Alice M. Greenwald

Bearing Witness

Counseling, Grief & Mental Health

“Combining the keen insight of an ethnographer, the perceptive observations of a psychologist, and the penetrating inquiry of a theologian, Stephanie Arel explores the array of emotional, physical, and spiritual impacts on individuals who have elected to live a life of service by working in memorial museums. She vividly captures the complex challenges for these "guardians of memory," who must engage as professionals in their areas of expertise while continuously confronting the evidence and heartbreaking stories of trauma. With impressive scholarship, Dr. Arel posits that the act of bearing witness by memorial museum workers is more than a calling; it is evidence of a fundamental belief in the possibility of a better future. Yet, the work of those who tend to the pain of others and who daily facilitate the obligations of remembrance comes at considerable personal cost, and through her analysis, Dr. Arel offers a constructive road map for how these "wounded healers" and the institutions for which they work can negotiate challenges unique to this field.”