Contributing Organization: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives

1. Interview with Esther Sirott and Ethel Levy, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project Phase 1, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Sirott, Esther, 1908-1993; Levy, Ethel, 1904-1982
Date Created:: 1978-05-04
Description:: Audio file of an interview with Esther Sirott and Ethel Levy conducted by Steve Foldes and Shirley Milgren. Esther Sirott was born in Lithuania and settled with her father and brothers on lower West Side of St. Paul. Ethel Levy was born in Iowa and lived briefly on the West Side of St Paul before moving with her family to a dairy farm where her father hired out as a tenant farmer. In the interview, the women discuss life on the West Side of St Paul, including employment opportunities for Jews, Jewish Socialists, keeping kosher, Jewish neighborhoods and social strata and the meaning of Yiddishkite. The interview is part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, Phase 1. The location of the interview is unknown: the interviewers are Steve Foldes (SF) and Shirley Milgram (SM).A PDF version of the transcript available at http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm4/pdf-assets/jhs-sirott-levy.pdf
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

2. Interview with Joseph Leibman, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project Phase 1, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Leibman, Joseph
Date Created:: 1976-01
Description:: Leibman's account of his journey to the United states and experiences entering the country, traveling by train to St Paul to join his brother, his first home on the Lower West Side and a detailed description of the neighborhood. A PDF version of the transcript available at http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm4/pdf-assets/jhs-leibman.pdf
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

3. Interview with Sylvia Peilen, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project Phase 1, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Sylvia Peilen, 1896-1986
Date Created:: 1978
Description:: Audio file of an interview with Sylvia Peilen conducted by Ann Greenberg. The interview includes: Peilen family history, including growing up on the East side and moving to the West side of St. Paul; Jewish-gentile relations; Sylvia Peilen's schooling and early employment history. Peilen also recalls her work with several different community service organizations, including Sholom Home, Youth Allyah, United Jewish Fund, the St Paul Jewish Community Center and Temple of Aaron.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

4. Interview with Dr. Irwin Epstein, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project Phase 1, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Epstein, Irwin, 1900-1986
Date Created:: 1978-04-04
Description:: Audio file of an interview with Irwin Epstein conducted by Laia Berstein. The interview includes: Epstein's experiences growing up in St. Paul; schooling; religious education; and medical school.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

5. Interview with Lena Senensky, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project Phase 1, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Lena Senensky, 1893-1984
Date Created:: 1977-07-13
Description:: Audio file of an interview with Lena Senensky conducted by Lois Devitt. The interview includes: family history in Russia and immigration to the United States; daily life on St Paul's Lower West Side; creation and early years of the Jewish Home for the Aged.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

6. Interview with Debra Stone (1952 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Stone, Debra, (1952 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-22
Description:: In this interview, Debra Stone (1952 - ) begins by giving some family background as it relates to St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In doing so, she tells briefly the story of her Communist father in Minnesota and the interesting circumstances which lead to both sides of her family settling in the Twin Cities area. As an African American, she talks of racial integration as it occurred on the North Side of Minneapolis where she grew up, Jewish life, school on the North Side, reasons for moving from the North Side to Saint Louis Park, school experience in Saint Louis Park, and class issues within Jewish society. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

7. Interview with Samuel Stern (1952 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Stern, Samuel, (1952 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-13
Description:: In this interview, Samuel Stern (1952 - ) gives his personal background which included living in Highland Park, St. Paul, education at Carleton College, UCLA, and law school at Washington University in St. Louis. Stern's family settles in Saint Louis Park, and he discusses that community at length, including people, neighborhoods, synagogues and schools. Stern reflects on Hebrew School, Jewish Youth Organizations, Anti-Semitism, and socio-economic differences between neighborhoods. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

8. Interview with Theatrice "T" Williams (1934 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Williams, Theatrice, (1934 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-21
Description:: In this interview, Theatrice "T" Williams (1934 - ) gives his personal background and reasons for arriving in Minneapolis in the 1960s as a social worker on the North Side. Williams describes his relationship with the Phyllis Wheatley Center (director from 1965 - 1972) within the context of the American civil rights movement. The race riots on Plymouth avenue and other issues are explored in the context of the Jewish community, local politics and community organizations or initiatives such as the Urban Coalition. The interview concludes with a reflection on the North Side of Minneapolis as it is today and the construction of I-94. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

9. Interior view of Mount Zion Temple synagogue during its construction, St. Paul, Minnesota

Date Created:: 1950 - 1960
Description:: Interior view of fourth Mount Zion Temple synagogue, with several empty chairs and people standing and socializing. This photograph was taken during the construction of the building in the 1950s.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Still Image
Format:: Black-and-white photographs

10. Interview with Sam Malinsky (1920-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Creator:: Malinsky, Sam, 1920-?
Date Created:: 2005-06-13
Description:: In this interview, Sam Malinsky gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in 1920 in Minneapolis to an Orthodox Jewish family who attended Mikro Kodesh synagogue. Malinsky went to Hebrew High School and describes poor Jewish life during the 1930s. He talks about what he knew about what was going on in Europe at the time and how he was drafted. Malinsky describes basic training and a boat ride to Barry, Scotland, where his company took enemy fire, and landing at Utah Beach on D-Day under heavy enemy fire. On the way to Belgium he describes infantry life in the woods and how he was shot by a sniper in Paris. After the war, Malinsky became an insurance agent and talks of his support for the state of Israel. 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

11. Interview with Rose Godes, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Godes, Rose
Date Created:: 1982-11-29
Description:: In this interview, Rose Godes gives her account of her involvement in the Jewish community in St. Paul and some of its history. The interview covers the early history of the Daughters of Abraham, which was closely associated with the work of the Jewish Home for the Aged, and financing various initiatives for assisting the aged. This interview was conducted by Annette Mack as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

12. Interview with Daniel Heilcher (1923-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, Minnetonka, Minnesota

Creator:: Heilcher, Daniel, 1923-?
Date Created:: 2005-04-15
Description:: In this interview, Daniel Heilcher gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in 1923 and raised on the North Side of Minneapolis. Heilcher gives a description of his Jewish childhood on the North Side, and explains how he entered the service with the Air Corps Cadets, training in various places around the country, including St. Paul. He remembers in the interview how he rode on bombers that landed in France and subsequently pushed forward to Paris where his unit worked to ferry supplies to the front lines. Toward the end of the war he traveled around Europe. Heilcher recalls the arrival back in the United States and his post war life. Much of the interview involves Heilcher's post-war record company that expanded almost nation-wide. He concludes with an account of his personal life and family after the war. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff 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

13. 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

14. Interview with Linn Firestone, (1916-?), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Firestone, Linn, 1916-?
Date Created:: 1984-10-15
Description:: In this interview, Linn Firestone gives an account of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations in Minnesota during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He explains how he got involved in organizations, his role within organizations and the roles of other prominent individuals. Firestone describes his Jewish family background and education in St. Paul before going on to describe his professional and non-professional activism, including information of numerous organizations, some of which he was president of and others where he sat on the board. Some examples of organizations include the Jewish Family Services, Mount Zion synagogue, the St. Paul Jewish Community Center in the 1950s, the United Fund in the 1960s and professional legal organizations and initiatives relating to anti-discrimination in the 60s and 70s. This interview was conducted by Jeanne Boutang as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

15. Interview with Edith Milavitz (1907-?), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Milavitz, Edith, 1907-?
Date Created:: 1978-03
Description:: In this interview, Edith Milavitz gives an account of her early life as a Jewish Minnesotan. She was born in 1907 in St. Paul of Russian immigrant parents. Milavitz speaks about how her father was a junk peddler and how her mother and family sold chickens from the front yard of their St. Paul home on the West Side. The majority of this interview is devoted to Milavitz's life as a child and young adult. Special consideration is paid to her family and Jewish life, but other topics are covered as well, such as popular music and local politics. This interview was conducted by Judy Aronson as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

16. Interview with Adeline Fremland, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Fremland, Adeline
Date Created:: 1978-04-17
Description:: In this interview, Adeline Fremland (Tendser) gives an account of her early life as a Jewish Minnesotan. She was born in Mankato, Minnesota to Maurice Tendser and Fanny Silverman, who were Russian immigrants. She discusses how they came through Canada in the late 1800s, living at first in a log cabin, and describes how Maurice peddled merchandise to farms in Minnesota, eventually settling in Mankato. There he set up a store and arranged for other immigrants to do the same, although in different Minnesota towns. Fremland discusses Mankato life, how there were few Jews, and how the family used to take the train up to St. Paul, Minnesota, where they soon after opened up a shop. She discusses riding the streetcar, other Jewish families in business, life in Jewish neighborhoods such as the West Side, high school rivalries, Selby-Dale neighborhood, Crocus Hill, Irving School, Central High School, Hebrew School and Temple of Aaron, Zionist organizations, the National Jewish Fund, Jewish debate teams in high school, and working after high school. This interview was conducted by Ellen Lipschultz as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

17. Interview with Abe Calmenson, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Calmenson, Abe
Date Created:: 1978 - 1983
Description:: In this interview, Abe Calmenson gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan. He describes involvement in the early Zionist movement around the United States and what was then Palestine. While there Calmenson co-founded the Jerusalem School of Music. Topics associated with Zionism in this interview were the ZLA, Theodore Herzl, and Henrietta Zoild. The bulk of the interview is however devoted to Calmenson's family and his life in the early 20th century on the East Side of St. Paul, with special consideration given to his father who was a scrap peddler. This interview was conducted by an unknown interviewer as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

18. Interview with Marvin Jacobson (1926-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, Mendota Heights, Minnesota

Creator:: Jacobson, Marvin, 1926-
Date Created:: 2006-02-07
Description:: In this interview, Marvin Jacobson gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in Duluth, 1926, and recalls that he was raised in St. Paul by Zionist parents. Jacobson tells the story of how he graduated at age sixteen and entered military employment as a civilian. He continues to explain that at age seventeen, he enlists in the Navy, and after training around the United States, was stationed in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor occurred. He describes his life in Hawaii inspecting and repairing equipment and moves on to post-war life in St. Paul as an electrical engineer, having been educated at the University of Minnesota. This interview was conducted by Laura Savin 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

19. 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

20. Interview with Leonard Parker (1922-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, Minnetonka, Minnesota

Creator:: Parker, Leonard, 1922-?
Date Created:: 2006-06-12
Description:: In this interview, Leonard Parker discusses in some detail how as an infantryman in World War II, he was among the few first Allied soldiers to arrive at the Dachau Concentration Camp in southern Germany. Parker gives an account of his life and relationship to Minnesota from a Jewish perspective. He was born in Poland, 1922 to Russian Orthodox, Zionist parents. Before this, Parker describes his early childhood memories as an Orthodox Jew in Milwaukee. He enlisted to serve in the military, and because of high casualties he was assigned to the Army in a specialized unit. Parker completed some training in civil engineering in Minnesota before departing for southern France, where he became a platoon leader, for eight months of combat at the end of the war. His platoon over time suffered greatly. Parker recalls life in foxholes, fighting along the Siegfried Line before liberating Dachau. After the war he returned to Minnesota to fulfill a promise to a fallen comrade and ended up staying to attend architecture school. Subsequently Parker did graduate work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and designed buildings around the country and around the world. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff 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

21. Interview with Joe Garelick, World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Garelick, Joe
Date Created:: 2006-05-11
Description:: In this interview, Joe Garelick gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in West St. Paul and trained to be an aviator in the Army Air Force as a gunner during World War II. Garelick discusses how after training in various places in the United States, he ended up on a bomber crew over Germany during the height of the war. He supplies story after story of vivid detailing of the nuts and bolts of his job, missions and social life during this period. Garelick also gives in great detail stories about his post war life in St. Paul, Minnesota. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. Interview with Sherman Richter (1924- ?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Creator:: Richter, Sherman, 1924-?
Date Created:: 2005-06-03
Description:: In this interview, Sherman Richter gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in 1924 to an Orthodox Jewish family in North Minneapolis. Richter discussed leaving North High early to enlist in the Marine Corps, being somewhat aware of the Jewish situation in Europe in the early 1940s. He was trained in California to operate a machine gun at the age of nineteen and gives some account of the culture there in regards to Judaism. Richter describes fighting in the South Pacific on various Islands such as Majuro. After World War II he returned to the North Side and operated at a bakery which later became the Lincoln Deli. Richter gives a description of this time and place from the Jewish perspective. He was drafted as a Marine to Korea and left his family for fierce fighting, mentioning the "Nightmare Alley' and other encounters with North Koreans and Chinese. Having been injured, Richter received several medals and memorabilia. 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

25. Interview with Walter Schwartz (1921-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Schwartz, Walter, 1921-?
Date Created:: 2006-05-18
Description:: In this interview, Walter Schwarz gives an account of his life as a Jewish World War II veteran. He was born in Romania, 1921. Schwarz gives family background in Europe, explaining that his father had ties to Czechoslovakia in the textile industry. He describes his childhood in Europe and teenage years at high school in Czechoslovakia, where Nazi violence and intimidation found him after Germany invaded the country. Schwarz and his family ultimately leave to the United States through Italy destined for New York. Wishing to fight Germany, he attempts to enlist and is later drafted. Schwarz discusses his training in the United States, which involved learning how to interrogate prisoners. He discusses his activity overseas was mainly in France and Germany at the end of the War. Schwarz was able to visit relatives who survived Auschwitz, and concludes with explaining his post war life and connection to Minnesota. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff 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

26. Interview with Gerald Weinberg (1921-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Weinberg, Gerald, 1921-?
Date Created:: 2006-06-06
Description:: In this interview, Jerry Weinberg gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in 1921 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Weinberg explains that his father owned a hardware store on West 7th and an appliance store on Rice Street. He recalls his enlistment attempt during World War II with the army to be a teletype operator in the Philippines and later New Guinea. Weinberg discusses his memories here and tells his stories from a Jewish and Minnesotan perspective. He concludes the interview by talking about his post-war life in St. Paul working in the store on Rice Street, his family, and by showing Fay Kaye photographs and other wartime memorabilia. This interview was conducted by Fay Kaye 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

27. 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

28. Interview with Irwine Gordon, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Gordon, Irwine
Date Created:: 1982-10-10
Description:: In this interview, Irwine Gordon, president of the St. Paul Jewish Community Center in the 1940s, chair of the National Jewish Fund, and board member of the United Jewish fund, gives an account of some of the Jewish community initiatives in the Twin Cities. Additional topics covered in this interview include the Rosenthal family, funding initiatives devoted to Jewish education through a Social Planning Committee, the idea of building a Talmud Torah adjacent to the not yet built Temple of Aaron, the Kaplan Fund, and Jewish Community Cemetery administration. This interview was conducted by Phyllis Saltzman as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

29. Interview with Esther Brody (1906-?), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Brody, Esther, 1906-?
Date Created:: 1982-09-02
Description:: In this interview, Esther Brody discusses her early Jewish life in St. Paul and involvement in the Jewish community. She was born in 1906 to Rose and Isaac Weinstein, of Russia in St. Paul, in what is now called Lower Town, where she was raised. Brody recounts decades of work with Junior and Senior Hadassah, B'nai B'rith where she was president in the 1940s, National Jewish Welfare Board, Hillel, Young Judea, United Jewish Fund and the building of St. Paul JCC. The two conclude the interview by discussing Jewish events, people, fundraising and holidays during these years. This interview was conducted by Ruth Markowitz as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

30. Interview with Maxine Goldenberg, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Goldenberg, Maxine
Date Created:: 1984-10-01
Description:: In this interview, Maxine Goldenberg gives an account of some of the Jewish community initiatives taking place in the mid-20th century. She explains that she was on the board of the United Jewish Fund (St. Paul) in the 1950s and also the campaign chairman. Goldenberg mentions additionally that she served in several organizations in Duluth, which are covered in some detail during the interview. She also discusses the needs of St. Paul Jews at the time and how the National Jewish Fund was addressing them, such as Talmud Torahs and the Sholom Residence on Randolph Ave. They conclude by discussing the National Jewish Fund in greater detail, along with the role of women in the community at that time. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

31. 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

32. Interview with Lionel Greenberg (1921-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Greenberg, Lionel, 1921-?
Date Created:: 2005-09-27
Description:: In this interview, Lionel Greenberg gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He tells the dramatic story of how while as a navigator in the Army Air Corps during World War II, his B-24 collided with another B-24 over Bavaria. Miraculously surviving, Greenberg explains how he was taken prisoner for seven months and forced to march from prison to prison. The Russian Army liberated him from his final camp (Dulag Luft III), a place later depicted in the major motion picture The Great Escape. Greenberg's experience in Germany is described in great detail, with special emphasis on his Jewish perspective. He also explains the circumstances of his birth in Grafton, North Dakota, 1921, and how his poor Jewish family came to arrive there. Greenberg continues, describing his college experience at the University of Minnesota, subsequent jobs, enlisting in the Army Air Corps, training in Texas and Idaho, and the journey to Europe in detail. 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

33. 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

34. Interview with Kokie Goldenberg (1912-?), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Goldenberg, Kokie, 1912-?
Date Created:: 1983-08-29
Description:: In this interview, Kokie Goldenberg (Kalmen Goldenberg) gives a short account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and discusses related subjects. He was born in 1912 in Chisholm, Minnesota to Jacob E. and Esther Rosenfield, who immigrated from Russia. He discusses how Jacob was a Zionist and describes his many associations. Goldenberg then moves on to describe how the family moved to Duluth and did business as tobacco and candy wholesalers there and on the Iron Range. They moved to St. Paul in 1941. This interview covers Zionism, anti-Semitism, the United Palestine Appeal, the United Jewish Fund, B'nai B'rith, merging Talmud Torahs and Jewish education, the assimilation of Jews into American society, and a great deal about fundraising and charity. This interview was conducted by Andy Gellman as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

35. 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

36. Interview with Rosalind Simon, World War II Veterans Oral History Project. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Simon, Rosalind
Date Created:: 2007-01-29
Description:: In this interview, Rosalind Simon gives an account of her life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. Rosalind was born in Minneapolis and gives some details about her Jewish Minnesotan family. She explains that before World War II she was a social worker, and later married her husband that was a graduate of West Point. The married couple were stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii when it was bombed by the Japanese. Simon gives a detailed account of the bombing, including life before and after. She goes on to describe their later life and career in Minnesota, telling stories about her husband who eventually made the rank of colonel, how he headed a national program called Service Corps for Retired Executives, and worked for the Army Air Defense Command. Simon gives some details about these programs, Army administration, associated women's organizations and the lives of army wives. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff 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

37. 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

38. Interview with Harold Arenson (1922-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Arenson, Harold, 1922-?
Date Created:: 2006-10-9
Description:: In this interview, Harold Arenson gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in 1922 in St. Paul. Arenson explains the while attending the University of Minnesota he joined the Service as a combat engineer and eventually fought in France, Belgium and Germany. He suffered an injury but continued to serve after rehabilitation. Arenson tells stories abundantly about the war. He recounts his post-war experience partnering with his father on St. Paul's East Side, and raises the issue of Jews fighting war in general. This interview was conducted by Susan Hoffman 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

39. 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

40. 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

41. Interview with Irving Nathanson (1900-?), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Nathanson, Irving, circa 1900-?
Date Created:: 1978-04-05
Description:: In this interview, Irving Nathanson gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan. He explains how he was born around the turn of the 20th century to Morris and Jenny Nathanson, who left Chicago for Eveleth, Minnesota to be merchants. Nathanson continues, telling the story of how the family moved to St. Paul in the 1920s so that Irving could go to the University of Minnesota. He and his father than successfully started and operated an importing business which survived the Depression. Life in the 1920s is discussed at length, including home life, cars, neighborhoods in St. Paul (Crocus Hill, Grand Avenue, and possibly Rondo), Jewish businesses, temple, and family. This interview was conducted by Andy Gellman as a part of the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project focusing on the West Side Flats/Lower West Side Jewish community in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

42. 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

43. 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

44. 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

45. Interview with Louis Lerman, United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project Phase 1, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Lerman, Louis, 1894-1978
Date Created:: 1977-07-01
Description:: Lerman Family history; Lerman's work in the US Post Office and the railroads; getting into law school at the University of Minnesota and his many years of legal practice as a labor lawyer. Lerman was also involved with the St. Paul Workman's Circle, and discusses labor-related activities in the St. Paul Jewish community, including Labor-Zionism. A PDF version of the transcript available at http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm4/pdf-assets/jhs-lerman.pdf
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

46. 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

47. Interview with Joseph Brochin (1918-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Brochin, Joseph, 1918-?
Date Created:: 2005-07-05
Description:: In this interview, Joseph Brochin gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. Joe Brochin was born in 1918 and raised on the North Side of Minneapolis where his father operated a store. He discusses how he studied pharmacy at the University of Minnesota, enlisted in the military, and went to the South Pacific in combat infantry. He tells numerous stories about specific aspects of World War II. This interview was conducted by Diane Siegel 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

48. Interview with Sidney Feldman, World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Feldman, Sidney
Date Created:: 2006-02-22
Description:: In this interview, Sidney Feldman gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in St. Paul to Russian immigrant parents. Feldman gives a description of his childhood, basic training at Fort Knox, arriving in France twelve days after D-Day by boat, fierce combat in France and the living conditions, the journey towards the Battle of the Bulge, some recollection of the battle itself, his injury and Purple Heart and adjusting back home after the war. This interview was conducted by Fay Kaye 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

49. Interview with Jerry Sinykin (1925-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, Corona del Mar, California

Creator:: Sinykin, Jerry, 1925-?
Date Created:: 2006-03-06
Description:: In this interview, Jerry Sinykin recounts how he witnessed the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp (Dachau) as a Jewish Minnesotan member of the American infantry. He was born in St. Paul, 1925, and gives his family background and connection to Russia and North Dakota homesteading. Sinykin discusses how father was a manufacturer of cosmetics in St. Paul, and goes on to describe his Jewish childhood, answering questions about anti-Semitic hazing in junior high. He explains an attempt to enlist in the Navy Air Corps and that he was denied but was later drafted into the Army, receiving infantry and engineering training. Sinykin remembers how he crossed the Atlantic on a boat with Winston Churchill who addresses the men onboard. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge and Siegfried Line in the rear supplying the front, and recalls many stories illustrating the anxiety of battle. Sinykin describes his participation in the liberation of Dachau and Mauthausen concentration camps, depicting the scene with several anecdotes, all the while affording special attention to his perspective as a Jew and a Minnesotan. This interview was conducted by Linda Schloff 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

50. 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

51. Interview with Harold Specktor (1923-?), World War II Veterans Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Specktor, Harold, 1923-?
Date Created:: 2006-10-18
Description:: In this interview, Harold Specktor gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and World War II veteran. He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1923. Specktor explains that he joined in the Army as infantry and received training to be a combat engineer. He describes his training and subsequent combat along the Siegfried Line in Europe, giving specific information about combat and casualties in his unit, along with a description of his life during the occupation of Germany. Specktor concludes with a description of his post-war life in St. Paul as a carpenter building homes in the Highland Park area of St. Paul. This interview was conducted by Fay Kaye 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

52. 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

53. Interview with Amos Heilicher (1917 - ), Golden Valley, Minnesota

Creator:: Heilicher, Amos, (1917 - )
Date Created:: 2006-02-23
Description:: Businessman Amos Heilicher (1907 - ) grew up poor and Jewish in St. Paul, Minnesota, during the Depression. As a teenager he started a coin-operated machine company that later blossomed into several successful businesses, including a national retail record chain, real estate, banking, restaurants and more. This interview focuses on the history of Heilicher's business ventures during the Depression and post-WWII years, with special attention afforded to the retail record industry. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

54. Interview with Alex Tankenoff (1905 - ), Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Tankenoff, Alex, (1905 - )
Date Created:: 2005-08-29
Description:: Alex Tankenoff (1905 - ) grew up poor and Jewish in St. Paul, Minnesota, eventually owning a successful brewery and brewery equipment company. In this interview, the discussion follows Tankenoff's life story, brewery business and involvement in the Bremer Foundation of St. Paul, Minnesota. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

55. Interview with Ada Rubenstein (1917 - ), Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Rubenstein, Ada, (1917 - )
Date Created:: 1984-09-18
Description:: Ada Rubenstein (1917 - ) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; became involved with Jewish organizations at an early age and later took on several leadership positions. In this interview, the women discuss Rubenstein's career in community service and the community's needs at the time, with detailed discussion about various organizations such as Hadassah, the Council of Jewish Women, Sholom Residence, and the United Jewish Fund. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

56. Interview with Marion Herman (1912 - ), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Herman, Marion, (1912 - )
Date Created:: 1984-09-24
Description:: Marion Herman (1912 - ), native Russian and immigrant to St. Paul, Minnesota, begins this interview with a description of St. Paul Jewish neighborhoods and synagogues during the Depression years. The focus turns to Herman's involvement in various community organizations and fundraising initiatives, with discussion relating to the Capitol Fund Drive, Parent Teacher Association, Talmud Torah schools, area Hebrew schools and synagogues. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Harriet Kohen for the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

57. Interview with Sidney Lorber (1916 - ), Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Lorber, Sidney, (1916 - )
Date Created:: 1987
Description:: In this interview, Sidney Lorber (1916 - ) discusses the life and work of his friend and associate, Minneapolis lawyer and community leader Amos Deinard (graduate, University School of Law and Harvard Law School, 1920s). Mr. Deinard gained notoriety by taking leadership positions in a number of local and state organizations that spanned causes from anti -discrimination, Jewish immigrant welfare, Jewish-Christian relations and health concerns. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Chester Prochan in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

58. Interview with Harry Rosenthal (1897 - ), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Rosenthal, Harry, (1897 - )
Date Created:: 1977-03-08
Description:: In this interview, Harry Rosenthal (1897 - ), leader in the St. Paul, Minnesota Jewish community gives an account of his community involvement over a near sixty year period. Rosenthal recounts his early interest in Zionism and the beginnings of his involvement in Jewish communal affairs after World War I. He describes encounters with numerous internationally notable Zionists, pre -history of the United Jewish Fund, work with Hebrew schools, camps and numerous other Jewish organizations. The conversation moves to how Jewish traditions and values have changed over recent decades, transmission of values to younger generations, contemporary and historical Jewish life on a global scale, and the future of Judaism. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Morris Lapidos for the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

59. Interview with Mr. Edward L. Bronstein, Sr. (1903 - ), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, Palm Beach, Florida

Creator:: Bronstein, Edward, (1903 - )
Date Created:: 1982-03-28
Description:: Edward Bronstein (1903 - ) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, into a family of recent Jewish settlers from Prussia who were operating a local mattress factory. In this interview, Bronstein recalls the story of his family settling in St. Paul, describes the city with particular attention to different religious groups and their relations, as well as differences between various Jewish groups. The focus of the interview shifts to Bronstein's career fundraising for various civic and Jewish organizations starting in the 1920s and 30s. Special attention is afforded to Mount Zion synagogue, National Conference of Christians and Jews, United Jewish Fund (early history), United Charities, Jewish Charities and the Federation, as well as Zionism vs. non-Zionism in St. Paul. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Lois Devitt for the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

60. Interview with Harry Rosenthal (1897 - ), United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Rosenthal, Harry, (1897 - )
Date Created:: 1982-11-09
Description:: This interview investigates the life and activity of Harry Rosenthal (1897 - ), leader in the St. Paul, Minnesota Jewish community over a period of several decades. Rosenthal discusses his immigration story from Eastern Europe to New York City and then St. Paul, military activity in World War I, marriage to Rose Calmenson, his business and interest in Zionism. The focus of the interview moves to Young Judea and then the Jewish Education movement in the 1920s and 30s. Rosenthal discusses the establishment and improvement of Jewish schools in St. Paul along with some information about the history of other Jewish community establishments. He recounts his activity with the American Jewish Conference in New York City, the establishment of the state of Israel, and its impact upon the St. Paul Jewish Zionists. The interview concludes with Rosenthal describing the formation of the St. Paul Jewish Community Center and his second marriage. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Morris Lapidos for the United Jewish Fund and Council Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

61. Interview with Rabbi Kassel Abelson, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Abelson, Kassel
Date Created:: 1993-06-24
Description:: In this interview, Rabbi Kassel Abelson speaks of his life, times, and views regarding Judaism. Abelson spent over forty years as senior Rabbi at Beth El synagogue in North Minneapolis and later Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, serving as a leader in the community and as a developer of national Judaic programs and policy. Abelson recalls his family background, his childhood in Brooklyn, his education culminating in the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in the 1940s (a focus of discussion), his chaplaincy, his arrival and experience at Beth El, relocating to Saint Louis Park from Minneapolis' North Side and actions in setting Judaic policy. The focus of the interview, in addition to Abelson's personal narrative, is on his vision of American Judaism and how it was enacted through various programs and organizations, such as the United Synagogue Youth, in addition to his social justice principles exemplified by his participation in organizations such as the Urban Coalition 1960s on Minneapolis' North Side. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

62. Interview with Roz Baker (1923 - ), Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Baker, Roz, (1923 - )
Date Created:: 1999-06-24
Description:: In this interview, Roz Baker (1923 - ) gives an account of her life as a Jewish native of Minneapolis. She relates her family background which includes an immigration story to the United States from Russia through Cypress in 1915. She describes her childhood growing up Jewish in Minneapolis, relating memories of Labor-Zionist meetings, holiday traditions, school experience, working as a teenager during the Depression and various class distinctions among the larger Jewish community. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Ann Schulman in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

63. Interview with Rabbi Bernard Raskas (1924 -2010), St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Raskas, Bernard, (1924 -2010)
Date Created:: 2005-01
Description:: Rabbi Bernard Raskas (1924 - 2010), who led Temple of Aaron synagogue of St. Paul, Minnesota for 37 years, here gives a detailed account of his life and times as one of the most prominent leaders of the Twin Cities Jewish community. Highlights include meeting his wife and attending the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, the establishment of the new and prominent Temple of Aaron, his relations with other influential rabbis and the Minnesota DFL party, teaching religion at Macalester College in St. Paul, and how his vision of Judaism was enacted by programs and policies. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

64. Interview with Manual Ruder (1914 - ), St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Ruder, Manual, (1914 - )
Date Created:: 2002-09-12
Description:: In this interview, Manual (Mandy) Ruder (1914 - ) gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan. Special attention is afforded to his family background, including information about his Romanian and Zionist parents farming in Palestine, their settlement in North Dakota, and eventually settling with his mother in Minneapolis after the tragic death of his father. The focus moves to Ruder's childhood in a Romanian Orthodox community near downtown Minneapolis, roughly during the period of 1910 - 1920, to his education at the University of Minnesota in the 1930s, Navy career, career in American National Bank, and copious family details. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

65. Interview with Aaron Nathenson (1939 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Creator:: Nathenson, Aaron, (1939 - )
Date Created:: 2012-08-28
Description:: In this interview, Aaron Nathenson (1939 - ) gives an account of his life and some related history of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. He discusses how he was born in 1939 in North Minneapolis and raised there before studying ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota. Nathenson reflects on growing up Jewish in North Minneapolis, provides information about the neighborhoods racial tensions and demographics, Jewish schooling, his parents moving to Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, residency and military service, and later his relocating to Saint Louis Park and practice of ophthalmology. The interview concludes on the topic of Saint Louis Park Public schools and his connection to the city today. This interview was conducted by Jeanie Anderson, a volunteer for the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

66. Interview with Earl Schwartz (1953 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Schwartz, Earl, (1953 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-20
Description:: In this interview, Earl Schwartz (1953 - ) discusses his family background from Europe to settlement on Minneapolis's North Side and their practice of Judaism in the United States, with particular respect to his own experience. The interview transitions to a focus on his career as a Talmud Torah teacher and college professor. The conversation moves to black-Jewish relations on the North Side and class issues illustrated with many anecdotes, particularly with respect to Jewish businesses on Plymouth Avenue. Crime, urban renewal and civil rights are discussed at length against the background of and local events and personalities in the late 1960s. The interview concludes with a discussion of the porous relationship between the suburbs and the North Side, neighborhood covenants in Golden Valley, the building of I-94, and the North Side today. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

67. Interview with Ellen Roitenberg (1938 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Golden Valley, Minnesota

Creator:: Roitenberg, Ellen, (1938 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-12
Description:: In this interview, Ellen Roitenberg (1938 - ) discusses her Jewish family and their background on the North Side of Minneapolis. She discusses how difficult it was to get jobs, even as a trained professional, if you were Jewish. She talks of her father being a physician and the impact of the founding of Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis. The discussion turns to Jewish life on the North Side and subsequent migration to Saint Louis Park, class distinctions among Jews on the North Side, housing covenants and class distinctions in Saint Louis Park. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

68. Interview with Robert Levine (1951 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Levine, Robert, (1951 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-06
Description:: In this interview, Robert Levine (1951 - ) discusses moving to Saint Louis Park, Minnesota in the early 1950s and Jewish life there. The focus of the interview is on class and affluence in Saint Louis Park and the Jewish presence therein, but also touches upon Levine's parents and their role as owners of a supermarket chain, various local country clubs, Jewish teenage social groups and Saint Louis Park public schools. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

69. Interview with Avis Held (1948 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Golden Valley, Minnesota

Creator:: Held, Avis, (1948 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-06
Description:: In this interview, Avis Held (1948 - ) gives a short account of her experience growing up Jewish on the North Side of Minneapolis and subsequent move to Saint Louis Park, with particular attention devoted to the differences between school experience in the respective locales. Furthermore, the interview focuses on class differences among Jewish families in Saint Louis Park, social cliques in Saint Louis Park schools, and reasons for moving from the North Side to Saint Louis Park. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

70. Interview with Irving Stern (1928 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Yuma, Arizona

Creator:: Stern, Irving, (1928 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-15
Description:: In this interview, Irving Stern (1928 - ) gives his perspective as mayor of Saint Louis Park and Minnesota state senator on local politics, commercial and residential development, and Jewish issues during his years in public service. The beginning of the interview consists of Stern's journey to politics and family background, including historical information related to the Jewish community of Saint Louis Park. Particular topics discussed were the Planning Commission, campaigning, anti-Semitism and Minnesota state politics. The interview concludes with a discussion of the Jewish migration from the North Side to Saint Louis Park, local synagogues, Saint Louis Park schools and the Iron Range. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

71. Interview with Mark Swedlund (1950 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Plymouth, Minnesota

Creator:: Swedlund, Mark, (1950 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-26
Description:: In this interview, Mark Swedlund (1950 - ) discusses his father's building company Ecklund and Swedlund, which constructed homes in the western suburbs of Minneapolis during the period of returning World War II G. I.'s and immigration of Jewish families from North Minneapolis. Development and building are discussed within this historical and geographical context. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

72. Interview with Keith Meland (1938 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Meland, Keith, (1938 - )
Date Created:: 2012-09-07
Description:: Keith Meland (1938 - ) grew up in Saint Louis Park and was a long time city council member. In this interview, the history of the development of Saint Louis Park, city policies and goals regarding development and expansion of residential and commercial districts, Jewish immigration into the city during the 1960s and 70s, and relations between Jewish and non-Jewish are discussed. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

73. Interview with Kassel Abelson (1924 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Creator:: Abelson, Kassel, (1924 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-20
Description:: In this interview, Rabbi Kassel Abelson (1924 - ) discusses his personal background, the details regarding the move of Beth El synagogue from North Minneapolis to Saint Louis Park, and the social-historical context in which the move took place. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

74. Interview with Roger DeClercq (1922 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Bloomington, Minnesota

Creator:: DeClercq, Roger, (1922 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-19
Description:: In this interview, Roger DeClercq (1922 - ) gives his personal background, which includes World War II military service, an advanced degree from the University of Minnesota and landing a teaching job in Saint Louis Park. The discussion moves to schools and education in Saint Louis Park during the 1950s and 60s, including information about the new influx of Jewish students, theater productions and theater trips. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

75. Interview with Paul Roitenberg (1931 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Roitenberg, Paul, (1931 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-12
Description:: In this interview, Paul Roitenberg (1931 - ) gives his personal and family background, including information about a family grocery business. He gives reasons for why he moved from the North Side, along with some of his family members. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

76. Interview with Jim McNulty (1948 - ), Urban Exodus: St. Louis Park Oral History Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: McNulty, Jim, (1948 - )
Date Created:: 2012-02-03
Description:: In this interview, Jim McNulty (1948 - ) gives an account of personal history along with his family business's role in residential and commercial development in Saint Louis Park, Hopkins and Golden Valley. He describes the history of McNulty Construction Company, which included the development of Westwood Hills Golf Course, Virginia Circle and the Westwood Hills area. McNulty discusses the residential and commercial design, construction and development that his company was doing after World War II to accommodate the returning G.I.'s and those immigrating from Minneapolis. In addition, McNulty describes the relationship of the company to the city council. This discussion concludes with McNulty's thoughts in general about Saint Louis Park, in addition to his observations regarding socio-economic differences among the neighborhoods. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

77. Interview with Maurice Lazarus (1947 - ), Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Lazarus, Maurice, (1947 - )
Date Created:: 2012-06-29
Description:: In this interview, Maurice Lazarus (1947 - ) discusses his family background on the North Side of Minneapolis, his education, experience teaching, law school, family life and settlement in Mendota Heights. The discussion turns to his grandfather Zalmen Brochin and Brochin's, a notable store/delicatessen on the North Side. He then turns to race riots and the Jewish exodus to the western suburbs during the 1960s. Lazarus discusses the reasons for the exodus and provides examples. This interview was conducted by Jeff Norman, oral historian from California. "Urban Exodus: The Saint Louis Park Oral History Project" explores the post-World War II migration of Minneapolis's Jewish community from the city's North Side to the western suburb of Saint Louis Park. The 35 oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within and beyond the Jewish community, tell the complex story of how, from 1945 to 1970, Saint Louis Park became a major center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

78. Interview with Rabbi Yosi Gordon (1944 - ), Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Gordon, Rabbi Yosi (1944 - )
Date Created:: 1984-09-24
Description:: Rabbi Yosi Gordon (1944 - ) worked as Associate and Acting Principal of the Los Angeles Hebrew High School. In 1978 he came to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he directed the Talmud Torah for 12 years and helped open the Talmud Torah Day School, where he taught for many years. He taught courses in Jewish studies and literature at the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College and Hamline University. In this interview, Rabbi Gordon discusses the recent history of Jewish education initiatives in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Harriet Kohen in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

79. 1946-1947 List of Resorts that Select or Restrict Clientele, Duluth Jewish Council, Duluth, Minnesota

Date Created:: 1946-1947
Description:: A list of resorts in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada who have noted "restricted" or "selected" clientele as well as "gentiles only" in their current resort brochures. The first page is dated 1946 and other pages are stamped July 19, 1947.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Documents (other)

80. Anti-Semitic Letter: Response by Mrs. P. Braufman to Anti-Semitic letter from Underwriting Department of Citizens Fund Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Red Wing, Minnesota

Creator:: Braufman, Mrs. P.
Date Created:: 1931?
Description:: Mrs. Braufman's draft of a letter to R. H. Rehder over denial of insurance coverage. (See local identifiers MHS-D-593 and MHS-D-595.)
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

81. Anti-Semitic Letter: Response by Rabbi Herman Cohen of Temple of Aaron Synagogue to Mrs. P. Baurman, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Cohen, Rabbi Herman M.
Date Created:: 1931-10-05
Description:: Rabbi Herman Cohen's response to Mrs. P. Braufman's request to read her letter and advise as to its tone and content. (See local identifiers MHS-D-593 and MHS-D-594)
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

82. Anti-Semitic letter to Harry Goldie from the American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas

Creator:: Watson, W. O.
Date Created:: 1945-05-14
Description:: Letter written to Harry Goldie, principle developer of the Calhoun Beach Club building. Goldie was a Minnesota native and U of MN graduate. At the time this letter was written, Minneapolis was being referred to in the national press as the "Capitol of American Anti-Semitism." Jews in Minneapolis were denied membership in various associations, hospital admissions and were legally prohibited from purchasing homes in "covenanted" areas. Goldie's complex was eventually built, and Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale were among the guests at the club's opening.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

83. Congregation of the Russian Brotherhood, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Congregation of the Russian Brotherhood
Date Created:: 1890-12-10
Description:: A contract between the Russian Brotherhood synagogue and Joe Isololen regarding payment for congregation membership. Payment amounts are specified, and the congregant is assigned seat 35A in the synagogue building.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Contracts

84. Sophie Wirth Camp, White Bear Beach, White Bear, Minnesota

Date Created:: 1937
Description:: A brochure for Sophie Wirth Camp. Sophie Wirth Camp was founded in 1912 and sponsored by the St. Paul Section of the National Council of Jewish Women. Costs were kept down with N. C. J. W. subsidies, allowing low income children and their mothers a week of respite from heat and city life.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Programs

85. Fountain menu from Malcoff's Confectionary, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Malcoff's Confectionary
Date Created:: 1940?
Description:: Malcoff's Confectionery was a popular gathering place on the North Side for teens; University of Minnesota students; and people from the North Side neighborhood. It was one of four delicatessens in the Plymouth Avenue business area, in addition to Abe's, The Polar Grill, and H & S.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

86. Anti-Semitic letter: To agent from Underwriting Department of Citizens Fund Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Red Wing, Minnesota

Creator:: Rehder, R. H.
Date Created:: 1931-09-29
Description:: The first of a series of three letters concerning the denial of an insurance policy to a Jewish family in Perham, Minnesota. The letter was mailed to the insurance agent, who then submitted it to the Braufman family. (See local identifiers MHS-D-594 and MHS-D-595.)
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

87. Recipes for baked goods in English and Yiddish, Pillsbury's Cooking Service, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Ames, Mary Ellis
Date Created:: 1923
Description:: The pamphlet contains recipes for baked goods written in both Enlish and Yiddish. Special issues of these recipe booklets were issued in different languages to introduce non-English speakers to American products.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Booklets

88. Memorial service leaflet from Hodroff Funeral Temple, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Hodroff and Sons
Date Created:: 1940?
Description:: Text for memorial services, including prayers in English and Hebrew for fathers, mothers, and grandfathers and the Mourner's Kaddish in English and Hebrew with the Hebrew transliterated.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

89. The Gymal Dolodian Magazine, Volume IV, Number 1, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator:: Gymal Dolod
Date Created:: 1919-12
Description:: Gymal Dolod was a Minneapolis-based Jewish social club founded in 1909. The club provided both a comfortable space in which to convene and socialize and an opportunity to form business connections. Clubs were also created in response to discrimination experienced by Jews prohibited from joining gentile business and social clubs.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Newsletters

90. Letter from Arrowhead Lodge to Erwin Oreck, Ray, Minnesota

Creator:: Weber, Helen
Date Created:: 1946-10-07
Description:: Letter to Erwin Oreck from Helen Woeber at Arrowhead Lodge in reply to a letter from October 4th. Arrowhead Lodge discribes how Oreck believes they discriminate based on religion, and how they do not, but simple do not want "riffraff."
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

91. Letter from Samuel L. Scheiner to Grand View Lodge, page two, Brainerd, Minnesota

Creator:: Scheiner, Samuel L.
Date Created:: 1947-08-04
Description:: The second page of a letter to Mildred A. Foster at Grand View Lodge from Samuel L. Scheiner which goes on to say that "refusal of service to persons of a certain religious faith so deinitely violates the American ideal." The book, To Hell with Hunting, by Ed Zern is mentioned.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

92. The Burns on Cass Lake, Cass Lake, Minneasota

Date Created:: 1943 - 1947
Description:: Double -sided brochure for the resort The Burns on Cass Lake in Minnesota. Included are photograps of the resort and a general map.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

93. Come to Ambles at Amacoy Lake, Bruce, Wisconsin

Creator:: Amble, Thomas
Date Created:: 1943
Description:: Double -sided brochure for Ambles resort at Amacoy Lake in Wisconsin. Restricted clientelle is noted.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

94. Outside Home, A message to Minnesotans from the Governor's Interarracial Commision of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota

Creator:: Gilligan, Frances J., chairman
Date Created:: 1943 - 1947
Description:: Double -sided brochure by the Governor's Interacial Commission discussing Minnesota's Equal Rights Law which prohibits exclusion on the basis of race, color, national origin or religion.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

95. Letters to and from Erwin Oreck and Alec Ruttger, Deerwood, Minnesota

Date Created:: 1947
Description:: This is correspondence from Erwin Oreck and Alec Ruttger, from Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge. Ruttger is writing in response to a letter Oreck previously sent about the use of the word ""restricted"" on the folder of brochure matterial for the lodge that is given out. Ruttger assures Oreck that ""restricted"" was not meant to only restrict Jewish folk, or based on religion. Oreck then says he is glad the term will be changed, but hopes not to ""selected"".
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

96. Ruttger's Pine Beach Lodge, page one, Brainerd, Minnesota

Date Created:: 1940 - 1949
Description:: This tri-fold brochure, in two pages (one of two)for Ruttger's Pine Beach Lodge includes photographs of Gull Lake and inside the lodges, train schedules, general map, as well as descriptions of food and service and affiliations. ""Clientele Carefully Restricted"" is noted.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

97. Reply to Mr. Arthur Lyons from ""The Burns"", Cass Lake, Minnesota

Date Created:: 1947-06-12
Description:: Reply letter to Arthur Lyons from ""The Burns"" resort in Cass Lake, Minnesota. States that The Burns only accepts gentitle clientele. On the reverse of the text there is a color map of the area surrounding Cass Lake with illustrations.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Letters (correspondence)

98. Burntside Lodge, with map, Ely, Minnesota

Creator:: La Montagne, Ray
Date Created:: 1940 - 1947
Description:: Part of a double -sided brochure for the resort Burntside Lodge in Ely, Minnesota. Included are photographs of Burntside Lake, a general map and marked, Restricted Clientele.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

99. Burntside Lodge, Ely Minnesota

Creator:: La Montagne, Ray
Date Created:: 1940 - 1947
Description:: Part of a double -sided brochure for the resort Burntside Lodge in Ely, Minnesota. Included are photographs of cabins and Burntside Lake.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

100. Johnson's Cedar Lake Camp, Ontario, Canada

Creator:: Johnson, King; Johnson, Larry
Date Created:: 1946
Description:: A folding brochure for Johnson's Cedar Lake Camp in Quibell Ontario, Canada. Inside is a road map. The back gives details for hunting and fishing. It notes ""Gentiles Only"" on the front.
Contributing Institution:: University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Type:: Text
Format:: Pamphlets

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