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.

Dan Opatoshu's Oral History

Dan Opatoshu, grandson of Yiddish novelist and short story writer Joseph (Yosef) Opatoshu, was interviewed by Christa Whitney on March 12, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

This interview was conducted in English.

Dan Opatoshu was born in 1947.

Video highlights from this oral history

Opatoshu's Friendship with Peretz Markish and Reacting to Night of the Murdered Poets

5 min 2 sec

A Sentimental Attachment to Yiddish Theater

3 min 52 sec

Artifacts related to this oral history

Yosef and Adela with baby son David Opatoshu

Yosef visits Sholem Asch's family

yosef headstone

Woodcut of Yosef by Glitzenstein

kibbitzarnie

Di Yunge

Opatoshu and Chagall at a conference

yosef and children during europe trip

Opatoshu mini portrait in ivory

yiddish typographic yosef portrait

Yosef Opatoshu writing at desk

Adela portrait

yosef and baby dan

ostrowsky Yosef painting

Mlawa building

Three families on porch of the summer house

Adela reads to Dan and friends

yosef and adela on porch

Opatoshu portrait charcoal

Adela Opatoshu and Fania Glantz portrait

Portrait of the Glantzes and the Opatoshus

Yosef, David, and Adela Opatoshu in newspaper clipping

yosef and chagall informal

opatoshu and children europe 3

Adela and Yosef Opatoshu portrait

back of postcard from Yosef to Dan

toddler dan with grandparents

Opatoshus, Glantzes, Leiviks portrait mixed up

Glatz, Leivik, and Opatoshu with walking sticks

Yosef in front of table selling his books

Yosef reading on lawn

croton falls house front

Conference of Soviet Yiddish Writers

sketch of Opatoshu from Glitzenstein

opatoshu and children in europe 2

croton falls porch

Yosef and Adela at desk

chagalls yosef painting

opatoshu visits israel

dan on yosef's shoulders

Yosef with fellow Yiddish writers

Adela at desk

Yosef wild hair with fellow writers portrait

chagall note to yosef

Yosef and Chagall's family

Yosef portrait

Yosef on a boat

Dan's boxes of Opatoshu photos - open

Yosef and Dan Opatoshu at Croton Falls

Chagall sketches Opatoshu

young yosef and friends

yosef portrait and caricature

croton falls backyard

Dovid Opatovski portrait

Young Yosef lounges

yosef on croton falls porch

Yosef in a cape with two women

baby dan with grandparents

Nantshe Opatovski portrait

postcard to Dan from Yosef Opatoshu

yosef in adirondack chair

Yosef and Adela marriage certificate

benn painting of Yosef

Young Yosef, a rather dashing figure

Opatoshu's bilingual calling card

yosef outside of croton falls house

Yosef in a cape

Opatoshu certificate of naturalization

Young Adela Wolf, inveterate seductress

Wolf girls portrait

yosef at desk

Yosef and Adela in NY apt

Dan's box of Opatoshu photos - closed

More information about this oral history

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