96 years + 1 day ago, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) was created. The next day – September 1, 1914 – Ralph I. Goldman was born.

An activist and leader in Jewish affairs all his life, Ralph I. Goldman is the heart and soul of JDC. Both Ralph and the ‘Joint’ were born in 1914 – Ralph in Ukraine and the ‘Joint’ in New York City. Ralph has dedicated his life to the Jewish people, first by assisting David Ben Gurion during the founding of Israel, then serving as Executive Vice President of JDC during the 1970s and 1980s, where he established JDC’s critical role in Israel and brought vital assistance to Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain. Ralph Goldman is a pivotal figure in global Jewish life and continues to inspire people all over the world. Ralph served as the Executive Vice-President of the JDC from 1976 – 1985 and from 1986 – 1988 and as Honorary Executive Vice President since 1988.

Wish Ralph a happy birthday here!

Want to be the next Ralph I. Goldman Fellow? Check out http://jdc.org/ralph

In honor of his 96th birthday, we’ve collected some of our favorite Ralph pictures from over the years…

Happy Birthday, Ralph!