Martha Sharp’s legacy lives on

Martha and Waitstill Sharp, departing for Europe in February, 1939Martha Sharp, a Providence-born philanthropist, never saw an obstacle she couldn’t overcome. When her parents placed her in the care of her aunt and uncle, she devoted herself to them, bringing lunch to her uncle at work every day. When her aunt expected her to give up education and contribute a steady paycheck, Sharp chose to go to Pembroke College (now Brown University) on a full scholarship. She picked up the box of belongings her aunt threw out of the window and never looked back. When she was about to marry Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister from Wellesley, Massachusetts, Sharp’s future mother-in-law ripped a pearl necklace off her neck, barking, “You’re not worthy of my son!” The bride proceeded to walk down the aisle alone. When, in 1939, Everett Baker, Unitarian church leader, invited her and her husband to travel to Europe to rescue refugees from the Nazis, she agreed to leave her two small children in the care of her husband’s parishioners and join him on the trip. These are just some examples of Sharp’s determination. Misha Joukowsky doesn’t exaggerate when he pinpoints his grandmother’s essence, “Her whole life was about active decisions.”

When the idea of traveling to Prague was first presented to her, Sharp weighed the choice to leave her children, the youngest of whom was 2, against the effect her refusal to engage in the fight with fascism would have on refugee children’s fate. She knew that Czechoslovakia was in the midst of destruction. Anxiety permeated the air as Jewish kids were being stoned on their way to school, houses were being ransacked and people were being beaten. Sharp also knew that 17 other couples had already said no to the mission. She chose to be one who said yes.

Undeterred by the lack of compensation, Sharp and her husband sailed from New York to London. When they finally arrived in Prague on Orient Express, they started providing material relief right away. Refugees required help with exit visas, job placements and places to live. These goals were nearly impossible to accomplish as the Gestapo monitored all mail, so letters had to be smuggled.

If the situation was dire when they landed in Prague, it became even worse after the Germans crossed the border, occupying all of Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939. Jews felt scared and lost. Joseph Ben-David, a survivor, shared in “Two Who Dared: The Sharps’ War” (a documentary by the Sharps’ grandson and Misha’s brother, Artemis Joukowsky III) that the trauma of the proceedings caused his father to die of a heart attack on the day of the occupation. Those who lived on adapted to their new existence by adhering to the nighttime curfew, pulling down their shades and burning all of their papers. The Sharps did the same; very few records survive out of the 3,000 or so refugee case files they started during that trip.

Sharp, along with her husband, undertook tremendous risks to bring anti-Nazi leaders to the British Embassy. During one operation, she managed to lose one Gestapo agent, only to find herself safeguarding Mr. X, the man she was tasked with accompanying, from three more. Mr. X was just one of the multitudes who attempted to escape the colossal wave of anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sensibility that crashed down on Europe. Since their visas permitted them to take short trips, the husband-and-wife team traveled to London, Geneva and Paris to help escapees. Had they been caught, they would have gone to prison.

Backing out was never an option. Instead, Sharp constantly found herself in trying circumstances, such as riding on the same train with an SS agent and being separated from her husband, who had gone to Paris to raise funds for the operation. The two carried on as long as they could. It was only when Sharp once again found her belongings out on the street and their office locked by the Germans that she decided it was time to return. Barely escaping arrest, she met her husband in London, and the two traveled back to the United States aboard the Queen Mary.

As the resettled refugees faced further threats in France, the Sharps were asked to make a second trip to Europe. Despite her hesitation, Sharp went ahead with the plan. They arrived at Lisbon’s Hotel Metropole during the mass exodus of French and Belgians who fled to the south. Since Germans had cut off all supplies to the south of France, Sharp arranged a train delivery of powdered milk with Nestle; the deal saved many malnourished children. Sharp’s other memorable accomplishments during the second trip included rescuing 29 children and Lionel Feuchtwanger, a writer who was on the Germans’ list of Jewish refugees.

Three months after her husband’s return home, Sharp arrived in the U.S., saying that she believed anybody would have done what she did. Sharp didn’t stop there, however. Along with her husband, she traveled the country, sharing her experiences and ultimately becoming a passionate Zionist. Sharp went on to work with Hadassah to bring Jews to Israel and ran for Congress in Massachusetts despite daily threats that her daughter would be kidnapped.

During that time, Martha Sharp Joukowsky, the daughter whose childhood was sacrificed to the higher good, would be moved from one family to the next to ensure her safety. Unlike her brother Hastings, who was out of the house by then, she was forced to take on the role of the woman of the house, cooking and taking care of her father, with whom she lived. A retired Brown University archeology professor, she still lives in Providence, where her mother was born. When pressed, she admits she was resentful at her mother while she was growing up. Sharp Joukowsky says, “The only thing in the refrigerator was a corsage.” Meetings, travels and talks dominated her mother’s life. While Waitstill Sharp wanted domesticity, his wife longed for activism. In retrospect, their daughter is proud of her mother’s forceful creation of her own space in society. Sharp Joukowsky says, “Underneath it all was a very strong will.” Sharp stayed true to herself, even if the choice possibly led to the dissolution of her marriage. In 2006, seven years after her death, Sharp was recognized for her efforts in social justice and democracy as the only American woman to receive the honor of “Righteous Among the Nations.”

Sharp Joukowsky describes the ceremony, which included lighting the Eternal Flame at Yad Vashem with Eva Rosemary Feigl – one of the “saved children,” – as incredibly emotional. Speaking about her mother, Sharp Joukowsky says, “You just wish she could have known that love that was transferred onto me.” The daughter was overwhelmed by the gratitude of the survivors.

Like the award ceremony, “Two Who Dared” honors the two people who never sought out recognition. Misha Joukowsky explains that the family participated in the film because of the impact the Sharps’ story would have on the viewers. He says, “If it could inspire other people to walk in the opposite direction of the crowds and make a difference in somebody’s life, it would be wonderful.” As a small child, he often had to answer his grandmother’s question, “What great thing are you going to do for the world?” It stayed with him, encouraging him to choose honesty, integrity and kindness.

This is how he was raised, and this is how he raised his children. Growing up, Joukowsky watched his mother follow in his grandmother’s footsteps by engaging in philanthropy, creating the first non-denominational school in Italy and helping Jordanian women gain independence. He too lives a life devoid of passivity – a fact that’s evident in his efforts to improve the lives of disabled individuals. Joukowsky says, “We all have a gift to give to each other.” He clarifies that he’s not referring to charity but talking about offering support, refusing to be a bystander. A great example of this quality is his grandmother’s founding of Children to Palestine in 1943 to raise funds for orphaned Jewish youth. Her legacy lives on with the members of her family, as well as with the viewers of the documentary.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Those interested in seeing “Two Who Dared” can do so at a screening that will be held at Brandeis University on Oct. 18, 7:15 – 9:30 p.m., Wasserman Cinematheque.

IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.