Can life be experienced as meaningful in the face of tragic suffering? Research with a select group of Holocaust survivors explored this question. Using a heuristic approach, the phenomenon of meaning in suffering first was explored in a personal context. Entry into the “life worlds” of Holocaust survivors was then sought, through a 2-year attendance of the meetings of a survivor organization in Johannesburg, as a participant observer. Holocaust literature was studied and visits to the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem made with the view of gaining an understanding of the suffering of concentration camp victims. Five survivors were finally interviewed and their narratives analyzed and compared with the recorded narrative of the famous Auschwitz survivor, Viktor Frankl. The results highlighted that meaning can be experienced in suffering if suffering is accepted as a challenge to overcome evil with good in the practice of those values that make life worthwhile.
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