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.

Hanni Dorn's Oral History

Hanni Dorn, granddaughter of Mark Selchen, editor of Yiddish newspaper in Winnipeg, was interviewed by Emma Morgenstern on March 4, 2015 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.

This interview was conducted in English.

Hanni Dorn was born in New York, New York in 1961.

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Video highlights from this oral history

Mark Selchen, My Grandfather, was Editor of Dos Yidishe Vort Yiddish Newspaper in Winnipeg

2 min 31 sec

She Read the Yiddish Newspaper from Birobidzhan: My Mother's Relationship to Yiddish

3 min 9 sec

Personal Connection to Yiddish

3 min 59 sec

Cultural Transmission Through Food and Cooking

2 min 13 sec

Artifacts related to this oral history

Certificate for five trees planted in Israel

Song or Poem "Before Spring" from Yiddish Children's Book

Meleh Grafstein Editor of "The Jewish Observer" letter to Sh. M. Zeltshen in honor of his 70th Birthday, 1956

Death of a Friend - Sh. M. Zeltshen's obituary

Hebrew Culture Organization of Canada letter for Sh. M. Zeltshen for his 70th Birthday, 1956

photograph from Canada, possibly of grandmother

Plaque given to grandfather Sh. M. Zeltshen by Yiddish Congress of Winnipeg

Binder of Notes, Letters, Articles, and Documents Organized for Grandfather's (Sh. M. Zeltshen) 70th Birthday

1956 Letter from Rev J Koussenvitsky of the Jewish Center of New Gardens Hills to Sh. M. Zeltshen

Photograph of one of mother's brother

Title page of Grandfather's Yiddish Siddur

Pages of grandfathers Yiddish siddur

Trees and Flowers Illustration from Yiddish Children's book teaching Seasons, Holidays, & Traditions

Little Girl looking out her window at a spring garden illustration from childrens book

Snowy rural landscape illustration from children's book

Red and blue bird illustration from Yiddish children's book

Grandfather's Siddur from Russia with Hebrew services and Yiddish instructions

Illustration from Yiddish children's book of small town, black and white figures and houses, with red clothing accents and roofs

Complete works of Sholem Aleichem in Yiddish

Illustration of Winter Forest Scene Beneath Stars, with short section of song or poem

Photo of grandfather, Sh. M. Zeltshen at editor's desk in Winnipeg

Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region Letter to Sh. M. Zeltshen for his 70th Birthday Letter, 1956

Mother's class picture at Peretz school, at which grandfather was president

Certificate of 13 Trees Planted by Sarah, Sh. M. Zeltshen's Wife, in his Memory through the Jewish National Fund of Canada

More information about this oral history

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