A new book highlights the chaos and moral struggles faced by rescue workers during one of history’s darkest periods, emphasizing their challenging choices—saving a single life often meant others could not be helped.
Titled Saints and Liars, the book by Debórah Dwork, 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 lives of rescue workers in five pivotal cities as the horrors of the Holocaust intensified. The book was launched ahead of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, observed annually on January 27. During the launch at the United Nations Headquarters, Tracey Petersen, manager of the UN Holocaust Education Outreach Programme, interviewed Dwork, beginning with an exploration of the book’s evocative title.
Saints and Liars
“I chose the title Saints and Liars because that’s who these people were,” Dwork explained. “They performed extraordinary acts, almost miraculous, though not in a religious sense. They helped people escape, find shelter, and survive by providing food, clothing, and care. But their heroism often required lies—breaking rules and bending the truth to accomplish their mission.”
Why Write This Book?
Dwork said her inspiration stemmed from a desire to tell the story of Americans who chose to travel to Europe when most people were desperately fleeing in the opposite direction. Initially focused on humanitarian relief, these individuals soon found themselves engaged in dangerous rescue efforts. “I wanted to understand who these people were and what motivated them,” she shared.
She began her book in Prague in 1939, prior to the outbreak of World War II and before the U.S. entered the conflict. She highlighted the work of Waitstill and Martha Sharp, a married Unitarian couple sent by their church to Czechoslovakia. As the Nazi grip tightened and persecution of political dissidents and Jews escalated, the couple remained in Prague, eventually engaging in illegal activities to save lives.
What Did the World Know?
When asked if the outside world was aware of the perilous situation in Czechoslovakia, Dwork pointed to the Munich Pact of 1938, in which European leaders ceded the Sudetenland region to Nazi Germany without resistance. “This made headlines worldwide and motivated the Unitarian leadership in Boston to take action,” she explained. “They recognized the urgent need for help in Prague—clothing, food, shelter, medical care—all for the refugees who had fled the Sudetenland.”
The Danger Faced by Aid Workers
Tracey Petersen raised the question of how dangerous this work was. Dwork responded by recounting Waitstill Sharp’s reflection that “Yankees like to skate on thin ice.” His involvement in illegal currency transactions to fund rescue operations exemplified the constant risk. Had the Nazi regime discovered his efforts, imprisonment and torture would have been inevitable.
Refugees in Shanghai
Dwork also highlighted Shanghai as an unexpected refuge for those fleeing persecution. “Even before the war, Jews and political dissidents from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia sought safety,” she explained. Since Shanghai did not require visas, it became a haven for approximately 20,000 refugees by the time war broke out in September 1939.
Laura Margolis, sent by the U.S. State Department and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, went to Shanghai to assist these refugees in relocating. However, with the outbreak of war, she found herself stranded in an occupied city with limited resources to address the community’s dire needs, such as food, medical care, shelter, and education for children.
Emotional Turmoil and Choosing Who to Help
On the topic of overwhelming need, Petersen asked if the aid workers faced emotional struggles when deciding whose lives to prioritize. Dwork affirmed this. “They grappled with impossible choices every day,” she said. The Unitarians, for instance, prioritized rescuing those who could help rebuild democratic governments after the war. This meant focusing on middle-class, educated men. Yet, Dwork noted, “On the ground, the Sharps often ended up helping all kinds of people.”
The Quakers, on the other hand, had no specific criteria, aiming to help anyone in need. This difference caused friction, with Unitarians accusing Quakers of lacking principles and Quakers criticizing Unitarians for acting selectively.
The Role of Luck
Ultimately, Dwork acknowledged that successful rescues often hinged on luck and timing. “We all understand how the unpredictable shapes our lives—luck, timing, chance circumstances, even personal sympathies,” she said. “History often portrays events as driven by clear causes, but many outcomes were accidental.”
Dwork concluded by emphasizing the enduring relevance of these stories. “Let’s hope we learn from these events and recognize that action, initiative, and possibility can prevail
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