Jews--Kentucky--Louisville

Erlen was born in 1906 in Columbus, Ohio. He came to Louisville as Executive Director of the Jewish Social Services Agency in 1938. He recalls Jewish geographical and congregational divisions; Young Men's Hebrew Association; Secretary of YMHA, War year; then temporary Executive Director 1942-1944. He remembers desegregation of schools, parks, and neighborhoods. He recalls discrimination against Jews; the Civil Liberties Union; Civil Rights; Arthur Kling. He discusses resettlement of victims concentration camps; 1990s Russian resettlement; Polish resettlement in 1964; the family unit; nursing homes; Louisville Hebrew Home 1949; Jewish Family and Vocational Service and Dave Dobson; memories of early Jewish civil workers and volunteers.

The executive secretary of the Jewish Social Service Agency of Louisville discusses his work with that organization and its predecessors since coming to Louisville in 1938. Recollections also include the origins of Erlen's interest in Jewish social work, his education at the Ohio State University and the New York Graduate School of Social Work, work with the Jewish Community Federation of Louisville and its predecessor organizations, the resettlement of Jewish immigrants to Louisville, and recollections of such individuals as E.S. Tachau, Charles Morris, Stuart Handmaker, Marshall Bensinger, and Lewis Cole. Erlen also discusses changes in residential patterns within Louisville's Jewish community and the growth of professionalism within local Jewish social service organizations.

A Boston native, Gertrude Karp Feldbaum moved to New Albany and then to Louisville in 1909. Her family was from Grodna, Russia. She married in Boston in 1908. She and her husband were Louisville grocery owners until 1924. She remembers Jewish life and geographical distribution; Jewish merchants; synagogues; cemetery; Herman Straus Department store; the Depression years; the Young Men's Hebrew Association and Blanche Mitchell; dances; building the Jewish Community Center; the "Snack Bar"; swim teams; beauty contests; center clubs; Jerry Abramson; AZA (Aleph Zadik Aleph) Conventions.

Joe Fineman was a native of Chester, West Virginia. In 1954-1956 he served in the Army at Ft. Knox, and he came to Louisville in 1957. He was attracted to Louisville by its active Jewish community. He describes his personal involvement in community, including the Jewish Community Center's "Couples Club" (1956-57). He remembers Joe Kaplan, Norbert Friedman, Arthur Kling, Sam Steinfeld, Aaron Schreiber, Jewish Community Center Clubs and centennial.

Louise Flarsheim discusses local Jewish organizations, individuals, and neighborhoods. Topics include the Jewish Hospital, the Byck family, Adath Israel congregation, the Young Men's Hebrew Association, recollections of World Wars I and II, the Standard Club, the Council of Jewish Women, antisemitism, Jewish assimilation, and the Jewish Debutante's Ball.

Louisville native Hanna Fleck discusses her family coming to Louisville. Her father came from Kovna Guberniya to Baltimore to Portsmouth, Virginia, to Louisville. He first peddled in the country then opened a store at Shelby and Market Streets. Her mother was Rosa Berman. She remembers the 1937 flood, antisemitism, Mary Cohen, Bernard Berman, Levine, Lilly Meyers, Rabbi Gittleman, Lillian Goldberg Berman, Stella Levine, theater prices, Young Men's Hebrew Association, Girls High (1929), old Louisville landmarks.

Annette Gale's parents were Jenny and Aaron Vine, her grandmother was Blema Vine. They were all from Poland and immigrated to New York and then to Louisville in 1922. She tells of her youth and the Walnut to Magnolia and Brook Street areas. Her parents had a grocery store. Associated families: Eva Yussman, Herman Cohen, Freda Gurwitch, Minnie Cohen, Rose Tarbis. Discusses Jewish merchants, the American Grocery Co., the University of Louisville, Girls High School, transportation, Adath Jeshurun, Talmud Torah, going to Keat's Theatre at 5th and Walnut, radio, Young Men's Hebrew Association, World War II, and the 1937 flood.

This interview is part of the Jewish Oral History project.

The narrator discusses the Louisville Hebrew School and Adath Jeshurun congregation.

The narrator discusses family history, local Jewish history, and present work with the Jewish Family and Vocational Service. Topics include the Louisville Hebrew School, the old Haymarket area of Louisville, family interest in Zionism, local Jewish leaders, and the orthodox Jewish community.