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.