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Recording Content:
This recording is a continuation of a formal interview with Iosif Kunovich Burg. (Part 5 of 5. See MDV 405, MDV 406, MDV 407, and MDV 408)
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00:00:00
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Burg recalls his encounters with Ful beShames*, who taught medieval Russian literature. Burg tells a story how Shames invited him to hear a Russian-speaking woman Nina recite a poem by Shmuel Halkin in Yiddish. She later was to become Burg’s wife. He then talks about his first time leaving the Soviet Union in 1989, traveling to Austria. He was invited by the Austrian ministry for culture. Burg then talks about his wife, who studied with Shames and then worked as a teacher. Burg taught his wife Yiddish. |
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00:11:29
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Burg returns to talking about his work during the Soviet period. After he graduated from the Ivanovo State Pedagogical Institute Burg in 1947, he received a working assignment to teach at the Pyatigorsk institute for four years. He then moved to the Stalingrad region to work as a teacher for another four years. He taught German literature and his wife Russian literature. He then returned to Chernivtsi. Burg then talks about his reputation as a Yiddish writer. |
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00:18:17
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Burg explains how Russian and Yiddish writers influenced him intellectually. He then talks about his encounter with Israeli, Austrian, and German ambassadors. Burg remembers the encounter with Yosef Burg in Zurich, Switzerland; and talks about other meeting with Jewish intellectuals. He then talks about his family, in particular his parents. His mother was born in Lăpușna, Moldova. |
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00:38:16
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Burg briefly recites prayers. He then answers a number of dialectological questions from the AHEYM Yiddish questionnaire. He also discusses prewar political Jewish life and family. |
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00:51:57
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The camera films paintings and photograph in Burg’s apartment and the team concludes the official interview. |
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