Roman Slobodin, whose career in journalism and public relations mirrored more than a half-century of Jewish history, died May II in Chestnut Hill Hospital. He was 75 years old. At the time of his death, Slobodin was the retired public relations director of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center.
Previously he had served for 19 years as public relations director of the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia, a position which involved him in the raising of millions of dollars through the Allied Jewish Appeal for the rescue of victims of Nazism and for Jewish needs at home and abroad.
During World War II, Slobodin was publicity director of the American Joint Distribution Committee and served in the military in charge of an Armed Service Forces Training Center publication for more than 40,000 soldiers.
He began his career in journalism writing sports news for the old New York Sun and as a general assignment reporter for the old New York World. His career took him to Jerusalem as chief correspondent for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in the late 1930’s. His columns on Jewish and Palestinian affairs won wide acclaim and were syndicated in the United States.
Slobodin was a national vice president of the American Jewish Public Relations Society and served on the executive committee and as publicity chairman of the association of Philadelphia. Jewish Agency Executives. He was a member of the leading associations in his profession. Slobodin was educated in New York City public schools, City College of New York, New York Jewish Teachers Training School and Columbia University School of Journalism.
Slobodin, who was regarded by his contemporaries as the “dean” of Jewish organization publicists, entered the public relations profession as chief copy writer for the famed Edward Bernoys Associates in his native New York City. He founded the public relations department at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and served with the United Jewish Appeal and with the former United Service for New Americans.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
