Ethnic Women of Cleveland
Margulia German Oral History
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Margulia German interviewed by Jeanette E. Tuve March 6, 1986 as part of Ethnic Women of Cleveland
Listen to the interview (58:22 min.)
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The oral history presented by Margulia German (née Lantsman) provides a story of personal triumph and reinvention by escaping the adversity of political turmoil to begin a new life in a new country. Her story is a part of the Soviet Immigration in Cleveland's history. Margulia German was a teacher of foreign languages in her native Romania (now Moldova), which became a part of the Soviet Union. As one of the many displaced and oppressed Jewish groups who left the control of the Soviet regime, she moved with her family to Cleveland to live in a free and religiously tolerant country.
In order to secure a more satisfying career in the United States, she enrolled in the College of Jewish Studies to become a teacher of Judaic studies and became an important member of Park Synagogue, using her language skills to reach out to members of the Yiddish, Romanian, Russian, Moldavian, and English-speaking communities. Margulia German speaks of her life as a teacher, and her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother, and also of the family which she left behind in the Soviet Union.
Park Synagogue in Cleveland Hts., Ohio.
For Further Study from Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:
- Jews & Judaism
- Jewish Family Service Assn.
- Jewish Vocational Service
- Romanians
- Soviet Immigration
- Workmen's Circle
Credits
The content of this webpage and the digitization of the transcripts and audio files was the work of Jonathan Herr as part of his practicum project in the School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University during the spring term, 2011.
Thanks to Joanne Cornelius and the staffs of the Library's Digital Production Unit and Systems Department for their assistance.
Our thanks go to the Women's Comprehensive Program and the History Department, both of the Cleveland State University, to the George Gund Foundation for their assistance and permissions in producing this site.
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