Yom Hashoah

So many things just hit differently through the lens of infertility, but we've heard from some of you that this day is particularly upsetting.

The idea of generational trauma is not a new one...we re-tell the stories of our ancestors every single day in our prayers, and countless times through the year during holidays that are commemorate events (both good and tragic) in our past.

In 2022, we are still living in the shadows of those who witnessed the horrors of the Nazis, and many of us have relatives who lost their families, friends, livelihoods and hometowns. This is not ancient Egypt or even 1492. This happened in the last century.

6 million souls were extinguished and it is said that we have still not replaced them (according to research by Prof. Sergio DellaPergola), which is startling and depressing.

And while there is a Jewish concept of "P'ru U'revu - Be fruitful and multiply," no one has explicitly said that we, the generations after the holocaust, have an obligation to have as many children as possible, and yet, there is an implicit bias.

Bubbe wants grandchildren named after her relatives who died.
Aunt Selma never had any kids because of "what happened in the camps" you've been told in whispers, so you need to name after her.
And you just want to give your Saba another reason to smile since his life has been filled with pain.

Whether you have felt this way, or are now thinking about the day from a new vantage point, we are here - Holding space for all of you...in this generation and the ones who came before.

May their memories be a blessing.