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You are here: Home / Books / Biographies / I Seek My Brethren

I Seek My Brethren

June 4, 2012

I Seek My Brethren: Ralph Goldman and "The Joint" by Tom Shachtman“I SEEK MY BRETHREN”: RALPH GOLDMAN AND “THE JOINT”

The biography of a remarkable man driven by a simple mission—to help those in need, wherever they are found—and 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.

“Ralph Goldman’s life is magically intertwined with the extraordinary work of the Joint Distribution Committee. [The book] combines historical events with personal experiences. Read it and you will be enriched.” – Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize Laureate

“This is a fascinating tale of a rare individual – Ralph Goldman – and a unique group, the Joint …. As an orphan of the Holocaust, this book added to my understanding of the events that affected my life. As an educator, I believe this book should be required reading by Jews and non-Jews alike.” – Dr. Ruth Westheimer

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