Not a phoenix. In (Ed.). M Elliot-Kleerkoper, H. Gershoni & F. Kalman. Heirloom; Second Anthology of the Melbourne Child Survivors of the Holocaust. Melbourne: Hybrid. Pp 25-26

In this book, ten child survivors of the Second World War, of different ages, from different countries, and with varied experiences, tell their stories.

When survival or fulfilment are threatened, people manifest a great variety of responses and consequences. They range from basic instincts to the most sublime aspects of life.

This book follows logically From Survival to Fulfillment, in its practical applicability to diagnose and repair tears in the human fabric.

Paul Valent, retired medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and traumatologist, describes the struggles and discoveries in his varied four-decade career. Each chapter offers a glimpse into different psychotherapeutic encounters

Violence is the plague of our civilization. Its many tentacles – domestic violence, criminal violence, sexual abuse, terrorism, state violence, revolution, war and genocide threaten us daily.

The pandemic threw our world up in the air. We deal with the immediacy of survival. We try to orientate ourselves, but our minds are in a fog. We are captured by many feelings and sensations

After surviving the Holocaust, a little boy makes a pledge. He will understand war so it is not repeated. So begins Paul Valent’s life’s work, an investigation into the reasons why humans, who can love and care for each other, too often hate and hurt each other.