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.

Jean Fidelman Kopelman Haber's Oral History

Jean Fidelman Kopelman Haber, daughter of Yiddish theater prompter and cousin of English-language novelist Bernard Malamud, was interviewed by Christa Whitney on March 4, 2015 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, New York.

This interview was conducted in English.

Jean Fidelman Kopelman Haber was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1923.

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Video highlights from this oral history

"She happened to be gorgeous": Meeting Marilyn Monroe at the Academy of Arts and Sciences Awards

2 min 10 sec

Father Was a Yiddish Prompter for Yiddish Plays

1 min 21 sec

"Uncle Izzy": Descriptions of Cousin Isador Cashier

1 min 41 sec

Artifacts related to this oral history

Carlos Fidelman Marriage License page 2

Photograph of actor

Bernard Malamud Pictures of Fidelman

Photograph of actor (Jimenez)

Pictures of Fidelman handwritten dedication from Bernard Malamud

Photographic postcard of an actress

Jean with 1921 Yiddish theatre poster

Photograph in Buenos Aires, Jean's father, Shifra, Samuel Goldenberg, other actors

Picture of Jean's mother, Shifra Lerer, and possibly Samuel Goldenberg

Photograph of Samuel Goldenberg, Jean's father, other actors

Picture of Jean's father with Yiddish Actors

New Years Party at Glickman's Palace Theatre 1929, whole company photo - Jean's mother, father, Tillie Rabinowitz

Photograph of actress

Goldenberg company in Buenos Aires, father, Goldenberg, Berta Gersten, Jacob Ben-Ami

Photograph of father with actor in Argentina

Photograph of Jean's father

Argentinian photograph of actress

Photograph of Isador Cashier

Registry from Argentina - Registro Civil Cover

Photograph of Berta Singerman, note in Spanish to Jean's father

Photograph of Isador Cashier 2

Registro Civil inside cover

Photograph of father and Lapinski and actor or writer

Registro Civil stamp page 1

Photograph of father and actors

Registro Civil stamp page 2

Another actor with Jean's father

Registro Civil de la Capital, Buenos Aires

Jean's Father with Novikov

Boris Fidelman Nacientos Y Defunciones De Los Hijos

Jean's Father with Actors

Carlos Fidelman Marriage License

Photograph of actors, on a picnic or outing, being dramatic

More information about this oral history

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