Guidelines for Conducting Oral Histories with the New Americans

1. Household composition: how many people in your household? who are they? - name age position, relationship to head of household; if there are non-Jews, how many; ages? occupations?

2. Parents' names; spouse's parents; children; grandchildren.

3. In former USSR:

  • where were you born? which country or cities did you live most of your life?
  • did you live anywhere else besides Russia and Tucson?
  • education level: grade school, some high school, graduated high school, college; some graduate school; advanced degree(s)
  • occupation
  • how did you decide to leave? was it a problem?

4. Tucson - how and when did you come to Tucson occupation?

5. Jewish Affiliation - repeat for interviewee, parents, grandparents - seek "yes" or "no" answers

  • Did your parents keep kosher? observe Sabbath? observe High Holy Days? have Passover seders? circumcision? others

6. What does being Jewish mean to you? How could the Jewish community have been more helpful to you with regard to Jewish activities in the past; in the future?

7. How did you arrive at the decision to leave USSR? was it a problem to exit?

8. What were your connections in the US? Where and when did you arrive in US; why Tucson?

9. Who did you leave behind? -- anyone in Israel?

10. Personal goals for future