The first Jewish settlers came to the United States in the mid-1600s and, since then, Jewish Americans have contributed to American culture, history, and society in a variety of ways, big and small. To celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we’ve put together a collection of stories — inspirational, fun, and sometimes difficult — that reflect this rich history. Take a listen to Jewish American stories of everyday families, rabbis, and even a Supreme Court Justice.
Meet the Greenbergs
Growing up in her parents’ home in Queens, New York during the 1950s, Laura Greenberg says she didn’t know what normal behavior was. She remembers her family expressing love through hugging, cursing, and oversharing. At StoryCorps, Laura sits down with her daughter Rebecca to reflect on their unconventional love language.
Two by Two
In the summer of 1946, Hunny Feller and her identical twin sister, Bunny, were waitresses at a hotel. Another set of identical twins, Elliot and Danny Reiken, worked as musicians in a band there. By the end of the summer, the two couples had become inseparable. Watch Hunny and Elliot reflect on 61 years of marriage.
Remembering Justice Ginsburg’s Words
Sharron Cohen had no idea that at the age of 25, she’d find herself at the center of a legal battle with the potential to change women’s rights forever. That lawsuit eventually came to the attention of a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, and then onto the docket of the U.S. Supreme Court. In December of 2020, Sharron came to StoryCorps in Massachusetts with her son Nathan to remember the late Justice Ginsburg.
Rabbi Rubin’s Court of the Air
Rabbi Rubin’s history on the Lower East Side dated to the early 1930s. Arriving in New York’s Jewish enclave, he was dismayed at the plight of the city’s retired rabbis, many of whom led impoverished lives. To correct this sad situation, Rabbi Rubin helped to raise money to support the House of Sages, the first institution of its kind in America, to provide retired Rabbis with a weekly stipend and a place to study.
Remembering The Mother of the Disability Rights Movement
On the day the Theresienstadt concentration camp was liberated in 1945, Yehuda Czarnoczapka and Mina met. Yehuda brought Mina a pair of shoes for her bare feet and a few potatoes to aid her poor health, winning her heart over. The two eventually moved to the U.S. to start a family. At StoryCorps, Susan and Margot Moinester talk about growing up as the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and how they honor Yehuda and Mina’s love and liberation.
Vote for Yetta
In the 1964 presidential election, Republican Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona ran against Democratic incumbent Lyndon Johnson who had assumed office following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. LBJ won in a landslide, but there was another candidate in the race who has largely been forgotten by history: Mrs. Yetta Bronstein, a Jewish housewife from the Bronx.
Santa Rick
Meet Rick Rosenthal, a modern Orthodox Jew who also happens to be a modern-day Santa Claus. At StoryCorps, Rick explores how his religious faith actually helped him find his spiritual calling.
A Story About Survival
Debbie Fisher’s father was a Holocaust survivor. Throughout her childhood, she would ask him questions about his time in Auschwitz, but wanting to protect his daughter from the horrors he experienced, he would only share a sanitized version of his time in the concentration camp. At the end of his life, Debbie was finally able to get him to share his painful truth with her.
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He survived the Holocaust Because of a Stranger’s Kindness
In 1941, Rabbi Philip Lazowski and his family were among the Jews banished from their village in Poland by the Nazis and sent to the Zhetel Ghetto. One day, Philip, just 11 years old, was caught alone by a German soldier after being separated from his parents and siblings. Now 91-years-old, Rabbi Philip came to StoryCorps to remember a quick decision that changed his life.
On The Day Their Concentration Camp Was Liberated, Two Former Prisoners Found Love
On the day the Theresienstadt concentration camp was liberated in 1945, Yehuda Czarnoczapka and Mina met. Yehuda brought Mina a pair of shoes for her bare feet and a few potatoes to aid her poor health, winning her heart over. The two eventually moved to the U.S. to start a family. At StoryCorps, Susan and Margot Moinester talk about growing up as the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and how they honor Yehuda and Mina’s love and liberation.
Disarming Hate
Content Warning: This story includes mentions of gun violence.
In 1941, Rabbi Philip Lazowski and his family were among the Jews banished from their village in Poland by the Nazis and sent to the Zhetel Ghetto. One day, Philip, just 11 years old, was caught alone by a German soldier after being separated from his parents and siblings. Now 91-years-old, Rabbi Philip came to StoryCorps to remember a quick decision that changed his life.
Since 2003, StoryCorps has built an archive of the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered — and we want to add yours. Preserve your story for future generations by recording with either StoryCorps Connect or the StoryCorps App.