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
Artifacts related to this oral history

Yosef and Dan Opatoshu at Croton Falls

Dovid Opatovski portrait

Nantshe Opatovski portrait

Young Yosef, a rather dashing figure

Young Adela Wolf, inveterate seductress

Yosef and Adela with baby son David Opatoshu

Di Yunge

Yosef Opatoshu writing at desk

Three families on porch of the summer house

Portrait of the Glantzes and the Opatoshus

Adela and Yosef Opatoshu portrait

Glatz, Leivik, and Opatoshu with walking sticks

Conference of Soviet Yiddish Writers

Yosef and Adela at desk

Yosef with fellow Yiddish writers

Yosef and Chagall's family

Chagall sketches Opatoshu

Young Yosef lounges

postcard to Dan from Yosef Opatoshu

Opatoshu's bilingual calling card

Wolf girls portrait

Yosef visits Sholem Asch's family

Opatoshu and Chagall at a conference

Adela portrait

Adela reads to Dan and friends

Yosef, David, and Adela Opatoshu in newspaper clipping

back of postcard from Yosef to Dan

Yosef in front of table selling his books

sketch of Opatoshu from Glitzenstein

chagalls yosef painting

Adela at desk

Yosef portrait

young yosef and friends

yosef on croton falls porch

yosef in adirondack chair

yosef outside of croton falls house

yosef at desk

yosef headstone

yosef and children during europe trip

yosef and baby dan

yosef and adela on porch

yosef and chagall informal

toddler dan with grandparents

Yosef reading on lawn

opatoshu and children in europe 2

opatoshu visits israel

Yosef wild hair with fellow writers portrait

Yosef on a boat

yosef portrait and caricature

Yosef in a cape with two women

Yosef and Adela marriage certificate

Yosef in a cape

Yosef and Adela in NY apt

Woodcut of Yosef by Glitzenstein

Opatoshu mini portrait in ivory

ostrowsky Yosef painting

Opatoshu portrait charcoal

opatoshu and children europe 3

Opatoshus, Glantzes, Leiviks portrait mixed up

croton falls house front

croton falls porch

dan on yosef's shoulders

chagall note to yosef

Dan's boxes of Opatoshu photos - open

croton falls backyard

baby dan with grandparents

benn painting of Yosef

Opatoshu certificate of naturalization

Dan's box of Opatoshu photos - closed

kibbitzarnie

yiddish typographic yosef portrait

Mlawa building

Adela Opatoshu and Fania Glantz portrait
More information about this oral history
Themes:
- Family histories
- Childhood
- Jewish Identity
- Yiddish language
- Yiddish scene
- Yiddish speaker
- Immigration and migration
- Theater
- Literature
- Books
- Newspapers
- Poetry
- Career and Professional Life
- Holocaust
- World War II
- Education
- Secular
- Family traditions
- Israel
- Eastern Europe
- Soviet Union
- Russia
- United States
- Politics and political movements
- Cultural transmission
- Heritage
- Descendants of Yiddish personalities
- Beyond the Books
- Yiddish personalities
- Jewish community
- Shtetl
- Travel
- Relationships
Series:
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About the Wexler Oral History Project

Since 2010, the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project has recorded more than 500 in-depth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the Jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture.
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