Buried Words: a forum on sexuality, violence and Holocaust testimonies

Abstract

ABSTRACT This Forum is a discussion among six contributors deeply familiar with the challenges of analyzing survivor testimony, each with a distinct methodological approach to the topic of sexual violence and the Holocaust. Topics addressed in the discussion include the challenges posed by studying survivor testimonies to learn about sexual violence, the theme of silence and how scholars can mitigate the role they play in reinforcing it, how gender as a category of analysis intersects with other approaches, considerations related to age and memory, and the role of the audience in shaping how survivors communicate their experiences. The Forum discussion grew out of a scholarly conference held in Toronto in October 2018, titled Buried Words: A Workshop on Sexuality, Violence and Holocaust Testimonies. The workshop was organized by the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program and was inspired by its publication of several memoirs detailing experiences of sexual abuse and violence and other sexual encounters during the Holocaust, including Buried Words: The Diary of Molly Applebaum. This Forum features several of the participating scholars in conversation, addressing important questions that arose during the workshop.