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Last update - 11:15 13/07/2007
Survivors' children to sue German government for therapy
By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent

An unprecedented lawsuit will be filed in Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday on behalf of thousands of children of Holocaust survivors demanding that the German government pay for therapy needed to help them cope with their suffering.

The plaintiffs will ask the court to declare a class action, estimating at least 15,000 potential patients. So far, some 3,000 Israelis have joined the suit, including reputed academics and performing artists.

"I think it's time to raise the cry of the second generation, who bear the scars on their souls, and recognize them, too, as Holocaust casualties," wrote attorney Gideon Fisher, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, in the suit.
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The suit describes, among others, the condition of five daughters of survivors who are suffering from trauma, anxiety and depression. One plaintiff, 55, is afraid of traveling on buses as they remind her of the trains that took Jews to the extermination camps. She is subject to panic attacks and takes tranquilizers.

Another plaintiff, who says she was raised in a dark, dirty home by parents suffering from depression, has developed fear of dogs. Today, she is emotionally disabled.

"Both the experience of the second generation [of Holocaust survivors] and studies reflect an intergenerational transference of the trauma, [which is] demonstrated in naming them after Holocaust victims, expecting them to serve as memorial candles to them, ongoing exposure to unending mourning and horror stories, guilt-raising manipulations and excessive control," the suit says.
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  1.   GOOD LUCK GUYS!! I AM ALL FOR 10:35  |  Robert 13/07/07
  2.   THE MILKING OF GERMANY SEEM TO BE GOING FOR EVER! 10:42  |  Lukas 13/07/07
  3.   Israel must carry blame for trauma transfer 11:39  |  Don Camillo 13/07/07
  4.   money again 11:53  |  J 13/07/07
  5.   Is N.G. Finkelstein wrong? 12:43  |  Dav 13/07/07
  6.   The Third Generation re money again 12:51  |  AB 13/07/07
  7.   nothing from them 13:05  |  Esther Gynther 13/07/07
  8.   Studies show 2nd generation has much higher rates of depression 13:18  |  child of survivor 13/07/07
  9.   AB 13:22  |  sh 13/07/07
  10.   depression and sress 13:46  |  abraham 13/07/07
  11.   As a child of Holocaust survivor I am totally against it 13:48  |  Boris 13/07/07
  12.   Obvious 13:49  |  Fritz 13/07/07
  13.   GOOD! GIVE THE THE PALS RIGHT OF RETURN TOO! 13:51  |  Justicia 13/07/07
  14.   Oh Please! 13:56  |  James 13/07/07
  15.   Yeah, they have to pay for what they did 14:03  |  Michael 13/07/07
  16.   Milking of Germany 14:05  |  Jonathan S 13/07/07
  17.   Lukas @2 14:12  |  US saved you 13/07/07
  18.   To Justicia 14:20  |  real Justice 13/07/07
  19.   trauma affects the gene of descendants too 14:26  |  nobodysacred 13/07/07
  20.   to oposing germans 14:34  |  harry MD 13/07/07
  21.   Milking Germans 15:05  |  Daniel 13/07/07
  22.   I`m goig to sue Germany as well 15:34  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/07/07
  23.   #20 Harry MD 15:39  |  Joshua Rosenberger 13/07/07
  24.   #3 Don Camillo 15:43  |  Samual Smith 13/07/07
  25.   Aren`t we all depressed about the Holocaust? 16:10  |  Avi 13/07/07
  26.   The entire Middle East needs a therapy 16:15  |  Ronen 13/07/07
  27.   Chris Linthwaite 17:29  |  US saved you2 13/07/07
  28.   The Twilight Zone 18:22  |  Mike in NYC 13/07/07
  29.   Victims forever? 18:24  |  Nad 13/07/07
  30.   holocaust 19:09  |  grossman 13/07/07
  31.   Lawsuit for damages 20:03  |  Moshe ben Kelev 13/07/07
  32.   She-Wloves of The SS 20:04  |  Jed 13/07/07
  33.   Survivors 20:24  |  Lou 13/07/07
  34.   Joke Right? 21:08  |  dan 13/07/07
  35.   great, great, great, great, great, great, 01:06  |  wendy 14/07/07
  36.   Survivors` children to sue German government 05:21  |  Rudi Trpak 14/07/07
  37.   sue the Germans 08:13  |  Dave 14/07/07
  38.   give me a breake 08:13  |  sam preiss 14/07/07
  39.   Hitler/hololie 08:35  |  Goldstein 14/07/07
  40.   THE INDUSTRY... 09:16  |  Paddy 14/07/07
  41.   second generation trauma 11:58  |  marty 14/07/07
  42.   Right to sue. 13:33  |  SM 14/07/07
  43.   Again 14:30  |  Davor 14/07/07
  44.   sue the all 15:01  |  Davor 14/07/07
  45.   conpensation 15:04  |  Davor 14/07/07
  46.   omg stop 15:46  |  ljudo 14/07/07
  47.   spelling 16:44  |  Yolanda 14/07/07
  48.   Re: survivors children 18:20  |  Werner Hildenmacher 14/07/07
  49.   THANK YOU TRITTBRETTFAHRER 18:51  |  Harold W.v. Hahn 14/07/07
  50.   #25, Avi, they`re not asking for money 19:03  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  51.   #26, Ronen, you sure got that right 19:09  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  52.   #21, Daniel, what on earth makes you think they are fakes 19:14  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  53.   Good old-fashioned German hatred of Jews rearing it`s head today 19:20  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  54.   wait a moment, folks 19:29  |  Jim Sachsen 14/07/07
  55.   frivolous to suggest many children of survivors won`t be troubled 20:02  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  56.   Germans are the victims, of course 20:04  |  Jonathan S 14/07/07
  57.   #22, Chris, with all respect to your mother`s suffering 20:13  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  58.   Get over it! 21:16  |  Shana 14/07/07
  59.   #41 21:21  |  Shana 14/07/07
  60.   Jim, some children of survivors have had their lives ruined 21:50  |  newageblues 14/07/07
  61.   Healing starts with forgiveness, not lawsuits 23:25  |  Ivar 14/07/07
  62.   2nd generation misery 23:50  |  Jon B 14/07/07
  63.   enough is enough, 2nd generation?!!!!! 00:24  |  Markos 15/07/07
  64.   Get a life, Jon B, not a lawsuit 00:29  |  Ivar 15/07/07
  65.   Ivar, a response 00:38  |  newageblues 15/07/07
  66.   I was referrring to post #61 by Ivar 00:41  |  newageblues 15/07/07
  67.   I`m talking about lifetime psychiatric and physical trauma 01:06  |  Ivar 15/07/07
  68.   Can I get some money too?? 01:28  |  Jim Cohen 15/07/07
  69.   Overboard 01:53  |  W 15/07/07
  70.   Jim Cohen, thanks for your thoughtful contribution 03:02  |  newageblues 15/07/07
  71.   to Ivar 03:37  |  Jon B 15/07/07
  72.   not surprised at all 05:30  |  Igor 15/07/07
  73.   Response to #2 Lukas 07:18  |  Joseph 15/07/07
  74.   Response to #2 Lukas 07:25  |  Joseph 15/07/07