This presentation will explore the intersections of Holocaust memory, trauma, and teshuva—the Jewish concept of return and repair. Drawing from the works of Marianne Hirsch, Naomi Klein, and Abdaljawad Omar, along with Maimonides, I will examine how Holocaust memory has been weaponized to justify Israeli settler-colonial practices and how this memory, rather than leading to healing, has often perpetuated cycles of violence. Hirsch’s concept of postmemory shows how the trauma of the Holocaust is passed down through generations, often distorting collective identity in ways that prevent growth and understanding. Rather than leading to collective healing, Holocaust memory in this context has been manipulated to freeze Jewish communities in perpetual victimhood, thereby justifying violence against Palestinians. This unexamined trauma can act as a barrier to meaningful repair. True remembrance, in contrast, involves re-membering, a process that seeks to put the shattered pieces of a community back together, transmuting grief and loss into transformation. But re-traumatization, as Klein and others note, serves only to maintain cycles of harm, trapping communities in an unending state of suffering.
Abdaljawad Omar’s work on the trauma of settler-colonialism highlights the erasure of Palestinian suffering and the instrumentalization of Jewish trauma in ways that further entrench injustice. Omar argues that settler-colonialism thrives not only on physical occupation but also on the psychological violence of denial and the distortion of history. The trauma of Palestinians is not merely overlooked; it is actively suppressed within many Jewish narratives, which tend to focus on Jewish suffering without addressing the ongoing dispossession and violence Palestinians face. This historical amnesia functions to perpetuate the systems of power that uphold settler-colonial projects, making it harder for any meaningful dialogue or reparative process to take place.
In Jewish terms, this reparative process can be understood through the lens of teshuva. Teshuva requires returning not just to ourselves, but to each other and to our shared humanity. It is a process of deep reflection, where Jewish communities must acknowledge how Holocaust memory has been weaponized and its ongoing role in perpetuating settler-colonial violence. This return to ethical responsibility opens the space for repair. It calls for reckoning with both the trauma of the Holocaust and the ongoing oppression Palestinians face, creating a future where justice, empathy, and solidarity can thrive. This framework can help navigate the trauma caused by the weaponization of Holocaust memory, allowing individuals and communities to face painful truths without being paralyzed by them.
Key Questions Addressed:
- How has Holocaust memory been weaponized to justify settler-colonial violence?
- In what ways does re-traumatization, rather than true remembrance, prevent healing and transformation?
- What does teshuva mean in the context of Israeli settler-colonialism and Palestinian resistance?
- What role does solidarity with Palestinians play in the process of teshuva?
This presentation explores the intersections of Holocaust memory, trauma, and teshuva—the Jewish concept of return and repair—focusing on the impact of Holocaust memory in the context of Israeli settler-colonialism. Drawing on the works of Marianne Hirsch, Naomi Klein, Abdaljawad Omar, and Maimonides, the presentation examines how Holocaust memory has been weaponized to justify violence against Palestinians, perpetuating cycles of trauma rather than facilitating healing. Hirsch’s concept of postmemory shows how the trauma of the Holocaust is transmitted through generations, distorting collective identity and preventing growth. Klein highlights how re-traumatization traps communities in perpetual victimhood, hindering transformation. Omar’s work on settler-colonialism demonstrates how Palestinian suffering is erasure within global narratives, further entrenching injustice. Teshuva—as a process of self-reflection, return, and repair—offers a framework for Jewish communities to confront the weaponization of Holocaust memory and engage in ethical solidarity with Palestinians, creating space for justice, empathy, and healing.