(Mirror.)

“Fear of annihilation” appeared in clinical (Bako & Zana, 2018) and community samples (Hogman, 1998; Hirsch & Chaitin, 2010; Lazar et al., 2008; Rosenthal, 2002). However, the expression of such fears varied across the geographic settings. In studies conducted [under Zionism], participants’ fears of annihilation were embedded in the perceived impact of the Holocaust on [a neocolonial] society (Lazar et al., 2008; Hirsch & Chaitin, 2010; Hirsch & Lazar, 2011). Based on a survey data, Lazar et al. (2008), suggested that, “The strongest impact is the fear of annihilation, with almost any incident and event interpreted as a threat” (p. 96).

Grandchildren living in Europe, U.S.A and Australia (Cohn & Morrison, 2018; Rosenthal, 2002), related their fears to being persecuted due to anti‐Semitism and fears of extermination. One grandchild (aged 25) said: “there’s this sensitivity or heightened threat alert when anti‐Semitism happens, which I think is directly related to the Holocaust” (Cohn & Morrison, 2018, p. 203) and “I always have that sense of feeling. Like when’s the next, methodical murder spree gonna happen?” (Cohn & Morrison, 2018, p. 202).

Fears and anxieties manifested as hypervigilant behaviors, such as the constant need to be on guard and being ready for threat. Sometimes these behaviors were modeled by parents to their children. “If you were to visit my parent home, you would see many bags and suitcases […] this is not because we travel a lot” (a 23‐year‐old [grandchild of a Holocaust survivor]; Hirsch & Lazar, 2011, p. 392). The link between these behaviors and their family Holocaust background was made, “I believe it is the Holocaust that makes us feel haunted and that we feel we need to be on guard all the time” (Hirsch & Lazar, 2011, p. 391).

Anxiety‐related to separation
Anxiety related to being separated from family was recorded in community samples (Hogman, 1998; Scharf & Mayseless 2011) and clinical cases (Bako & Zana, 2018; Fossion et al., 2003; Quadrio, 2016). Interpreting their therapeutic work with descendants of HSs Bako and Zana (2018), argued that HSs experiences of separation from family permeated the experiences of descendants.

One female grandchild described her feelings when sending her son off to school: “I would feel again and again that this is the last time I would see him. I often feel that any day spent together may be the last one”. (Bako & Zana, 2018, p. 275). Some grandchildren described how separating from a loved one was perceived as a probable threat for their survival that could lead to loss and death (Scharf & Mayseless, 2011).

A grandchild described the feelings and thoughts he experienced whenever his father left for army reserve duty; “it was quite a difficult separation. I don’t remember why, but I was really afraid that my father would be killed” (p. 1547). Similarly, grandchildren reported a sense of impending danger that was readily activated in the form of misinterpretation of everyday events such as common illness (Scharf & Mayseless, 2011).

[…]

Even though not directly exposed to the trauma, both children and grandchildren described fears about the Holocaust. In this review, grandchildren described “fears of annihilation” concerning anti‐Semitism and the occurrence of another Holocaust (Lazar et al., 2008; Hirsch & Chaitin, 2010).

Similarly, studies that explored experiences of [children of Holocaust survivors] reported of a family environment characterized by anxiety and fear of another Holocaust (Rowland‐Klein & Dunlop, 1998) and parents’ terrifying views of the world as unsafe and unpredictable. In turn, the children reported their constant readiness to respond to potential threats to their survival (Braga et al., 2012).

(Emphasis original.)

Similarly, other researchers found that Shoah survivors’ children behaved more anxiously:

Another main finding of this paper is that a higher level of [the Subjective Holocaust Influence Level] is related to higher average levels of worry, suspicion of others, anxiety about the future, need to survive, risk aversion and unwillingness to discard food.⁶ It seems that the level of SHIL is reflected in the [Holocaust survivors’ offspring’s] daily life, habits and emotions.