BATTLING FOR SOULS:THE VAAD HATZALA RESCUE COMMITTEE IN POST WAR EUROPE By Alex Grobman , Jersey City, New Jersey: KT A V Publishing House: 2004, 337 pp. $29.50
Zalman Alpert, YU Archives This fine study describes in great detail the struggles of the Vaad Hatzala to help Orthodox Jewish survivors in post World War 2 Europe. . By the end of 1945, hundreds of thousands of Jews had found refuge in US Displaced Persons (DP) camps in Germany, it quickly became clear that the Orthodox Jews amongst them (about 20%) would need more help than the Joint Distribution Committee could or would provide. Requirements such as kosher food, religious education, yeshivas, ritual items and religious literature were especially crucial to Orthodox Jews. The Joint was unable to meet these needs .The chief heroes of this book are Irving Bunim (the group's chief fundraiser in the U.S.) Stephen Klein, William I. Alpert and Rabbi Nathan Baruch who was the Vaad's representative in Germany for most of the time the Vaad was active after the War. Dr. Grobman has made use of the archives of the Vaad (located in the archives of Yeshiva University) and other archival sources in documenting this book. In addition interviews with key players including Rabbi Baruch helped in the production of this book. lo bishma Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
