‘I Searched for Words’: Holocaust Survivor Poetry in Postwar Association Journals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Extensive focus has been given to the development of a post-Holocaust genre of poetry, often by those who are not survivors of the Shoah. This article notes the distinction between Holocaust poetry (poems on the theme of the Holocaust) and poetry that is authored by Holocaust survivors and their families, a nuance that often goes unrecognized in the wider literature. This article foregrounds the importance of poetry as not just a testimonial device in these contexts, but a way to align the past with the present and to create a sense of wholeness and completion to an individual survivor’s life while reflecting on challenges to that cohesion. This article utilizes poetry authored by survivors and their spouses from survivor association journals in the UK such as the ‘45 Aid Society and Association of Jewish Refugees to explore the value of personal reflection manifested in creative poetic expressions.