Collection Guide
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Orange County Holocaust Oral History Project
Interviews
MS.M.011
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
Title: Orange County Holocaust Oral History Project interviews
Creator:
Orange County Holocaust Oral History
Project
Identifier/Call Number: MS.M.011
Physical Description:
27.2 Linear Feet
(33 boxes) and 0.5 unprocessed linear feer
Date (inclusive): 1992-1995
Abstract: This collection consists of 154
interviews conducted from 1992 to 1995 with residents of Orange County, California, who
experienced the Holocaust. The interviews are the result of a project coordinated by Jack
Pariser under the sponsorship of the Orange County Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League of
B'nai B'rith. Most interviewees are Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. Their experiences
during the World War II era include forced and voluntary emigration, death camps, forced
labor, and hiding. Almost all of the Jewish participants are Ashkenazi Jews; that is, of
Yiddish-speaking, Eastern European origins. The other participants include five members of
the U.S. Army who saw the camps at the end of the war and three "rescuers" (individuals who
aided Jews in their efforts to escape the Nazis).
Language of Material:
English .
The collection has not been processed. It may contain restricted materials. Please contact
the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.
Property rights reside with the University of California, while the ADL retains all
copyright to materials in the collection. All researchers must, prior to using the
collection, sign a statement that they understand this and promise not to reproduce,
translate, abbreviate, or abridge any of the videotaped material without prior written
consent from the ADL. Written quotation of excerpts from the interviews in a class paper or
unpublished thesis does not require permission. For permissions to reproduce tapes or
publish any portion of an interview, contact both the Head of Special Collections and
University Archives and the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (823 United Nations
Plaza, New York, New York 10017).
Researchers must agree to cite interviews in the collection as follows: "Videotape
interview of [first name and last initial of interviewee] by Holocaust Oral History Project
of the Anti Defamation League. Copyright 202_, Anti-Defamation League." [Insert copyright
date of the particular interview being cited.]
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information
about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder
descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Gift of the Orange County chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), April 1994 and
2003.
In the early 1990s, Jack Pariser, a Polish survivor of the Holocaust who resides in Orange
County, California, initiated a project to conduct oral history interviews with residents of
Orange County who experienced the Holocaust. He received the organizational support of the
Orange County chapter of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai Brith (ADL) for the project.
The ADL identified participants from the community, obtained and trained interviewers,
conducted preliminary interviews with participants by phone, and solicited donations to help
support the project. The ADL also supervised the videotaped interviews, which took place
between April 1992 and April 1995, using recording services provided by Chapman University.
The ADL wanted the tapes to be housed in an Orange County research facility and subsequently
donated them to the UCI Libraries at the University of California, Irvine.
Interview participants in the Orange Country Holocaust Oral History Project were located
through publicity in the local media and by word of mouth in local Jewish communities. The
interviewers were all volunteers from the community, many of whom heard of the project in
its formative stages. They received training in conducting oral history interviews from a
consultant of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.; the Museum also was the source
of the questions posed to interviewees. In addition to depositing tapes at UCI, the Orange
County Holocaust Oral History Project is sending a duplicate set to the U.S. Holocaust
Museum.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection consists of 154 oral history interviews conducted from 1992-1995 with
residents of Orange County, California, who experienced the Holocaust. The interviews are
the result of a project coordinated by Jack Pariser under the sponsorship of the Orange
County Chapter of the Anti- Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.
UC Irvine recieved the interivews in two batches. The Supplimental Information guide
contains summary information describing the first batch of the 72 interviews collectively,
followed by an individual abstract of each of the 72 interviews. The summary information
explains the data elements used to provide demographic information about the interviewees.
Historical themes documented in the interviews are then broken down into categories with an
explanation and a list of relevant interviews relating to each theme. Each abstract is
comprised of the data elements and a descriptive summary of the interview. A glossary
defines the terminology used in the interviews and in the guide.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives.
World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Personal
narratives.
World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Personal narratives.
World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Rescue--Personal narratives.
World War, 1939-1945--Jewish resistance--Personal narratives.