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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

Naomi Kellman

Project
Weaving Women's Words

Elaine Eff interviewed Naomi Kellman on July 9, 2001, in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the Weaving Women's Words Oral History Project. Kellman explores her childhood memories in East Baltimore, her family's Jewish traditions, her education, her career in advertising and with Associated Jewish Charities, encounters with antisemitism, memories of Camp Louise, and reflections on her life decisions and relationships.

Aviva Kempner

Project
Washington D.C. Stories

Deborah Ross interviewed Aviva Kempner on February 13, 2001, in Washington, DC, as part of the Washington D.C. Stories Oral History Project. Kempner recounts how she came to be a filmmaker, and her connection to Judaism, to Israel, and to the greater Washington D.C. Jewish community.

Idit Klein

Project
Women Who Dared

Julie Johnson interviewed Idit Klein on February 25, 2005, in Boston, Massachusetts, as part of the Women Who Dared Project. Idit's interview highlights her lifelong journey from childhood in Israel to her activism as a Jewish leader, emphasizing her commitment to supporting marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQ+ Jews, and her deep connection to her Jewish identity and the importance of community.

Ruth Steller Klein

Project
Women Whose Lives Span the Century

Frances Godine interviewed Ruth Stellar Klein on May 30, 1997, in Boston, Massachusetts, as part of the Women Whose Lives Spanned The Century Oral History Project. Klein shares her deep connection to Temple Israel, her musical background, family life, experiences during World War II, discrimination faced, and her passion for education and teaching.

Margie Klein Ronkin

Project
Boston Women Rabbis

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Margie Klein Ronkin on February 24, 2014, in Brighton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Klein Ronkin reflects on her Jewish upbringing, involvement in social justice activism, journey to becoming a rabbi, founding Moishe Kavod House, and her efforts to address sexual assault and domestic violence in the Jewish community, all while reflecting on her understanding of God.

Cherie Koller-Fox

Project
Boston Women Rabbis

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox on March 31, 2014, in Newtonville, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Koller-Fox shares her Jewish upbringing, aspirations to become a rabbi, educational journey, involvement in founding CAJE, and reflections on the evolving rabbinate, personal challenges, and the role of Judaism in navigating crises.

Janet Krane

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Janet Krane on November 2, 2006, in Metairie, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Krane recounts her experience during Hurricane Katrina, including the challenges faced at Memorial Hospital and the controversy surrounding euthanized patients, as well as her reflections on family, community, and rebuilding New Orleans.

Trude Kranzler

Project
Weaving Women's Words

Jean Freedman interviewed Trude Kranzler on April 28, 2002, in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the Weaving Women's Words Oral History Project. Kranzler recounts her experience as a Jewish child in Germany during the rise of Hitler, her family's escape to the United States, and her subsequent career as an educator, emphasizing the importance of education and creating a positive learning environment for students.

Ruth Salmonson Krasnoff

Project
Women Whose Lives Span the Century

Miriam Smulow interviewed Ruth Salmonson Krasnoff on January 18, 1983, in Brookline, Massachusetts, as part of the Women Whose Lives Span the Century Oral History Project. Krasnoff shares her family's immigration history, her upbringing in Dorchester, her career in the business world, and her deep connection to Temple Israel.

Claudia Kreiman

Project
Boston Women Rabbis

Ronda Spinak interviewed Rabbi Claudia Kreiman on March 30, 2014, In Brookline, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Kreiman shares her experiences growing up as a rabbi's daughter in Chile, her journey to Israel, her personal tragedies, and her goals as a rabbi at Temple B'nai Jeshurun.

Alan Krilov

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Alan Krilov on October 18, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Krilov, a member of the Chabad community, recounts his challenging experience during Hurricane Katrina, including his evacuation and subsequent efforts to rebuild his life and reconnect with the Jewish community.

Lisa Krinsky

Project
Ga’avah: LGBTQ+ Jews

On November 20, 2021, interviewer Shira Hartman recorded an oral history with Lisa Krinsky, documenting her childhood and Jewish upbringing, coming-out experience, career in social work and leadership in LGBTQ aging advocacy, intersections of Jewish identity and social justice, community activism, and reflections on family, resilience, and aging.

Ruth Kullman

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Ruth Kullman on November 8, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Kullman discusses her career in community activism, including her work with Planned Parenthood, her involvement in helping her synagogue recover from Hurricane Katrina, and her contributions to various boards and local politics.

Madeleine Kunin

Project
DAVAR: Vermont Jewish Women's History Project

Ann Zinn Buffum and Sandra Stillman Gartner interviewed Madeleine Kunin on May 1, 2006, in Burlington, Vermont, as part of DAVAR's Oral History Project. Kunin shares her journey from Switzerland to the United States, her career in journalism, her involvement in Vermont politics as the first woman governor, and her role in education under the Clinton administration.

Jake Kupperman

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Jake Kupperman on July 18, 2007, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Kupperman reflects on his experiences during Hurricane Katrina, including volunteering at a hospital, the aftermath of looting, and how his parents protected him and his siblings, highlighting the importance of friends, routine, and returning to New Orleans in their recovery process.

Stephen Kupperman

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Stephen Kupperman on September 8, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Kupperman speaks about his childhood in New Orleans, his involvement in Jewish non-profits, and his experience during Hurricane Katrina, including his evacuation to Baton Rogue, reflecting on the changes in the city since then.

Jeffrey Kurtz-Lendner

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Rabbi Jeffery Kurtz-Lendner on December 4, 2006, in Metairie, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Rabbi Kurtz-Lendner discusses the impact of Hurricane Katrina on his congregation, including damage to the synagogue, economic hardships, and the healing power of community support during a "refugee Shabbat," while highlighting the government's failures in response to the disaster.

Irwin Lachoff

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Irwin Lachoff on August 24, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Lachoff reminisces on his upbringing in New Orleans, his involvement with Beth Israel Synagogue, his experience during Hurricane Katrina, and his concerns for the future of the local Jewish community.

Lenora "Leni" LaMarche

Project
Weaving Women's Words

Roz Bornstein interviewed Lenora LaMarche on May 24 and June 25, 2001, in Mercer Island, Washington, as part of the Weaving Women's Words Oral History Project. LaMarche shares her family history, Sephardic culture, and experiences growing up in the Seattle and Los Angeles Jewish communities, highlighting her education, comedic talents, work during World War II, raising a family, and involvement in various organizations.

Emily Langowitz

Project
Meet Me at Sinai

Jayne Guberman interviewed Emily Langowitz on February 8, 2015, in New York City, as part of the Meet Me at Sinai Oral History Project. Langowitz discusses her Jewish upbringing, her passion for Jewish learning, her experiences at Yale, her reflections on gender disparities in Judaism, and the influence of her renowned rabbi grandfather and Holocaust scholar grandfather on her spiritual journey.

Miriam Latter

Project
Katrina's Jewish Voices

Rosalind Hinton interviewed Miriam Latter in Metairie, Louisiana, on September 26, 2006, as part of the Katrina’s Jewish Voices Oral History Project. Latter reflects on her upbringing, running Tujague's Restaurant, her leadership in the Jewish community, and the impact of Hurricane Katrina, highlighting the community's resilience and the significance of community-wide prayer services.

Margaret Lazarus

Project
Women Who Dared

Judith Rosenbaum interviewed Margaret Lazarus on July 11, 2001, in Belmont, Massachusetts, for the Women Who Dared Oral History Project. Lazarus speaks about her upbringing in Queens, her activist parents, her perception of Judaism as a platform for questioning and civil rights, her career in documentary filmmaking, and her advocacy for women's issues and social justice.

Susan Leader

Project
DAVAR: Vermont Jewish Women's History Project

Sandra Stillman Gartner and Ann Buffum interviewed Susan Leader on July 23, 2008, in Andover, Vermont, as part of DAVAR's Oral History Project. Leader discusses her family's history, her upbringing in rural Vermont, her passion for pottery, her education, and her reflections on raising children in the Jewish tradition.

Nina Lederkremer

Project
Weaving Women's Words

Jean Freedman interviewed Nina Lederkremer on May 24 and June 24, 2001, in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the Weaving Women's Words Oral History Project. Lederkremer shares her experiences of escaping Nazi Germany, settling in the United States, her work, teaching, marriage, and her thoughts on Jewish practice, Israel, survival, and her decision not to go to Israel after the war.

Elsie Miller Legum

Project
Weaving Women's Words

Elaine Eff interviewed Elsie Miller Legum on April 19, 2001, in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the Weaving Women’s Words Oral History Project. Legum talks about her childhood in a large family, strict upbringing, Jewish observance, neighborhoods in Baltimore, elopement, work at Miller Brothers, second marriage, and reflections on friendship, family, and Judaism.

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Interviewer

Type

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Oral History Collection." (Viewed on June 15, 2026) <https://qa.jwa.org/oralhistories>.