Dr. John W. Thompson, a psychiatrist known as an authority on the “survivor syndrome” of former concentration camp inmates, died last week of a heart attack at the age of 59, while vacationing in the Virgin Islands, it was announced here today.
An assistant professor of psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University here, Dr. Thompson served as chairman of the Committee for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Manmade Disasters, which was successful in encouraging the West German Government to reopen compensation cases for concentration camp victims whose claims had been rejected.
In 1946, he founded a therapeutic community near Paris for concentration camp survivors, mostly from Bergen-Belsen. A British subject, Dr. Thompson joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a medical officer in 1941, and was among the first troops to liberate the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
