We had a wonderful conversation with Carolyn Shapiro of Rockville, MD. This was perhaps our most informal Yiddish taping, complete with lots of laughing and an outburst of song.
Hilda Rubin has, to date, been the most helpful advocate YiddishLives has had. She put us in touch with a huge array of very wonderful Yiddish speakers in the Maryland/D.C. area. We owe her a huge debt of thanks.
She is also, herself, a walking history book of Yiddish in the U.S. with vast knowledge of the Bronx Co-operatives, Yiddishists, theatre folks, actors, singers, and on and on. We were very lucky to get these recordings.
During a trip to NY, we met with Flo Stofsky with her daughter Susan. She spoke with us about the Coops in the Bronx, what it was like growing up there, the physical layout both inside and out, the social atmosphere, and some of the history that effected the people who lived there.
Pictures of the Interview and of the Coops from 2009 follow.
Jack (Jacob) Moskowitz grew up speaking and surrounded by Yiddish. We caught up with him in Washington D.C. and he related some stories from his youth. He’s a fun, laid back guy, with a great sense of humor.
Harvey Spiro is one of the leaders of Yiddish of Greater Washington. Getting him to be recorded was no small task. He seems himself more as an organizer and a student. And yet, there’s a lot to learn from talking with Harvey. He represents some of the next generation Yiddish preservers and organizers. He’s dedicated a lot of time and energy to learning Yiddish properly, which is something few people have the wherewithall to to. He is also a very respected member of the Yiddish community in the D.C. area.
Rita lives in Rockville Maryland and is part of Die Freyliche Knaidlach. She is both a singer and a Yiddishist for the group.
It was after working with Rita that we realized why it was so important to preserve these stories in Yiddish itself. Listening to her describe her experiences as a little child in the language that it actually occurred in was something remarkable. It was as if we were transported back to those events as they were happening.
Perhaps more important, though, is to notice her smile. How can someone who lived through such a time in history ever smile again? And yet, there she is. Not only does she have a wide open smile for us now, she tells about the fun she always looked for as a kid, even in the camps. These stories are treasures from a woman who is herself one of our treasures.
To see more of Rita,why not check out Die Freyliche Knaidlach?
Sarita Zimmerman comes from Buenos Aires. We met her in Washington D.C. at the Yiddish reading group meeting. Hearing her speak Yiddish is a great reminder of what a global language Yiddish was and remains to this day.
Herman Taube on Being a Journalist and a Poet
Herman Taube’s Role with Yiddish Organizations
Michael has dediated a large portion of his life to language and literature. He shares with us a few favorite poems and discusses their relevence with his experience as well as talks a little about the uniqueness of certainly literary constructs and techniques.
The clip begins with a description of Sibera that may be surprising. We then hear the polits and laws that lead to his family’s ability to leave Siberia and move eventually back to Poland. Finally, we experience the return to Poland through his eyes, what remained and what life was like there, still as a child.
Dr. Michael Rosenbush has studied and taught a large range of lanuages the majority of his life. This particular clip starts with questions of region and politics, but re-focuses almost immediately to what he really cares about: language.
Milt Putterman speaking about his life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Roz Katz speaking about her life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Fira Liebovich speaking about her life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Mikhoyel Basherives speaking about his life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Shirley Dolowitz speaking about her life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Perl Cutler speaking about her life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Eric Edelstein speaking about his life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Irving Newman speaking about his life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Belle Ganapoler speaking about her life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Ralph Cutler speaking about his life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
Luisa Smith, from San Jose, CA. shares stories from her life.
Listen to how her parents survived the war, the refugee camps, how she grew up in New York, and studied at Der Arbiter Ring (Workman’s Circle).
Luisa sings some Yiddish songs and explains the impact they had on her life.
Luisa Smith and Eric Edelstein have a chat about her family.
