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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

Randi Abramson

Project
Washington D.C. Stories

Deborah Ross interviewed Randi Abramson on January 22, 2011, in Bethesda, Maryland, as part of the Washington D.C. Stories Oral History Project. Abramson, a doctor at Bread for the City in Washington, D.C., discusses her experience as a minority Jew, challenges in the medical field, commitment to community service, and imparting Jewish values to her children.

Martha Bergadine

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Martha Bergadine on November 3, 2006, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a part of the Katrina's Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Rabbi Bergadine discusses her journey to Judaism, her work with the Jewish Federation, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on Baton Rouge, and the sense of community that emerged from the disaster.

Ruth Clarke

Project
Women Who Dared

Elise Brenner interviewed Ruth Clarke on December 17, 2003, in Nonquit, Massachusetts, as part of the Women Who Dared Oral History Project. Ruth discusses her family background, her conversion to Judaism, the changes in her Dorchester neighborhood, and her impactful work with the Nonquit Street Gardening Club, reflecting on the rewards and challenges of being an activist.

Joel Colman

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Cantor Joel Colman on August 31, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices project. Rabbi Colman discusses his background, relocation to New Orleans, evacuation during Hurricane Katrina, living in a FEMA trailer, the significant turnout for the first High Holiday celebration after the storm, fundraising efforts, reflections on the storm's impact, and his son's plan to become a firefighter in New Orleans.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Oral History Collection." (Viewed on December 12, 2024) <https://jwa.org/oralhistories>.