I Seek My Brethren: Ralph Goldman and 'the Joint' : Rescue, Relief, and Reconstruction

I Seek My Brethren: Ralph Goldman and 'the Joint' : Rescue, Relief, and Reconstruction

The biography of a remarkable man driven by a simple missionto help those in need, wherever they are foundand the story of an organization, which has, since 1914, sponsored rescue, relief and reconstruction programs throughout the world. Founded over 85 years ago as a response to the plight of Palestinian Jews caught up in the agony of World War I, the American Joint Distribution Committee (alternately known as the "JDC" or "The Joint") is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, apolitical, humanitarian relief agency whose work is deliberately low-profile because so much of it depends on secret negotiations with foreign governments. Its mission has taken its representatives to Western Europe after World War II ("the Jewish Marshall Plan"), to the establishment of the state of Israel, to the former Soviet Union, and to Africa and India. As an activist and leader in the organization since the 1960s, Ralph Goldman is the heart and soul of the JDC. He played a key role in Israel's formative years, and has been on the front lines of the JDC's humanitarian efforts worldwide. Currently the Honorary Executive Vice President of the JDC, Goldman still plays an active role in the organization today. Following Goldman's career, we get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the post-WWII political and social landscape, and a picture of how one man's compassion can profoundly affect the lives of many. 30 b/w photos. Tom Shachtman is the author of thirty books, including Decade of Shocks , 1963-1974; Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold ; and Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish . He lives in Connecticut.