Life between memory and hope

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The 250,000 Holocaust survivors who gathered in the American Zone of Occupied Germany from 1945-1948 briefly emerged as a significant presence in the post-war years, seeing themselves as a bridge between destruction and rebirth. Much of the existing literature has focused on their experiences through external perspectives, often overlooking the complexity of their inner lives and political achievements. Zeev W. Mankowitz delves into this community, exploring its people, movements, ideas, institutions, and self-understanding as they faced the burdens of the past, present strains, and future challenges. These individuals endured unimaginable hardships, having lost everything, yet they persevered in grim conditions, marrying, having children, and striving for a better tomorrow. Remarkably, they resisted succumbing to the deformities of suffering, managing to retain their humanity. Mankowitz captures this poignant narrative in his work. Over the past two decades, he has balanced Holocaust research with training educational leaders, delivering acclaimed lectures on Holocaust studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His current project investigates the relationship between history and memory and its educational implications. This marks his first book.