Between remembrance and representation: Holocaust study tours and cinematic approaches to trauma

This article examines two key practices in shaping Holocaust remembrance: Educational trips to Poland for Israeli youth and Holocaust films. Both educational tour guides and cinematic directors face challenges in representing trauma, navigating between historical realism and fragmented, implicit representations that reflect the post-traumatic experience. By analyzing the methods employed by tour guides alongside a corpus of Holocaust films, we explore the balance between these two modes of representation. The application of cinematic categories to the context of educational trips allows for a nuanced discussion of emotional experiences during these journeys and offers insights into how participants can be effectively prepared for their emotional engagement. We argue that integrating objective historical facts with measured exposure to the trauma’s intensity fosters a productive emotional and cognitive stance, which is crucial for ethical remembrance.