The Listener

Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Dori Laub pioneered trauma testimony, creating the world’s first video archive by recording Holocaust survivors starting in the late 1970s. His personal journey spanned childhood survival in Romanian concentration camps and a complex love for Johanna, daughter of a former Nazi officer. Laub’s final years underscored his lifelong commitment to listening and testimony. His pioneering method of committed listening achieved global influence, reflected in the archive’s ongoing work providing guidance for documentation teams taking testimonies in communities impacted by human rights abuses worldwide. Archival footage from his 50-year career illuminates this history and connects his legacy to Edut 710, the project documenting survivors of the October 7th Hamas massacre.