The Jewish Hour

About this book

"The Jewish Hour takes us on a journey back to a rich and pivotal time in recent Jewish history, when Yiddish-speaking immigrants in Toronto struggled to make sense of the world they had entered. The story follows the author's quest to learn more about his late father's Yiddish radio show and his generation of immigrant Jews as seen through the pages of the Yiddish newspaper, the Kanader Nayes (1935-1954). Many accounts from the paper, translated from the original Yiddish, offer a window into the everyday life, culture and politics of this world, and introduce us to the colourful parade of characters who once populated this culturally vibrant sphere. Huge theatrical personalities such as Jacob Ben Ami, Moyshe Oysher, Molly Picon and Morris Schwartz also strut through these pages, along with literary and political stars such as Golda Myerson (before she was Golda Meir), Chaim Weizmann, "Red" Emma Goldman and Sholom Asch. The Jewish Hour also offers translated and transliterated lyrics of great Yiddish songsfrom the radio show, including Second Avenue show tunes, cantorial masterpieces, war songs, folk songs, and poems set to music."--