Honorary Member Dvora Kutzinski
After the Second World War, having survived the hardships of the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, Dvora Kutzinski found her way to Tel Aviv. There she sought the help of Erich Neumann and eventually went into analysis with him. The work with him, and his wife Julie, was a saving grace and, with time, she became a close friend and collaborator of Erich Neumann. After his death, Dvora Kutzinski carried on Neumann’s work in Israel and introduced Jung’s idea and the principles of Analytical Psychology to the following generations of young Israelis. In recent years, Dvora Kutzinski has travelled to the Developing Groups in the Ukraine and in Romania to work with the routers and members of the DGs. In addition, she has also been involved with the Jungian community in Russia.
Selected comments from her nominators:
“Dvora Kutzinski embodies the spirit of Jungian psychology and is a living symbol of how coming to terms with the darkest collective shadow can lead to a profound and meaningful connection to the life force in the depths of psyche.” (Tom Kelly)
“For more than sixty years Dvora has been a living example of the humane, responsible, conscientious analyst and a venerable teacher…Very few have succeeded the way Dvora does in translating theory to spoken language, in turning complex psychological riddles into common sense and actual life experiences…”Analytical Psychology saved my life”, declares Dvora on frequent occasions and nobody embodies the spirit of Jung’s and Neumann’s psychology better than she does. Dvora continues to be a source of inspiration for therapists (not only for Jungians) in Israel and in many other places by her belief in the power of the psyche, her belief in human nature, and by being a living example of a meaningful connection to life.” (Yehuda Abramovich)
“Dvora is the Grand Old Lady of Analytical Psychology in Israel…Dvora’s contribution has been both in her clinical work and her teaching of Jung and Neumann over more than fifty years. Turning from the ashes and horrors of the Holocaust genocide, to a spirit of genuine life, in a lifetime contribution to Analytical Psychology, she is a unique inspiration on the path toward individuation.” (Erel Shalit)
“Since Neumann’s decease, Dvora undoubtedly became one of the most important and influential links in Israel to the continuity and enhancement of his work. For years she worked tirelessly to bring forth his ideas and writings at conferences, professional meetings and book launches. These and additional professional activities in which she has been involved for many years, have played a crucial role in the development and flourishing of Jungian interest and practice in Israel.” (Gadi Maoz )
“In Israel she is considered the Grande Old Dame of Jungian psychology and the inheritor of Erich Neumann’s legacy. She is a remarkable woman in her own right and still vital at the age of 90. I support her honorary membership in the IAAP with enthusiasm. It will an honor to us to have her in our Association.” (Murray Stein)
When asked what she would like members to know about her, Dvora Kutzinski wrote the following:
I lived with my parents and my brother in Prague (in a flat that belonged before us to Franz Kafka and his family) until the beginning of 1942, then in the ghetto of Theresienstadt, then Auschwitz and Kz Oederan near Dresden. I returned to Prague at the end of the war, went in 1946 to then Palestine and met Erich Neumann in 1948. My life developed between this poles: Auschwitz and the murder of my whole family and 18 years of analysis and supervision with Julie and Erich Neumann, for which I am eternally grateful. I am now working for 64 years in private praxis and hope to go on till the end.