Père Marie-Benoît and Jewish Rescue: How a French Priest Together with Jewish Friends Saved Thousands during the Holocaust
"Provides a close-up look at how rescue during the Holocaust worked.... To reveal in detail what happened over half a century ago constitutes an astonishing piece of sleuthing." —Michael Phayer, author of The Catholic Church and the Holocaust, 1930-1965 (IUP, 2001 )"[Zuccotti's] scholarship provides depth and context to the story of Père Marie-Benoît and the perilous landscape in which he operated. Most of all, her biography helps to keep alive the memory of one of the brave men and women whose actions showed that goodness and charity will survive even in the midst of a great evil." —Wall Street Journal"This brave man had shown to the world how a single individual can make all the difference. Zuccotti's well-told story - with extensive notes on every chapter - is a tribute to tolerance and better understanding between all national, religious and racial groups, a challenge to this and future generations. One can only suggest that a large portrait of Père Marie-Benoît should hang in the planned Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance." —Jerusalem Post"This biography is a welcome addition to our understanding of the rescue efforts in behalf of Jews by righteous Christians like Marie-Benoît and the Jewish rescue networks with which he worked." —Jewish Book World"This book, thoroughly researched and highly readable, stands as a fitting monument to a man whose selfless acts in two countries had lifesaving consequences." —H-Judaic"This book is highly recommended for all academic libraries." —AJL Reviews"With Père Marie-Benoît and Jewish Rescue, we have before us a book that, in marvelous detail, describes the righteous behavior of a French priest... Author Susan Zuccotti, skillfully and in fine detail, describes the Capuchin’s help in raising money from non-Jewish sources... How can one not recommend a well-researched and clearly written book that elevates us by illustrating the power of the human spirit in the face of evil and adversity?" —National Catholic Reporter"(Starred Review) Who better to rescue from obscurity an Oskar Schindler–like hero than historian Zuccotti? She has written extensively on the experience of French and Italian Jews in the Holocaust, but it’s more than her impressive credentials and knowledge base that makes this biography an intellectual page-turner accessible to a general audience. This account of the life of Capuchin priest Père Marie-Benoît and his successful efforts to save thousands of Jews offers the perfect amount of detail and context. Relying on archival sources and her own interviews with Marie-Benoît and those he helped to save, Zuccotti’s portrait of the 'Father of the Jews' is as historically important as it is entertaining." —Publishers Weekly"Susan Zuccotti, in her insightful and thoroughly researched Père Marie-Benoît and Jewish Rescue... makes the case for the crucial role played by extraordinary individuals during specific historical events." —Primo Levi Center"A bright light within a dark, deeply distressing time in history." —Kirkus Reviews"Uncovers the story of one remarkable religious and priest during humanity's darkest time.... The work is extremely compelling, engaging the reader's full attention, and challenging to put down." —Kevin P. Spicer, author of Antisemitism, Christian Ambivalence, and the Holocaust (IUP, 2007)