Marlene Belfort

Marlene Belfort has something to say to the next generation. The child of immigrant parents who escaped Hitler’s regime, she recounts growing up in South Africa during apartheid, losing her father to suicide, and trying to make sense of an insensible world. Belfort concedes to “muddling through” during her career, learning to be at ease with uncertainty and embracing ambiguity. To parents, she cites her own experience as a working mother as evidence that the very activities that we fear will damage children often do the opposite, building their resilience and lifelong connections. To those suffering from depression, she poignantly describes her own illness and recovery, offering hope and inspiration.