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.
A Family History of High European Culture
Watch now:
David Mazower - BBC journalist and great-grandson of Yiddish writer Sholem Asch - describes his family's history and its connection to high European culture. He focuses on his great-grandfather, the Yiddish writer Sholem Asch, who was friends with prominent people of his time.
This is an excerpt from an oral history with David Mazower.
This excerpt is in English.
This interview is part of the Beyond the Books: Yiddish writers and their descendants series.
Other video highlights from this oral history
A Family History of High European Culture
2 minutes 27 seconds
Sholem Asch's Work and View of Women
1 minute 56 seconds
"Let Me Shake the Hand of History"
2 minutes 35 seconds
"He Was a Hugely Dramatic Personality"
2 minutes 53 seconds
Controversies Around Sholem Asch's Work
1 minute 16 seconds
Visiting Sholem Asch's Birthplace in Kutno, Poland
2 minutes 13 secondsMore information about this oral history excerpt
Themes:
Keywords:
About the Wexler Oral History Project
Since 2010, the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project has recorded more than 500 in-depth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the Jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture.
Tell Us Your Story
Do you (or someone you know) have stories to share about the importance of Yiddish language and culture in your life?