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.

Dust Dancing in the Ghost Light: Backstage at The Dybbuk

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Lester Thomas Shane, son of Yiddish actor Sam Shane, recalls his first visit to the Yiddish theater as a child to see his father perform in The Dybbuk.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Lester Thomas Shane.

This excerpt is in English.

Lester Thomas Shane was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.

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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

Maurice Schwartz, Briefly A Cousin

1 min 46 sec

Honoring the Gift of Yiddishkayt

2 min 6 sec

Working with Eli Mintz

3 min 16 sec

Sam Shane Playing Tevye

1 min 15 sec

"Everything Stems from The Dybbuk": Impact of the Yiddish and Theater on My Life

2 min 45 sec

An End-Of-Life Reconciliation on Yom Kippur

3 min 15 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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