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.

1987-1994: Lorin Sklamberg Describes YIVO At A Moment of Transition

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Lorin Sklamberg, lead singer for The Klezmatics and YIVO sound archivist, discusses his time working at YIVO. He explains in particular the dynamic between the "old guard" from Vilna and the younger generation of American Yiddishists there.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Lorin Sklamberg.

This excerpt is in English.

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

Other video highlights from this oral history

Lorin Sklamberg On His Early Experiences With Jewish Music

2 min 38 sec

A Low Fat, High Fiber Kugel

1 min 34 sec

Lorin Sklamberg on the Story Behind the Founding of The Klezmatics

5 min 2 sec

Developing A Style and Finding A Voice For The Klezmatics

6 min 6 sec

Why You Won't Hear Me Singing About The Old Country: Lorin Sklamberg on The Klezmatics Repertoire

4 min 21 sec

"It Was More Like a Resuscitation": Lorin Sklamberg's Thoughts on Klezmer Revival

3 min 58 sec

Sing Your Truth: Advice to Aspiring Jewish Musicians

54 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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