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Accessing Yiddish Through Experts And Language

Caraid O'Brien—writer, performer, and director, including of Yiddish works—reflects on the privilege of having two mentors and teachers in the Yiddish performers Luba Kadison and Seymour Rexite. Caraid reflects on the sublimation of Yiddish language,...

Caraid O'Brien's Early Interest In Theater

Caraid O'Brien—writer, performer, and director, including of Yiddish works—recalls her early interest in theater, starting when she was a school-age child.

Fran Saed

Fran Saed, z"l, longtime resident of New York's Jewish community and former Yiddish Book Center docent, was interviewed by Aaron Lansky on February 25, 2010, at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Fran discusses her childhood and fam...

2010-02-25

Shimon Alperovitch

Shimon Alperovitch, z"l, co-president of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, was interviewed by Christa Whitney on July 31, 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This interview is entirely in Yiddish. Shimon Alperovitch was born in Vilna (Vilnius) in 1928, duri...

2012-07-31

Paula Boltman

Paula Boltman, former actress in the Melbourne Yiddish theater, was interviewed by Christa Whitney on February 15, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia.

2017-02-15

Popcorn and Fundraising at Intermission: Memories of New York Yiddish and English Theaters and Movie Houses

Fay Webern, New York City native and writer of historical, literary non-fiction, describes two of the movie theaters that she attended regularly as a child, and shares the story of her mother collecting dishes at the Palestine Theater.

On Working With Ida Kaminska in Sydney, Australia

Paula Boltman, former actress in the Melbourne Yiddish theater, describes meeting and performing with Yiddish actress Ida Kaminska. Kaminska directed some of the plays Paula performed in, including a production in Sydney.

WEVD and Zvi Schooler

Shirley Cohen Steinberg, writer and director of Yiddish theater, describes her childhood experiences with WEVD and her encounters with Zvi Schooler.

The Future of Yiddish: Are We Laughing With Yiddish Or Laughing At Yiddish?

Moishe Dolman - political organizer and frequent visitor to the Montreal Jewish Public Library - assesses the state of Yiddish today, drawing on examples from Yiddish theater, stories, and humor.

My Stint as a Yiddish Actor

Paul Berg, Yiddish activist, describes how performing in a Yiddish radio program as a child led to an interest in Yiddish theater.

My Grandchildren Speak Yiddish

Paula Boltman, former actress in the Melbourne Yiddish theater, talks about her grandchildren, who speak Yiddish as their first language.

Typecast as a Yiddish Actor

Yelena Shmulenson – NY-based Yiddish actress from the Former Soviet Union – talks about being known only for her work in Yiddish theater. While finds it can be limiting, she also wants to make sure any Yiddish spoken on stage is correct and sounds au...

"I Speak How I Speak": Shifting Among the Dialects of Yiddish

Eleanor Reissa, singer, discusses how her years performing in Yiddish theater have caused her Yiddish to shift from her parents' Polish dialect towards the Southeastern dialect favored in performances.