Remarriage of War and Terror Widows: A Triadic Relationship

The article focuses on the intimate relationships of remarried Israeli national widows. An analysis of interviews with 15 widows and 12 of their husbands demonstrated the widows' continuing connection to the deceased husband and thus gives further corroboration to the theory of “‘continuing bonds’”; husbands also express their relationship as triadic, with the fallen husband assigned a unique position in the family constellation, albeit not threatening to the new husband. The article concludes with specific guidelines for planning therapeutic programs, e.g., recommending clients to use some symbolic objects, either abstract or concrete, to help widows rebuild their self-identity.