Sabina Wurmbrand, who has died of cancer aged 87, deserved a wider reputation than she in fact enjoyed as one of those who most objectively exposed the repression in communist Romania. Her name is inextricably linked with that of her more famous husband, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who came to world attention in exile in 1966, after 20 years in prison. His book, Tortured For Christ, exposed religious persecution under communism, which had been endemic throughout eastern Europe in the post-war years. Sabina stood quietly aside from the shrillness of this war of words. Instead she produced her own book, The Pastor's Wife, one of the great testaments to the indomitability of the human spirit and the strength of Christian witness under persecution. For the 20 years following its publication in 1970, world leaders preferred to pay obeisance to the sham of the leadership of Nicolae Ceausescu and his predecessors, rather than absorb the lessons on the essential evil of the regime irrefutably set out in Sabina Wurmbrand's book. One reviewer wrote: "This book is simply one woman's story - a sensitive and unemotional reflection, years after the worst of the pain has passed, by an extremely cultivated, sensitive, indeed humorous mind." She continued to exhibit these qualities throughout her long life in exile.
Sabina Oster was born in Chernovits (Cernauti), a university city which was in the area of Ukraine annexed by Romania in 1919. Born into a large observant Jewish family, she attended the Sorbonne for two years. She later lost both parents and three siblings in the Holocaust. She married Richard Wurmbrand, also Jewish, in 1936 and they became Protestant Christians under the influence of Isaac Feinstein, himself a convert, who was to perish under the Nazis.===
The couple became evangelists and, although under threat, brought several Jewish children out of the ghetto and concealed them. When the Soviets occupied Romania, the couple surreptitiously distributed literature to the Red Army and hid Christians despite the risk of deportation to Siberia. For a year or two they conducted inter-denominational work and built up a church of over a thousand Jewish-Christian members.
In February 1948, Richard disappeared into the Gulag. Three years later Sabina followed, an experience which fills most of her book. She was conditionally released as part of the post-Stalin amnesty in 1954. Denied work for refusing to divorce her husband, she was there to greet him on his release 15 years later.
Following intensive negotiations, they left Romania for Norway with their son Mihai. There Sabina became known as a moderating influence over her fiery husband, keeping out of the controversies in which he was involved, but underlining the essential truth of the message he wrote and preached. It was in America that they founded a mission called Jesus to the Communist World. Based in California, their extensive travels throughout the free world led to the establishment of branches in many countries, including Britain. For almost 25 years the international organ of the mission, the Voice of the Martyrs, continued its anti-communist campaign. Then, with the execution of Ceausescu on Christmas Day, 1989, everything changed.
Sabina Wurmbrand could return to Romania. By now in her late 70s, she and her husband were received as heroes. Before returning to America, they appeared on TV, and, most remarkably of all, they visited Richard's former prison cell, to find it used as a repository for their books.
Sabina Wurmbrand is survived by her husband and son.
• Sabina Wurmbrand, evangelist, born July 10 1913; died August 20 2000
Sabina Oster was born in Chernovits (Cernauti), a university city which was in the area of Ukraine annexed by Romania in 1919. Born into a large observant Jewish family, she attended the Sorbonne for two years. She later lost both parents and three siblings in the Holocaust. She married Richard Wurmbrand, also Jewish, in 1936 and they became Protestant Christians under the influence of Isaac Feinstein, himself a convert, who was to perish under the Nazis.===
The couple became evangelists and, although under threat, brought several Jewish children out of the ghetto and concealed them. When the Soviets occupied Romania, the couple surreptitiously distributed literature to the Red Army and hid Christians despite the risk of deportation to Siberia. For a year or two they conducted inter-denominational work and built up a church of over a thousand Jewish-Christian members.
In February 1948, Richard disappeared into the Gulag. Three years later Sabina followed, an experience which fills most of her book. She was conditionally released as part of the post-Stalin amnesty in 1954. Denied work for refusing to divorce her husband, she was there to greet him on his release 15 years later.
Following intensive negotiations, they left Romania for Norway with their son Mihai. There Sabina became known as a moderating influence over her fiery husband, keeping out of the controversies in which he was involved, but underlining the essential truth of the message he wrote and preached. It was in America that they founded a mission called Jesus to the Communist World. Based in California, their extensive travels throughout the free world led to the establishment of branches in many countries, including Britain. For almost 25 years the international organ of the mission, the Voice of the Martyrs, continued its anti-communist campaign. Then, with the execution of Ceausescu on Christmas Day, 1989, everything changed.
Sabina Wurmbrand could return to Romania. By now in her late 70s, she and her husband were received as heroes. Before returning to America, they appeared on TV, and, most remarkably of all, they visited Richard's former prison cell, to find it used as a repository for their books.
Sabina Wurmbrand is survived by her husband and son.
• Sabina Wurmbrand, evangelist, born July 10 1913; died August 20 2000
Sabina Wurmbrand, who has died of cancer aged 87, deserved a wider reputation than she in fact enjoyed as one of those who most objectively exposed the repression in communist Romania. Her name is inextricably linked with that of her more famous husband, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who came to world attention in exile in 1966, after 20 years in prison. His book, Tortured For Christ, exposed religious persecution under communism, which had been endemic throughout eastern Europe in the post-war years. Sabina stood quietly aside from the shrillness of this war of words. Instead she produced her own book, The Pastor's Wife, one of the great testaments to the indomitability of the human spirit and the strength of Christian witness under persecution. For the 20 years following its publication in 1970, world leaders preferred to pay obeisance to the sham of the leadership of Nicolae Ceausescu and his predecessors, rather than absorb the lessons on the essential evil of the regime irrefutably set out in Sabina Wurmbrand's book. One reviewer wrote: "This book is simply one woman's story - a sensitive and unemotional reflection, years after the worst of the pain has passed, by an extremely cultivated, sensitive, indeed humorous mind." She continued to exhibit these qualities throughout her long life in exile.
Sabina Oster was born in Chernovits (Cernauti), a university city which was in the area of Ukraine annexed by Romania in 1919. Born into a large observant Jewish family, she attended the Sorbonne for two years. She later lost both parents and three siblings in the Holocaust. She married Richard Wurmbrand, also Jewish, in 1936 and they became Protestant Christians under the influence of Isaac Feinstein, himself a convert, who was to perish under the Nazis.===
The couple became evangelists and, although under threat, brought several Jewish children out of the ghetto and concealed them. When the Soviets occupied Romania, the couple surreptitiously distributed literature to the Red Army and hid Christians despite the risk of deportation to Siberia. For a year or two they conducted inter-denominational work and built up a church of over a thousand Jewish-Christian members.
In February 1948, Richard disappeared into the Gulag. Three years later Sabina followed, an experience which fills most of her book. She was conditionally released as part of the post-Stalin amnesty in 1954. Denied work for refusing to divorce her husband, she was there to greet him on his release 15 years later.
Following intensive negotiations, they left Romania for Norway with their son Mihai. There Sabina became known as a moderating influence over her fiery husband, keeping out of the controversies in which he was involved, but underlining the essential truth of the message he wrote and preached. It was in America that they founded a mission called Jesus to the Communist World. Based in California, their extensive travels throughout the free world led to the establishment of branches in many countries, including Britain. For almost 25 years the international organ of the mission, the Voice of the Martyrs, continued its anti-communist campaign. Then, with the execution of Ceausescu on Christmas Day, 1989, everything changed.
Sabina Wurmbrand could return to Romania. By now in her late 70s, she and her husband were received as heroes. Before returning to America, they appeared on TV, and, most remarkably of all, they visited Richard's former prison cell, to find it used as a repository for their books.
Sabina Wurmbrand is survived by her husband and son.
• Sabina Wurmbrand, evangelist, born July 10 1913; died August 20 2000
Sabina Oster was born in Chernovits (Cernauti), a university city which was in the area of Ukraine annexed by Romania in 1919. Born into a large observant Jewish family, she attended the Sorbonne for two years. She later lost both parents and three siblings in the Holocaust. She married Richard Wurmbrand, also Jewish, in 1936 and they became Protestant Christians under the influence of Isaac Feinstein, himself a convert, who was to perish under the Nazis.===
The couple became evangelists and, although under threat, brought several Jewish children out of the ghetto and concealed them. When the Soviets occupied Romania, the couple surreptitiously distributed literature to the Red Army and hid Christians despite the risk of deportation to Siberia. For a year or two they conducted inter-denominational work and built up a church of over a thousand Jewish-Christian members.
In February 1948, Richard disappeared into the Gulag. Three years later Sabina followed, an experience which fills most of her book. She was conditionally released as part of the post-Stalin amnesty in 1954. Denied work for refusing to divorce her husband, she was there to greet him on his release 15 years later.
Following intensive negotiations, they left Romania for Norway with their son Mihai. There Sabina became known as a moderating influence over her fiery husband, keeping out of the controversies in which he was involved, but underlining the essential truth of the message he wrote and preached. It was in America that they founded a mission called Jesus to the Communist World. Based in California, their extensive travels throughout the free world led to the establishment of branches in many countries, including Britain. For almost 25 years the international organ of the mission, the Voice of the Martyrs, continued its anti-communist campaign. Then, with the execution of Ceausescu on Christmas Day, 1989, everything changed.
Sabina Wurmbrand could return to Romania. By now in her late 70s, she and her husband were received as heroes. Before returning to America, they appeared on TV, and, most remarkably of all, they visited Richard's former prison cell, to find it used as a repository for their books.
Sabina Wurmbrand is survived by her husband and son.
• Sabina Wurmbrand, evangelist, born July 10 1913; died August 20 2000
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