Gaster, Berthold_1977/12/8, Oral History, December 8, 1977

Item — Box: 9, Box: unknown container

Identifier: 170

Scope and Contents

Subjects covered during interview include: Family History, Growing up Jewish in Vienna, America, Education, Work, Family The Ledger, Jewish Community *Additional Information added January 7, 1978

Dates

Creation: December 8, 1977

Interviewer

Morris Cohen

Partial Extent

From the Collection: 21 Linear Feet (43 boxes) : Compact cassette tapes, VHS, CD-Rs, Microcassette tapes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Physical Location

Interview conducted at Hartford Jewish Community Center

Index Card

#170 2t, 2s, 90 minutes Interviewee: Gaster, Bertold Interviewer: Dr. Morris N. Cohen Place: HJCC, JHSGH meeting Date: 12/8/1977 addenda: 1/7/78 Birth date: October 29, 1926 Birthplace: Vienna, Austria Family Background: Father, physician; mother, musician. Family origins. Pre-war Austria. Hitler take-over; Holocaust events; Crystal night; father arrested and taken to Dachau & Buchenwald. Father’s release; escape from Austria. Arrival NY, 1939. Family reestablished. General education: Jefferson High (Brooklyn), City College NY; NYU; Univ Iowa Graduate School Jewish Ed: Jewish Schools in Vienna; Marshall Hebrew High, NY. Religion in home: Observant. Father a Hebrew scholar; physician to Lubavitcher Rabbi. Personal interests: Journalism, music, athletics, community- Jewish & general. Community involvement: Religious school teacher, lectures to schools and organizations; work related journalism. Occupation: publisher and editor of Connecticut Jewish Ledger People mentioned: Special interviews with David Ben Gurion, Jimmy Carter, Ella Grasso, Jack Benny, Rabbi Abraham Feldman, Etc. Highlights: History of “Conn. Jewish Ledger”; problems related to publishing anglo-Jewish paper in the USA. Place of paper – “Voice of Jewish community” Married to Adele Lifshitz Children: Jeffrey and Emeline Jacobs. Grandchildren Michael and Sharon Jacobs.