{"id":1380,"date":"2021-04-11T23:38:44","date_gmt":"2021-04-11T20:38:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thejoint.org.il\/en\/?p=1380"},"modified":"2023-06-15T11:43:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T08:43:53","slug":"now-is-the-time-visits-to-survivors-ease-loneliness-by-maggie-gad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejoint.org.il\/en\/now-is-the-time-visits-to-survivors-ease-loneliness-by-maggie-gad\/","title":{"rendered":"Now Is the Time: The Power of One Visit a Week | By Maggie Gad"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the end of 2020, there were about 174,500 Holocaust survivors living in Israel with an average age of 85. Some 50 percent of them report experiencing loneliness. Most suffer from significant physical, cognitive and emotional decline which also affects their ability to function socially. A new study by the National Initiative for Alleviating Loneliness among Holocaust Survivors shows how one hour a week can make a difference.<\/p>\n

The struggle of survivors is exacerbated by old age which causes suppressed memories and traumas from the Holocaust to resurface. While they were preoccupied with mid-life challenges such as employment and raising a family, and they were healthy, they were able to repress the past. However, as they grow old illness as well as the loss of relatives and friends reawaken memories of the war, reviving fears and anxieties and reopening wounds.<\/p>\n

Services for Holocaust Survivors<\/strong><\/h2>\n