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.

Finding a Young Jewish Political Community in the 1950s

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Gerry Tenney, musician and activist, describes his progressive Jewish awakening, and finding "his people" during a summer at the Leftist Jewish summer camp Camp Kinderland.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Gerry (Gershn Yankl) Tenney.

This excerpt is in English.

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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

"Di Arbuzn (The Watermelons)": A Soviet Yiddish Folk Song

2 min 34 sec

"Mir Zaynen Do (We Are Here)": Every Yiddish Word is Like a Blow to Nazis and Fascism

1 min 3 sec

Gerry and Leslie Tenney Sing "Mayer Khazer," A Soviet Yiddish Folk Song

2 min 33 sec

Why I Attended Hebrew School

2 min 59 sec

"Lomir Zikh Iberbetn (Let's Reconcile)": Uniting a Family Through Yiddish Song

1 min 52 sec

Gerry and Leslie Tenney Sing "Shtil di Nakht iz Oysgeshternt (Quiet, the Night is Full of Stars)"

2 min 3 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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