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.

Veltlekhkayt: Jewish Secularism Then and Now

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Anna Fishman Gonshor, Faculty Lecturer of Yiddish Studies at McGill University and Montreal-based Yiddish activist, talks about her parents' Jewish lifestyle, and how the term "secular" has evolved over the years.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Anna Gonshor.

This excerpt is in English.

Anna Gonshor was born in Paris, France in 1949.

This interview is part of the Yiddish in the Academy: scholars, language instructors, and students series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Yiddish is A Vehicle For Discovery

3 min 29 sec

Childhood Shabbes

2 min 12 sec

Lack of Historical Awareness Among College Students Today

3 min 17 sec

"Illuminating a Culture": The Joy of Teaching Yiddish

1 min 37 sec

A Diverse and Public Community: A Unique Jewish Community in Montreal

3 min 47 sec

The Cultural Value of Yiddish, Even as A Post-Vernacular Language

1 min 58 sec

Language Gives Us Roots: A Yiddish Teacher Explains "Why Use Yiddish?"

2 min 21 sec

Yiddish Can Give Us Hope for the Future

3 min 1 sec

Yiddish Childhood in Montreal

3 min 15 sec

Finding a Niche: The Montreal Jewish Community

1 min 24 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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