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.

"Intellectual Jousting": How My Grandfather, Solomon Simon, Thrived on Argument

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Daniel Forman, grandson of Yiddish writer Solomon Simon, considers the importance of "intellectual jousting," or rich argument and discussion in his grandfather's life philosophy. He tells the story of his grandfather writing to him about the Kent State shootings, a historical event that had divided them in argument.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Daniel Forman.

This excerpt is in English.

Daniel Forman was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1956.

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This interview is part of the Beyond the Books: Yiddish writers and their descendants series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Yiddish Writer, Solomon Simon, As Described by his Grandson

4 min 48 sec

My Unconventional Jewish Education as the Grandson of Yiddish Writer, Solomon Simon

7 min 40 sec

Memories of My Grandmother, Lena Simon

3 min 51 sec

Did Zeyde Simon Become a Believer?: The Great Debate for Solomon Simon's Family

9 min 55 sec

How Yiddish Dictates Jewish Identity for the Family of Yiddish Writer, Solomon Simon

2 min 56 sec

Literary Arguments and Wall Ball: Memories of Visiting My Grandparents

3 min 27 sec

My Grandfather's Books: Solomon Simon's Literary Legacy

5 min 8 sec

What My Zeyde, Solomon Simon, Wanted Us to Know About Judaism

4 min 11 sec

Solomon Simon's Depression Era Dentistry

2 min 55 sec

What I Know About My Grandfather's Early Life

1 min 47 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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