Sisters in Science

There is a bond that comes through shared life experiences. I have seen it in my given profession, but also in writing circles. I am closer with some of my writing friends than I am with some people I went to high school with. We have turned to each other in crisis, we pull each other through. It was this idea of joined communal interest that drew me to Sisters in Science, by Olivia Campbell.

It’s a weird right time right now in the world for a lot of people. Friendships are being tested, and long lasting relationships are dissolving in the blink of an eye, while others are rapidly forming. This is seen a million times over for the four women physicists featured in Sisters in Science. These women pushed against a misogynistic world that was extremely unfriendly to female scientists to build meaningful careers and find fellow scientists they could form productive relationships with. Despite all that, they still find their work and their lives in peril from a new and unforeseen threat – the third reich.

It is notable that only one of the four profiled scientists was a person who considered herself a Jew. Lise Meitner, arguably the most famous of the bunch, came under threat because her ancestors were Jewish despite she herself not having any Jewish affiliation or thinking of herself as such. Two others were under threat for their anti-nazi sympathies, and having the gall to desire a career as a woman. One surprising thing I learned was how in addition to the horrific antisemitism, the Nazi government was also vehemently anti-woman. Women were for the home and church, birthing babies to further the Aryan race. German women were victims – but at the same time, also often wholehearted participants in oppression and cruelty of “lesser” people. Indeed, some of the only jobs open to them were assistants in Nazi “science” in which Jews (and other undesirables) were ruthlessly experimented upon.

Also complicated is the way every single friendship and professional relationship these women forged was put to the test. It is heartwarming to read of the colleagues who worked tirelessly to help them escape, but shocking to see the ones that sat back and let it happen. I’m not going to lie – sometimes I sit up at night wondering who would help me if things got bad. Would I have a tireless team of colleagues trying to help me survive? Or would I have my Nobel prize stolen by a supposed “friend” like Lise Meitner did, and then be told that I am selfish because I only had to endure the first five years of Nazi rule, while they had to endure all of them. As if she should feel bad for the colleagues who stayed behind and worked for the Nazi government, completely overlooking the fact that had she remained, she would have been shot in the back into a mass grave (the true fate of a butterfly biologist featured in book). And yet through it all, Meitner herself refused to participate in the Manhattan project, rejecting the idea of weaponizing her science.

These four women were lucky to escape, mostly due to their esteemed resumes and colleagues who pushed to save them. Their lives are a testament to the friends that refused to stand idly by, but also to the ability of the human mind to adapt to new circumstances. While this is a Jewish book, my favorite character was Hurtha Sponer, who was not Jewish but fled due to her anti-nazi sentiments, and then tirelessly worked to bring over her fellow scientists to safety. It is not a surprise to discover she lost a sister who was killed as part of the resistance. Some family values run deep.

I flew through Sister in Science at top speed and was left with the piercing agony of all the brilliant minds that were lost because their stories had less happy endings. How many families were torn apart, how much potential mercilessly cut off? I was moved by those who stood up to this regime and hope that through my interactions, I show that Jews are people just like anybody else, inspiring others to step forward. We need more Hurtha Sponers. May the memories of all we lost be for a blessing.

Note: BookishlyJewish received a copy of this book from the publicist after we reached out to ask for one.

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