obituaries Holocaust Historian Sir Martin Gilbert, author of 80 books, dies. Jerry Lewis Jerusalem Post 0 fficial Churchill biographer and distinguished Holocaust histo- rian Sir Martin Gilbert died Feb. 3, 2015, at age 78 after a long battle with cancer. Gilbert was a prolific writer who authored more than 80 history books and atlases, many of which covered Jewish history and the formation of the State of Israel. His career started with a book chal- lenging pre-Second World War history that caught the eye of Sir Winston Churchill's son, Randolph, who had started writing a biography of his father. This led to an invitation to Gilbert to join a small team of researchers in 1962, and when Randolph died in 1968 with just two volumes completed, Gilbert was cho- sen to continue the work. He added six further volumes in the following years, having been granted com- plete access to all of Churchill's archives and files. As he delved into Churchill's back- ground, he soon discovered the great man's love of Israel and this led to a separate range of books into the Holocaust period and the time leading to the foundation of the state. Gilbert branched this out to cre- ate a market of its own, including a series of atlases illustrating the ingathering of the Jewish exiles. Holocaust Studies Much of his earlier research involved trav- eling in his student days to the concentra- tion camps in Poland that, in turn, sparked an interest in Jewry from Central Europe and Russia. His book The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy is considered one of the most com- prehensive on the subject. By the 1980s, Gilbert had joined the campaign to secure the release of Soviet Jews, and he particularly followed the case of Anatoly Shcharansky (later Natan Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis Sharansky), which led to Constance Robinson, another book about the and two sons with his said, "British Jewry takes tremendous pride prominent refusenik. second wife, Susan in the achievements of a truly great histo- They became firm friends Sachet rian ... His loss is deeply felt by us all:' after Sharansky's release. Speaking about Israeli ambassador to the U.K. Daniel The son of Peter and Israel, Gilbert said, Taub said that if modern Jewish history has Miriam Gilbert, Martin was "It is the country I a voice, it is the voice of Sir Martin Gilbert. brought up in a Jewish family have lived in, taught in north London. in, played in, seen Churchill And The Jews In one of his last books, Gilbert com- His father was a jeweler in my children grow up bined his two greatest historical passions, London's Hatton Garden. in — and hold in the Churchill and the Jews. Churchill's descrip- Gilbert was a frequent highest esteem, for tion of his vision of the role that could be visitor to Israel and was often all its faults, which are in my view far played by a Jewish national home could not called on to speak about the be more appropriate for Gilbert himself: "A formation of the Jewish state outweighed by its blessing to the whole world, to the Jewish to audiences around the virtues:' Sir Martin Gilbert race and to Great Britain:' world, especially on cruises He said writing Gilbert was a friend and mentor to many that he enjoyed. about the Allied Forces' young scholars. With Gilbert's friendships response to news of the U.S. historian Deborah Lipstadt said: "It's across the political spectrum in Britain, he Holocaust in Auschwitz had been his "most a great loss. Sir Martin was a good friend. was a frequent visitor to Downing Street controversial" effort, while his book The and helped former Prime Minister Harold He ignited in countless people an excep- Holocaust "generated by far the most cor- tional love of and excitement about history. Wilson with his own memoirs. He was respondence and contact with individuals especially close to former Premier John "He loved the Jewish people, the Jewish whom I would never otherwise have met:' state and the history of both. He moved Major, with whom he held frequent conver- Reflecting on his career, he said, "My effortlessly and joyously in the world of sations about the direction of policy on the aim has always been to write history from Buckingham Palace, the White House, Middle East. He was awarded a knighthood the human perspective, never to neglect his local cafe and his neighborhood shul. in 1995, which was for services to British the person known as 'the common man:" history and international relations. I shall miss him greatly. We all will; she Tributes in Britain were led by the Prime said. His most recent work related to the Minister David Cameron, who said, "His inquiry into the Iraq War. work on Churchill will serve generations to Sam Sokol contributed to this report. The government's archives on the war come:' were opened for Gilbert, and he spent three years going through thousands of other- wise secret documents. He reportedly had During the coming week, the students of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah finished writing up his findings when, on will study in memory of the following departed friends. BETH YEHUDAH In addition, Kaddish will be said during the daily minyan. a trip to Jerusalem in March 2012, he suf- n-rim n>a na•e , fered a cardiac arrhythmia from which he Henry Hochman Jack Lublin 26 Shevat Feb. 15, 2015 never fully recovered. David Morris Leslie Kay Michoel Ben-Joseph Benjamin A. Pollack Marvin Modlinsky Harry Neil Brodsky Gilbert was an honorary fellow of Fannie Remer Wolf Cohen 29 Shevat Feb. 18, 2015 Merton College, Oxford, and a distin- Dorothy S. Rosenthal Esther Glicksman Bernard Fidler Albert P. Seigle Arthur Louis Goulson Samuel Gore guished fellow of Hillsdale College in David Silver Riva Gula Esther Freyda Klaus Michigan, but he took special pleasure Asher Smith Selma (Sadie) Levine Sofa Kotlyar being the recipient of Israel's Dan David Daniel Paul Weinberg Theodore Lipman Malka Lazar Mary Weingarden Leon Meckler Sima Kaila Bas Moshe Prize in honor of his achievements of out- Alexander Roberg Steven Zack Bernard Zaffern standing scientific, technological, cultural Jennie Shore 2 Adar Feb. 21, 2015 30 Shevat Feb. 19, 2015 Leon J. Simon Jack Abramson Dr Joseph Beninson or social impact in 2012. Geoffrey I. Spector Lilly Bocolor Benjamin Broncwaig He married fellow Holocaust histo- Fannie Yaker Nathan Dinkin Louis M. Dunn Bella Ellias rian Esther Goldberg in 2005. He had 27 Shevat Feb. 16, 2015 Erna Elsch Evelyn Gruber R. Edward Berman Tillie Epstein one daughter with his first wife, Helen Harry Kahn Feature your business with OyWhataDeal to acquire quality and eager new customers via risk-free and highly-targeted marketing. By running an offer with OyWhataDeal, your promotion will be e-mailed to thousands of loyal subscribers who will read about your offer, visit your website, share your business with their friends and follow you on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. ❑ Yeshiva Fanny Bokhaut Ernest H. Chayet Melvin Earl Duchan Sophie Engelman Saralee Gordon Ruben Grevnin Rose Hershman Rudolf Rib 28 Shevat Feb. 17, 2015 Jacob Butensky Max Cohen Natalie Freedland Albert Kanfer Max Kaplan Chashe Miriam Levenson Mollie Masserman Marvin Niskar Hyman Rosen Dora Seidel Ann Soufrine Leo Nathan Spector Abraham Wolok 1 Adar Feb. 20, 2015 Joseph Berg Isadore Domnitch Joseph Dorfman Morris Gould Max Harris Adolph Komer Frank Erwin Leiderman John Markowitz Mary Olstein (Sorkin) Rebecca Pearlstein Henry Rich Arline Goldfarb Schafer Ben Solomon Abie Stein Jennie Puckovitsky Tamaren Louis Waltman Gussie Wedgle Send a tribute in memory of a loved one –Visit urivw.DetroitYeshiva.org/JNtributes. YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH • School for Boys • Beth Jacob School for Girls • Early Childhood Development Center Weiss Family Partners in Torah Program • Kollel Bais Yehudah • Bnos Bais Yehudah—Maalot Detroit 15751 West Lincoln Drive • Southfield, MI 48076 • 248-557-6750 • Fax 248-557-6838 • www.DetroitYeshiva.org Obituaries February 12 • 2015 59