Role of Resilience Among Nazi Holocaust Survivors A Strength-based Paradigm for Understanding Survivorship

This article reports preliminary results of a Templeton Foundation-funded research project on the role of resiliency and forgiveness in 133 elderly Holocaust survivors. We use resilience theory to explore how individuals heal following exposure to an adverse event. We present preliminary findings on survivors' perceptions of their resiliency before, during, and after the Holocaust and suggest a paradigm shift to one in which maintaining competence is primary. In subsequent publications, we will synthesize the frameworks that comprise survivorship to create a model. These findings inform mental health care practitioners' understanding of factors that buffer against the effects of adverse events.