cover image Never Despair: Sixty Years in the Service of the Jewish People and the Cause of Human Rights

Never Despair: Sixty Years in the Service of the Jewish People and the Cause of Human Rights

Gerhart M. Riegner, , trans. from the French by William Sayers. . Ivan R. Dee, $35 (459pp) ISBN 978-1-56663-696-4

Riegner is best known for having alerted the world to the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews, so it's not surprising that the strength of this memoir is its first section, in which Riegner details his activities during the war as a staffer with the World Jewish Congress. This includes the "Riegner Telegram," sent to leading American rabbi Stephen Wise in August 1942, with information about the Final Solution. He also describes the fascinating ways he and his colleagues obtained the information in the telegram. Riegner is not shy about criticizing institutions, such as the Catholic Church, for their failure to do more to stop the genocide. He attributes this less to anti-Semitism than to their inability to comprehend the scope of the Nazis' behavior. Riegner, who died in 2000, was known for his tact and magnanimity, and as he traces the rest of his career—he was deeply involved in interfaith efforts and in pushing the U.N. on human rights and Israel-related causes—these qualities are on display. Though the rest of the book is less compelling, it highlights a life well lived. 15 b&w photos. (Sept.)