The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

"We've Lost That Closeness": Cultural Change in the Jewish Community

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Bobby Block, career musician from South Philadelphia, describes the changes he's seen in Jewish life over a generation. In his youth, the Jewish community was far more tight-knit, with families typically staying together for most of their lives.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Bobby Block.

This excerpt is in English.

This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Jewish Mutual Aid in Jewish South Philadelphia

1 min 12 sec

Yiddish Radio in Jewish South Philadelphia

1 min 48 sec

Tearful Music: Yiddish Song and the Synaoguge

1 min 18 sec

"Finally, He Accepted it": My Father's Reaction to the Rise of Women Cantors

2 min 24 sec

Saturday Night Performances at the Jewish Nightclub

2 min 10 sec

Yiddish and Latin Music: Similarities in Style

1 min 40 sec

"It's Music From the Heart": The Feel of Jewish Music

1 min 7 sec

"Music Therapeutic": Performing Jewish Music in Retirement Homes

1 min 16 sec

"They Had Their Own Language in Rummy": Summer Nights in South Philadelphia

2 min 2 sec

"Abi Gezunt! (Be Healthy!)": Bobby Block Sings a Molly Picon Classic

3 min 41 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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