In Our Own Voices: A Guide to Conducting Life History Interviews with American Jewish Women

The valuable oral history guidebook, In Our Own Voices: A Guide to Conducting Life History Interviews with American Jewish Women, opens with this quote by Nen Lederkremen, “Without roots we cannot grow.” The Jewish Women’s Archive, an organization that was founded in 1995, has done an excellent job in enabling American Jewish women to record their roots. The Jewish Women’s Archive felt that women’s contributions had been missing from the account of the American Jewish experience. To rectify this, they pioneered the use of community-based oral history projects with Jewish women in Boston, Seattle, and Baltimore. They set down the experience they gained in their easy-to-read, step-by-step oral history guidebook.

Although this book targets Jewish women, others will find it useful, no matter what their ethnicity is. The Guide encourages and instructs the reader on how to interview family members, friends, or other members of the community in order to have a historical record of their life experiences.

In the preface, Nicki Newman Tanner explains why oral history has several advantages over other historical sources, saying, “The personal and private experience, the hopes, aspiration, disappointments —in short, the ‘meat on the bones’ of the story—are rarely revealed through … reports and records.”

Part I, “Conducting Life History Interviews,” includes how to choose the narrator, “whether a woman is an ‘ordinary ’ person or someone who has had a demonstrable impact on her community or field.” The study of history should not be limited only to the extraordinary people (the movers and shakers) but to those ordinary women who impact their families and their communities. This book makes it possible for a daughter, granddaughter, niece, or friend to interview these “ordinary” women to obtain their extraordinary stories. An explanation of why it is essential to include ordinary folk might have been helpful, if for nothing else than to give a response to those women who, when asked to be interviewed respond, “Me, why do you want to interview me? I haven’t done anything important.”

The contributors make sure the reader realizes the importance of treating the narrator with respect. For example, the book uses the word narrator rather than subject, interviewee, or informant, “because it implies that the individual is actively involved in shaping the interview with the oral historian rather than simply responding to her questions. ” Another example of the respect for the narrator is contained in this question included in the preinterview questionnaire: “Please describe three significant events or issues in your life that you would like to discuss in an interview.” With the answers to this question, the interviewer is alerted to address issues that might not have been on her agenda to begin with.

Part I also addresses how to get ready for the interview, what to do during the interview, and what follow-up is necessary after the interview. It covers areas such as the following: researching the women being interviewed, asking open-ended questions, obtaining release forms, establishing rapport, selecting equipment, protecting the tape or disc, sending thank you notes, and how to complete interview logs.

The American Jewish Women’s Archive decided to use audio, rather than video, in their projects. To their credit, they also discuss video in this book and did use follow-up videos in some of their interviews. I do not agree with the authors ’ preference for audio instead of video, something that has been discussed at length on the oral history listserv (h-oralhist@h-net.msu.edu) and would not be addressed in this book review. It would have been helpful if the book had included more information about video equipment and hints about how to use the equipment. The book wisely advises the interviewers to use microphones and earphones and to eliminate extraneous noise as much as possible. One of the valuable sidebars is labeled, “Noise to Avoid,” while another is “Don’t Leave Home Without It. ”

The heart of the book is Part 2, “JWA’s Topic Guide for Life History Interviews.” The topics covered include: family, education, work, community service, Jewish identities, home and place, leisure and culture, health and sexuality, women’s identities, history, and world events. At the beginning of each section, “a leading scholar provides a perspective on the subject and how it relates to the life experiences of American Jewish women. ” The ten succinct and interesting essays provide valuable background information. Nearly 250 well-phrased sample questions are included. The interviewer is encouraged to choose pertinent topics and questions and to shape her own questions after she has researched the woman she will be interviewing.

Based on my experience working with the Greek community on oral history projects, I believe that other ethnic groups can easily adapt these questions. They are quite similar to those used in oral histories of the Greek community conducted in Berrien County, Michigan, and Chicago, IL.

Spicing up the book are compelling photographs of narrators taken by Joan Roth. The Guide also intersperses interesting quotes from American Jewish narrators throughout the book. These bring life to the pages. Included in Part 3, “Appendices” are sample forms and the following useful aids: “Selected Bibliography on American Jewish Women” and “Oral History Resources.” The forms include: the preinterview form, preliminary release form, final release form, interview log, interview log page, and proper word form (to be used by the transcriber or researcher).

This is a wonderful book, comprehensive and easy to read. I recommend it wholeheartedly not only for interviewing Jewish women but interviewing any women, no matter what their ethnicity is. It can also be used as a model for books written specifically for other ethnic women. Congratulations to the Jewish Women’s Archive, the editor, and contributors for a job well done.