Oral History Collection

The Nicki Newman Tanner

Oral History Collection

As part of JWA’s mission to expand the narrative of Jewish history, we have collected and recorded hundreds of interviews with leaders, activists, and community members across the United States, documenting their encounters with major events and movements of the 20th and 21st centuries and the many ways that gender, class, place, and religious and ethnic identities have shaped women’s lives. With generous support from Nicki Newman Tanner,  Mass Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, we are proud to make these interviews and transcripts available to the public. All entries include transcripts; audio or video recordings are also available where narrator permissions allow. 

More about the collection

Bernice “Sis” Kazis

Project
Women Whose Lives Span the Century

Bernice Gondelman Goldstein Kazis reflects on her family and Jewish upbringing in Boston, her first marriage and sudden widowhood, her subsequent marriage to Rabbi Israel Kazis, and a lifetime of involvement with Congregation Mishkan Tefila, Jewish communal life, social service, volunteerism, and professional work in the Greater Boston Jewish community.

Bernice and Israel Kazis

Project
General

Rabbi Israel J. Kazis and Bernice Kazis reflect on Rabbi Kazis’s life and career in Boston’s Jewish community, including his leadership at Temple Mishkan Tefila, his interfaith and civic engagement, his wartime service, and their shared roles in religious, educational, and community initiatives.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Oral History Collection." (Viewed on August 10, 2026) <https://jwa.org/oralhistories>.