Blatt: Sir Martin in the news    

How History is Written

Photo:  Left to right, Rivka Liebeskind (Dolek’s wife), Dolek Liebeskind, Miriam Liebeskind (Dolek’s sister).  Rivka survived. Photo from Ghetto Fighters’ House, Israel. 530 words / 2 ½ minute read “We are fighting for three lines in the history books.”  Adolf (Dolek) Liebeskind, Cracow, 20 November 1942 On December 22, a month

The “War to End All Wars” Ends

Photo: The Western Front, November 11, photo by United States Signal Corps, from First World War 460 words / 2 minute read On the morning of 9 November 1918, the German armistice negotiators reached the Forest of Compiègne.  The German military delegate, Major-General von Winterfeldt, was the son of the man

Sir Martin’s paper trail

Photo:  Karl Huhle’s photo of Hitler descending the stairway at the Berghof near Berchtesgaden to meet the former Prime Minister Lloyd George in September 1936; the interpreter Paul-Otto Schmidt is in the centre, lifting his hat, and Joachim von Ribbentrop at the left. 800 words / 4 minute read “I am

Anne Frank – What do we really need to know?

Photo:  The cover of the first edition of Anne Frank’s diary, The Secret Annexe, published in Amsterdam in 1947.  Many editions, translations, adaptations followed. 650 words / 3 minute read Anne Frank’s story has gone through many representations.  My favourite is this one: The stage is set as a dwelling that has

The Sarny Yizkor Book

Photo: Part of one of the 32 pages of photos of those killed on 27 August 1942, or 14 Elul 5702 on the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to 10 September 2022, the 80th Yahrzeit, or anniversary of the destruction of Sarny’s Jewish community. 520 words / 2 ½ minute read If a

Senseless Evil – a Jewish Response

Photo: John Gielgud as Aaron Jastrow, in Herman Wouk’s War and Remembrance 600 words/3 minute read How do we comprehend senseless evil?  How do we respond when words lead to violence and to murder?  (And with all the advances mankind has created to make life better, why is there even still

Accepting reality – now or ever?

Photo:  The Vrba-Wetzler escape route from Auschwitz to Jewish leaders in Slovakia, to bring the news of the death camp to the Jews of Hungary 770 words / 3 minute read “I couldn’t believe my eyes,” was how Caroline Edwards described to the Congressional Committee the January 6th “war scene” she,

Alan Palmer: 28 September 1926 – 25 March 2022

Photo: 1 November 2015, with Alan Palmer, Oxford 720 words/  3 ½ minute read One of the early inspirations in Martin’s life and subsequent historical work was his Highgate School History Master, his mentor, his friend, Alan Palmer who sadly died this spring in his 96th year.  In 2005, with the 90th anniversary

The Loughton Boys Return

Photo:  Wendy Higgins with Ben Helfgott, one of the Loughton Boys, and Sir Martin’s book.  Maurice Helfgott, Ben’s son, stands behind Wendy.  Photo from video. 250 words / 2 minute read A short film, launched on International Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January, shows a reunion and return of some of

A blood-soaked land

Photo: The Jewish cemetery in Hordok, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine, photo taken in 2011. 470 words / 2 minute read Russia and Ukraine – there’s history there.  And it probably goes back to the beginning, though the 20th Century has been particularly harsh on that relationship. In 2011 Martin and I went