Ralph Goldman: The Titan of Jewish Philanthropy


 

Publication Date: January 2005

Publisher: Jewish Communal Service Association of North America

Author(s): Michael Schneider

Research Area: Culture and religion; Social conditions

Keywords: Social Services; Diaspora Relations; Jewish Organizations

Type: Report

Coverage: Israel

Abstract:

Ralph Goldman's achievements in Israel are part of legend. He is the father of its JCC movement and founder of the Brookdale Institute and The Israel Center for Social Policy Studies, (now named the JDC Myers Institute and the Marilyn and Henry Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, respectively) and ESHEL. Before that he was a guiding spirit behind Malben, the program that gave Israel its first, rudimentary social services infrastructure in the early days of statehood. And before even that, he was the advisor to Prime Minister Ben-Gurion on relations with the U.S. Jewish community and the founder of the Israel Education Fund. Prior to statehood he was a member of Teddy Kollek's team that worked tirelessly to evade the British blockade and, later, to prepare Israel militarily for the war of Independence. With that illustrious background Ralph became the professional head of JDC in 1974.