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1. Interview with Alan Stiegler (1925-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Stiegler, Alan, 1925-?
Date Created:
2009-06-13
Description:
In this interview, Alan Stiegler gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan, World War II veteran and legal practitioner. He was born in 1925 and raised in Minneapolis. His family background in is Russia and he describes some of their stories that involve working in a sweatshop in St. Paul and homesteading in North Dakota. Stiegler describes how he was drafted at age 18 to fight in World War II, how he began specialized training but wound up in general infantry, having experienced some anti-Semitism. He describes how he fought through the Siegfired Line and the Battle of the Bulge, encountering new rocket propelled bombs developed by the Germans, and tells a story about how he was injured by a roadside bomb. In addition, he describes his life occupying Germany after the war and his subsequent career as a medical mal practice lawyer in great detail. He tells specific stories of anti-Semitism in Minnesota and North Dakota during his law career. He concludes with a description of his personal life after retirement and his family. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest World War II Veterans Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

2. Interview with Allen Oleisky (1938-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Oleisky, Allen, 1938-?
Date Created:
2008-10-20
Description:
In this interview, Judge Allen Oleisky gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He was born in 1938 in Pierre, SD, to immigrant parents from Lithuania and Poland. Oleisky gives family background, describes their move to Minneapolis and gives an account of his childhood, which includes a description of the North Side. Oleisky describes work at a Jewish camp in Wisconsin and attending the University of Minnesota. He discusses the law school, working in law firms and activity in the Minnesota DFL party. His concludes his account of his life by describing how he was appointed Judge by Governor Anderson, which is also discussed from the Jewish perspective. The two conclude with a dialogue regarding the role of Jewish values in practicing law and community activism, mentioning the Jewish Historical Society and the National Jewish Fund. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

3. Interview with Arthur Weisberg, Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Creator:
Weisberg, Arthur
Date Created:
2006-08-07
Description:
In this interview, Arthur Weisberg gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He recalls grew up on the North Side of Minneapolis and how his father was a dentist who ended up as an investor. Weisberg goes on to describe his time at North High, becoming a journalist in central Minnesota, working in the film industry in Minneapolis, and finally attending Minneapolis Law School (now William Mitchell) during the late 1940s. Weisberg tells about how he subsequently worked for Dorsey law firm and how he was active in community service. The two talk about notable people at virtually every stage of his life, with particular attention to Jewish culture in law and business in Minnesota. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

4. Interview with Elliot Kaplan (1936-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:
Kaplan, Elliot, 1936-?
Date Created:
2009-08-11
Description:
In this interview, Elliot Kaplan gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He gives a narrative of his life, which includes the circumstances of his birth to grocers on the East Side of St. Paul, growing up in Highland Park, attending Randolph Heights and Central High School, being president of Hillel while attending the University of Minnesota for seven years, and enlisting in the Army Reserve. The conversation moves to Jewish law firms in the 1960s, to working with numerous Jewish and non-Jewish organizations such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the University of Minnesota Fund. The interview concludes with changes in the legal community since the 1960s, particularly for Jewish lawyers, and implementing Jewish values and ethics into Kaplan's legal and personal life. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

5. Interview with Felix Phillips, Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Philips, Felix
Date Created:
2008-08-25
Description:
In this interview, Felix Phillips gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. Felix was born in Minneapolis, and raised in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Giving a brief family history, he explains that his grandparents were from Poland and father was well established in New York City. He describes a bit of his Jewish childhood and raises the issue of anti-Semitism on the south side of Minneapolis where he attended Washburn High School. The conversation moves to his experience at the University of Minnesota School of Law, his experience there, and how he was influenced to pursue a career in law. Phillips recalls how he later joined Maslon law firm, and the two discuss the difficulties of being a Jewish lawyer, how Jewish lawyers were perceived, and draw a distinction between Jews in the Minneapolis Athletic Club versus the St. Paul Athletic Club. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

6. Interview with Howard Gelb, World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:
Gelb, Howard
Date Created:
2005-08-11
Description:
Howard Gelb, a senior Jewish lawyer in the Twin Cities and also a veteran of World War II, discusses in this interview his family history, his father's interests, his childhood in Minneapolis, family, education, military experience, legal work (real estate), US Attorney work, prominent political associations, social clubs and values all from a Jewish Minnesotan perspective. This interview was conducted by Brian M. Krasnow as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest World War II Veterans Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

7. Interview with Ken Tilsen, Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Hudson, Wisconsin

Creator:
Tilsen, Ken
Date Created:
2009-06-22
Description:
In this interview, Ken Tilsen gives a brief account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and lawyer, touching also on Minnesota politics. He was born in Leipzig, North Dakota, to parents of eastern European heritage. An account is given as to why Jews immigrated to rural North Dakota. He gives family history and early memories of growing up in the predominately Jewish Selby-Dale neighborhood. The discussion turns to a variety of topics, including Ken's political activism in the 1960s before and after law school and his connections with a number of notable people and organizations. The interview amounts to a narrative about Minnesota's legal and political history during this time from his perspective and that of his associates. Further discussions involve HUAC, Jewish legal practice, and community activism. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

8. Interview with Larry Katz (1933-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Katz, Larry, 1933-?
Date Created:
2008-12-20
Description:
In this interview, Larry Katz gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and lawyer. He describes how he grew up in the predominately Jewish Selby-Dale area of St. Paul, MN, having been born in 1933. Katz recalls that his father was a Jewish Orthodox grocer who had settled on the West Side, giving a with a description of the neighborhood at the end of the Depression. He went to Webster and St. Alban's elementary schools, followed by Central High School and finally the University of Minnesota for law. Katz describes his experience in law school, the difficulty of finding a firm, issues in law practice and ethics in law all from a Jewish perspective. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

9. Interview with Lawrence Cohen, Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:
Cohen, Lawrence
Date Created:
2008-11-24
Description:
In this interview, Judge Lawrence Cohen, mayor of St. Paul during the 1970s, gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan, politician and legal practitioner. Cohen recounts that he was born in St. Paul and has always lived in the western part of the city. He continues talking about how his father was a merchant who sold general wares. Cohen mentions that he belonged to Temple of Aaron, Talmud Torah, St. Paul Central, and the University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota School of Law, where he also belong to a Jewish fraternity. Cohen continues giving an account of his life, giving details about his law practice, his involvement in the Young Democratic Family Labor Party, his association with Hubert H. Humphrey and work as county commissioner. A discussion follows about Jews and politics in Minnesota. They discuss the differences between St. Paul and Minneapolis from a religious and Jewish perspective. Finally, the two discuss how Judaism affected Cohen's work throughout the years. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

10. Interview with Marvin Borman (1923-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Borman, Marvin, 1923-?
Date Created:
2009-09-15
Description:
In this interview, recognized leader in the Minneapolis community Marvin Borman gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan, war veteran, and legal practitioner. He was born in Indianapolis in 1923 and attended the University of Michigan in 1940 as president of the Zeta Beta Tau Jewish Fraternity. Borman describes how his family owned a dry goods business in a poor part of Indianapolis. He recalls how entered the Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor, and how after service he entered Harvard Law School and relocated to Minnesota due to marriage. Borman explains that he worked for various firms as a business litigation lawyer, and that later in his career he became a community leader as president of the Minneapolis Club, head of the Art Institute, the University of Minnesota Foundation and others. Each phase of his life is discussed in the Jewish and anti-Semitic context. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

11. Interview with Mel Burnstein (1933-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:
Burnstein, Mel, 1933-?
Date Created:
2008-01-19
Description:
In this interview, Mel Burnstein gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He was born in 1933 and raised in St. Paul by Russian Jewish parents. He discusses some family history related to Russia and St. Paul, growing up in St. Paul in Highland Park, and some details about the West Side of St. Paul. He started in Maddox Elementary, then Central High School, University of Minnesota (accounting, fraternity, R.O.T.C.) United States Navy (supply corps in Athens, GA, world tour), State Public Examiner's Office (accounting), University of Minnesota Law School, various law firms (business, tax and banking law), and banks in Minnesota. Anti-Semitism, the Jewish perspective, and racism are the main themes covered in this interview, especially in the military and law world. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

12. Interview with Mel Orenstein (1926-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Orenstein, Mel, 1926-?
Date Created:
2009-01-04
Description:
In this interview, Mel Orenstein gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He was born in 1926 on the North Side of Minneapolis and moved to the Selby-Dale neighborhood of St. Paul in 1938. He recalls that his father was from Russia and homesteaded in North Dakota. Orenstein gives additional family background, involving farming in northern Wisconsin as well as business in the Twin Cities. Orenstein explains that after Central High School he went into the Navy and then the University of Minnesota--which he quit in order to enter into family business --and then re-enrolled for law school. He discusses law school and practicing law from a Jewish perspective, answering questions about anti-Semitism. Orenstein discusses his involvement in a supreme court case regarding Marathon Oil, which is discussed at length. The conversation ends with a discussion of Jewish values in the practice of law and involvement in the local Jewish community. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

13. Interview with Morris Sherman (1935-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Sherman, Morris, 1935-?
Date Created:
2008-07-24
Description:
In this interview, Morris Sherman gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He was born in Minneapolis in 1935 to immigrant parents from Romania, about which he gives further detail. Sherman recalls being raised on the North Side of Minneapolis and discusses his family's haberdashery, giving some description of the North Side at the time along with an account of his Jewish childhood there. He recalls his admittance into Harvard College and the circumstances surrounding Jewish admittance and his subsequent admission into Harvard Law School. Sherman then goes on to discuss the difficulties some Jews experienced in finding work in the legal profession. While attending the London School of Economics on a fellowship, he was drafted into the Army Reserve and returned to Minneapolis. The interview is concluded with a discussion of Jewish firms, the Jewish legal community in Minnesota, Jewish values in legal practice, and community involvement. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

14. Interview with Myron Bright (1919-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Bright, Myron, 1919-?
Date Created:
2010-03-09
Description:
Myron Bright was a federal judge in the state of Minnesota. In this interview, he gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. Bright was born in 1919 in Eveleth, Minnesota. He explains how his Jewish Orthodox father was possibly a fisherman in Russia near the Black Sea, who deserted the Russian Army near Germany, fled to London, then Canada, then Duluth where he worked in the shipyards, later becoming a clothing merchant. Judge Bright discusses more family history and moves into Jewish life growing up on the Iron Range in great detail. He recounts how people on the Iron Range valued education. Therefore he went into Junior College in Eveleth. Bright remembers moving on to the University of Minnesota for Pre Law and then onto the law school there. He speaks about the Jewish experience and anti-Semitism in law school and later as a lawyer in Fargo. A contrast is drawn between light anti-Semitism on the Iron Range and North Dakota with the heavier anti-Semitism of Minneapolis. Bright gives details about the Jewish community in Fargo, along with practicing law and politics there in the 1950s. He concludes with how he became a federal judge and his views on race and religion. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

15. Interview with Roberta Levy (1937-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Levy, Roberta, 1937-?
Date Created:
2008-11-25
Description:
In this interview, Roberta Levy gives an account of her life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. She was born in 1937 in Philadelphia to Russian immigrant parents who were persecuted abroad. Recalling her early life, she describes how her father had a store in Philadelphia and was a committed Socialist/Zionist. She gives a description of her childhood as a Jew in North Philadelphia, and mentions attending Gratz College and Temple University. Levy explains how her husband taught law school and took a job teaching at the University of Minnesota School of Law, causing her some anxiety due to rumors of Anti-Semitism in Minneapolis. She recalls enrolling in law school while her husband was on the faculty, how was the only woman, and describes the difficulty of finding a firm because she was both Jewish and female. Levy continues by describing her later career in a Jewish law firm and public defender, and how she was nearly appointed to the state supreme court by Rudy Perpich. Levy concludes her life story with how she became a district court judge functioning in that capacity between 1978 and 2002, including many stories from the period. The conversation closes with a discussion about the relationship between Judaism and the study of law. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

16. Interview with Ron Meshbesher (1933 - ?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Meshbesher, Ron, 1933-?
Date Created:
2009-07-08
Description:
Ron Meshbesher, one of the most well known lawyers in Minnesota, here gives an account of his career with special attention afforded to his major cases, the Jewish law community in Minnesota and anti-Semitism in the law community in general. He was born in 1933 and raised in North Minneapolis. He gives his family background and a description of North Minneapolis at the time, including some talk about racism and the riots in the 1960s. Meshbesher tells stories about law school at the University of Minnesota and the Jewish students there, mentioning one of his classmates was Walter Mondale, and continues to explain how he became a personal injury/criminal defense lawyer, along with issues associated such as Jewish values and representing African Americans. The cases discussed are the Congdon murder and Piper kidnapping. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories

17. Interview with Sheldon Kaplan (1915-?), Judges and Lawyers Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:
Kaplan, Sheldon, 1915-?
Date Created:
2008-04-21
Description:
In this interview, Sheldon Kaplan gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan, legal practitioner and veteran of World War II. In his account of his life, Kaplan describes the circumstances of his birth on the North Side of Minneapolis to Lithuanian parents who were in wholesale produce, attending Lincoln Junior High, the University of Minnesota, Columbia Law in New York, practicing civil law in New York, joining the Military Police and helping refugees escape from Europe, working as a lawyer on wartime termination contracts, and finally working as a lawyer with Kaplan, Edelman and Kaplan, specializing in tax law, trusts, estates, and civil law, representing such clients as the Minnesota Vikings. He sees Jewish and non-Jewish lawyers integrating more and more. This interview was conducted by Helen Rubenstein as a part of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Jewish Judges and Lawyers History Project.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:
Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:
Oral histories
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