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Lipstadt, Deborah E.,. Oral history interview with Deborah Lipstadt, Feb. 28, 1979.

Title: Oral history interview with Deborah Lipstadt, Feb. 28, 1979.

Lipstadt discusses her experience as head of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Washington from 1974 to 1979. She details courses she developed in that time, including: Introduction to Judaism, Classical Judaism, The Holocaust, and History of Zionism. She also discusses her teaching approach, her professor-student relationships, the Hebrew program, "pilgrimages" to Israel in relation to the Jewish Studies Program, and her use of research projects in classes. Lipstadt also decribes the organizational and political issues surrounding the Jewish Studies Program and the university during that time. She mentions professors who were her supporters on the Jewish Studies Committee: Edward Alexander, Joan Ullman, Jere Bacharach, Morton Knoll, and Irving Lieberman. She also discusses Dorothy Becker's important role on the committee. Lipstadt states the importance of the Jewish Studies Program to the Seattle Jewish community and comments on how the Sam and Althea Stroum Lectureship allowed her to bring significant speakers to the community during her tenure.

ArchivalResource: Sound recordings: 1 sound cassette : analog, mono.Transcript: 20 leaves.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50600247 View

Alexander, Edward, 1936-. Oral history interview with Edward Alexander, May 7, 1981.

Title: Oral history interview with Edward Alexander, May 7, 1981.

Alexander briefly discusses his early life in Williamsburg and his Orthodox Jewish parents. He mentions his education at Columbia University (bachelor of arts, 1957) and the University of Minnesota (Ph. D. in English, 1960). After completing his doctorate, Alexander began his professional career at the University of Washington. He discusses in detail the development of the Jewish Studies Committee at the University, naming those who worked for and against the formation of the JSC and reflecting on the results of the program. He recalls that Rabbi Arthur Jacobovitz and professors Neil Groman and Leo Sreenby pushed for the formation of the committee, which was originally called the Hillel Committee due to tension surrounding the Jewish Studies Program. The program was ruled out by the university in 1969, but in 1971 Alexander, Jacobovitz, and others approached the College of Arts and Sciences to create a standing committee on Jewish studies. Alexander explains that he drafted the letter to the college, which was signed by professors Howard Kaminsky, Jere Bacharach, Don Kartiganer, Willis Konick, Allen Podet, Barry Scherr, and Joan Ullman. The group of signers was appointed to the new Jewish Studies Committee by Dean William Phillips. Alexander discusses certain difficulties the committee faced: persuading the history department to use a position to staff the Jewish Studies Program, getting approval for someone to head the program, and finding a replacement after the original program head, Deborah Lipstadt, resigned in 1979.

ArchivalResource: Sound recordings: 2 sound cassettes : analog, mono.Transcript: 30 leaves.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50612875 View