DR. TAMAR ASHKENAZI
DR. TAMAR ASHKENAZI
BIOGRAPHY
A Life in Words
Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi publishes fiction and non-fiction books, stories, and articles that marvel at the human capacity to cope with grief and loss and seek fulfillment, drawing on her professional expertise in emotional and psychological adjustment to loss and in her own life.
Tamar has a doctorate in nursing and, for over two decades, has been the Director of The National Transplant Center in Israel, where she initiated a unique support program for organ donor families and personally conducts country-wide grief support groups. As a single parent, she embarked on the challenging journey of adopting first a girl and then a boy from Russia.
Her non-fiction book Mourning - The Days After Loss is based on her professional work with grieving families and offers insights and practical advice on coping with loss and grief.
Her fiction book One Day I`ll Meet You is a story of the adoption of a baby girl from Russia, as told by three characters: the pediatrician from the Russian orphanage, the Israeli adoptive mother, and the adopted girl looking for her biological roots. This book was inspired by her own story and supplemented by research with other adoptive parents.
In addition, Tamar has published over 30 scientific articles and writes short stories for newspapers.
ONE DAY I'LL MEET YOU
“I was afraid to think of the parting, but felt it coming. I felt how each moment with her was my last. Every moment almost brought me to tears…”
St. Petersburg, 1998. Ira, a widowed pediatrician, works at the local orphanage. Every child who comes under her care breaks her heart a little, but when her son is left paralyzed after an accident and with her struggling daughter-in-law expecting a second baby girl, Ira must make a heartbreaking decision of her own.
Knowing she cannot give her newborn grandchild the future she deserves, she gives her up for adoption – and when a match is made, Ira expects never to see her beloved granddaughter again.
Israel, present day. Ella’s always known she was adopted. Despite the happy, sheltered life she leads, as she grows older she cannot shake the relentless feeling that she’s never truly belonged – and she finally makes the momentous decision to open her adoption file.
Together with her adoptive mother, Tali, Ella embarks on a transformative journey of self-discovery, which will change everything for her – and for the women who have never stopped loving her.
Blogger
One of the most exciting, emotional and touching books I've read in the last year. The tears flowed naturally and the excitement did not stop as I walked (while reading, of course) along the paths of the heroines (the Israeli adoptee on the one hand and the family giving a child up on the other) on the way to the adoption.
Dror Y. - Clinical and educational psychologist
The book is a tear-jerker. Although the book begins and ends with the word "renunciation", I see here a story of saving children and see interrelationships between transplants and adoption. Even though I'm well versed in psychological theories, this book taught me.
Shoshana S. -Deputy principal of an elementary school
I eagerly read the book "One Day I’ll Meet You". A must-have book, in my opinion, for any family that is about to adopt children and even for parents who have already adopted. The story touched my heart.
MOURNING The Day After Loss
This book offers practical advice and insight. It leads the reader on a journey through the various stages of bereavement – from the death notification to the formal days of mourning and the burial and the weeks and months following.
The chapters share personal expressions of grief from parents, siblings, spouses, grandparents, and friends of people who grieve for the loss of a loved one. It also includes the voices of people who participated in support groups for the bereaved and other individuals I have met throughout my life. My personal experience as a hospital nurse and a group facilitator, alongside my doctoral thesis on adjustment to loss and in my professional capacity as donor coordinator for the Israel National Transplant Center, have brought about the understandings and insights throughout the book.
The contents of this book are based on Israeli subjects, protocols, and traditions. Nonetheless, the thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences are mostly universal. People are people. They grieve, love, and worry pretty much the same the world over. By sharing the information in this book, I hope that people around the world can gain new insights into the process of coping with grief and bereavement, for themselves and for others.
Eve Steiner
The book is written in a very sensitive way, deals with death in a respected way, and describes the ways in which people are dealing with this tragic loss of their beloved ones. It gives practical ways to continue their lives in a healthy manner. I deeply recommend reading this book, as it gives a whole new perspective of dealing with death and grief. I read it in a single weekend and can always use the ideas that are written in this book (even for helping others).
Hilla Kanne
I lost my beloved grandfather a couple of years ago. Life moves on, though I miss him every single day. I recently got married and he was so missed at the wedding- it was really hard.
After reading this book I feel that I have a better grasp and understanding of things. I got new insights and a new way of looking of my mourning process.
Betty Brodsky Cohen,
Doctor of Clinical Social Work
Speaking from personal experience as well as from that of the hundreds of individuals she has met in her roles as a nurse, facilitator of bereavement groups, and current Director of the Israel Transplant Center, Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi gives both theoretical and useful, practical advice for those in the process of mourning their loved one. Quoting grieving parents, grandparents, siblings, and children in different stages of mourning and in real-life situations, she takes us from the first notification of death through coping with the lingering sadness that often remains long afterwards. Signs of the need for professional help in cases of unresolved grief are also addressed. As a psychotherapist, I am certain to make use of this book in both my personal and professional lives.