by JTS faculty and fellows we discuss the role of values, ethics, and Torah in the quest for a well-lived life.

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