The Holocaust Comes to Life

Sadnaot Habayit is the largest creative writing school in Israel, offering over 80 writing workshops annually from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat. For several years, Sadnaot Habayit, in partnership with “Creating Memory” has conducted workshops for members of the “Second Generation” (children of Holocaust survivors) and for the general public, relating to Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day. These sessions are designed to enable members of the “Second Generation” and “Third Generation”, as well as every Israeli, to articulate their personal connections to the Holocaust through creative writing. This chapter aims to showcase the unique methodology developed for these workshops. It explores how the tools of creative and narrative writing facilitate a deeper connection for the younger generations with the Holocaust and reflects on how the Holocaust is manifested in the participants’ writing. The article is structured into several key sections: an overview of Sadnaot Habayit, detailing its foundation and mission to use creative writing as a mechanism for social change; the collaboration with “Creating Memory” around Holocaust Day workshops; the deployment of writing exercises as a means to narrate personal stories; the predominant themes emerging from these workshops; and a concluding analysis and summary of the findings.