Jerome A. Goodman (also known as Jerry Goodman) was an American Jewish activist renowned for his leadership in the movement to aid Soviet Jews. Born in 1932, he graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami and pursued studies abroad for one year at Beit Berl College in Israel. He earned a bachelor's degree in political sociology from City College of New York, where he contributed to the Campus student newspaper, followed by graduate degrees in international relations from the City University of New York (CUNY) and in public administration from New York University.

Goodman's career began with his role as Director for European Affairs at the American Jewish Committee from 1964 to 1971. In 1971, he founded and became the Executive Director of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ), serving until 1988 (with some sources citing 1987 or 1989). During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in organizing U.S. efforts to support Soviet Jews, including serving as a consultant to the U.S. Congress on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission), contributing to the Jackson-Vanik Amendment of 1974, and coordinating Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews on December 6, 1987, which drew 250,000 participants to the National Mall.

In the early 1980s, Goodman faced a notable incident when he was detained by KGB agents in the Soviet Union alongside three U.S. Congress members; he advised against publicizing the event to keep the focus on the plight of Soviet Jews.

Following his time at NCSJ, Goodman continued his activism as Executive Director of the International Committee for Sepharad '92 (1990–1992) and the National Committee for Labor Israel (1992–2006). He founded and served as Senior Advisor for the Archives of the American Soviet Jewry Movement at the American Jewish Historical Society (2006–2011), and later held positions as Senior Advisor at Strategy XXI-Partners and President and CEO of Phoenix Ventures.

A multilingual individual fluent in English, French, Hebrew, and Yiddish, Goodman authored Politics and Protest, a study guide on the American Soviet Jewry movement. Reflecting on his path, he once stated, 'I never thought Soviet Jewry would be a career. It was originally supposed to be a temporary job, but nobody foresaw how the movement would evolve.' Goodman passed away on November 23, 2025, at the age of 93.