Against the Current

Influenced at a young age to live a life of peace and work for social justice, Leonard Edelstein served as a conscientious objector in World War II. One of only 3,000 men in the country working in state mental hospitals, he along with a few others helped to spearhead and establish the National Mental Health Foundation. As a Jewish man, he took bold risks, went against the will of his family and community, yet made a significant and lasting impact toward raising awareness in this country about mental illness. In the 1960s, he fought hard to end redlining in the Bay Area of California and promote fair housing laws, almost losing his real estate brokerage license. The author learned from her father the importance of standing by your beliefs, fighting for social justice, and working hard for a better world.