In this interview, Manual (Mandy) Ruder (1914 - ) gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan. Special attention is afforded to his family background, including information about his Romanian and Zionist parents farming in Palestine, their settlement in North Dakota, and eventually settling with his mother in Minneapolis after the tragic death of his father. The focus moves to Ruder's childhood in a Romanian Orthodox community near downtown Minneapolis, roughly during the period of 1910 - 1920, to his education at the University of Minnesota in the 1930s, Navy career, career in American National Bank, and copious family details. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
In this interview, Rabbi Kassel Abelson speaks of his life, times, and views regarding Judaism. Abelson spent over forty years as senior Rabbi at Beth El synagogue in North Minneapolis and later Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, serving as a leader in the community and as a developer of national Judaic programs and policy. Abelson recalls his family background, his childhood in Brooklyn, his education culminating in the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in the 1940s (a focus of discussion), his chaplaincy, his arrival and experience at Beth El, relocating to Saint Louis Park from Minneapolis' North Side and actions in setting Judaic policy. The focus of the interview, in addition to Abelson's personal narrative, is on his vision of American Judaism and how it was enacted through various programs and organizations, such as the United Synagogue Youth, in addition to his social justice principles exemplified by his participation in organizations such as the Urban Coalition 1960s on Minneapolis' North Side. This interview was conducted by Dr. Linda Mack Schloff, former director of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
In this interview, Roz Baker (1923 - ) gives an account of her life as a Jewish native of Minneapolis. She relates her family background which includes an immigration story to the United States from Russia through Cypress in 1915. She describes her childhood growing up Jewish in Minneapolis, relating memories of Labor-Zionist meetings, holiday traditions, school experience, working as a teenager during the Depression and various class distinctions among the larger Jewish community. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Ann Schulman in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Mrs. Marilyn Murray White was born in Columbia, Missouri in 1926, and moved to Moorhead that same year. Mrs. White describes her more than 40 years of involvement with and membership in the First Congregation Church of Moorhead, where she served in many capacities including four years as Church Education Director.
Robert Feder, grandson of Max Goldberg, discusses his childhood growing up in Fargo, ND. Mr. Feder, presently a lawyer in Fargo. He discusses his Jewish religion, as well as Jewish involvement in the Fargo-Moorhead community.
Vilgard (Daehlin) Sorgen spent her early years in China as the daughter of missionaries. She came to Moorhead in 1927 to enroll at Concordia College and graduated in 1931. Mrs. Sorgen discusses her early life in China and the role she and her husband played in the establishment of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Moorhead in 1952.