Oedipus in Brooklyn and Other Stories by Blume Lempel

Ruth Gay Seminar in Jewish Studies Inaugurated in 2008 thanks to a major gift from the family of Ruth Gay, the Ruth Gay Seminar in Jewish Studies was established in honor of Ruth Gay (1922-2006), the noted American Jewish historian and writer. This series is given by scholars who use the YIVO Archives and wish to share their research with the public. Admission: Free Watch the video

A presentation by translators Ellen Cassedy and Yermiyahu Ahron Taub

Blume Lempel (1907-1999) was a courageous storyteller whose narrative imagination moved fluidly between past and present, Old World and New, dream and reality, modern-day New York and prewar Poland, girlhood dreams and old-age imaginings. Her Yiddish stories are masterpieces of poetic imagery and startling modernist touches, suffused with an abiding compassion for her characters—mostly women. Ellen Cassedy and Yermiyahu Ahron Taub will discuss Lempel’s life and work, her legacy, and their newly translated collection of her stories.