Life Narratives of Adults Who Experienced War During Childhood: The Case of the Attack and Bombing of Kibbutz Mishmar-Haemek in 1948

The aim of this study was to explore the narratives of members of Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek regarding their experience during Israel's War of Independence in 1948, when they were children or young adolescents. The main focus of the study was to examine the meaning they have ascribed to this experience along their life cycle. The study was conducted using qualitative methodology. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 13 people. Data analysis revealed five main themes: (a) fear; (b) the adults: trust versus sense of abandonment; (c) evacuation; (d) talk versus action: working through the traumatic event; and (e) the collective myth. The discussion centers on the main finding, which shows that, in spite of the traumatic potential of exposure to war, none of the participants described it as a traumatic experience.