Sigmund Tobias

Sigmund Tobias (November 26, 1932 – January 31, 2023) was an American psychologist and educator known for his significant contributions to the fields of psychology and educational research.

Early life and education Sigmund Tobias was born in Berlin, Germany to Orthodox Jewish Polish parents. Following the events of Kristallnacht, his father attempted to flee to Belgium but was captured and sent to Dachau concentration camp. At that time, Jews could still be released if they could prove they would leave Germany, so his mother arranged for the family to travel to Shanghai, China, on an ocean liner. At that time, Shanghai was partially occupied by Japan and included an "International Settlement" and a "French Concession" governed by the Shanghai Municipal Council. Tobias lived in Shanghai until 1948, where he recounted his experiences and intellectual development in his 1999 memoir Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghai. He underwent religious training at the Kadoorie School before transferring to the Orthodox Mir Yeshiva. Tobias emigrated to the United States in 1948, with his parents joining him the year later.

Tobias earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in school psychology from the City College of New York in 1955. While there, he met Lora Sussman on a blind date, and they married the same year. He obtained his PhD in clinical psychology from Columbia University in 1960. He dedicated the majority of his academic career to the faculty at City College before joining Fordham University as a distinguished scholar in the Educational Psychology graduate program. Subsequently, he served as a Distinguished Research Scientist at the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and was also an Eminent Research Professor at the University at Albany. Throughout his career, he published over 150 scholarly articles, This visit inspired his 1999 memoir, Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghai, in which he compares the city to his memories from 40 years earlier. To ensure accuracy, he shared the manuscript with twelve friends from Shanghai. Ernest G. Heppner, in his review published in the journal Shofar, noted that since these friends were also children at the time, they likely relied on their parents' impressions, which contributed to several historical inaccuracies in the book. Nevertheless, Tobias's account of everyday life in Hongkew, the district where many refugees, including a ghetto established in 1943, settled, is regarded as one of the most detailed narratives published to date. Told from a child's perspective, it reflects both his experiences and those of his parents, despite the limitations of a six-year-old's viewpoint. Heppner highlighted Tobias's "amazing memory for minute details and fluid style of writing," which make the memoir both interesting and informative. The book is also the first to address the significant divide between Polish and Central European (German/Austrian/Czech) refugees, detailing the Poles' animosity towards fellow refugees, their desire for isolation, and the preferential treatment they received from the local Russian Jewish community.

Personal life and death Tobias had two daughters, Susan and Rochelle, and two grandchildren. On January 31, 2023, he died at his home in Sarasota, Florida following a brief illness.

Selected works

Books

Articles