author
Benjamin Sacks
1903–2007
A historian with a remarkably long life, he wrote with the clear, teaching-minded style of someone who cared deeply about making the past understandable. His work ranges from Jewish history for young readers to serious studies of British politics and education.
1 Audiobook
The story of Chanukah
by Benjamin Sacks
About the author
Born in Philadelphia on October 6, 1903, Benjamin Sacks became a historian and teacher whose career stretched across much of the twentieth century. Archival records describe him as a professor of history at the University of New Mexico for 30 years and at Arizona State University for 12 years, with British history as his main specialty.
His scholarly background was strong: Stanford archival material notes that he earned a Ph.D. in history from Stanford University in 1934. His published work included studies such as The Independent Labor Party and International Socialism During the World War and The Religious Issue in the State Schools of England and Wales, 1902–1914, showing a sustained interest in modern British political and social history.
He also wrote The Story of Chanukah, a shorter, more accessible work that introduced readers to the history and meaning of the festival. According to his obituary, he was born in 1903 and died on December 15, 2007, reaching the age of 104.