Theodore Schocken was a German-born American publisher. He introduced successfully in his Schocken Books Inc. an ambitious program of trade paperbacks, resumption of full-scale publishing of Judaica, and expansion into books of general interest, especially in the social sciences.
Background
Theodore was born on October 8, 1914 in Zwickau, Germany, the son of Salman Schocken and Lilli Ehrmann.
By the time of his birth the family was extremely prosperous. Salman Schocken had emigrated to Germany from Poland in 1901. Together with his brother he built up a chain of successful department stores. Inspired initially by the writings of philosopher Martin Buber, Salman developed a profound commitment to the revitalization of Jewish cultural and national life. He therefore expanded the family enterprises by adding a publishing house devoted exclusively to Judaica, Schocken Verlag. Salman Schocken emigrated to Palestine toward the end of 1933 and established Schocken Books, Jerusalem-Tel Aviv, expanding the firm's earlier directions to include contemporary Hebrew writers.
Education
Theodore attended public schools, first in Zwickau and later in Berlin. Later he enrolled at Harvard University's business school but was ineligible to receive an Master of business administration, since he lacked an undergraduate degree. However, Harvard granted him a certificate in June 1940 and in April 1951 finally awarded him an Master of business administration.
Career
Theodore Schocken, not yet twenty, remained behind to take charge of the family's business affairs in Germany, when fis father emigrated to Palestine. In 1938, the Gestapo forced the Verlag to stop publishing, and Theodore left Germany, first for Palestine and then for the United States.
From 1940 to 1942 Schocken was employed by Sears, Roebuck and Company in Chicago as a statistician. In 1942 Schocken was granted American citizenship and enlisted in the United States Army, soon gaining a commission as first lieutenant. He took part in the North African campaign and the Allied invasion of Italy.
Schocken returned to civilian life in 1945 and headed the American branch of Schocken Books, founded by Salman in his absence. Although both the Tel Aviv and New York branches of the firm continued as successful enterprises, the latter became a subsidiary of Random House in 1987.
Schocken resigned as head of the firm in 1949. It is not certain whether he remained active as company treasurer or resumed this responsibility in 1962. Schocken's business interests during the intervening years included a partnership in Popular Fashions, a small chain of women's clothing stores in New York City and Dutchess County.
From the mid-1940's to the early 1950's he also served as director of the family's German enterprises, Merkur, A. G. Schocken reassumed the presidency of Schocken Books in 1965 after the death of his brother-in-law, Herzl Rome, the company's chief executive. By then a new phase of prosperity had begun for the firm. The foundation for many of his efforts was undoubtedly the back list of books created in the 1940's, during Schocken's first presidency.
From the 1970's on about two-thirds of Schocken's publications were outside the field of Judaica. As the firm diversified, it reached more and more markets in this country and abroad.
In 1966, Schocken accompanied Agnon to Stockholm when he went to accept the first Nobel Prize ever awarded to an author who writes in Hebrew. Agnon's association with the Schockens dated back to the Berlin years, but the New York firm had published the English translations of his fiction in the United States.
Schocken served as director of the Leo Baeck Institute in New York and the Schocken Institute for Jewish Research in Jerusalem. He was also on the board of overseers of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
He died in White Plains, New York.
Achievements
Theodore Schocken was a businessman and the president of Schocken Books Inc. His firm pioneered in the publication of works to meet the exploding demand for women's studies. Beside, he established a general American market for the finest works of Jewish history and culture, as well as works translated from Hebrew. Among the most popular of Schocken's authors were Hannah Arendt, Gershom Scholem, and Walter Benjamin.
Connections
On April 11, 1941 Schocken married Dora Landauer; the couple had three daughters, Miriam Michael, Na omi Landau and Eva.
