Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies | Oakland, California | Not just an Institute … we're building community!

Mündliche Geschichtsreihe / Oral History Series

We are inviting individuals from our community to share their life’s stories and dialogue with participants. Meetings are facilitated by Dr. Marion Gerlind. Order and pre-pay for tickets below. For more information and reservations, email Marion or call (510) 430-2673. To review the Oral History ARCHIVE of previous speakers and topics, click here.

RSVP required. Teilnahmebeitrag: $20, GICS Mitglieder: $10 (Suggested contribution: $20, GICS Members: $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.)

Donations

The Oral History Series is a project of the Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the teaching and promotion of German Cultural Studies. We invite members from our community to share their life’s stories and dialogue with the audience, promoting cross-cultural understanding. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Visit our donations page, at www.gerlindinstitute.org for more information on donations.

TBA

Joan Schwartz, Ph.D.: In Her Own Words: Eva Herzberg Schwartz, a German Jewish Refugee
POSTPONED

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 shelter-in-place order in California, as of March 21, 2020, we have postponed our Oral History events. If you have any questions, or concerns, please contact JB at info@gerlindinstitute.org

Dr. Schwartz will share the story of her mother, Eva Herzberg Schwartz, who, in 1937 at the age of 16, fled Nazi Germany with her parents and settled in the Bay Area. Dr. Schwartz will focus on two detailed documents her mother left behind—an autobiography and a family tree going back to the 18th century, and her family’s life in Trier.

Eva Herzberg Schwartz wrote about the effects of the Nazi regime on her family, their experience as German Jewish immigrants adapting to life in the US; her career as a college chemistry instructor and her marriage to Henry Schwartz in 1946. They raised four daughters together in San Diego.

Joan F. Schwartz is a clinical psychologist who has led groups for daughters and sons of Holocaust survivors. She taught graduate classes and supervised interns in clinical psychology, and worked as a therapist and evaluator in both mental health clinics and private practice. Her presentation will be in English.

Support Our Oral History Series!

Annegret Ogden

audience at Dr. Monica Clyde's presentation

2019 marks the twelfth anniversary of the GICS Oral History Series, which has become the touchstone of our community programs. It grew from Dr. Gerlind’s passion for interviewing Holocaust survivors whose stories were at risk of being lost. Inspired by their lives, the Gerlind Institute continues to bring unforgettable speakers from in and outside our Bay Area community. We have witnessed their voices and stories, and have been transformed. We are incredibly grateful to every speaker, co-sponsor, and audience participant from the past ten years!

Through the dedicated volunteer work of the Gerlind Institute's team, especially JB, Loren Norman, and many others, GICS has hosted 43 Oral Histories since 2007—no small feat for a grassroots organization such as ours, which relies completely on community support!

Despite all the work that goes into organizing each event, admission remains accessible, as we want everyone to participate. No one is turned away for lack of funds. The Series is primarily funded through income from the GICS teaching program, memberships, and donations . With the generosity of volunteers, participants and speakers—many of whom have donated their honoraria—we have been able to sustain our Series.

We are calling on you, our community, to support your Series through your generosity, as we hope you benefit directly, or indirectly, through Gerlind Institute’s educational services. Please help secure our Oral History Series' sustainability by becoming a GICS member in 2019. Visit www.gerlindinstitute.org/membership.html, or click here. You can also make a tax-deductible donation. Visit www.gerlindinstitute.org/donate.html, or click here.

Your act of generosity, whether large or small, will build fiscal stability and enable us to create more unique programming.

We will apply your donation to the costs of upcoming events.

We are grateful for any amount you are kindly willing to give and your continued support as a GICS community member! We look forward to welcoming you to an upcoming event!