Lavitan, Gladys, 1916-2014

Bloom, Ken

Charlotte, North Carolina

J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

1990-04-22

1 audio file (27:28) : digital, MP3 + 1 transcript (11 pages : PDF)

sound recording-nonmusical

spoken word

eng

Gladys Lavitan was 74-year-old woman at the time of interview, which took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1916. She graduated from Central High School of Charlotte, studied theater in New York and was employed as an actress in Charlotte and at the Olney Theater near Washington, D.C. She also taught Hebrew at Temple Beth El of Charlotte and hosted radio and television talk shows.

A longtime resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, Gladys Lavitan discusses the Jewish experience in the 1930s and 1940s as well as changes to the Charlotte Jewish community during and after World War II. She describes the challenges that life in Charlotte presented for Jewish men and women, including the lack of continuity in the transient Jewish population and the resulting lack of lay and rabbinical leadership. She recalls a network of organizations stretching across the Carolinas that provided Jews with social and religious outlets. Ms. Lavitan also discusses personal brushes with antisemitism in Charlotte and reminisces about her early religious education.

MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on analog audio cassette and digitized using a Digidesign 003 rack.

Actors
Radio broadcasters
Teachers

Lavitan, Gladys, 1916-2014
Blumenthal, I. D. (Isadore D.), 1894-1978
Ham, M. F. (Mordecai Fowler), 1877-1961

Young Judaea, Inc.
Temple Israel (Charlotte, N.C.)

World War (1939-1945)

Judaism--Customs and practices
Jews--Social life and customs
Jewish way of life
Seder
Jewish religious education of young people
Antisemitism

North Carolina--Charlotte

Interviews
Oral histories

1930-1990

Charlotte Jewish Historical Society

Gladys Lavitan oral history interview 2, 1993 July 1, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://goldmine.uncc.edu/islandora/object/uncc%3A220)

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audio/mpeg

JC-LA0006

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/uncc:1854