New Books Network Martin Herskovitz, "Son of the Shoah: Poems from a Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor" (McFarland, 2025)
Dec 26, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Martin Herskovitz, a second-generation Holocaust survivor and poet, discusses his powerful collection, *Son of the Shoah*. He reveals how poetry helps him process inherited trauma and connect with family memory. Martin shares insights from his workshops, explores the meaning of second-generation identity, and confronts the challenges of having children as a descendant of survivors. The discussion also delves into the importance of individual mourning and shifting Holocaust remembrance towards personal narratives.
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Poetry As Bridge To Family Memory
- Martin Herskovitz used poetry to connect to family history after discovering second-generation patterns in himself.
- He found many personal issues mirrored common second-generation experiences and used writing to bridge silence with memory.
Title Evolved From Hebrew Wordplay
- Herskovitz explains the book's English title evolved from a Hebrew play on 'second generation' to 'Son of the Shoah' by his publisher.
- He says his very existence and family structure resulted from the Shoah, shaping his identity.
Born To Repair A Traumatic Void
- He frames second-generation identity as born to repair a vacuum left by survivors, linking personal purpose to collective trauma.
- This inherited repair role makes having 'a life of their own' difficult for many second-generation people.