American Orthodox Jews have been attacked for not caring about non-observant Jews in Europe during and after WWII. They have also been charged with not working with the JDC, which diffused rescue and relief efforts. Many believe this to be true. In his new groundbreaking study, "Battling for Souls: The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee in Post-War Europe", Dr. Alex Grobman debunks this very harmful and divisive myth.
The following blurbs are from the editor of the Jewish Observer, published by the Agudah, the head of the JDC, Dr. Yaffa Eliach, who experienced the camps as a child and Dr. David Kranzler, the expert on the Orthodox during the Holocaust:
Battling for Souls gives us a new perspective on the history of the post-WWII period and the activities of Orthodox Jewry in America and in Europe. Dr. Grobman's research reveals new aspects of the Vaad Hatzala's activities and those of other relief organizations that have never been available to historians before. This unprecedented presentation helps us understand some of the residual misgivings different populations have about each other in today's Jewish community. These misgivings were based on conclusions from false assumptions. This book clears the air.
Rabbi Nison Wolpin,
Editor, The Jewish Observer, Agudas Israel of America
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Dr. Grobman has authored an objective and well-written book. He's done his homework and clearly explains the intricacies of power politics in the post-war period, and how it affected the Orthodox in the Displaced Persons Camps. It's a page-turning, must-read that dispels some harmful myths.
Steven Schwager,
Executive Vice President, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
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A fascinating, objective portrait of Vaad Hatzalah's post-Holocaust relief efforts on behalf of Orthodox survivors.
Dr. David Kranzler,
Author of Thy Brother's Blood: The Orthodox Jewish Response During the Holocaust
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In this fascinating and well-written book, Alex Grobman chronicles the important work of the Vaad Hatzala during the Holocaust and its assistance to Jewish survivors after Liberation, in particular the DP Camps in the American Zone in Germany. As a small child, who was raised as a religious Zionist and survived the Holocaust, I passed through several DP camps including the Neue Freimann DP Camp, where I experienced first-hand the religious support that the Vaad gave to surviving children and adults. Alex Grobman brings to life the Vaad's main activists and presents the chronology of important events, important locations, and numerous photos.
Dr. Yaffa Eliach,
Author and President & Founder of the Shtetl Foundation
Synopsis:
To keep whatever spark of Jewish spirit was alive in the hearts of the refugees, to make it glow and burst into flame, the men and women of the Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee worked long and hard, and Rabbi Nathan Baruch, z"l, was one of those people.
Alex Grobman has an MA and Ph.D. in Contemporary Jewish History from The Hebrew University of Jersualem. He was director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and co-author of Denying History: Who Says The Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It?.
Battling for Souls: The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee in Post-War Europe
Hardcover, 377 pp. with photographs
$29.50, plus shipping & handling
Additional charges apply for orders outside the United States
ISBN 0-88125-843-1
Published by KTAV
©2004 Alex Grobman
"Battling for Souls" is also available at TheWordsmithy.com and Barnes and Noble.com