Observations on the First International Conference on Children of Holocaust Survivors

This first large-scale gathering of children of Holocaust survivors revealed-more from the unanticipated group process of the conference than from its official proceedings-that the second generation seeks a collective identity subordinate neither to the older generation of parents nor of mental-health authorities. Vital moments of tension and reconciliation at the conference between the children's self-help movement (with a sizable membership of young mental-health professionals) and distinguished mental-health experts indicated the legitimacy of intergenerational encounter and the place that it will likely be accorded in future meetings.