Sachars—Abram and Howard—Add
Valuable Studies to World History
Abram L. Sachar
Sachar is a name with distinction for a father-son team. They work sep-
arately, each is high in his field of endeavor; they write separately, yet there
is much more than the devoted kinship. Their writings are historically allied.
Both have the universal outlook. Both are students of international experiences
as they affect all nations. Each has attained authoritative status in dealing with
Israel and the Middle East. They have authored many books, and last month
there was to the credit of each an outstanding book. Dr. Abram L. Sachar Is
the author of "The Course of Our Times—The Men and Events That Shaped
the 20th Century." It was published by Knopf. His son, Prof. Howard M. Sachar,
has added to his creative literary efforts "Europe leaves the Middle Fast, 1936-
1954." It, too, was published by Knopf. Howard M. Sachar
Abram L. Sachar has produced a noteworthy analysis
of world events in his newest book, The Course of Our
Times." While the subtitle explains that the eminent pres-
;Went emeritus of Brandeis University was describing the
men and events of influence in the 20th Century, the reader
finds much more in these pages : He reads a summary of
all the important happenings of the century. He meets
every person of note, and all conceivable situations are
under review.
All of the occurrences that affected mankind in more
than half a century, the crises, the tragedies, the changes
that caused revolutionary developments, are discussed in
detail.
We have here, in detail, the Zionist, Palestinian and
Israeli developments chronicled into an historical outline
presented with the skill of a trained historian.
The Sachar treatment is distinguished by the research
which has provided the author of behind-the-scenes facts
that make his new work of value to historians, to students,
as well as to lay readers who will be greatly enlightened
y the eminent author.
More than anything else, it is the anecdote that
sparkles in the elder Sachar's writings. An old hand at
drawing upon historical nuances, be goes to the root of
problems when he digs up witticisms and applies them
to his historical records.
And there are the debates over major issues, the
reparte from great minds, the quick retorts to unjusti-
fied claims.
A typical story is included in Dr. Sachar's chapter on
"The Rise of Israel." The tragic era of Chamberlain and
the White Paper is summarized by Abram Sachar as fol-
lows:
In the fall of 1938, Hitler and Mussolini burst through
the status quo. The Chamberlain government had been re-
treating from obligations that threatened the peace, and it
was determined to avoid a dangerous confrontation with
`,..oe Arabs. In May 1939, Chamberlain released a White
Paper that, in essence, scrapped the Balfour Declaration.
It decreed that, after a 10-year period of transition, dur-
ing which immigration would be severely restricted, Pale-
stine would become an independent state with the popula-
lion frozen permanently in a ratio of two Arabs to one
Jew. Churchill and the anti-appeasement Conservatives
joined with the Labor Party in denouncing the White
Paper, labeling the action as a betrayal of pledges and a
blemish on British honor. But the debate was soon aca-
demic. Appeasement did not stop the Axis powers, and
Britain found itself drawn into the war for survival that it
had tried so hard to avert. David Ben-Gurion, the Jewish
leader in Palestine, immediately pledged the support of
his people to the Allied war effort. He declared, "We shall
fight the war as if there were no White Paper, and we
shall fight the White Paper as if there were no war."
Thirty thousand men and 3,000 women, an extraordinary
proportion in relation to the total number of eligibles in
Palestine, enlisted in British fighting units.
"Throughout, the Arab leaders remained hostile.
General John Glubb, who was in command of the British.
trained Arab Legion in Transjordan, said later that with
the exception of his own unit, 'every Arab force previous-
ly organized mutinied and refused to fight for the Allies or
faded away in desertions.' The Grand Mufti, who headed
the Arab League, took up residence in Nazi Germany as
Hitler's personal guest, and from there, as a rabid par-
tisan of the Nazis, he continued to direct Arab opposition
to the Allied war effort. The British vowed, as they had
during World War I , that they would never forget who had
been friend and who had been foe when survival itself
was at stake."
It is in a footnote, in the matter of two Arabs to one
Jew ratio, that Dr. Sachar related this reparte by Dr.
Chaim Weizmann, taken from Sachar's "Sufferance of the
"Dr. Weizmann made an unavailing appeal to
Chamberlain to dissuade him. Chamberlain tried to re-
assure him. 'I will guarantee the Jewish minority
rights,' he said. 'Perhaps.' Weizmann responded Icily,
'but who will guarantee the guarantor?' It is not politic
be so bitter.' Chamberlain warned. 'I am a friend of
the Jews.' You were also a friend of the Czechs,'
Weizmann quickly retorted."
This is only one example of a brilliant approach to
issues. Dr. Sachar had begun to outline his historical
views in the television programs over stations in many
city's including Detroit's Channel 56. His great contribu-
!tins as a teacher and guide are now expanded by the
inclusion of most of these lectures into "The Course of
Our Times" book to be greatly treasured.
48 — Friday, Nov. 10, 1972
ti
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
A number of European nations clamored for roles
and power in the Middle East. They are all out of it.
Britain is gone. France left her heritage in Lebanon
and Syria. The Germans sought inroads and failed.
Competitive hatreds, struggles for power, bitter
feuds, Arab intransigence—these were among the in-
volvements. The Zionist cause had its triumphs, and Israel
is now an integral part of the Middle East.
The processes that marked the numerous develop-
ments have been screened, traced to their roots, developed
with unusual skill worthy of his genius as history schol-
ar, researcher, by Prof. Howard M. Sachar, in "Europe
Leaves the Middle East," in which he reviews the events
in the years 1936-1954.
It is a continuation of the eminent author's "Emer-
gence of the Middle East: 1914-1924," and it is a bril-
liant resume of events that affected world history and
were marked by scores of crises involving numerous
nations.
Certainly, the emergence of Arab nationalism had
much to do with the developing situations, and Israel's
position and national rebirth contributed immensely to-
ward the evolving historical occurrences.
Dr. Sachar points out that "even the most enlight-
ened of Western efforts to modernize and liberalize the
Middle East foundered on the rock of Moslem Immobilism.
A socioreligious tradition that suffused all life and thought,
that once, long before, had known three glorious cen-
turies of vitality and creativity during the Islamic Ren-
aissance of the Middle Ages, had lapsed during the sub-
sequent half-millenium into fatalism and intellectual
paralysis. If by contrast Western institutions took root
in Israel and Lebanon, this was surely not the result of
special mandatory favor. Even the higher literacy rate in
Jewish and Lebanese communities (the infrastructure
for all subsequent accomplishments) was by no means
the result of preferential educational facilities supplied by
Britain and France. Those opportunities were available
to Syrians and Egyptians, as well. Rather, literacy and
democracy flourished precisely where the instinct for
these achievements was cultivated by the local peoples
themselves. It was an elan uniquely characteristic of the
Lebanese Christians, guardians of a historic and cherished
relationship with Catholic France, and of the Palestinian
Jews, for whom Zionism blended a fierce, 19th-Century
romantic nationalism with a 20th-Century socialist mes-
sianism. It was not characteristic of the Arab world as
a whole."
All of the foreign ventures are thoroughly reviewed
and their aims defined by Dr. Sachar. The role played
by Jews, and the background of Zionism, is described
extensively, and in a chapter, "The Imbroglio of Pales-
tine," the author deals with the extensive Jewish im-
migration, with "the seeds of Arab revolt," the historic
sessions that led to partition and later to statehood.
The world conflicts, the German aspirations, the
Italian interests, and, of course, the part played by the
United States, have their due share of Dr. Sachar's
researched and well chronicled history relating to the
Middle East and the struggles for power.
He does not attribute "Western failure to exert a
permanently leavening influence upon the Arab world"
to "the 'inevitability' of a hostile Arab reaction to alien,
Christian rule." He maintains that "the failure of Western
institutions in the Middle East was not one of encounter
but of duration." Such rule, as in the instance of Anglo-
French presence, was too short-lived, he points out, to
leave a stabilizing Influence.
In the instance of Israel, his view is that in the latter
1940s "the power of world opinion and the support of a
world body served the Zionists as formidable weapons."
Dr. Sachar asserts that Cairo managed to avoid ac-
cepting foreign rule, and in the case of Soviet presence
since 1954 the field of choice narrowed dramatically:
"For during this latest era of Middle Eastern turmoil,
the confrontation with Israel has taken priority in the
Arab struggle for identity and self-assertion. And it is
thus not remarkable, in a campaign that has become
a debilitating and self-imprisoning national jihad, that
the Arab peoples have been presented with the choice
of experiencing another, Soviet ; alternative. Once this op-
tion has arisen, for whatever duration of time or im-
pulsive alternation of use, Western Europe's brief tenure
in the Middle East conceivably may fall into its proper
perspective at last."
In the meantime, after this book had gone to press,
the Russians were expelled from Egypt and we have a
continuation of the theme: the Europeans have left the
Middle East. Whatever the future, the thorough study
by Dr. Sachar provides much material to learn from and
many lessons to teach a wondering world about the ten-
sions and revolts of the Middle East.
There is a highly deserving tribute to Dr. Sachar in
the introduction by William L. Langer, who asserts that
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
... and Me'
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1972, JTA Inc.t
CJFWF ASSEMBLY: Anyone who wishes to see how or-
ganized Jewish communal life is expanding in all directions
year after year should attend a general assembly of the
Council of Jewish Federations. The positive impact would
be immediate.
A general assembly—like the one under way in Toronto
—is actually a congress of the Jewish communities in the
United States and Canada. All problems of major Jewish
concern are being discussed there in depth. Decisions taken
there are later reflected in all fields of Jewish communal
life.
At the Toronto gathering, there are more than 2,000
delegates from Jewish communities in all parts of the
United States and Canada. This is the largest attendance"
the assembly ever had. It indicates growth of interest in
Jewish life. Not long ago the communities used to send two
or three delegates to the assembly. This year some com-
munities have sent as many as 50 delegates.
I remember the years when the number of delegates
was very small. This was in the early period of the Council
of Jewish Federations. Established 40 years ago, the coun-
cil had only 15 federations associated with it. Today the
CJFWF is the national association of more than 235 local
federations and welfare funds, serving to note that 95
per cent of all Jews in the United States live in 200 cities—
with 90 per cent residing in about 100 cities, including six
cities where two-thirds of the entire American Jewry live.
The CJFWF is looked upon by all organized Jewish
communities in the US as their "mother organization." It
is the guiding spirit whose advice is sought and followed
on all matters of the Jewish communal concern. Its pro-
grams embrace evaluations and directions in all fields of
Jewish communal life—fund-raising, education, health and
welfare, community relations, cultural needs, youth - serv-
ing, family and child care, homes for the aged, Jewish
population studies and many others.
At the general assembly all these problems of Jewish
concern—and the action priorities to meet them—are wide-
ly discussed, including the participation of American Jewry
in helping Israel and helping to alleviate the plight of Jews
in the Soviet Union.
•
•
•
REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENTS: Two remarkable devel-
opments mark the Toronto parley. One is that about 85 per
cent of the delegates attended previous general assembly
meetings. The other is that more than 15 per cent of the
delegates are young people coming into community life and
aspiring to leadership in their communities.
The fact that so many hundreds of communal leaders
come year after year to the assembly is a healthy indica-
tion that Jewish leadership is not tired of its obligations and
is eager to fulfill them. Even more important is the fact
that more and more young people are beginning to take an
active interest in the CJFWF assembly and are endeavor-
ing to let their presence be felt by participating in discus-
sions on basic issues.
Only a fcw years ago some of these young people hardly
knew of the scope of the activities of the federations. Now
there are several hundred of them as delegates seeking to
come to the forefront of Jewish communal life and to bring
with them young ideas into communal activities.
They come to the assembly and they learn much about
the problems and requirements in Jewish life of which they
knew little or nothing. They return to their communities in-
spired. This is the "young blood" which the communities
look for and which CJFWF is eager to provide through its
leadership development program.
How Jewish is Jewish leadership? This is a question
often heard in various Jewish circles. It will come up at
the Toronto parley. However, the answer to this question
is practically given by the fact that attendance of the as-
sembly is growing bigger with every year. It is the largest
this year in the 40 years of existence of the CJF.
The assembly will be marked by a change in the
CJFWF presidency. Max M. Fisher, who is now completing
his third successive term—the maximum under the coun-
cil's constitution—will be succeeded by Irving Blum of
Baltimore, who has been active in CJFWF leadership for
many years. He is considered the "father" of the Institute
of Jewish Life, recently created by the CJFWF to improve
the quality of Jewish life.
"no other work compares with Prof. Sachar's for com-
prehensiveness, erudition, critical acumen and above
all objectivity." Regrettably, when he referred to the
Balfour Declaration of November 1917, he stated that
by it "the British promised the Zionist Jews 'a national
home' in Palestine, with no explicit reference to the Arabs
and without clear definition of the term 'national home.' "
There was no clear definition—true'—but there was in-
direct reference to the Arabs, and it was understood
that by national home Jews meant to realize the dream of
statehood. But the injustice in the Langer statement was
to speak of Zionist Jews. The Balfour Declaration was
addressed to all Jews. The designation resorted to by
Langer is like borrowing an invitation to prejudice from
Arabs, the Kremlin and anti-Semites. —P.S.