American jewish historical society ajhs is the oldest national ethnic historical organization in the united states. Click on the image to watch the video, or click here. Wexler oral history project spotlights yiddish book center. Aaron lansky continues to serve as president of the yiddish book center. She started her research activity while still in high school, when she decided to write her high school honors thesis on the bund and szmuel. The dybbuk the yiddish book centers great jewish books.
Yiddish book center amherst 2020 all you need to know. The ncjf has also prepared a study guide on the film and its history. Short films that tell personal stories about yiddish culture. Carole renard neh oral history project coordinator. Leonard nimoy, zl, remembers bostons west end as an example of village life and the site of cultural exchange for jewish immigrants and their neighbors. A history from colonial times to today by pamela s. Her talk and video presentation is a fascinating look at yiddish speakers from all walks of life and shows how our yiddish language is being transmitted, adapted, and reinterpreted. In april 2017, we received a threeyear grant from the national endowment for the humanities neh that would allow us to make the yiddish book centers. To learn more about the yiddish book centers wexler oral history project, visit. The yiddish book centers wexler oral history project a growing collection of indepth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of jewish identity. The most dramatic change, of course, came postworld war ii. Wexler oral history project of the yiddish book center. Its books, its library, its programs invite you to experience a world that has almost disappeared,the world of yiddish culture.
Language in the time of revolution by benjamin harshav. In what was likely one of blooms last interviews, taped only a few weeks before his death, he spoke with the yiddish book center for its wexler oral history project. Archival recordings the frances brandt online yiddish audio library contains lectures by and interviews with yiddish writers, recorded at the jewish public library of montreal between 1953 and 2005. You can explore more of our jewish neighborhood series on the center s wexler oral history project youtube channel, where youll find a selection of playlists. Wexler oral history project of the yiddish book center posts. The center for the history of business, technology, and society organizes scholarly conferences, research seminars, and administers research grants for the hagley library. Whitney director, wexler oral history project at national yiddish book center springfield, massachusetts area 408 connections. Since 2010, the yiddish book centers wexler oral history project has recorded more than 700 indepth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of yiddish language and culture. Additional funding for this site has been provided by the applebaum. The yiddish book center works to tell the whole jewish story by rescuing, translating and disseminating yiddish books and presenting educational programs. A digital library of yiddish books, audiobooks, archival recordings, oral histories, yizkor books, and childrens literature. University of alaska fairbanks oral history project. Harold bloom screenshot from yiddish book center interview by gabe friedman jta many obituaries of harold bloom, the lion of american literary criticism who passed away on monday at 89, mention that he was born to orthodox jewish immigrants from eastern europe few mention his lifelong love of yiddish, and particularly yiddish theater, which he grew up watching in new york city although.
Yiddish was, and is, written using hebrew characters. Yiddish mock trial may 16, 1923 natalie bornstein, oral history interview by yiddish book center jan 2011 reading a yiddish newspaper. The yiddish book center national yiddish book center, located on the campus of hampshire college in amherst, massachusetts, united states, is a cultural institution dedicated to the preservation of books in the yiddish language, as well as the culture and history those books represent. Since 2010, the yiddish book centers wexler oral history project has recorded more than indepth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of yiddish language and culture. Beginning with the centers 40th anniversary in 2020, and continuing for each of the next ten years, the center will select an annual theme. With its focus on advanced study, the center fosters a community of scholars that includes hagley staff, faculty and graduate students, museum professionals, research fellows and associates, and visiting scholars from around. The yiddish book centers wexler oral history project is a growing collection of indepth interviews about. Jewish texts online by amanda seigel, jewish division, stephen a.
University of connecticut at storrscenter for oral history. The national home front project is an initiative of washington college s the starr center for the study of the american experience and storyquest oral history program, with. Shirley cohen steinberg, writer and director of yiddish plays, reflects on yiddishs place in history and its role in contemporary society. Schwarzman building may 5, 2015 heres a brief guide to jewish books online, including reference works, religious texts and literature. Among the 600plus interviews conducted by the wexler oral history project to date are more than 100 in yiddish. The felshtin society began its oral history project in october, 2015 in order to better understand how the the events surrounding the pogrom of 1919 may have impacted successive generations. Director, wexler oral history project at national yiddish book center. Founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, the center was one of the first organizations in america dedicated to the. How a mensch from massachusetts saved yiddish literature for generations to come by sue macy. For more information on yiddish typewriters, please see this excellent blog post, the lost history of the yiddish typewriter, by translator and professor of german and yiddish studies, nick block, and the story behind the yiddish book centers yiddish typewriter collection. The decade of discovery is a new initiative of the yiddish book center designed to foster a deeper understanding of yiddish and modern jewish culture. Oral history the brooklyn jewish historical initiative. American jewish history is the official publication of the american jewish historical society, the oldest national ethnic historical organization in the united states. When he was a 23yearold graduate student, lansky stumbled upon an alarming fact.
Please use our contact form if you have any questions, or if are interested in donating, preserving documents, or adding your. Beyle schaechtergottesman zl, yiddish poet and songwriter, explains what yiddishism means to her and how it is firmly established. The yiddish book center is a nonprofit organization that works to tell the whole jewish story by rescuing, translating, and disseminating yiddish books and p. No experience or expertise in oral history is necessary our staff will provide both guidance and resources. The yiddish book centers wexler oral history project is a growing collection of indepth video interviews with people of all ages, exploring yiddish cultural topics and issues of modern jewish identity. An oral tradition going back to the 0s, yiddish folksongs shed light on many aspects of yiddish speaking jewrys historical experience. Brooklyn historical society oral history program california state. National yiddish book center jewish virtual library.
The brooklyn jewish historical initiative bjhi oral history projects document immigration stories, the founding of synagogues, neighborhood life, community organizations and businesses, changing traditions, and the range of jewish life in brooklyn. It has been in decline since the nazi genocide of the 20th century. Founded in 1980, the yiddish book center is a nonprofit organization working to tell the whole jewish story by rescuing, translating, and disseminating yiddish books and presenting innovative educational programs that broaden understanding of modern jewish identity. After about 1700, western yiddish began a slow and inevitable decline, and the eastern dialect. Beginning with the center s 40th anniversary in 2020, and continuing for each of the next ten years, the center will select an annual theme. Prior to the war, yiddish was spoken by some million people. The yiddish book centers wexler oral history project is a. This book on culture and consciousness in history concerns the worldwide transformations of jewish culture and society and the revival of the ancient hebrew language following the waves of pogroms in russia in 1881, when large numbers of jews in eastern and central europe redefined their identity as jews in a new and. A look at the yiddish book centers wexler oral history project 2019 year. The yiddish book center is a nonprofit organization working to recover, celebrate, and regenerate yiddish. Leonard recalls the defining aspects of his experience in the west end. Its history can be divided into old yiddish literature c. Yiddish literature, the body of written works in the yiddish language of ashkenazic jewry. Each video is a first generations recollection of the development of their family and how they faced the challenges of acculturation in a new place.
The project has shared some of the highlights and video from the interview with the jewish telegraphic agency. The cultural transformation of soviet jews between 1917 and 1941 was one of the most ambitious experiments in social engineering of the past century. The most widely recognized journal in its field, ajh focuses on every aspect of the american jewish experience. Special guest is christa whitney, a produced and interviewer and director of the yiddish book centers wexler oral history project in amherst ma. About the center for the history of business, technology. Harold bloom dreamed in yiddish until his death the.
Yiddish jewish digital collections and jewish study guides. This site is made possible with support from the jim joseph foundation, which is devoted to fostering compelling, effective jewish learning experiences for youth and young adults in the u. An online image collection and catalog of 15,000 fragments will eventually hold nearly 30,000 images. The national yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by macarthur fellow aaron lansky, who continues to lead the organization as its president. Harold bloom dreamed in yiddish until his death jewish. American jewish farming communities yiddish book center. Oral history films christa whitney, director of the centers wexler oral history project, will screen and then discuss two short films from the projects beyond the books series showcasing yiddish literary figures and their descendants. From religious traditions to secular practices, from initimate family matters to public historical events and issues, the vast body of yiddish folksong reflects lyrically on a variety topics.
Creating enhanced access to wexler oral history project interviews. Yiddish book centers wexler oral history project interview with velvel pasternak. Wexler oral history project of the yiddish book center, amherst, massachusetts. The yiddish book center is a nonprofit institution, and its programs are funded by contributions from over 30,000 as of 2005 members, and gifts and grants. The steven spielberg digital yiddish library includes more than 11,000 yiddish titles available to read online or download free of charge. As a field fellow for the centers wexler oral history project, she has recorded yiddish students, scholars, artists, and native speakers in five different. And follow the wexler oral history project on facebook, twitter, and instagram to view these clips and more from the project. All his life, harold bloom dreamed in yiddish the jewish. In addition to rescuing endangered yiddish books, the center is now working to restore the vast cultural side of jewish life, with new initiatives in digitization, translation, oral history, and, above all, educational ventures for high school students, college students. National yiddish book center in amherst, ma librarything. It is one of ten western massachusetts museums constituting the museums10 consortium. University of california santa cruz regional history project. Whitney director, wexler oral history project yiddish. At the jewish community center, judy worked in the.
Carole renard neh oral history project assistant at national yiddish book center northampton, massachusetts 157 connections. Corona xcr yiddish typewriter jewish historical society. In what likely was one of blooms last interviews, taped only a few weeks before his death, he spoke with the yiddish book center for its wexler oral history project. Selected collections and spotlights from the wexler oral history project. Women of valor see the exhibit on gertrude weil, made possible by a group of smith alumnae, on the women of valor website, which features stories of 16 trailblazing jewish women. Velvel pasternak was interviewed by hankus netsky on august 15, 2011 at his home in new york.
Wexler oral history project of the yiddish book center home. This books quirky, unusual translations many of them culled from the yiddish book centers collection will make you feel that loss more acutely. Anna shternshiss fascinating study traces the creation of a soviet jewish identity that disassociated jewishness from judaism. Yiddish book center receives major neh grant for oral.
The yiddish book center in amherst, massachusetts, has received a major grant from the national endowment for the humanities to support its wexler oral history project, a growing collection of. Primary sources jewish studies libguides at arizona. See more ideas about jewish history, theatre and typography poster. Since 2010, the yiddish book center s wexler oral history project has recorded more than 500 indepth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of yiddish language and culture. It provides access to more than 20 million documents and 50,000 books, photographs, art and artifacts that reflect the history of the jewish presence in the united states from 1654 to the present. To see the full interview and learn more about the. The wexler oral history project is a growing collection of indepth video interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories offer a rich and. Professor rojanski moves on to recount how she became a scholar specialized in political and cultural history of east european immigrant society. The yiddish book centers wexler oral history project. Bjhi provides a central database for brooklyn jewish oral history and welcomes your contributions. Velvel pasternak, musicologist and major publisher of jewish music, talks about jewish music. The project is particularly interested in how yiddish language and culture inform jewish. Founded in 1892 as publications of the american jewish historical society pajhs, it was later published as. As a speaker of yiddish, she shares her passion for the language and translates and teaches it as well.
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