Dual Identities: Living in Meier's Shadow - Softcover

Horwitz, Arthur Myron

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798897470778

Publisher: Koehler Books, 2026

Synopsis

"[A] beautifully rendered and deeply personal narrative." -Peter Salovey, president emeritus, Yale University

A Faux Photo. A Heavy Burden. Two Lives, Forever Intertwined.

"You hear nothing!" his mother shouts. But like many young children of Holocaust survivors, Arthur hears too much. And his mother, Sally Finkelstein Horwitz, has a lot to say. About heroism and horror. Resilience and remorse. Antisemitism and spineless American Jews.

Hiding in closets or a bathtub, Arthur absorbs the tales she shares with friends and other survivors. One day, seeking to swipe a few bucks, Arthur discovers an iconic Holocaust image of a terrified boy tucked in among the other photos in the sleeves of his mother's wallet. "Who's this?" he demands to know. She insists it's her little brother Meier, who was murdered by the Nazis. But Arthur knows it isn't. The photo further cements his growing understanding that he's been saddled with the responsibility of living two lives-his and the one Meier never had. It's a burden that will shape Arthur's life, family, and media career.

Dual Identities: Living in Meier's Shadow removes filters previously inhibiting children of survivors from sharing their own unvarnished growing-up-in-America stories while providing new insights on the impact of intergenerational trauma and the path to coping, healing, reconciliation, and remembrance.

About this title

About the Author

Arthur Myron Horwitz is a nationally respected journalist, publisher, and civic leader whose career was recognized with his enshrinement in the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, the establishment of the Arthur M. Horwitz Collection at the University of Michigan, and the awarding of publisher emeritus status for the Detroit Jewish News, where he served as publisher and executive editor for more than thirty years. The child of a Holocaust survivor mother and an American-born father, Arthur has shared his "dual identities" story with thousands of students during their visits to the Zekelman Holocaust Center. Arthur's writing has appeared in secular and ethnic publications and academic journals. He is a frequent panelist on affiliate news programs of ABC, NBC, PBS, and NPR. Arthur is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and the Yale School of Management.

Edition details

• Publisher: Koehler Books
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798897470778
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276