world
Life After Trauma
Local author's book focuses on the hopeful,
healing stories of Israeli terrorism survivors.
Ruthan Brodsky
I Contributing Writer
H
er interest in terror survivors
in Israel began years ago when
Zieva Konvisser of Orchard
Lake heard the extraordinary stories of
the few members of her family from Vilna,
Lithuania, who had survived the Holocaust.
"I was impressed by their motivation to
achieve extraordinary accomplishments
following their traumatic experiences," said
Konvisser, author of the recently published
book, Living Beyond Terrorism: Israeli
Stories of Hope and Healing (Gefen House
Publishing).
"For example, my mother's cousin, a
math professor, brought the Russian meth-
od of teaching mathematics to the United
States:' she said. "Izaak Wirszup, who lived
through the Vilna Ghetto and the camps,
survived believing he was spared to make a
difference in the world. Out of his struggle,
he observed 'how love, friendship and help
can transform the most fragile souls into
individuals stronger than steel."'
A pivotal moment for Konvisser came
when she attended the Turning Point '95
International Leadership Intensive held at
Auschwitz-Birkenau on the 50th anniver-
sary of the liberation of the extermination
and labor camps. She noted how survivors
shared their stories to establish meaning
from their experiences and make a positive
difference in the world.
As a second-generation witness, I deeply
sensed and identified with the horror and
pain:' she said. At the same time, I felt the
hopes of those who not only suffered such
horrendous events but who thrived in spite
of these events. I came away with an impor-
tant question: How can we learn from our
experiences to prevent genocide?"
Terror Survivors
After traveling to Israel with husband, Marc,
in October 2002 during the height of the
Second Intifada, Konvisser began research-
ing the experiences of terror survivors in
Israel.
"That trip helped me connect what
I learned about Holocaust survivors to
what was now happening in Israel and the
Middle-East conflict:' she said. "Once again,
I observed the strength of the human spirit
to cope with tragedy and uncertainty and
asked myself how we can move beyond the
trauma of terrorism. I knew then I needed
to listen more, record and compile the sto-
ries, and make them available for others:'
34 April 3 • 2014
Konvisser felt that if she were to share
management and executive positions in
the survivors' stories she possibly might
planning, operations and marketing —
give more meaning to their experiences and often the first woman to do so.
make a positive difference in the world.
Victim Or Survivor?
Between 2004 and 2010, she traveled to
In an excerpt from her book, Konvisser
Israel eight times for extended stays to
collect stories for her dissertation and
tells one woman's story:
book. Participants were obtained from
Shoshana "Shoshi" Gottlieb, 54, is a hap-
pily married woman, mother of four and
personal recommendations and from
newspaper ads. Sixty-three
grandmother of five. A
people were interviewed,
poised, beautiful woman
resulting in 36 stories
with sparkling eyes and
recounted by 48 people.
infectious laughter, she had
Three had Detroit connec-
her life change forever by a
tions: Sharon Stay, Joshua
senseless and horrific terror-
Faudem and Peggy Kern
ism attack Seemingly effort-
(pseudonym).
lessly, she manages her fam-
0 .
In 2006, she completed
ily, household and job from
*RORISM
her dissertation, "Finding
a wheelchair in her spacious
fk ta4Mling
Meaning and Growth in
handicap-accessible apart-
Dauber Konvisser
the Aftermath of Suffering:
ment in Har Nof, a newer
Israeli Civilian Survivors
community on the western-
of Suicide Bombings and
most tip of Jerusalem.
Other Attacks:' The find-
Her daughter Rinat best
ings were recently pub-
describes Shoshi: "Mom,
lished in the peer-reviewed
when you are sitting by a
journal, Traumatology,
table when we talk to you,
documenting the aca-
it's just like you are every-
demic foundation for her
one else. No one can see
research. Her book, Living
there is something wrong
Beyond Terrorism, presents
with you:'
To which Shoshi quickly
the voices of those who live
with and beyond terrorism.
adds: "I told you that there
"I chose to do this dif-
is nothing wrong with me,
ficult work in Israel because
even though I understood in
my heart and passions are
the van the minute I saw my
in Israel; she said. "This is
legs what was going on. The
where I am committed to
minute I went to rehabilita-
making a difference. My
tion, I started rehabilitating.
Zieva Konvisse r
love for the people in Israel
I won't let anything take over
my life. I haven't given up anything. Even
lets me live like they do — in the present
and not worrying about what might happen walking I haven't given up ..."
in the future:'
The long months of recovery and the
Konvisser and her brother Eddie were
years since the attack have allowed Shoshi
raised in a Jewish and Zionist home in New
time to reflect on the events in her life and
Jersey, surrounded by their parents' love of
to discover who she really is ... Shoshi
Israel, Jewish education, charity, family and
makes sense of her life in the aftermath
friends.
of the terrorist attack and moves forward
"Growing up, Israel was always home in
with her life. She is healing. In the face
our hearts:' she says. "We took trips back
of overwhelming disaster, this other-
and forth to visit family in Israel, and they
wise ordinary woman calls forth, from
visited us:'
the depths of the human spirit, courage
Those who know Konvisser are not
she never knew she possessed; she finds
surprised by the turns of her professional
meaning from her deeds, experiences and
journey. Her undergraduate degree in
attitudes, and turns tragedy into triumph.
chemistry and her master's degree in
She has become a survivor.
pharmaceutical chemistry prepared her for
non-traditional roles as a woman. During
Therapeutic Research
her 25 years with Chrysler Mopar Parts
While collecting the narratives for her
Division, she held numerous supervisory,
book, Konvisser said, "My role was as a
ip`rles.
Zieva
Foreword by Denny Brom
researcher. Even so, there was a therapeu-
tic aspect to the interview process. Telling
their stories to an empathic listener helped
the participants increase their self-aware-
ness and understanding of their experi-
ences, and seemed to give them a more
complete perspective on their lives:'
All the people in her book struggled
with indiscriminate acts of terror.
"While some survived with impairment,
many were able to live next to their feel-
ings of grief and pain, overcoming suf-
fering and moving forward to hope and
healing; she said.
"There is no one recipe — no right or
wrong response — about how humans
respond after struggling with horrific
experiences:' she said. "Yet there are com-
mon themes that evolved from these sto-
ries that can be cultivated to master any
crisis:"
A few of the major themes:
• Adjusting future expectations to fit a
new reality and focusing on the important
things in life;
• Moving forward with strength gained
from past experiences and prior adversity;
• Grappling with fundamental existen-
tial questions through religion and spiritu-
ality; and
• Finding the silver lining and creatively
giving back turns tragedy into action or
activism.
"By focusing on terrorism's human
rather than political dimension, the book
fills out the historical narrative in a critical
way:' said Don Cohen of West Bloomfield,
a former Jewish professional and journalist
who worked with Konvisser to refine the
ideas, stories and style.
"The book's depth and humanity help
us penetrate the life-changing impact on
those who survived, and provide a neces-
sary context for grappling with the person-
al and political possibilities and challenges
ahead:' Cohen said.
The Konvissers are active members of
Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park.
They have two grown sons.
Today, as a Fellow of Fielding's Institute
for Social Innovation, Konvisser is inter-
viewing women who have been wrongfully
convicted, often incarcerated, and later
exonerated to better understand how they
respond to this horrendous experience.
❑
Living Beyond Terrorism: Israeli Stories of
Hope and Healing is available at Amazon.com
or on Konvisser's website: www.zievakonvisser.
com.