About the Book

Among the Remnants

This story is about finding home. The book is a memoir of a distinguished pioneer in geriatric care. In his professional career, he has received recognition for his contributions to the American system of geriatric social work, earning the respect of colleagues and government officials.

But in his personal journey, he started out as a kid on the run. Like many generations of Jewish families, his family once called Poland their home.

When three-year-old Joshua Gortler and his family were forced from their hometown in Poland during World War II, they scrambled for safety across border after border, finding refuge at last in Europe’s Displaced Persons Camps. Undocumented and unschooled, Gortler spent his adolescence learning to survive. When his family eventually relocated to the US, Gortler found himself starting over as a teenager in a foreign land with only his spunk and sharp wits to rely on. After teaching himself English, Gortler managed to complete high school in three years, earn an MSW, and begin what would become a distinguished career in the field of developing and managing nursing homes. A leading pioneer in geriatric care, Gortler dedicated his professional life to helping others stitch their torn lives back together.

As a sought-after speaker, he has made it his personal mission, in his later years, to bring the lessons of his unique personal experiences—the value of perseverance, humor, ambition, faith, and the paramount importance of education— to audiences as diverse as Rotary clubs, at-risk high schoolers, adult prisoners, and university students.

This book is published in trade paperback and ebook.

Available as an audiobook on Audible.

Order from your favorite online bookstore or online bookseller.

Readers can request books through their local libraries. 

 ©Joshua H Gortler