In “The legacy of Holocaust survivors” (February 2), Jamie Geller is correct in describing as inspirational, the choice of many Holocaust survivors to build new lives instead of living in the past or seeking revenge.
Recalling the resilience of her own grandparents, she hopes that the October 7 survivors today will likewise refuse to let trauma define their future. When Geller mentioned that her parents joined a group called Children of Holocaust Survivors, I was reminded of a similar group formed in Rockland County, NY, at the Rockland Center for Holocaust Studies.
As my husband was a founder of that museum, I had the opportunity to share the observations of the members of the group firsthand, and discovered that they shared certain effects on their upbringing that could be traced to the original trauma in their parents’ lives. One example was extreme caution in supervising ordinary children’s activities.
Further, in 1993, I accompanied my husband to the Hidden Children’s Conference, where I had the opportunity to hear informally the anguish that still remained 50 years later.
There is still another aspect, described by a Hunter College professor, Maria Rosenbloom, who testifies about those survivors who could not adjust and lived out their lives in mental torture, some even kept in psychiatric hospitals because of a lack of knowledge at the time of how to deal with victims of such trauma.
Indeed, the lesson for today’s survivors, as Geller says, is “to choose life,” but it is the responsibility of the community at large to provide the space and tools for them to do so successfully.
MARION REISS
Beit Shemesh
In the thousands
Regarding Herb Keinon’s “A show of hate; a nation’s resolve” (January 31): Viewing “the blood-curdling pictures of the frenzied mob that Gadi Mozes and Arbel Yehud had to walk through on their way to freedom,” as Keinon puts it, it is clear that the Gaza populace that showed up to harass the two during their handoff to the Red Cross extended beyond the edges of the photographs and videos, and easily numbered in the thousands.
Putting aside the issue of whether and to what extent the people of Gaza are or are not collectively guilty for invading Israel, murdering, raping and kidnapping Israelis and holding them hostage, one must wonder how such a large crowd could be assembled on such relatively short notice if indeed, as the world’s antisemites assert, Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
KALMAN H. RYESKY
Petah Tikva
Relentlessly pursued
Regarding “Three hostages released in chaotic handover” (January 31): If proof were ever needed, though I’m sure that for every Israeli it wasn’t, the unedifying chaotic release of our hostages who had spent nearly 500 days in unimaginable hellholes showed the world the heinous terrorists with whom we are forced to deal.
For sure nothing is more important than obtaining the release of our people even when it means that those tried and sentenced for murdering Israelis have to be set free.
All hostages are of equal importance, although I have etched on my mind the Bibas family and truly hope that all of them are alive and will be back in the arms of their loved ones so very soon. However, should the worst be discovered for any one of them, I look to our divisive government coalition to stop waving the white flag.
I unfortunately don’t have an answer for what transpires following the various stages of this ceasefire deal, but what is glaringly obvious is that letting Hamas fighters remain as our ruling neighbor will have to be a non-starter. It therefore becomes even more imperative than ever that tomorrow’s meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, which at the outset looks like one of the most highly important ones between an Israeli prime minister and the leader of the free world, is able to produce sustainable answers.
Decisions will need to be made going forward for the rebuilding of Gaza, and determining who will be acceptable and capable of governing there, as well as dealing with the hot spot that is Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) before that area too transpires into another unacceptable war zone. Yes, these are difficult questions requiring answers which would satisfy all concerned, which up to now has not proved possible.
It has also been truly transparent that when one entity is imbued with hatred, it might well prove beyond the ability of man to resolve the situation to everyone’s satisfaction. Nonetheless, for this and future generations, it must still be an exercise relentlessly pursued.
STEPHEN VISHNICK
Tel Aviv
When Dylan went electric
Regarding “Jewish blues-rock musician Barry Goldberg dies at 83” (The Mercury News/TNS, January 27): It’s mentioned that he backed Bob Dylan when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Listed in the article as the bass player for this music history-making event was fellow Jewish bassist Harvey Brooks. This is totally not true. On electric bass that day was Jerome Arnold along with Jewish guitarist Michael Bloomfield who both played in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
Harvey Brooks played his first Dylan session just a few days later in New York City for the Bringing It All Back Home album. Shortly afterward, he was rehearsing with Al Kooper who had backed Bob Dylan in Newport, along with Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm of the Hawks. It was this group of musicians who would play with Dylan weeks later when he appeared at the Forest Hills Stadium in New York City and then the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Though the Hawks eventually changed the name of their group to The Band, by the end of that month they were backing Dylan on his American tour. Brooks went on to play with Bloomfield in the Electric Flag, and then they did Super Session together along with Al Kooper and Stephen Stills. The good news for all of us here in Israel is that Harvey along with his wife Bonnie made aliyah 15 years ago and they live right here in Jerusalem.
HOWIE KAHN
Jerusalem