Howard Sachar
Encyclopedia
Howard Morley Sachar is an American historian. He is Professor Emeritus
of History and International Affairs at George Washington University
in Washington, D.C.
and the author of 16 books, as well as numerous articles in scholarly journals, on the subjects of Middle East
ern and Modern European history. His writings, which have been published in six languages, are widely regarded as solid reference works.
and his wife, Thelma Horwitz, during his father's tenure as a professor of history at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri
and raised in Champaign, Illinois
. He was the eldest of three brothers; his brother Edward J. Sachar became a pioneering biological psychiatrist and David B. Sachar became a gastroenterologist.
He completed his undergraduate education at Swarthmore College
and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard University
.
, and a guest lecturer at nearly 150 other universities in North America, Europe, South Africa and Egypt. In 1996 he was awarded an honorary degree
of Doctor of Humane Letters
from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He has also received the National Jewish Book Award
on two separate occasions.
In 1961 he founded Brandeis University
's Jacob Hiatt Institute in Jerusalem, one of the first study-abroad programs in Israel, and served as its director until 1964. Through his connections with the United States Foreign Service
, where he worked as a consultant and lecturer on Middle Eastern Affairs, he was able to obtain funding for the Jacob Hiatt Institute from the U.S. State Department
in 1965.
He is a member of the American Historical Association
as well as one dozen editorial boards and commissions. In addition to his books, he is editor-in-chief of the 39-volume The Rise of Israel: A documentary history.
.
He is an advocate of the two-state solution
for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
.
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of History and International Affairs at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the author of 16 books, as well as numerous articles in scholarly journals, on the subjects of Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern and Modern European history. His writings, which have been published in six languages, are widely regarded as solid reference works.
Biography
He was born to Dr. Abram L. SacharAbram L. Sachar
Abram Leon Sachar was an American historian and founding president of Brandeis University.-Early life and education:...
and his wife, Thelma Horwitz, during his father's tenure as a professor of history at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and raised in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
. He was the eldest of three brothers; his brother Edward J. Sachar became a pioneering biological psychiatrist and David B. Sachar became a gastroenterologist.
He completed his undergraduate education at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Career
Sachar was a full-time faculty member of the Department of History and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University for 40 years. He was also a visiting professor at Hebrew University and Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
, and a guest lecturer at nearly 150 other universities in North America, Europe, South Africa and Egypt. In 1996 he was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Humane Letters
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He has also received the National Jewish Book Award
Jewish Book Council
The Jewish Book Council, founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quality English language books of Jewish content in North America". It is the only...
on two separate occasions.
In 1961 he founded Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
's Jacob Hiatt Institute in Jerusalem, one of the first study-abroad programs in Israel, and served as its director until 1964. Through his connections with the United States Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
, where he worked as a consultant and lecturer on Middle Eastern Affairs, he was able to obtain funding for the Jacob Hiatt Institute from the U.S. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
in 1965.
He is a member of the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
as well as one dozen editorial boards and commissions. In addition to his books, he is editor-in-chief of the 39-volume The Rise of Israel: A documentary history.
Political position
He is a member of the advisory council of the pro-Israel lobby, J StreetJ Street
J Street is a nonprofit liberal advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008....
.
He is an advocate of the two-state solution
Two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the consensus solution that is currently under discussion by the key parties to the conflict, most recently at the Annapolis Conference in November 2007...
for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
Works
- The Course of Modern Jewish History (1959; updated 1990) Lib. of Cong. Cat. No. 58-67-57
- Aliyah: The peoples of Israel (1961) Lib. of Cong. Cat. No. 61-12017
- From the Ends of the Earth: The peoples of Israel (1964) Lib. of Cong. Cat. No. 64-12064
- The Emergence of the Middle East: 1914–1924 (1969) Lib. of Cong. Cat. No. 76-79349
- Europe Leaves the Middle East, 1936–1954 (1972)
- A History of Israel: From the rise of Zionism to our time (1976; 3rd edition 2007)
- The Man on the Camel: A novel (1980)
- Egypt and Israel (1981)
- Diaspora: An inquiry into the contemporary Jewish world (1985)
- A History of Israel, Volume II: From the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War (1987)
- The Rise of Israel: A documentary record from the nineteenth century to 1948 : a facsimile series reproducing over 1,900 documents in 39 volumes, Volume 1 (1987)
- A History of the Jews in America (1992)
- Farewell Espana: The world of the Sephardim remembered (1994; reprinted 1995)
- Israel and Europe: An Appraisal in History (1998; reprinted 2000)
- Dreamland: Europeans and Jews in the aftermath of the Great War (2002; reprinted 2003)
- A History of the Jews in the Modern World (2005; reprinted 2006)