Earl Raab

Dean of Community Relations

Earl Raab, z”l, was a preeminent sociologist, civil rights activist, public intellectual and a leading voice for American Jewish advocacy. He was also a prolific commentator and author on American political culture and the Jewish experience in America. He directed the JCRC Bay Area from 1951-1987 and, after retiring, served as the founding director of the Perlmutter Institute for Jewish Advocacy at Brandeis University. In addition to numerous articles in publications such as Commentary and Public Interest, Raab wrote, among others, Major Social Problems (with Gertrude Selznick), The Politics of Unreason and Jews in the New American Scene (both with Seymour Martin Lipset).

This website, paid for by generous donations from the Bay Area Jewish community, is intended both as a memorial and a comprehensive compendium of his written works.

Earl Raab’s Writings

Articles

Books

As one of co-founders of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), Earl recognized the importance for advocacy of having a strong, unified voice. The Earl Raab Award is awarded annually in his honor to a community activist who best exemplifies his high standard of communal activism and advocacy for residents of California.