The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

The Beginning of A Catskills Career

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Peter Sokolow, a full-time professional musician active in Klezmer revival, describes his first gig in the Catskills playing in an Orthodox hotel and being treated like a non-Jew by the ultra-observant guests. He goes on to speak about his second Catskills job at a bungalow colony.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Peter Sokolow.

This excerpt is in English.

Peter Sokolow was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1940.

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This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

What’s a Club Date?: Peter Sokolow Explains

2 min 26 sec

Working with Dave Tarras

1 min 40 sec

Mentors in Jewish Music: the Epstein Brothers and Sydney Beckerman

9 min 35 sec

Peter Sokolow Remembers Humorously Bad Gigs

6 min 29 sec

"It's Not Hip To Be Authentically Jewish": Klezmer Trends and Fusion

5 min 8 sec

What is Klezmer Revival?

1 min 21 sec

Peter Sokolow, Klezmer Fats

3 min 4 sec

My Father's Piano

1 min 32 sec

"Rumania, Rumania"

4 min 5 sec

Reflecting on a Secular Jewish Upbringing

4 min 59 sec

“I Found Out I Could Play Tunes on That Thing”: The Beginning of A Music Career

3 min 9 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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