Scientists show ‘inherited trauma’ in Shoah descendents
Scientists in New York have shown that descendents of Holocaust survivors inherit a genetic memory of trauma, in a ground-breaking new study.
Results of the study, at Mount Sinai hospital, show that genetic changes stemming from horrific experiences can be passed on to children, indicating that a person’s life experience can affect subsequent generations.
Rachel Yehuda and her team of researchers looked at the families of 32 Jewish men and women who were either interned in Nazi death camps, witnessed or experienced torture, or who were forced to hide during the war.
Analysing the genes of their children, who are known to be more likely to suffer from stress, the team compared the results with Jewish families who were living outside of Europe during the war, and concluded that “the gene changes in the children could only be attributed to Holocaust exposure in the parents”.
In the scientific community, Yehuda’s work was being seen as the clearest indicator yet of transmitted trauma, in a new area of study called ‘epigenetic inheritance.’
“To our knowledge, this provides the first demonstration of transmission of pre-conception stress effects resulting in epigenetic changes in both the exposed parents and their offspring in humans,” said Yehuda.
Genes in DNA are the only way to transmit biological information between generations, but genes modified by the environment all the time, through chemical tags which switch them on and off. This new field of study shows how these tags could be passed through generations, meaning our environment could have impact on our children’s health.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
