A new book on their work highlights the chaos of the time and the tough decisions they had to make, knowing that while they saved some, many more would perish.
Saints and Liars, written by Debórah Dwork, the Director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity at the City University of New York Graduate Center, delves into the stories of rescue workers in five pivotal cities as the situation worsened on the ground.
During the launch leading up to the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust observed annually on 27 January, Tracey Petersen, the manager of the UN Holocaust Education Outreach Programme, interviewed Debórah Dwork at UN Headquarters, beginning with a discussion on the book’s title.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length
Debórah Dwork: I titled it Saints and Liars because that’s what these individuals were. They accomplished extraordinary feats, in a secular sense. They performed miraculous deeds. They saved lives through various means, be it aiding in escape, reaching safe havens, or providing basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.
Simultaneously, almost all of them resorted to deception. They bent rules and manipulated the truth to achieve their objectives.
Tracey Petersen: What inspired you to write this book?
Debórah Dwork: I wanted to shed light on the Americans who headed to Europe when most others were fleeing danger. Initially, they were involved in relief efforts, but their mission evolved into a rescue operation. I was curious about their backgrounds and motivations.
The narrative begins in Prague, 1939, prior to the outbreak of war and before the United States entered the conflict. What drove Waitstill and Martha Sharp, a married Unitarian couple dispatched to Czechoslovakia by their church, to stay in the worsening situation and engage in illicit activities to save lives.
Tracey Petersen: Did the world at large comprehend the events unfolding in Czechoslovakia during that period?
Debórah Dwork: The relinquishment of the Sudetenland was part of the Munich Pact, an accord brokered by key European leaders that effectively ceded a portion of Czechoslovakia without resistance.
The news of this event made headlines, prompting the Unitarian leadership in Boston to take action, recognizing the plight of refugees fleeing into Prague post the Sudetenland takeover. The refugees desperately needed assistance with basic necessities such as clothing, shelter, medical care, and food.
Tracey Petersen: How perilous was the mission of these American aid workers?
Debórah Dwork: Waitstill Sharp acknowledged the risks involved in their activities, likening it to skating on thin ice. Illegal financial transactions were among the hazardous tactics employed as raising funds for rescue initiatives proved challenging. If the authorities caught wind of these actions, imprisonment or torture would have been likely consequences.
Tracey Petersen: What prompted refugees to seek haven in Shanghai and where were they coming from?
Debórah Dwork: Even prior to the war, individuals facing political persecution in Germany, Nazi-occupied Austria, and Czechoslovakia sought refuge outside Europe.
Shanghai emerged as a sanctuary due to relaxed visa requirements, leading to an influx of refugees. By September 1939, around 20,000 refugees had gathered in Shanghai, under Japanese control since 1937.
Laura Margolis, sent by the US State Department and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), was tasked with aiding the refugees in Shanghai to move to their next destination. However, with war erupting, she found herself stranded in an occupied city, struggling to provide the community with essential services like healthcare, food, shelter, and education.
Tracey Petersen: The stories illustrate the overwhelming number of refugees, the fear, rejection of visa applications… did the aid workers grapple with ethical dilemmas in deciding whom to assist?
Debórah Dwork: Undoubtedly. With a massive population in need of aid, the task of prioritizing became a challenge. The Unitarians had specific guidelines, seeking to rescue individuals who could contribute to rebuilding democratic regimes post-war. However, they ended up assisting a wide range of people in Prague.
On the other hand, the Quakers adopted a different approach, aiming to aid anyone seeking help. This discrepancy in agendas led to friction between the Unitarians and the Quakers, each criticizing the other’s principles.
Tracey Petersen: These stories reflect that sometimes the success of a rescue mission hinges on luck and timing.
Debórah Dwork: Our lives are influenced by unpredictable factors like luck, timing, and chance events. While we often believe in the rationale behind historical occurrences, some outcomes result from sheer coincidence.
It is crucial to learn from these accounts and acknowledge that action, initiative, and change are attainable.
